I Would Like If Someone Could Help Me Begin Collect And Give Advice What To Collect

Hi I am new to collecting. This dutch stamp I bought since I got it at auction at starting price.

I am curious what I should collect and what is worth aquiring for reselling?

What countries still have high interest in collecting stamps, does it vary? It kind of feels like it might be a dying hobby? My father was a collector, and he passed away recently. I am testing the waters.

I might go more into coins maybe, as they have the metal value as well as the collecting value.

I'm from Norway.

The stamp on the photo was presented on the auction as:

Start price: NOK 307,5 (EUR 26.44)

Category, which I don't fully understand yet. Given one star (*)

Description:
11. 25 c 1867, retreaded, and with uneven tagging (€2500 as *)

Sorry that was google translated from the auction site. Retreaded might be wrong translation. We are talking about the rubber on the back.

I assume that it can be very hard to get catalog price in the market. Something I probably should take the fact that I bought it for only 27 Euro as a proof of.

However what is realistic with this stamp as an example, to achieve?

I might keep some of the stamps if I find them beautiful or if they are harder to sell.

Any tips and ideas are welcome. Should I quit collecting stamps, just have to ask this as well?

We haven't sold our fathers collection yet. There are some truly beautiful ones there. I don't know all the English stamp lingo yet. Do you just say a stamped stamp? My father collected some unique stamped stamps, and made thorough descriptions, analysis which he learned from the local Phil club

Honestly, you haven't started collecting stamps yet. Collecting stamps is rarely an investment, and this is probably not the forum to ask what to buy in order to make money.




And, here is the upshot. We would need to know a lot more about what your father collected, and how. Most collections have very little actual value. Which is not to say that it didn't have great value to your father.

Another example of something I bought:
Description:
Lott Napoleon and Bordeaux brands in pairs and single brands. mixed quality. Stated € 1802 (NOK 21000).
Translated with Google

Bought at auction for: NOK 1107 (EUR 95.17)

Well my brother is holding the stamps and enjoying browsing through them at the moment. We have lots of time. It might take a while to get a chance to take photos. It is a rather medium large collection, so very time consuming just to assess.

But I can get back to it (that particular topic, the inheritance) in the future #128516;

Condition is paramount for top value. Most of the French stamps have condition issues visible in the scan. Some would have reduced value; others would be reduced to spacefillers. There are other potential issues that can't be seen in a scan.

Collect what interests you. Maybe your own country or one where you like their history. You can collect a narrow time window across multiple countries. You can collect stamps you think are pretty. Lots of collectors focus on a topic they like.

If you want to make money with stamps, you will need a ton of knowledge - collect for years, making mistakes and ultimately understanding how to spot a bargain. You will have essentially become a stamp dealer.

A more modest goal would be to be to collect and be in a position to sell your stamps someday in the future at a price that isn't utterly disappointing.

I read somewhere that cheap stamps stay cheap and expensive stamps get more expensive. I think that's a decent guideline, if not always 100% perfect. One $1000 stamp will probably hold its value. 1000 $1 stamps will not.

Now, lets say you bought a $1000 stamp. Lets even say you bought it from a dealer and have no shipping or auction buyers fees. 10 years later, you want to sell it. And now it is worth $1200! $200 profit? Nope. Unless you have your own store or a way to market that stamp, you will need to sell it to a dealer or through an auction. Dealers don't pay retail. You would sell that stamp for $600 -$800. An auction will take a 20% sellers premium - but buyers also pay a 20% buyers premium and factor that into their bidding, so you need that stamp to go up 40% to break even. Your stamp went up only 20% so you'll be getting about $800 for it. Factor in time value of money and the value of your time and you are way worse off than putting $1000 in a 2% savings account.

So 2 rules I think about with the value of my collection

1. My cheap stamps will sell for basically nothing.
2. My expensive stamps need a 40% increase in value for them to break even.

So collect for fun and don't expect to make a profit.

Coins are no different other than you can speculate on precious metal prices. And if you want to do that, you'd buy non-numismatic bullion or buy etfs or other financial instruments.

Regarding the Napoleonic period. I totally understand and agree about those. I kind of thought it was a bit intriguing to get to buy stamps from that era for a lower value.

Without exceptions for especially old eras, I might tend to look for two stars preferably as that seems to be their top quality approval at this auction house Skanfil. I have got some really nice stuff, but also been disappointed. I guess there is limits with assessment from them, as they go through rather large volume pr. week

I for instance bought some coins in plastic holders, that seems to be issued from the mint. 2 stars seems to not be reliable on coin with them, as it seems to have to read proof. Simpler explanation, they where unexpectedly circulated and placed in such holders. You learn..

Don't get caught in the trap of seeing a high catalog value and just buying because you can get something for a fraction of the cost. Do some inexpensive exploration for a while, learn about perforations and watermarks and soak up anything you can find to read. Avoid fixating on values until you are ready and informed.

Hello. Looking at the French stamps, if you're going to buy individual or small groups of imperforated issues, look for stamps with margins that are cut clear of the design. Anything else reduces the value (but also the cost) substantially. Sellers frequently quote catalogue values for stamps without faults, while selling faulty copies.

Thank you Philazilla.

My favorite purchase that I may hold onto for a while is this coin actually. Limited minting. Just thought that it is a bit unique and I had to go a little in a bidding war for this one actually #128518;

Thanks for the additional advice already received from two other forum users. So there is a bit activity here it seems like. Nice #128578;

Is there a specific thread where you can share your collections. Or isn't it so important where, if you share a lot of photos?

I can also share another purchase. That is a one of, irreplaceable. Known family tree, but not certain who is who. Asked the national museum, got some hints, but not absolute defined. Anyways they have proveniens and are from approx. 1850

I would call this purchase a steal. Only had to pay EUR
431.67

So there is some quality items to find

If you like it, great. If it has value to you, full speed ahead.

Push comes to shove, Euryale is 50g of three nines silver. As long as we have a functioning society, someone is likely to be willing to pay you close to spot for it. If we don't have a functioning society, the guy with the loaf of bread for sale may say, "Nieu?! What's that?"

You seem to be trying to combine "collecting" with "investment". That's not impossible, but it requires a great deal of knowledge of the subject areas. In other words, in these circumstances, the research should precede the purchase, not follow it. So, if you'd asked here first, most would have suggested that you shouldn't spend €96 on those French stamps, and that you could get a better lot for your money.

You have posted three things claiming your purchases are steals or similar.

Keep in mind that the 'winner' at an auction is the person who was willing to pay more than anyone else. That in itself signals that if you sell it, before auction cost, another person is likely to offer less than you paid.

I think the word you were looking for regarding the Dutch stamp is "regummed." I do not know what "tagging" is, but this stamp had no tagging. However, "uneven tagging" might mean "uneven perforation." I have very strong doubts about the perforation of that stamp. It does not just appear uneven, it appears doubtful. The stamp is extremely narrow.

The stars, normally, are symbols for the state. ** means the stamp is mint, has never been hinged and has full original gum. * means the stamp is unused. It was once hinged, the gum is not full, or may be missing. Regummed would also be unused.

Welcome!

Not for selling at a big profit, but for your creative pleasure: create some maxicards, and some cacheted covers.