Which Forever Stamps (If Any) Are Worth Saving ?

Greetings, I have not posted here in quite some time (if ever, I can't remember if I posted before but I already had an account).

Anyway, I have been buying quite a few stamp collections that have come into local coin shops. The shops don't do anything with stamps and nobody else around here advertises to buy stamps. So I end up with a lot of it.

99% of it is what I would call "junk". Usually the only value is in usable postage (I know that it sells for a discount). So that is what I buy if for because I use the postage for my business mailings.

At one time I was more in tune with the stamp market and which stamps are better. I know the classics (such as Zeppelins, for example) are worth a close look of course

But I am unfamiliar with newer issues from about 22-cents (first-class rate) on up to today. I have accumulated quite a few sheets to use as postage. The biggest collection I bought had over $15,000 face value and a lot of those are FOREVER stamps.

So my question is, which first-class-rate and FOREVER stamps (if any) are worth saving ?

The only one I know of is a "Legends of the West" sheet that has the wrong picture for one of the people (if I am remembering that correctly).

The only Forever issues that come to mind as standing out are EFO's (mainly missing die-cuts) and ironically counterfeits for which Scott has an entirely separate catalog. I say this assuming that higher catalog value or really higher than face value is the prerequisite. Look forward to what collectors of these have to say.

Your older post can be found here

http://goscf.com/t/46355

At least one of the USPS commemorative sets sells for a premium now - the Transcontinental Railroad - but you need the proofs and everything that came with it.

The express and priority mail stamps, while not forever stamps, are modern ones that have appreciated.

The USPS issues commemoratives in much smaller quantities now than in the past, so I've heard some collectors speculate that 21st century stamps may end up being more valuable than 20th-century ones. You'll probably need to wait 100 years to find out. We don't have thousands of collectors buying up sheets of common stamps "for investments" like was done in the 1940s-1970s.

Pre-forever stamps, I think a couple of the Looney Tunes sheets (32¢/33¢) had die-cut variants that are valuable and not hard to come by - like the recalled legends sheet.

You can also look for rare plate number coils or uncommon die-cutting variations for some value.

If you want to go through the hassle of it, you might get higher than face value on ebay if you have nice multi-sheet sets like the WWII sheets, the American biomes (or something like that), the 20th-century by decade, etc.

No-die cut on cover.

Counterfeits on cover.

I doubt anything new will ever be worth much, maybe higher value oddballs. "Worth saving" is subjective, it's worth it if you're trying to collect compete sets of them. I stopped my US collection at year 2000.

I agree with Philazilla - while not Forever stamps, the Priority and Express Mail stamps are definitely worth collecting.

Unlike commemoratives and regular issues, these stamps must physically change every time the rates change; sometimes more than once in a given year. Old issues are destroyed. Hence, future collectors trying to acquire older stamps - especially plate blocks (dba full panes) will be in for sticker shock. My heir will not have to face that.

The 2025 Express Mail rate will be $31.40, so a pane of 4 will cost $125.60. Since I collect both a full pane and a single, my cost will be $157.00. Imagine what those stamps will cost in 2030. Apparently the Postal Commission hasn't yet decided on the exact denomination of the 2025 Priority Mail stamp, but if they go with the 3.2% announced earlier, it should be $10.10. That subtracts another $50.50 from my monthly philatellic acquisition budget.

I did not know that. Why would they bother?

The more people tell you a current stamp is worth collecting the bigger the probability the excess speculative stocks will flood the market in the future.

Collectable stamps tend to be those everyone missed out on, not those everyone bought expecting its value to increase.

3095b comes to mind.

Saving for what? Collecting, investing for later sales? Discounted Forevers used as postage on your business mailing will have the greatest likelihood of maximizing your return on purchase value.

Some, if you have them, are ripe to sell now, for example the ones issued and intended for wedding mailings. Some are selling now over face to wedding planners to use. But what is "hot" now will fade away when another set is issued that catches fire with the brides and planner. Not all such issues do.

Thanks for the replies.
By "worth saving" I meant are there any stamps that I should keep or auction on eBay instead of using for postage ?

I think most or all of these stamps were bought directly from the USPS. So I don't think there is many counterfeits. I also don't remember any that were lacking the die cuts.

There are many different reasons for "saving" a stamp besides its "worth" (if by that you meant its monetary value). Any "Forever" stamp is potentially "worth saving" if it interests a topical collector.

I do not think any forever stamps will be worth collecting. Most collectors have a point they stop their collection. I have stopped my collection at 2004. I will keep in mind when no.one put back anything it make it worth more over time as they are few that hit the market. I also keep in mind that most collectors stop their collections at a point. So less demand for newer stamps. As an investment stamps have been less than desirable. As a hobby I think it is one of the best to keep your mind sharp. They are some exception like the war and savings stamps. They are trading far higher than Scott's catalog. With the stamps you must collect the books they placed them in as well as the postal savings certificates over all a interesting venture to complete a set. Then there is Confederate issues and older counterfeit that seem to have appreciated. So there is areas to invest in with a anticipated return on your money. The enjoyments of collecting priceless.

Below is a sample of a current buy list for US Stamps. A number of dealers issue such lists on an as needed basis. I am not intending to tout the dealer over any other dealer's US buying list.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...v=1732076272

Here are screenshot from two pages to illustrate what you will looking at on the link.







Edited to add one missing letter.

dcarr wrote: "Thanks for the replies. By "worth saving" I meant are there any stamps that I should keep or auction on eBay instead of using for postage ?"

I'd take a few minutes and browse the Sold items in eBay's mint US category(s). Note the difference between face value & sold value, and if you have time get some familiarity when Repeat sales of same item happened.
1 - you'll get a sense of "what's moving"
2 - you'll get a sense of how similar items (designs) would do and might do later, even if you don't see those items. Stamp collecting's meaning has changed in recent decades, certainly since Forever stamps which are your main concern that didn't register in replies either. The change: dying down "collect us stamps" / "collect us stamps to year xyz" and so on.
Increasing leaps and bounds: "casual collectors" who for the most part stick to the Topic(s) that interest them. With reduced qtys as pointed out and fewer saving them en masse in contrast to last century, many more gems exist amidst today's apparent "worth postage only" flood. (The fact that these are "forever" 1st class usable far into the future helps a lot too.)

To repeat, answer your question by researching the very marketplace you consider might provide sales.