Many people inheret Stamp Collections and don't have a clue with what to do with them. If you are looking to sell them, but don't know the value, here are a few tips on estimating their value. If the stamps are all loose in envelopes, and or still attached to the paper they were mailed on, or there is a stamp album that is less than 1 1/2 inches thick with stamps in it, then you probably have a collection of common stamps which don't have much value.

     Some exceptions would be very old albums with copyright dates of prior to 1925, still there is no guarantee that they will have any valuable stamps in them, just that the chances are improved. Just because stamps are old does not make them valuable. Some stamps can be 140 years old, and even older and only be worth a few cents, but some can be worth thousands of dollars. As in all collectables, condition is a prime concern.

      For a collection you suspicion might contain valuable stamps, you will have to get them examined by a person who has a knowledge of philately, and who is known to be honest. To find such a person, you should search for a stamp collectors club near your home, and contact the president of the club to arrange to show them to someone who meets these criteria.

     I would suggest that you try collecting stamps yourself, and use your inherited collection as a foundation for your own exploration of the worlds greatest hobby. Get some books such as some older Scott's stamp catalogs, and a book about stamp collecting.

     If you do decide you don't want the collection, and it's not worth your time to try and sell, then please donate it to a young aspiring stamp collector, the Boy Scouts who have a merit badge for stamp collecting, or a nursing home where the stamps will be appreciated by someone, don't just throw them away.

     Watermarks on stamps have long been used by collectors to seperate different printings of stamps for identification purposes. Some watermarks can be seen with the eye and no other special apparatus. Sometimes you can see them if you hold them up to a light source, putting them facedown over a dark cloth or paper can often make watermarks legible, also you may spot them when the stamp has been wetted with water, as when you are soaking them. Some watermarks resist detection with the simple methods., and you have to resort to electronics, or chemicals to make them visible.

     I have never used one of the electric watermark detectors, but have been informed by those that have used them that they are not what advertising makes them appear to be, and unsatisfactory in actual use, but safer than the flammable, and toxic liquids used in this same role. They are also quit expensive, which leaves the average collector with no recourse but to use the fluids available. Some inks on stamps will run if immersed in watermark solution, and these can be safely detected with an electronic watermark detector.

    The fluid I prefer for my own watermark investigations is the old philatelic standard of  Ronsonol (tm) lighter fluid. I am careful to use it in a well ventilated place, and avoid the possibility of any open flame in the general area to avoid the fire hazard. Commercial watermark fluids are available from philatelic supply dealers, and my only gripe against them is their expense.

    A tray for watermarking with fluids can be a glass ashtray with a piece of black paper or cloth put underneath the tray. Nothing special needs to be purchased, and you probably have the makings of a watermark tray laying around disguised as something else. Commercial trays are also available, all of course in black.

      Lay the stamp facedown in the tray, and add a bit of the fluid of your choice, and the watermark should become visible. Remove the stamp and let dry, and pour any of the remaining fluid into a safe glass bottle with a tight sealing cork, or screw cap. Obey all the safety precautions listed on the container of whatever fluid you have chosen to use, and always check a catalog before watermarking a stamp in fluid to see if it was printed with an ink which will run, such as analine ink. 

     With recent Market downturns, and the slide in the dollar, many begin to look for safe havens to put their money. Stamps have often been used as items of investment value. Many ask if they should consider investing in stamps, and my answer is a resounding NO!

     If you have to ask , then stamp investing is not a viable option for you. If you have been a collector for some time, then you know enough to feel your way around the stamp market, and you know you can make careful purchases that can yield you a handsome return on your investment.

     The obvious difference to be aware of here is that the successful stamp investor is also very knowledgeable about stamps, and is a collector who can appreciate the finer points about stamps. The unsuccessful stamp investor is the neophyte to collecting, or is not even a collector, who stands to lose everything they invest due to a lack of philatelic knowledge, which is only acquired with diligent study over time.

     I would recommend that anyone who has an interest in stamp investing should begin a subscription to LINN'S STAMP NEWS, and pay particulsr attention to the Stamp Market Tips, and Tip Of The Week columns.

     Many collectors have an unwarrented fear of stamp hinges. The collectors of mint stamps will probably not opt to use hinges as the hinge will mar up the gum on the back of the stamp, and in the case of a valuable mint stamp it will decrease it's market value to have been hinged into an album. In those cases the plastic mounts should be used by the collector.

     In the case of postally used stamps the stamp hinge is the perfect way to mount the stamp in an album. I mount all my stamps mint, used, or valuable with hinges. Some feel that this will cause damage to a stamp, and I see ads on ebay touting used never hinged stamps that are for sale. This only reflects the ignorance of the seller, as any stamp that has been hinged can be safely soaked in water to remove the hinge where it will detach itself and float away.

    The bad rap on hinges comes through collectors and sellers who really don't know what they are doing. Most collectors who use hinges to mount their stamps are doing it the wrong way, I base this on examining the many collections I go through as part of my work. The small part of the hinge goes on the stamp, it is to be completely moistened, but the long section of the hinge that mounts to the page should only be 1/2 of the way up from the bottom edge at the most. This makes a mount that has flex, and the stamp can be lifted up where the back of the stamp can be examined, and then let back down with no harm to the stamp. If the entire long portion of the hinge is moistened when the stamp is mounted, then the back of the stamp cannot be examined by raising the stamp, and if an attempt is made to turn the stamp over to see the back, then it may damage the perforations along the top of the stamp, or even crease the stamp. In the latter case a hinge will no longer be a "hinge".

     Stamps are also damaged in improper removal from a page it is hinged to by trying to remove the stamp from the hinge on the page. The correct way is to remove the stamp and the hinge on its back from the page, this will thin the page and not the stamp, then you need to soak the stamp to safely remove the hinge, and viola the stamp is undamaged.

     Hinges are the most economical way to mount stamps into a collection, as a pack of a thousand will only cost $2 -$3 dollars. The days of the great peelable hinges are over, and we must learn to soak our stamps to remove the hinges, and to avoid damage.

     Collect stamps and have fun!

     Stamp albums are a necessary evil of stamp collecting. In the year 2000 it was estimated that you would need 120 volumes of the size of the old Minkus worldwide albums, which if your not familiar with those they are about the same size as a Harris Citation, or a Scott's Vol. 1, worldwide 1840 - 1940, to have a space for every stamp that was ever issued. I don't know if that would include varieties, but I'm sure not any spaces for shades.    Of course it would be insane to attempt a collection of that scope, not that some won't try.

     Preprinted albums are a big help to the beginning collector as they provide an instant means of organizing a stamp collection. I think albums are moving away from the old large proprietary albums that require special paper for supplements or blank pages, and moving more towards 8 1/2 x 11 inch pages which are readily available. A free US album is now available on the internet, and since I can't hyperlink here you will have to do a search for philosateleia, and you can download it and print it out. stampalbums.com is another with free blank pages that I use, and he has free US pages covering 2001 - 2005. He also has the entire world available for only $20 per year, which I think is a tremendous value.  

     I like to use cardstock for my album pages, a bit more expensive than regular paper, but much more substantial.

    So quit blowing your money on preprinted albums, and costly supplements. Move on into the 21st century, and spend the money you save on good stamps for your collection. After all the stamps are the real stars of a stamp collection, not the albums!