Guides · Stamps
Stamps
Stamps at auction: what to check, condition and gum, red flags, and free philatelic resources and catalogue information.
What to check
- Country, denomination and catalogue number.
- Condition: centering, perforations, gum (mint, hinged or no gum) and faults like thins or tears.
- Cancels: used stamps and covers are valued differently from mint stamps.
- Certificates for valuable stamps from recognised expertizers.
Key marks and dates
- The Scott catalogue numbering is the standard reference in the United States
- Mint Never Hinged (MNH) usually sells above hinged or no-gum copies.
- Most common stamps and bulk albums sell for little; the value is in key items.
- Plate blocks, errors and covers can matter more than single stamps.
⚑ Red flags
- Big albums described as "valuable" without specific stamps called out.
- Regummed, reperforated or repaired stamps.
- High-value stamps with no certificate.
- Face-value United States postage sold above face (it's usable, but usually worth face or less).
Common fakes: stamps →Sourced screening tips.
Free lookups
American Philatelic Society (APS) ↗The main United States stamp collector organisation.APS stamp authentication ↗Expert certificates for stamps.Amos Advantage (Scott catalogues) ↗Publisher of the Scott stamp catalogues.Smithsonian National Postal Museum ↗Research and stamp history.Colnect stamps ↗Identify stamps by country and year.eBay sold listings ↗Search completed sales, not asking prices.
These guides are general information, not appraisals. Links go to independent sites we don't control and aren't affiliated with.
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