What can I do with my uncle's amazing collection of stamps collected in the 40s and 50s?

Hi, my grandfather and uncle were long time US Post Office employees. They amassed a lovely collection of stamp packages that are apparently not worth much in the resale market. Any other advice as to what I can do with them? Local schools and libraries aren't interested either. Apparently, at the time, everyone collected. They're precious to me as a family remembrance. I guess I should just keep them? There are hundreds!

 

Tara
welcome again to the group, show us scans of what you have, and maybe we have more stamps to add to yours, and you could have duplicates we would enjoy

stamp ciollecting a is a great hobby, the collections can take all different shapes, from 1 country, or a type of stamps from lots of different countries

steve

 

Thanks! I've created albums from the pages of stamps my uncle created. We have literally boxes and boxes. My father is sure that someone somewhere must know what they all mean!

 

i have around 300,000 and have only catalogued about 40,000 so far, and i sell ar trade all the duplicates as i work my way through the boxes i have.

are yours mostly USA stamps, or are they a global collection?

 

Welcome to the Forum, Where are you located??? Maybe one of us is located near you, and can help you with your collection. Just a thought.

 

Welcome!
Spend some time with us and learn what you have then know better how to deal with it.

 

Hi everyone! I'll post a few pages here. Here's one.

 

Here's another page.

 

Here's a third!

 

Here's a fourth! Thanks in advance for any advice! Again, my uncle worked for the US Post Office and amassed his own collection of pages of stamps as they were released. My understanding is that the practice was quite common among the employees of that era (and may today too for all I know!). True in everyone's experience?

 

Welcome to the Stamp Exchange Forum, Tara. I have read through the thread and looked at the pictures you posted. Stamps were inexpensive enough at that time that I think a lot of collectors saved full sheets. There might even be a few today that collect similarly. As Kris (kacyds) said, I would suggest having a collector or dealer look at your collection rather than offering it up to a library or other group that may not have knowledge of its possible value. If the majority of your full sheets are from the 40s and 50s, (the 3 cent era), a dealer or collector is not going to find a lot of value. There used to be a dealer here in Grand Rapids, Michigan who would use sheets of 3c stamps as postage and I still get mail from people I buy from that will have used the very same stamps you have posted pictures of. I'm not trying to burst your bubble but I am guessing you already suspected there was not a lot of value.

If you go to your local library and ask to see a Scott Catalogue of US stamps you can find these stamps listed with a minimum catalog value. I am pretty sure that each of yours has a catalog value of .20c per stamp. This catalog price, however, is rarely what the stamps are sold for or what someone would pay for them.

Each of these sheets contains a plate number which you can see in the white margin, or selvage, of the stamp. The group of 4 stamps in this corner, including the plate number in the margin is called a plate number block. These blocks of stamps have value to those who collect them. I am, however, unfamiliar with that market.

That said, however, depending on what he saved, there maybe items that a dealer or collector would want to purchase from you or give you recommendations as to how you can sell or auction this collection yourself. Not all of the stamps from this time lack value and it may be worthwhile finding someone in your area who can help you. There are, unfortunately, very few brick and mortar stamp dealers/stores around any more but all the same you might want to look in your phone book or even talk to a local antique dealer who might dabble in stamp collecting or know of a collector in the area.

Certainly, as well, keeping them as a family heirloom is a good thing too.

I am not the only person on here who can give you advice and I hope some of our other friends will chime in as well. Perhaps there are some others who can give you better advice than I.

 

Thank you so much Darrin! We originally thought that we had a gold mine but I've reset everyone's expectations! I wish I had thought to ask my uncle when he was alive what he hoped we would do with this legacy. I have a feeling he was just collecting a souvenir of his life's work but it's too late to ask. Memo to everyone, if you want to leave a legacy, state your intention! But, shame on me for not asking. It occurs to me that I could focus on the history behind each stamp. So that first one I posted celebrates "hemisphere of good neighbors" - where would I look to find out more about why that stamp was created? Suggestions?

 

Tara
i have the scotts world wide collection in PDF format on a DVD disc if you would like me to send you a copy FOC send me your details in conversation, then you will be able to see values and rarity yourself for what you have

steve

 

Tara, you might want to check out this book then which is available on Amazon.com. This might help you in your quest....
http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-...2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319936664&sr=1-2-spell

You also might want to look at Amos Hobby Publishing's website. The have a number of books for sale in their stamp product guide which might help you or be of interest to you. The link is as follows:
http://editions.amospublishing.com/stamppg/default.aspx?d=20110425

Use the red arrows on each side to scroll through the guide.

Ok...one more. This book might cover some of the earlier stamps in your father's and uncle's collections but might give you some of the information you are looking for.
http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Roosevelt-Stamps-United-1933-45/dp/0940403587/ref=pd_sim_b_1

 

Welcome here Tara.
It will be really great that you keep them. Collecting stamps is a very good hobby specially that your collection comes from your loved ones. You could also trade or sell duplicates to lessen some in your boxes and get some.

 

Welcome to the forum Tara

 

id probly be interested in maybe buying or trading for some of yours tara
any pictures?

 

Keep all of them and just wait for their price to rise.

 

Due to the volumes printed you would need another Century to pass,

What happened to the nice little book on US stamps - 'Stamps and Stories" ?

 

Those are great looking stamps, but they are also very common and many people (myself included) still use them for postage. Most dealers offer UNDER face value for common stamps, then resell them in bulk for use as postage.

Best thing to do is keep them and pass them down, or if you must, trade/sell them off here so you make sure they go to a collector. Good luck!
Dave