Are you a stamp or postcard collector? I could use some tips.

Hi there ATS family. So, I’ve got these 100 year old stamps on postcards. I know absolutely nothing about stamps or old postcards. I have inherited my grandmothers old keepsakes. I would guess there are maybe 50 or so postcards with stamps ranging from about 1905-1920. I am trying not to touch and move them around too much.

I of course have the question of HOW MUCH ARE THEY WORTH? Is this something one would get insured? I’m not really looking to sell, (unless selling 1 would pay off my car or something like that ). What is the best way to preserve something like this? Would scanning them hurt them?

Anyhow, if someone could help me out and give me some pointers I would be much appreciative.

A couple of pictures of the stamps to show you what I’m dealing with.

a reply to: Doodle19815

Stamps are far more valuable if they are unused.
The two photos show stamps that have been processed
by the Postal service. Oddly enough, the postcards may
be more valuable than the stamps.
I have the 2 stamps you photographed in unused condition.
Last I checked each was worth less than 100.00.

I hate to be a buzzkill, but you asked.

a reply to: Wildmanimal

Not a buzzkill at all! There are handwritten notes to/from my grandmother and her mother and relatives. Those are far more valuable to me than anything the stamps would bring. I treasure reading them when I get a second to sit down and gently go through them. I am just unsure if I should insure them or not. Also, I would like to scan them so that I might share copies with other family members but I didn’t want to risk the scan harming them.

I’m not going to say that if someone told me a stamp was worth a couple hundred thousand I wouldn’t sell it, but that isn’t what I’m looking for right now.

I think scanning and sharing with your family is an awesome idea !!! Great gift . If you have more , make a mini photo albums .

a reply to: Meldionne1

Yeah, I thought it would be really neat to pass out digital copies of the notes on the cards. They are mostly mundane things about their children and daily life, but it still pretty cool. I know I would appreciate having something like that and I hope my cousins will as well.

a reply to: Doodle19815

You can insure them, but you would likely need a professional appraisal. Depending on the post card, it's likely not worth what you would spend as they're irreplaceable.

Scanning them shouldn't hurt. Otherwise, preserve them in an album made especially for old papers.

a reply to: Doodle19815

I have hundreds, if not thousands of stamps from my dad. I did quite a bit of research and they really aren't that valuable.
They are neat and something to hold on to for nostalgia sake.

a reply to: Doodle19815

1. Keep them safe-airtight if you can .

2. Look for printing errors-not wear and tear.

3. always get a second opinion.

I inherited a few family heirlooms that are almost a century old, sometimes the slightest error in the manufacturing or printing process could turn trash into treasure. There is no harm in having them evaluated, but I like the history behind family relics which is why I won't sell mine-History outweighs currency anyday.

Thanks for the pointers guys. I really want to preserve them the best that I can for future generations. I’ll see if I can get some pictures of some of the old postcards posted soon. They are neat to look at. I’m thinking of bringing back the handwritten note correspondence to my friends and family. It is a shame little notes like that have disappeared.

a reply to: Doodle19815

The top stamp looks to be a 1902-3 one cent Franklin with 12 perforations - Approximate value $0.30 cancelled, or $16.00 mint. (yours is cancelled)

The bottom stamp appears to be a 1912'ish (1912-1914) one cent Washington (green) also with 12 perforations - Approximate value $0.25 cancelled, or $9.50 mint. (yours is cancelled)

Both stamps are sheet stamps (as opposed to coil stamps). Coil stamp values would be about 2x the numbers above.

I have just about every US stamp minted back to about 1851, all mint. Mom was a big time stamp collector, and I was too for a while. The sticker type stamps pretty much killed the stamp collecting hobby. The 'forever' stamps were the wooden stake through the heart of the hobby. Stamp values have fallen pretty much ever since due to lack of interest. Our stamp collection was worth close to $750k (maybe more) in the early '90's, now it's probably half that or less.

Got any others you'd like to know values on?

That was kind of fun.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I’ll start flipping some over and getting pics. It is kind of fun to hear about them even if they are worth less than a dollar. I have never really given much thought to stamps or posts cards up until I received these.

a reply to: Doodle19815

The stamps with higher denominations will have higher values, not because the stamp cost more, but because less of them were in circulation. So, for example, a $0.50 Franklin (violet) in the same series as your (pictured) Washington would be worth $16.50 cancelled and $800.00 mint.

The $5 Marshall in the same series as your Franklin is worth $625.00 cancelled and $3,800.00 mint.

Also, as others have noted, the postcards may also be worth something depending on what they say.

A personal family note won't have much if any value to collectors, but other historically significant things can have tremendous value. So, for example...

A note home to mom & dad from Paris probably isn't worth much, but a postcard saying..."Mom & Dad, just wanted to let you know I'm safe back on land following the sinking of the Titanic"...could be worth millions!

And this one is made from leather!


I could go on for days with this. I really just treasure them so much and enjoy looking at history. Apparently my family used the same page of stamps for 20 years because they are all mostly the same.

a reply to: Doodle19815

1st Stamp - 2 cent Washington (carmine) 1910-1, 12 perforations, imperf one side (left). value $0.25 cancelled, $10.25 mint. Probably a deduct for the imperf on one side (means it was the edge of a sheet).

2nd Stamp - One cent Franklin 1910-1,12 perforations, imperf one side (left), value $0.25 cancelled, $10.50 mint. Probably a deduct for the imperf on one side on this one.

a reply to: Doodle19815

I think that one is a 1903 Two cent Washington Shield (carmine), value is $0.30 cancelled, $9.00 mint. 12 perforations. Probably get gigged for the off-centering (notice how it's way off center? Was common back then)

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Thank you for your estimates! I see I don’t really need to worry about insuring them so much as I do just preserving them.

a reply to: Doodle19815

...Apparently my family used the same page of stamps for 20 years because they are all mostly the same.

Oh they're all definitely from different series' of stamps, in different years (i.e. not the same sheet). It really took until about 1920 for the USPS to get out of the Washington / Franklin thing. There's a buttload of Washington and Franklin stamps pre-1920, especially the smaller denominations. Only the borders change and other small features from year to year (small stuff that's hard to even notice).

As a general rule, stamps of this vintage come in two forms. One form is a "regular" which is usually a portrait of a president or prominent figure. The other is what is known as a "commemorative" which is usually a scene of something. The commemorative stamps are generally worth more than the regulars of the same year. The regulars were the ones they sold all over the place, and the commemorative stamps had to be requested at the post office. Look for stamps with scenes on them, they'll be worth $2 and up.