If you have a stamp collection that you want to sell then it’s important that you engage the services of a stamp dealer who has good experience, a strong reputation in the industry and ideally, a member of the Philatelic Traders Society. If you choose a member of the society, then you are guaranteed that they will have to adhere to the strict code of ethics of the society. This means that it is of paramount importance to them to provide you with a quality service that you can trust otherwise they may be made accountable to the society, which would be very damaging for them.
A reputable stamp dealer should always give you a free evaluation of your stamp collection and provide you with an open and honest assessment concerning the overall condition of your collection. They should also give you reliable advice on where your stamps are best likely to sell, how they should be accurately catalogued to attract the best prices and, importantly, whether it is best to sell your stamps individually or as part of a collection.
Once your stamps have been evaluated, a good stamp dealer will provide you with two prices:
– What the stamps could potentially sell for in an auction
– The price if you sell to the dealer direct
The price will be a fair assessment based on the current state of the stamp market.
Once you have decided which route that you want to go down, a reputable dealer should be able to provide you with immediate payment if you sell to them directly. If you decide to sell through an auction, the dealer will charge you a commission (normally around 10% to 15%) and you should receive your payment approximately 5 weeks after the date of the sale.
Tony Lester Auctions Ltd are proud members of the Philatelic Traders Society and we have many years’ experience in buying and selling stamp collections. For a free valuation of your collection please contact us now.