Table of Contents
- 1 What does stamp collecting condition mean?
- 2 Are stamp collections worth money?
- 3 How do I know if my stamp collection is worth anything?
- 4 What does mint hinged mean?
- 5 How much does it cost to have a stamp collection appraised?
- 6 What are the most valuable stamps to collect?
- 7 How do you tell if a stamp has been hinged?
- 8 How do you remove old hinges from stamps?
What does stamp collecting condition mean?
The condition is often defined while determining the state of perforations, gum, color fading, tears or some damages, reperforations etc. Professional stamps collectors may use various techniques to appraise some postal item, however for an average person it will be difficult to grade the stamp without some extra help.
Are stamp collections worth money?
Stamp collections only rarely contain extremely rare and valuable stamps. Values assigned by stamp catalogues are very optimistic and seldom realized. In the real world, modern mint stamps are not worth their face value when sold at auction or to dealers unless there was a low print run or a printing error.
What is a mint condition stamp?
Mint never-hinged (MNH or Mint NH, NH, u/m) is an unused stamp that has full original undisturbed gum with no trace of damage done by a stamp hinge.
How do I know if my stamp collection is worth anything?
Contact the Philatelic Traders’ Society by visiting its website. They will be able to give your collection an ‘appraisal’ for free and give you advice as to whether or not your collection may be worth something.
What does mint hinged mean?
Mint hinged (MH) – the stamp is unused but has been previously hinged. Remains of the hinge or gum disturbance are visible. Mint no gum (MNG) – the stamp appears to be unused but has no gum. It might have been used but not cancelled, or have been issued without gum.
What does it mean for a stamp to be hinged?
Hinged stamps are stamps that have had a hinge applied to them at some point. This means that the gum on the back of the stamp has been stuck to something. When the hinge is removed, there may be some disruption to the glue on the back of the stamp and this can affect its value.
How much does it cost to have a stamp collection appraised?
Appraisals and Valuations Look for an appraiser through authoritative sources like official stamp collection societies. The American Philatelic Society notes you may pay anywhere from $75 to $250 an hour to have the stamps/collection appraised.
What are the most valuable stamps to collect?
Most Valuable Stamps in the World
- 1904 6d Pale Dull Purple I.R. Official. Value: $535,204.
- 1897 Red Revenue One Dollar Small. Value: $889,765.
- 1868 George Washington B-Grill. Value: $1.035 million.
- 1918 Inverted Jenny. Value: $1.593 million.
- 1859 Sicilian Error of Color. Value: $2.6 million.
How do I get a stamp collection appraised?
Look for an appraiser through authoritative sources like official stamp collection societies. The American Philatelic Society notes you may pay anywhere from $75 to $250 an hour to have the stamps/collection appraised. Some local groups, like the Northern Philatelic Society, may offer free appraisal services.
How do you tell if a stamp has been hinged?
NH — Never hinged — The stamp has never had a hinge applied to it. H — Hinged — The gum has had a hinge applied to it. LH — Lightly hinged — The gum has had a hinge applied, but the mark left is very small or light. HH — Heavily hinged — The gum has been hinged and the mark left is very large and prominent.
How do you remove old hinges from stamps?
With the stamp securely held under the acetate, use a pair of tongs or the back of a spoon, or another similar roundish metal object and put downward pressure on the hinge area, rubbing hard while applying the pressure. Unless stuck badly, this should loosen the hinge enough to peel it off successfully.