How to Lookup Postage Stamp Values and Identification
- 1). Know as much as possible about your stamp. Before you begin your investigation to discover the stamp's value and identity, carefully go over the piece. See if the stamp lists its country of origin. Knowing where the stamp came from will narrow your research. Using a magnifying glass and tongs (which work like tweezers to help you hold the stamp), look for any problems with the stamp's condition. Smudges, tears and creases will all adversely affect its value, as will a design that was misprinted and is off-center.
- 2). Use a collectors' guidebook. A trip to your local bookstore or library will yield books specifically written for valuing and identifying stamps. If you plan to buy a price guide, get the most current one possible; stamp values can fluctuate from year to year. (To save money, it might be better to borrow rather than buy price guides.) Look for a books such as "The Official Blackbook Price Guide to United States Postage Stamps" by Thomas E. Hudgeons, Jr., or "Warman's U.S. Stamps Field Guide" by Maurice D. Wozniak.
- 3). Find online help. Because of the popularity of stamp collecting, there are many Internet resources that cater to valuing and identifying stamps. Use these websites to learn more about the stamps in your collection. Helpful sites include the Stamp Catalogue, which lets you browse descriptions and values of stamps from the mid-19th century to the present, and Find Your Stamp Value, which offers prices for U.S. and U.K. stamps.
- 4). Check the open market. Compare your stamp to ones being sold in the marketplace to verify its identity and discover its value. If you have stamp dealers in your area, look over their inventory and find out if they're selling or have sold a stamp comparable to yours. If you prefer to search over the Internet, look at the inventory on a site such as eBay, which deals in a large and ever-changing selection of stamps. See how sellers have identified stamps that match your own. Check completed auctions to find out what price was realized.
Source...