Geography May Affect Selling Price

Question: Does it matter where I buy or sell stamps? Do certain sections of the country or certain cities have prices different from other places? And what about big versus small dealers?--P.L.

Answer: Stamps are usually most expensive and desirable in their own country of origin. For example, U.S. stamps bring strong prices here, while British Colonies do well in London.

Secondly, big cities tend to have higher prices than small towns. It costs a lot of overhead to operate a stamp store in a nice location in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. Market prices have to reflect the dealer’s cost of doing business.

On the other hand, big dealers in a big city may have more capital to buy stamps with when you want to sell to a dealer, and they may have a long list of customers who might be interested in seeing what you have to offer--while a smaller dealer in a small town may possess neither the cash nor the market contacts that his bigger brethren have.

But with modern telephone and insured-mail communications, stamps are easily sold and transported across the country and overseas, so prices have a tendency to equal out over the long run. Bargains don’t remain bargains long.

Q: What stamps do you recommend buying this year for investment value?--E.L.

A: Those with a proven track record for price appreciation over the years: scarce U.S. and Western European issues, Zeppelins, old covers in nice condition, anything that stamp dealers say they are eager to buy. And remember, nobody can foresee the future. Buy stamps for enjoyment and knowledge, and hope for possible profits after holding them awhile.

Q: When my grandmother came to America from Germany, she brought with her a small box of stamps that were issued shortly after 1920. They are all regular-size stamps, with overprints on them indicating higher values. Are these worth anything today?--P.N.

A: These were inflation issues of 1923 that were made by the German Post Office to keep up with the devastating currency inflation that hit Germany at that time. Most list for only a few cents each in the catalogues, although some with genuine cancels can be quite valuable. Show them to a stamp dealer.