Stamp Appraisal Services
We offer confidential written expert philatelic appraisals for individuals, banks, attorneys, estates, trusts and government institutions. We are qualified stamp appraisers for the IRS and government institutions. Appraisals can be stated at fair market value or for insurance purposes. Appraisals can be performed in the comfort of your home or at our Emeryville, California offices. Fees for appraisals are available on request.
We are certified Uniform Standard Professional Appraisal Practices (USPAP ) appraisers with over 35 years of experience. We are also members of the American Stamp Dealers Association (ASDA), American Philatelic Society (APS), United States Philatelic Classics Society (USPCS), and the Postal History Society.
If you are seeking to sell a stamp collection, we offer several options for the liquidation of any properties we evaluate or appraise, including direct purchase, consignment or auction.
Types of Appraisals
Fair Market Value:
A fair market value stamp appraisal establishes the value of a stamp collection or individual item in the current marketplace. A fair market value stamp appraisal may be used for settling estate probate or for other instances where the current market value of a collection needs to be determined. Please note that this is not a guaranteed price that you may receive when a collection is sold, but an indicator of the value in the market presently.
Keep in mind that the method of how a collection is marketed and sold will affect the ultimate price you may receive. Although this type of stamp collection appraisal is stated at fair market value, you may receive more or less than the appraised value when it is liquidated.
Fair market value appraisals are performed on a fee basis. This type of stamp appraisal is not required to sell your stamp collection.
Replacement Value for Insurance Purposes:
Insurance appraisals are performed to establish the cost for the replacement of all or part of a stamp collection in the event of theft, damage or any other loss. In other words, what would it cost to go into the current market and easily replace the material? Under these circumstances, replacing all or or part of a collection will most likely be at current retail prices. In many instances, insurance appraisals are obtained prior to a loss to establish the value of a collection for an insurance carrier. If your property is insured and you sustained a loss, you will most likely need an insurance appraisal.
Complimentary Evaluations:
If you are seeking to sell a collection, we offer complimentary evaluations by appointment. In most cases, a formal appraisal is not necessary to determine the value of your property. Call or email us to discuss your collection and set an appointment.
Preparation for a Stamp Collection Appraisal
If you just inherited a stamp collection it may be a very daunting task to make sense of it all. We are constantly looking at material that is in disarray. It is not necessary to go to great lengths to organize a stamp collection prior to an appraisal, especially if you are not a collector or familiar with stamps. If you are not familiar with stamps you might spend a lot of time doing unnecessary sorting, listing, or categorizing. As professional stamp appraisers we are able to determine the value regardless of whether it is organized or not.
Some stamp collection appraisals may require you to leave your stamp collection with us. However, many appraisals can be performed with you present in our office or your home.
Any stamp collection left with us is fully insured through Lloyds of London while in our possession.
