Postage Stamps & Philately
Stamp collecting is not as popular as it once in the last century, but it is estimated that there are still 60 million collectors worldwide and it remains one of the most popular hobbies. The hobby has taken in all kinds of people, from every corner of the globe, and notable collectors include Freddie Mercury, John Lennon, King George V and Franklin D Roosevelt. In June 2014, a single stamp, the British Guiana One-Cent Black sold for a world record at auction of over £7.5million
So, while the market for stamps may not be as populated there are still enough collectors and money in the market to make astounding auction prices.
Stamp collecting comes under the subject of philately and collectors are sometimes known as philatelists. Collectors have different motivations for their hobby, but the crux of stamp collecting is the historic and geographical aspects. Stamp collectors will normally have an interest in both these subjects and their knowledge in these areas is expanded through philately.
Stamps collections are one of the stalwarts of the auction business and we have sold hundreds of collections since opening in 1992. Albums and collections can make all sorts of prices, but the highest prices are paid for ‘professional’ albums collected by the keen collectors who have over the years finely tuned their interest. These such collections comprise immaculate folders of pristinely laid-out stamps with annotations. Often professional collections will be dedicated to a selection of themes, whether that be a particular period, region of the world or pictorial theme to the stamps, such as birds or aircraft.
We have a very impressive collection coming up for auction on July 3rd. The albums are very finely set out and follow a few common themes including Isle of Man, the Olympics and Disney. There is also a pair of very interesting all-world stamps including rare issues from obscure Post Offices such as The Falkland Islands.
