I often notice many collections and lots being billed as “great investment”. Most of that is just hype and rhetoric used to sell that particular collection. First thing one should realize that ANY stamp with a fault should not and cannot be considered as an investment. A dealer will pay you very little or nothing for a stamp with faults when it comes time to sell you portfolio.

Another thing people need to think of is that mint stamps issued after 1935 (I am being generous with the year) cannot be considered an investment. The reason why is simple; there were millions and sometimes billions printed of each issue. There are far too many out there for a stamp to become scarce and valuable. The only notable exceptions would be errors and scarce plate number coils. Please keep in mind you will most likely not even get face value for these issues as most dealers only pay 80% of face for modern mint!

Written about here is my formula for success if you wish to invest in stamps. Please remember this is only my opinion and like anything, stamps are not a guaranteed investment . For an investment, I would only buy stamps with extra fine or superb centering as dealers and bidders pay a premium for these. Even stamps with very fine centering commonly sell for under market prices. The stamp must be 100% sound! That means not even a perforation tip flaw! Used stamps should have a VERY light and pleasing to the eye cancel. Yes, I do believe you can invest in used stamps as long as they are in superb condition. Any stamp that you consider investing in should only have the freshest color and a crisp clear printing impression. Mint stamps should have perfect never hinged original gum that is free from natural gum skips and creases. Remember that you must be a TINY bit more lenient on the early classics .

In my opinion there are some stamps that are better investment pick over others. For example, I would not invest in the low face values of any set. The one and two cent Columbian issues for example. It would be much wiser to invest in the $1-$5 issues as these are widely sought after. My top investment picks are as follows (all are U.S. stamps using Scott numbers):

The previous are my top investment picks and are almost guaranteed to give a return on your investment. Remember stamp investing is different than stamp collecting. Duplication of rare items is far better than many different low value items in the investing arena. Don’t limit yourself to just the stamps above. As long as you keep in mind That soundness and perfect centering trumps all. Look at all of your options, I would even say that a few of the key early Federal Duck Stamps in perfect condition is a wise investment.

One last thing, ALWAYS have each of your investment stamps certified and graded. In the investment world each and every stamp must be certified and graded to give you the best possible return on your investment. I would also recommend to have your stamps encased as shown below to protect your investment. It would be a shame to spend several thousand dollars on a stamp only to have it ruined by humidity that is in the air! I would also recommend that you have your collection insured and kept in a safe deposit box.

I spend my time and write these guides to help the philatelic community. I feel that my guides can help both buyers and sellers properly identify certain issues that I notice have been often misrepresented at online auction. Even If you personally already are familiar with the information presented in this guide please vote “yes” for helpfulness as it allows me to know that people support my effort to help the philatelic community . I would appreciate any emails with questions or comments on how to better help with any of my guides. If anyone is considering buying a stamp that is mentioned in any of my guides and have doubts about authenticity please email me and I will be glad to help Best regards, Mike