h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

i have a lot of postage stamps from all over the world & some are very old dateing back to 1902, amoung them is a penny red. i am trying to find out the value of them all but dont know where to start, any help or advice would be much appriciated...

hi catballoo,i am dealer(in stamps)for the last 30 odd years,and a collector since 1935 I live in New Zealand and have had a shop for 30 years,your question on how to value stamps is a very tricky one,because so many factors have to be taken into account,even the country you live in can have a bearing on their commercial value,as a general rule stamps of the country of origin are worth more in that country as they are more saleable.You can devide all stamps into two groups.ie what the catalogues tell you and what the market dictates,whether buying or selling.I would suggest you study your local market,such as buying a stamp magazine or two,even going to a stamp fair and browse at what the sellers are asking for similar items to yours,remember condition is all important,usually torn or damaged ones have no value,to really understand the hobby and values will require a lot of research and patience,can we suggest you do not book any airlne tickets until you are 100% sure.Chas.