County Philatelic Auctions

Stamp Investment Guide

No doom & gloom here - money pours into good stamps.

This short guide is intended to help those considering stamps as an investment

Please Contact us for further details

Why Invest in Stamps?

"A proven investment with enviable 245% increase over last 10 years" according to the Stanley Gibbons GB rarities index in 2008. However, don't take too much notice of that!
Good demand from ‘baby boomers’ reviving childhood hobbies.
Diminishing supply of quality material.
Nearly 50 million stamp collectors worldwide to underpin the market.
Emerging economies: China, India, etc – if just 1% of the Chinese collected, demand could more than double.

Which stamps to buy?

Go for quality – stamps with defects may be cheaper but are more difficult to sell.
Select stamps that most collectors are missing. There will always be a demand for them and, when demand outstrips supply, prices go up. In contrast, common stamps are common now and still will be in 10 years time.
Choose items worth at least £50 - £200 each and preferably a lot more. If, in due course, you sell at auction, your items need to be above the minimum consignment level. If you sell to a dealer, you need things he hasn’t too many of in stock.
Choose countries with a good ‘home’ market or strong collector following. This ensures there are plenty of people to chase your items when you come to sell.
Go for the more expensive items or the unusual. Collectors with all the basic material need errors, varieties, proofs and rarities to further their collections.

Why buy from County Auctions?

Our buy/sell spread is transparent. It is simply our commission charge (normally 20%+VAT). Once your items increase in value by more than this, then by selling through County Auctions again, you are into potential profit. Stamp investments are usually best treated as long term.
At auction, you pay only one step above what someone else valued an item at. This can be seen as assurance you are paying a fair price.
County Auctions has a wide selection of fine items in the £50 - £5000 range as well as numerous cheaper lots. We enStanley Gibbons GB rarities index 2008 sure our lots are good value at estimate. If buying as an investor, we can advise or make a selection for you on request.

The not-so-small print: As with all collectibles, values can go down as well as up and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. As such, we believe it would be wrong to guarantee any specific return. However, we can guarantee that our lots are correctly described and represent good competitive market value at the time of purchase.

Large Portfolios

We can provide high class items in the £5,000 - £50,000+ range through our Private Treaty Department. Portfolios from £5000 to £250,000+. Please enquire.

Or become a true collector and discover the real joy and relaxation of Stamp Collecting.