Ep. 8 - The Decline In Stamp Values Since the 1980s - Comparing 1983 Ad Prices to 2020 Prices
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- čas přidán 28. 03. 2020
- Stamp values peaked in 1981, and have been in a steady decline ever since. In this episode of Ted Talks Stamps, I look at advertised prices in a 1983 issue of Stamps magazine, and compare them to prices you can find online today.
With the bursting of the speculative bubble, followed by the rise of online selling platforms, and a general decline in the number of stamp collectors, prices have, probably, never been lower for stamps, relative to personal income.
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Thanks for saying it! It's important for philatelists to get into the hobby for the right reasons, not for some false hope that they might make money.
Thank you, Z. It’s a bit disheartening to see people posting in stamp groups interested only in finding out if they have a valuable stamp, then never hearing from them again when they learn the bad news.
As a collector who never sells or trades, I’m glad the market has tanked. I can buy so much more!!
I didn't collect stamps for the value, I collected them for the sentimental value with my grandpa
It’s a great hobby for bridging generations.
Sweet. I don't collect stamps for their value either. I collect for the fun of it , and the art or history lesson
Ted, the real cause was that kids stopped collecting stamps. Demand is much more important than supply in setting the market value for anything. The exact same thing happened to other collectibles that fell out of favor. For example Hummels, Llardo, Beanie Babies, Franklin Mint, etc. But you are 100% right when you say these cannot be regarded as an investment. They are hobbies, and as long as you approach it that way you will never be disappointed.
I agree. I used to teach high school and my students regarded stamps as “nerdy.” I told them that people who learned computer programming used to be regarded as “nerds.” The situation has completely flipped. Why have kids stopped collecting stamps? Because they’re too busy playing video games.
@@Achilles1250 The real shame is that kids stopped having hobbies that taught them things, like stamp collecting, and started having hobbies that teaches them nothing.
I remember as a child getting a stamp from some country I never heard of. This would make me curious, so I would go to the library and read about that country. Stamps taught us geography, history, and about other cultures. Video games teach us nothing, unless you consider Grand Theft Auto as a valuable learning experience.
But kids wouldn't have had the spending power to significantly impact the market? The inflated prices back in the 70's and 80's possibly did a lot to put the hobby out of reach for children.
@@Marty4650video games teach problem solving, hand/ eye coordination, social skills, and more. I learned to read playing old Sierra computer games in the 80s.
@@Achilles1250 people are brainwashed differently now .
You can make a profit in the hobby (or a least build a collection with little expense) by buying large collections and then selling off what you don't want. And turn it over and over as quickly as possible.
The problem with collectors is that they hold on to *everything* too long and never flip or trade off their unwanted items because they are hoarding.
Dealers have probably bought and sold these stamps hundreds of times over and bought and sold within the market and still made a profit.
Great video Ted, this was highly needed. I get a lot of people asking what happened to their stamp value... I will be sending this link out to them from now on! Stamp collecting is a hobby 👍
Thank you, Graham.
Yes stamp collecting is a hobby; don't expect to make money unless you are able to find errors. Many countries are just producing stamps for sale, just to make money. After many years of collecting stamps and spending substantial sum of money with no returns, I am now selective in what I collect. Also, there are a lot of fake old stamps. Just my 2 cents view.
Oops it's not a right time to sell stamp then keep it for grandchildren.
The good part about the steep decline in stamp prices is that I can now afford certain desirable stamps that years ago were too costly to afford!
That’s what I’m talkin about. 😄
I was able to buy a C13 Zeppelin stamp, something I couldnt do back in the 80s
@@Alan1234x Same with me. Though, the other 2 will remain out of reach a while longer.
E-mail killed stamp collecting. You forgot to mention that todays money is worth about a 1/3 the money in 1983 so no stamps you mentioned gained value. Another thing that killed the hobby is the ridiculous number of stamps printed around the world. Cook Islands has a stamp for every 4 people that lives there if my calculations are correct. If the USA did the same thing we would be printing Scott 100,000,000 today or so. Like you videos Ted thanks for making them
I think stamp collecting is in a big decline. Last year I visited a local stamp auction run by my city's club. At 50 years old I was in the "youth" bracket. The benefit of this is that as a casual collector I can now pick up some stamps which were simply too expensive in the past. You are right it is a hobby. I purely collect pre-1950s stamps which have that engraved look about them and even then only the ones I find attractive. In the same way that I might buy art.
Love hearing friends talk and share good old fashion info about stamps, I still love them. Thank you for everything, Butch
Bill Sweeney Thanks for the kind words, Butch. I appreciate your watching.
Your videos are really intersting, Like many,others I started collecting stamps around the 1960's. I almost exclusively bought mint stamps, imagining that I was doing a ivestment that would pay out handsomely many years later.What started my interst was the work of the fantasctic engraver Czelaw Slania, who after a short start in the Polish stamp production, but then move to my country Sweded. After first working as a dishwasher in Stockholm, he was eventually emplyed by the Swedish Post office, where he engraved countless fine engraved stamps. He subsequently managed to get commissions from scores of post offices of the world. He engraved well over 1,000 stamps, and some banknotes on top of very many private works. We started a study group for his work, initially called the Czeslaw Slania-Samfundet, which still survives and now has the name slaniasamfundet - a great improvement.After a few decades I had been tought by my older brother that buying mint stamps was like throwing money in the sea, so I stopped subscribing altogether. Another reason for stopping was that real engraved stamps were becoming rarer, and the simpler printing methods didn't produce especially attractive stamps.But before then I had subscripted to all Slania items I could lay my hands on, to all Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, FInnish, Greeland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, the Åland Islands and Isle of Man since they got their own postal administration.
I spent lots of money on all those stamps and also on expensive Leuchtturm albums. It's not that I couldn't afford the costs, and collecting did give the satisfaction of a sqirrel hiding nuts. Now, though, I don't see myself surviving many more years and I keep thinking of my two children, who have no interest in the collections and don't know anything about them.
So, now I try to prepare for trying to sell as much as I can before I die. Preparations include scanning most album pages, creating matching Excel files describing the stamps and trying to calculate what reasonable asking prices can be. I have been told you can be happy if you can get close to the nominal values of the stamps, even if they are 50 years or older. The not insignicant cost of the many Leuchtturm albums can be written off, I assume.
The next decision to make is which venue to use for the sales, We have two sites in Sweden, somewhat like eBay, called Blocket.com and Tradera.com. Would you go to that type af site, or do you think that there are stamp auctionist that can do better?
Are you yourself thinking of selling your stamps, or do you have someone interested in taking over the habit?
Best wishes,
Gösta Knochenhauer
Stockholm
Sweden
While I have given some thought to what I should do, I haven’t come to any conclusions. If you would email me at ted.talks.stamps at gmail I can try to help you with your collection.
Thanks for sharing Ted. I am new to philately, and am excited to learn more about stamps. Seems like a wholesome and timeless hobby. Take care
Welcome aboard! You are in for a lifetime of learning and pleasure.
The overall gist of the video is correct - stamps have (mostly) declined in value since the 1980's and most stamps make a rather poor monetary investment and should be collected purely for the enjoyment. But I will say this: even with the decline, stamps are still a better investment than most other hobbies, such as golfing. Whereas a round of golf has increased significantly since 1983, a round of golf that you paid $20 for in 1983 has a resale value today of $0. No matter how many rounds of golf you played or what you paid for them, the resale value of every one of them is $0, a net loss of 100%. I'm not trying to disparage golfing, just trying to put things in perspective. Few hobbies offer any monetary return at all.
All that being said, comparing full-service dealer prices from 1983 vs internet sales today isn't quite an apples to apples comparison. A better comparison would be comparing dealer price lists from then to dealer price lists today, an exercise which would likely show a less precipitous decline. Internet sales are great - I both buy and sell online and the choices available to collectors today would have only been the stuff of dreams 40 years ago. But the internet is probably the greatest driver of these price declines. It's so easy for collectors to sell their duplicates or for people to become part time dealers; stamps that would have sat gathering dust in a previous era are now available for anyone in the world to purchase without leaving their couch.
I would venture to guess that most of the dealers advertising in 1983 made their livelihoods from selling stamps and priced them accordingly. Very few online sellers today, percentage-wise, actually make their primary living through selling stamps. Again, they price them accordingly, but full time dealers are forced to compete with "Joe Collector" who just wants to get a few bucks out of his duplicates so he can buy more stamps or maybe go out to dinner. Nothing wrong with any of that, just saying there are a lot of reasons why stamps have declined in price over the last few decades. Personally, I'm grateful for the decline. My collection is chock full of stamps I would never have been able to purchase had they continued to appreciate over the years.
I agree, Steven. Though, the point is moot with me anyway, as my stamp collection will outlive me.
The internet has changed many things. Some for the better, some not.
The opening of the internet was extremely important to the decline of stamp prices. This occurred with every collectible as now collectors could truly see how many were available and price accordingly. In economics, this is known as price discovery, and the internet has been the largest facilitator of price discovery in history. Unfortunately, as you stated, quantity is being confused with quality, and the prices for most stamps have significantly suffered as a result. Unlike numismatics which always has a base price based upon the metal spot price, philately has no bottom. Until this is addressed, philately will only ever be a hobby.
Well said. Thanks for your comments.
How refreshing to hear some honest comments about the investment value of this wonderful hobby. The great thing is that I can afford to collect items I never thought possible.
Thank you. That's exactly how I feel. Yesterday's unaffordable stamps are now within reach.
Classic intro. You're on a roll with the choice of topics -- not a dull one in the bunch. "Stamp collecting is a hobby, not an investment." Many would dispute that statement, e.g. Richard Lehmann of Forbes, and they might have counterexamples to the ones cited in the video. But I'm wholly on your side. In it for the passion, the intellectual experience, the sense of exploration, the art and history, and increasingly the social aspect.
physics2112 Thanks. I’ve read a lot of Lehmann’s writing, and I don’t place any stock in it.
Good on ya Ted! Great to see stamp collectors branch out into new media to reach their audiences. Especially a time like this where most of us are going to be depraved of any meetups and shows.
Will Alexander thanks a lot.
I still have my childhood stamp collection. It is the only thing I still have from that part of my life. It has mostly sentimental value, and I can see that I was not choosing (or couldn't afford) the best quality. So, a lot of off-center, some with straight edges (where the perfs should be), and of course I mounted them in an album with hinges, which ruined most of them. But I can go back in time with them, to 1892 or 1915, or the Great Depression era. I spend a few hours looking at them and somehow, given this crazy world we live in today, that makes me happy.
Thank you for posting this, I enjoyed your commentary and your favorites at the end of it.
Thanks for your comments, Joseph. There’s a lot to be said for the therapeutic value of this hobby. It’s a great escape from the travails of everyday life.
And that's what you should be collecting for. Fun.
@@kingcurry6594 Absolutely.
Enjoyed it! And good job ending on an upbeat note!
Phil Boyd Stamps have a way of keeping one upbeat. 😀
Loved your video. I collect stamps too not as an investment but to learn from it. Let's keep this in mind.
Sylvain Dore Thank you.
Super fascinating idea for a show. I'm happy that some of these great stamps are now more affordable for collectors - the prices in the 1980's were way too high for a middle class collector. Is it possible that postal history has over taken mint and used singles as an area for more well heeled collectors. I'm too young to remember the 1980's but was postal history a big part of the marketplace back then?
Aaron Huber As a collector who was focused strictly on stamps, I really can’t say for sure, as I would have simply been oblivious of anything to do with postal history. But it does seem to me that postal history has become more mainstream among average collectors, probably having to do with more readily available information, and the rise of online selling.
My husband was a mailman!
wow...good to know about stamp value...i am only doing it as a hobby but sometimes i wondered what the value of our stamps, as some people i do postcrossing with never heard of my country....i just started collecting other countries, well a few from each country if i can from the whole world, a couple of years ago and still ongoing...but i am more focused on collecting from my country...i am more of an FDC collector :-)...well now im subscribed to your channel and looking forward to binge watching your previous videos too...have a great day..
Thank you very much, Sharifah. I am interested in seeing your FDCs.
@@tedtalksstamps I'm not a vlogging type, but i do have one video in my channel on a few of my FDC collection. Sorry if its just plain video :-).
Thanks for this video, it is very timely for my situation. My grandfather was a huge collector and I inherited all of his collection, along with my father's. Since I only focused on US and Space topicals, I decided to sell the remaining many years ago. I haven't collected since around 1990. I recently started collecting some coins on approval, but am dissatisfied with the high cost and poor ability to display them, unlike a stamp album, so I stopped. As a result, I have been thinking about resuming my US stamp collection. I have the Harris Liberty album that only goes up to around 1990, when I stopped purchasing the yearly supplement pages. To properly continue, I would have to start with new albums (thinking about Mystic Heirloom). This would require all new stamp mounts. Given the declining value, the restart of my collection would certainly be a loosing venture. I will still proceed though, because I love the hobby and want to see the collection grow.
Thanks for your comments, Glenn. The Mystic album is a very good value and can be recommended. I'm glad you are continuing the collection despite the lack of potential financial gain. There is so much more satisfaction to be gained in lovingly building a collection with personal meaning.
In 1983, I was sent an approvals book of 400 1d blacks. They were all priced between £60 and £80. I bought about 10 of them.
They were truly superb examples. They are now worth at least £200 each.
In about 1990, a dealer sent me about 1000 1d Red imperfs with Maltese crosses to look through. All were very fine and priced at £3-£4. I bought a couple of hundred. I sold a few duplicates on ebay last year and got an average of £10 each.
So not ALL stamps have fallen in value.
But investment in stamps is not for beginners. I have spent £130000 on my collection since 1979. It would probably fetch in excess of £250000 if I sold it. But I have the expertise to know a rarity when I see one on sale for very little and have several items worth £3000-10000 which I bought for very little. And that helps.
Finding underpriced rarities would seem to be the way to tilt the odds in your favor for comimg out ahead in the future.
@@tedtalksstamps The blacks and reds weren't under-priced at that time. That was the going rate then.
But I did find a rarity worth well over £5000 in a top (and very knowledgeable) dealer's stock: I got it for £95. He just missed why it was so valuable.
Keep up the good work, great videos! And what about finding that gem that might value tens or hundreds of thousand dollars, how often can that happen in 2020 or is that even possible?
It is still possible to make good finds. I know a lady who found the Ireland 2014 Captain Jack White error stamp in a kiloware mixture, a few years ago. It has a 2017 Scott Catalog value of $900. I appreciate the kind words. Thanks for watching.
I have found 2 undescribed 1d Blacks from plate 11 in auctions. Both very fine copies.
I also found a very fine1d Red from plate 9 with an inverted watermark in a batch of 10 stamps I bought for £30. There are only 9 copies known and my copy might sell for £2000-5000.
For US stamps, if I could go back in time to 1983, I would buy perfectly centered, sound and fresh 19th century stamps, and a C3a or two!
Hi Ted. Great video. Agree with everyone else's comments here. I collected specialized stamps in my youth and found it was a a dying hobby then. Feel that rare and highly unusual stamps should still partly hold their value but those simplified collections being mint or used cannot overcome the drop in demand and increase in supply with an aging collector base. I collect vintage toys now but know that when my age group get to the point they no longer want the nostalgia value they will also decline in value. Every hobby has its day and it seems that the influence of these hobbies inedia like comic superheroes plays a much more important role than it did previously
Yes. It's a scientific fact (the science of which I made up in my mind many decades ago LOL) that most people have to be told what they like. I first started formulating this scientific hypothesis in the 70s, as a young airman in the US Air Force. FM radio stations that played music beyond the Top-40 fare of the AM stations were still nascent. And AM/FM Cassette radios were still an expensive optional upgrade from the standard AM radio, in new cars.
My next door barracks neighbor (whom I will call Don, because that's his name) and I were into listening to new and progressive music, while the 3rd member of our coterie , Tom, stuck to his popular AM music. One day Tom came up to Don's room, where Don and I were listening to some new album we were diggin'. Don said, Tom listen to this new album, it's great. Tom replied with, who is it, is it on the radio? When we told him it wasn't on the AM station he listened to, he expressed disinterest in it and walked off.
Similarly, comics (and particularly Marvel Comics company who was on the brink of bankruptcy), got a shot in the arm when the first Spiderman movie came out. Each subsequent movie featuring a new (to cinema) superhero character or group, has been followed by increased sales in their respective comic books.
If a blockbuster movie ever came out featuring a charismatic stamp collector, guess which hobby would suddenly come into vogue?
I love looking at the books on your shelves behind you
Want some? Free? 😀 I'm under orders to downsize. ted.talks.stamps@gmail.com.
Another great video and great advice ;)
Karen Richardson Thank you, Karen.
I just started collecting again this month after having stopped in about 1975, the year i started collecting comics. it was fun then, and its fun now. im glad its not an investment. that means its just for pleasure. and i gave away my comics in the early 80s, never looked back. would have been worth around 5k now. big deal. i am also buying more comics now after stopping, mostly for the art and stories. even bought some original art from a comics artist. THAT will go up. so there is my one investment: 150 on an artist, which all went to him, so that feels good. man, stamps can be beautiful. i bot the LOVE stamp in a panel, thats such an iconic stamp, i cannot believe i will own it now!!! and the stamps our post office is releasing right now are amazing quality and variety, and clever ideas. the chinese new year stamp on a red new year money envelope!!! how can every chinese american not want one!
Ah, yes. I too got sidetracked by comics in the 80s. I still collect a couple of titles, and I'm trying to complete a run of Action Comics back to the beginning of the 12c era. But stamps are my one true love.
I like this part. " stamp collecting is a hobby".
Yes. It's a shame so many people come into it thinking it's a way to make money. While there are many rich people who collect stamps, I don't know of any collectors who have become rich from stamps.
I think the Internet made a lot of collectibles cheaper, including stamps. Things are a lot easier to find, and more competition.
I agree 100%.
Very interesting... great research...!!!
GX Jupitter-Larsen Thank you very much.
You’re right Ted. I never check the monetary value of my collection.
I started collecting stamps in1972 (age 8) in Paris with my mother, then in Los Angeles (1980-92), and now I am in Israel since 92. I started my 3rd collection. You are right. I am not in this for the money, but I love stamps and the education that comes with it. There are still expansive stamps, but I cannot afford them.".
Thank you for your comments, David. With so many beautiful inexpensive stamps to collect, I don't even worry about the expensive ones I will never afford.
@@tedtalksstamps Ted, thanks for your answer. And you are right. Since I am here, I have spent may be 30 dollars in stamps. The rest is donation from friends . The first time was a friend of my mother. She told me: I heard from your mother that you were collecting stamps. My late husband was a professional philatelist. Do you want the stamps? If not I throw them away. I told her: Don't do that...I want the stamps.
this was such an interesting video thank you so much
Thank you, myco, I appreciate it.
It’s all supply and demand. One area that I’ve noticed that seems to be doing very well if you look at auction sales are extremely fine or superb stamps (basically really well-centered stamps without faults). Collectors with money seem to be chasing these stamps with a passion. I was looking at prices realized for a recent Siegel auction, and some of these stamps sold for 10 times the auction estimates. Again, like any other commodity, it all boils down to supply and demand.
Sure. Like any investment, you can't go in half-cocked. You have to learn the market, and buy quality.
Hmm wonder if you can have a real time stamp club meeting nowadays with all the technology out there. Thx for yet another great video.
User 4527 I’d love to do an episode, one day, of a collectors roundtable with everyone joining in on video. At this point, though, I’m too technologically challenged to pull it off myself.
@@tedtalksstamps Recently tried Zoom Video seems to be the right platform for such gatherings.
User 4527 Yeah, I just sat in on my first Zoom video stamp chat put on by the American Philatelic Society
I’ve inherited A LOT of first day covers and other assorted stamps from the 30s and 40s. I don’t know where to start to market these. Any suggestions?
Hi Marjorie. I apologize for the late reply. For an evaluation of your collection and advice on selling it, I can refer you to Toni Trip of the Internet Philatelic Dealers Association. at tripi@earthlink.net He will be glad to give you the expert advice you are looking for.
Great informative Video,Ted.
THANKS👍
Thank you very much.
Perhaps things go down because the online market brings more competition, because people can easily access and buy 100s of offers.
Yes, that is another contributing factor.
Yes it used to be hard to buy, it was a club or a local shop now everyone has a stamp shop simply by advertising on line.
You should do a video on the most expensive stamps. Perhaps a set of "stamps on stamps" to showcase some of the most famous ones.
I'm hesitant to broach that subject because it has been done to death. However, I like the idea of coming at the idea from a "stamps-on-stamps" topical perspective.
Great to see my home town Turkey in your favorite ones ☺️
I'm glad you liked them. 😀
Very interesting video!
Thank you very much.
Thanks for your program!! I have been collecting stamps, postal history, coins, antique books and bottles. For me collecting stamps and covers tell me a story. It is not about the money. David
Thanks for watching David. There are some great stories to be found in stamps.
Remember the insanity over new issue Great Britain gutter pairs, and the crazy price rise of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man among others. There was a company in the New York area -- International Philatelic or some such, that you could buy speculative new issues at face value in bulk and then sell at a very good profit. I think all of that is long over. But it sure was fun.
Yeah, and, for a while, traffic light blocks, also.
Ted if you want to see what the buildings in the first stamps from your Turkey (Ottoman Empire) slide look like today, google "Dikilitas Istanbul" for the first one, and "kizkulesi" for the 2nd one. Cool story with the 2nd one. Cheers!
Danny S. Cool. I’ll check them out. Thanks for watching.
I am 63. When I was in my 20's in early 80's I spent a lot of money on stamps and didn't get my money's worth. I am getting back into US collecting and I just stick with the common junk. Just to have fun will little invested.
That’s how one should collect, for the pure enjoyment.
@@tedtalksstampssome junk is a real challenge. Some Eastern European 50s & 60s italicized Scott numbers are hard to get at any price.
I’ve had the same trouble finding old low-value Latin American stamps, e.g. from Costa Rica and Panama.
This is valuable information.
Thank you. I’m glad you found it helpful.
Excellent episode
Thank you Louis.
If I could go back in time to 1983, I would buy 19th Century US Stamps in perfect condition, and a C3a. Those stamps have appreciated significantly since 1983.
Andy Kupersmit If I went back in time to 1983, I still couldn’t afford 19th century stamps in perfect condition, nor, especially, a C3a.
@@tedtalksstamps In terms of 19th century stamps, I have to research auction catalogs to verify the accuracy of your statement.
There is also another factor to consider is the fact that a 1983 dollar is not the same as a 2020 dollar. The currencies of the world all have become victims of inflation. So in 2020 you are buying the stamps using an inflated dollar of less value than the 1983 dollar and you are getting them at a much lower price. It's a double whammy. I just picked up a sheet of the common 5 cent red air-mail of the 40's for 90% of face. I will use it on letters.There were a lot of people in those days that bought sheets of stamps as an investment. FDR made it so popular that they thought that when they retired they could sell them and retire. Boy are they disappointed.
You are right, of course. I didn't want to spend time veering off into an explanation of inflation and buying power, because I figure most people should be aware of it already, and the direct comparison of prices/values underscored my basic point already. For people who are into the hobby for the enjoyment and not the "investment" aspect, today is a great time to collect. I am 65 years old, and except for the top-tier classics and rarities, stamps are more affordable to acquire than at any time since I started collecting.
Great Video !! .. Yeah I think the invention of the internet helped drive prices down too .. Not just stamps but alot of things ... Not a bad thing ..
Thanks, Lostrelics. You're right. It's a great time to be a collector of just about anything.
Been going thru my late fathers stamp collection why I am on this video. One thing I will say. Hockey cards I collected 45 years ago (nice ones) same scenario. Lionel trains almost same thing. (except pre war) But I am seeing (way before lock downs) that kids are getting into graded coins and collecting silver. I see that even more now due to the increase in silver talk on social media platforms. I will be very curious to see the average age of the crowds at the coin shows in (hopefully) near future.
That’s a bad sign, when everyone jumps on the bandwagon.
Love the Nova Scotia stamp! 🇨🇦
You could always buy and frame them for decoration. Obviously you don't want the sunlight to hit them, but they can make a sparse wall look good.
You talked me into it.
Interestingly, there was a stamp shop on the El Camino in Santa Clara, CA which back in the 70s had the front window decorated with mounted, 1890 2¢ Washingtons by the thousands, mostly faded from the sun .
The decline should be adjusted to inflation.
I could have, and the results would have been that much more dramatic, and the few that I showed with price increases would have then showed negative returns, also. You could also compare stamp prices to average hourly earnings: e.g. In 1983 the average collector had to work X number of hours to earn enough money for stamp Y, while now you only have to work a fraction of X for the same stamp. In the end, without having to delve into economic factors that would only bore many viewers, I thought the raw numbers made the point well enough on their own.
Thanks for watching.
I collect for pleasure and investment, but I also collect stamps because I love them lol. If you can afford the top stamps in the world (high six figures +) they outpace inflation in value, but general postage I dont see going back up to previous value. I think possibly some Back of the Book stamps could increase in value like Narcotics stamps, huge beautiful stamps like those 19th century $200 multi-colored Washington revenues, and advertising related poster stamps may catch on with collectors of advertising related collectibles. Poster stamps crashed a hundred years ago, but depending on subject matter they may have some cross over appeal in many areas. When you factor in inflation most accessible collectibles and antiques have not caught back up to their pre- internet value. It's ussually best to collect somthing and then it becomes collectible.
I agree with you. The biggest return on your investment, though, comes simply from your enjoyment of the hobby.
@@tedtalksstamps I regret everything I have sold, but I'm a dealer and it's how buy new things for my collections. My Edison player and cylinder storage cabinet haunts my dreams Haha
The decline in value is actually worse than it looks. If you paid $2,400 for a $2.50 Graf Zeppelin stamp, it was like spending $6,800 in today's dollars due to inflation. And if the same stamp sells for $1,400 today, then that is "$1,400 in today's dollars." So you lost a lot more than $1,000 in spending power.
That's true. I didn't want to get bogged down in all the economic factors. Many people have inherited collections, for which inflation is not really a factor becauae they are not comparing the current value against their purchase price; they just think the stamps must be (more) valuable because they are "old." I appreciate your comments, Marty. Thanks for watching.
I am a collector first and foremost and am enjoying the fact that I can buy stamps that were unaffordable to me years back. With that said I have to wonder with inflation making a comeback will that possibly mean stamp values could start to rise, not saying they will get back to the highs of years back but that they may appreciate in value somewhat
I’m with you. I like that I can now buy stamps I couldn’t afford previously.
@@tedtalksstamps I think with the higher inflationary environment things could start looking better for the stamp market. I notice on ebay a least some stamps seem to getting more bids and somewhat higher prices. I know ebay is not in anyway the be all end all of the market but I think it could be a signal that people are starting to look at stamps again and maybe we are near the bottom.
I would have bought cases of Dennison Stamp Hinges in 1983 @ .29c a pack then, and now @ $29.00 a pack...
Had I but known. 😁
I would not say the prices are exactly comparable because the sources are different, printed offers vs online offerings, obviously a new venue. I'm sure there are plenty of items that have gone up, probably more on the rare/obscure side - Tannu Tuva for example.
Nice group of stamps at the end...
Thanks for your comments, Steve. And thanks for watching.
You give as an example stamps that were printed in large quantities, they have no investment future. The market is changing, there are countries where stamps go for a month, stamps with small issue.
Awesome :-)
Time will come for good collection
Any time is right for a collection, if you are collecting for the right reason. 😃
Philately is a hobby. Buying stamps with a profit motive doesn't interest me. I just buy at the lowest price I can find. My interest dates back to the 1950s , I save what I want, accumulate the rest and hoard them haphazardly. In the distant past I bought specific stamps for resale and always made a profit. But that was too much of a chore. When and if the time comes, a paper shredder could be their final destination.😄
I hear ya. To borrow from an old saying, “The best way to make a small fortune in stamps is to start with a large fortune.”
@@tedtalksstamps in the world 🌎 of topsy turvy logic, you are 103% correct , and have won the presidency of Tanu Tuva. Yak 🐂 to you.
@TopHotDog I’m thrilled and honored (I think).
Best way to make money with stamps now is to buy in a foreign market to the one you sell, lot cheaper to buy stamps in Europe compared to the same ones in the States
Based on inflation, those stamps near the end, although they gained a little, STILL lost value!
That is correct, sir. Thanks for watching.
Great video. Another reason the stamp values may have dropped might be because the baby boomers went from BUYING in 1983; to DYING (or retiring) in 2020 or thereabouts; and there wasn't the same level of support for the flood of stamps being put up for sale in the market.
Whatever the reasons, it’s been a benefit to collectors, who can buy stamps they could otherwise not afford.
What about the deficit in the value of the dollar as well?
Yes, that is a factor as well.
Here is an explanation: International Business Machines (IBM), one of the world's largest companies, released its first personal computer in 1981. The hobby is slowly dying ever since personal computers became popular.
I have collected stamps and coins all my life and in times of need I have sold some of my coins, i have never sold any of my stamps
I can’t say the same. Bob, of CZcams channel Bob Collects Stamps, only sold a stamp once, and never again.
Actually you are very wrong in your Apples to Apples or Oranges to Oranges Comparisons - because they are not. Whilst I certainly wouldn't advise anyone to make Investment Grade Stamps part of their portfolio, I must point out that comparing the Stock Market Pre-crash 1929 with the Stock Market 40 years later adjusted for Inflation doesn't paint a pretty picture either! ... In fact, ANY Bubble is a Dumb Place to Buy ... THE Real Takeaway from this from an Investment perspective is If you are dumb enough to buy into any mania, you will get burned! Especially during Inflationary eras.
From a Stamp Collecting Perspective you are as so often, Absolutely Correct. From a Philatelic Perspective, several of the examples you showed were in terrible condition and cannot be compared to Catalogue Quality Prices. Compare Stamps with Golf Balls or Bullets on the Range and in Enjoyment Capital they are Always A Great Investment! In great Condition they will likely ALWAYS increase in value. Bought at sensible prices. Lost Golf Balls and Rounds are gone forever 😀
Thanks for your comments, John.
Rare things is a good investment but you have to study a lot, don't buy standard material that is in every catalogue, but study tariffs, Philately is the science of poststamps. At this moment I do very well with Personalised Stamps. Yes that is the decentralised way of collecting stamps, very modern, just like in the 70's i make a stamp and sell it the same week with 100% profit. But I am a Philatelist with 50 years experience, don't try this at home if you never studied Philately. Philately starts where the catalogue ends is an important rule. Collect quality and rare. I buy beautiful old stamps as well, they are cheap, I can estimate the quality, and I pray a lot!
I can't argue with you. Thanks for your comments.
I believe general interest in collecting stamps also declined, because stamps/mail are not used anymore. The same process might happen to currency as electronic money take over and no more physical currency is needed.
You are correct. I noticed the same thing with records and books.
@@tedtalksstamps the key word is" physical " possession or collecting, saving, "having" owning anything is being discouraged by the new world order . Produce and consume and mindless "watching" and score keeping become modern "hobbies".
Wow even with inflation, the value loss is even greater, thanks.
Which is the better investment ?, A 1851 one cent US postage stamp or a one cent 1851 penny US. Which is more valuable today.? I would bet on the stamp everyday.
I couldn’t tell you. I know nothing about the coin market, and I don’t buy stamps for investment purposes.
@@tedtalksstamps I buy stamps for the artwork and history. If I like them, and not a sticker stamp. Did you know Stamps are printed where Money is printed at least in my country.? You can send me all your unvalued stamps I will gladly accept them.
@@LawrenceCurrie That is the reason I collect as well. I don’t mind if someone is an investor. There is enough room for every type of collector.
Yup , that a why I don't collect baseball cards , older stamps , new coins ect
Only the dealer makes a profit
Markets get flooded
You are so right
Thank you. And thanks for watching.
Whenever, we can to buy more stamps
As for foreign stamps, if I could go back in time to 1983, I would buy stamps from the People's Republic of China.
Andy Kupersmit a sheet or two of the 1980 monkey stamp would set you up nicely.
While I agree stamps in general are not investment worthy, many of US Scott 1-300 graded 95 or 98 with a superior cancellation such as cds or R.P.O have done significantly well. These stamps are always in demand and constantly drive prices upward, Mind you, these stamps are often in the $1500-$10k price range but have been solid investments. In general though, it's. Collect for the enjoyment and history.
I agree, there are investment worthy stamps and certified top-graded stamps will continue to see crazy high price realizations no matter what the nay-sayers care about that market.
I'm "Like" number 500. Whoo hoo!
500 thanks to you, GS. 😄
It is a precipitous decline in value. However, with a near-collapse in the popularity of stamp collecting, and the massive changes we've seen in the time spans mentioned in this video; I'm actually surprised that they held their value as well as they did. It's a big drop, but it didn't fall through the floor completely.
I agree.
There has recently been a massive increase in the popularity of stamp collecting, mainly driven by the Chinese market. I have had real difficulty buying anything in my field (QV line engraved) at sensible prices.
Really high quality rare stamps are reaching record prices.,
@@kingcurry6594 There does appear, to me, to be a worldwide increase in popularity and I believe that, for quality material, we've probably seen the bottom in values.
@@tedtalksstamps
Take this item:www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384166399852
This is a 1d Red from plate 9 (one of the so called "black" plates from which 1d blacks were also printed) on a nice clean cover.
4 margin stamp and a very nice Maltese Cross.
5 years ago I bought quite a few of these for £55-75.
This cost me £113. That says a lot about quality material.
That Nova Scotia !!!! waaa! lol
waaa! indeed.
👏👏👏👍
Thanks Max.
Gah! 😣😦
What about the stamp John Dupont owned? It's supposed to be the most valuable stamp in the world. What's the value in 2023?
The British Guiana 1c Magenta? It last sold for 8.3 million, down from its previous sales price.
Oh no, you mean my US stamp collection is not going to make me filthy rich when I retire? Good thing I only collect for fun and not for investment.
It’s also more fun and interesting if one can focus all one’s attention on the hobby itself and not think about any financial return.
The stamps market is exactly like the stock market. Some stamps have increased in value since 1983 and others have not. Similarly, some stocks have increased in value since 1983 and some have not. I define an investment as something that guarantees a profit. Everything else is speculative. Stocks, mutual funds, real estate, and collectibles including stamps and works of art, while often have a track record of increasing in value over time, do not guarantee a profit when you are ready to sell. They are speculative. If you are going to spend money in speculative areas, be careful and do your homework. Spending money in areas in which you have no experience is very risky.
Andy Kupersmit all too true.
Do you think there is point investing into stamps for few decades? I want to diversify my investments. People say Penny Black is good investment.
I don’t have any recommendations about investing in stamps. Living through a boom and bust period in stamps had taught me otherwise. Since stamps hold no intrinsic value (except for their value as postage) one cannot really depend on them increasing in value. Recent disappointing auctions of some of the top blue-chip philatelic rarities has shown that.
@@tedtalksstamps Thank you for replay
You could have made A ton of money if you bought China peoples Republic stamps in 1983! Also postal history proofs and other areas have gone up! It’s true that a lot of 20th century US so France does have gone down in value. Maybe it’s time to sell?
I haven't paid much attention to values of proofs. My grandfather was a postmaster appointed by Hoover and FDR and the president of the local stamp club. He had a cousin who worked for the bureau of printing and engraving and sent him proofs all the time. He had thousands of them. I inherited his entire collection over 40 years ago I had no idea proofs had any value since they could never be used as postage. I have proofs of most U.S. stamps from 1928 to 1965. I've been keeping them in a trunk all these years. At one point I was going to throw them in the trash as worthless because I thought they had no value. I am glad I changed my mind. They are in my grandfather's WWI footlocker which is half full of them ald all hundreds of special cancel rubber stamps he designed for the stamp club and my dad's leather carrier bag and his 1960's era uniform and my grandfather's postmaster paraphernalia. I have letters from Farley to my grandfather congratulating him on various accomplishments. Farley used his famous souvenir sheets on the covers of those letters knowing my grandfather was a collector. Unfortunately my grandfather's certificates are only auto signed by FDR and not hand signed but I do have the envelopes they came in which are huge and have tons of stamps on them. FDR was a collector and insisted on using stamps on covers he sent to people he knew collected stamps.
@@nunyabiznez6381 I am very interested in Proofs. Could you please contact me at pierre@nc.rr.com Phone: 919 5934896
I collect stamps for pleasure/hobby not for investment
That's the only way to do it.
You should have included some actual sale values, not just asking prices. Appreciate the work on the video though!
Earl Spencer Thanks for watching.
China! Buy all you can afford in 1983! Sell them in 2022.
I think you are lying about stamp.
You’re too kind. Thank you for watching.
Llotenjo..farias.i