This blog answers the questions people actually have when they're holding a stamp: is it worth anything, how do I identify it, what should I do with an inherited collection, and how do I avoid the classic mistakes that quietly destroy value? It's written for curious owners, not seasoned philatelists — plain English, realistic numbers, no jargon walls.
How these articles are written
The same rules as our stamp value guides: every price is a sourced range, never a promise; dealer-retail, catalogue and auction figures are labeled as what they are; and the honest default — that most stamps are common — leads every piece rather than hiding in the footnotes. Each article lists its sources at the end, is fact-checked against them before it publishes, and names the The Stampo Editorial Team as its editorial byline. When market figures move, we update the article rather than leaving stale numbers in place. If you spot something outdated, tell us — the correction wins.
Latest articles
- August 19, 2026 Penny Black Plate 11: The Rare Plate and How to Tell if Yours Is One Penny Black Plate 11 is the rarest plate: about 168,000 of 68.8 million stamps printed. No plate number is printed on the stamp, and that changes the checks.
- August 17, 2026 Are Used Stamps Worth Anything? How a Postmark Changes the Price Are used stamps worth anything? Usually pennies, but the postmark decides: light bullseye cancels and scarce postmarks can beat heavy killers by a wide margin.
- August 14, 2026 George Washington 2-Cent Stamp Value: Why Yours Is Probably Worth Cents The honest George Washington 2 cent stamp value: billions were printed, so typical copies sell for cents. See which perforations and types are the exceptions.
- August 12, 2026 How to Remove Stamps From Envelopes (and When You Absolutely Should Not) How to remove stamps from envelope paper with a cold water float, why self-adhesives resist it, and which covers you should never soak at all.
- August 10, 2026 Stamp Watermarks: How to See One in 60 Seconds at Your Kitchen Table A stamp watermark can decide which catalogue row your stamp sits in. See one in 60 seconds with a dark surface and good light, no gadgets, no water.
- August 7, 2026 How Many Inverted Jenny Stamps Are There? All 100, Accounted For How many Inverted Jenny stamps are there? Exactly 100, from one sheet found in 1918, and every position is tracked. Where they went and what they sell for.
- August 5, 2026 First Day Cover Value: The Honest Answer (Most Sell for Very Little) First day cover value, honestly: most modern cacheted covers sell for £1 to £5 at dealer retail. Real value hides in the earliest covers and scarce cachets.
- August 3, 2026 Graf Zeppelin Stamps: The Depression-Era Set That Really Is Valuable Graf Zeppelin stamps are the rare exception: 93 percent of the 1930 set was destroyed, and a complete set retails around $1,775. See which one you have.
- July 31, 2026 Stamp Appraisal Near Me: What It Costs and When You Actually Need One Before you search stamp appraisal near me, learn the difference between a free dealer offer and a paid written appraisal, and when you truly need each.
- July 27, 2026 The Rarest Stamps in the World (and Could One Be in Your Album?) The rarest stamps in the world, their survivor counts and record sales, and the honest checks that separate a reproduction from a million-dollar original.
- July 24, 2026 Where to Sell Old Stamps: Dealer vs Auction vs eBay, Honestly Where to sell old stamps without getting burned: an honest comparison of dealers, auction houses, and eBay, with realistic net returns for each channel.
- July 22, 2026 Penny Red Stamp Value: Why Most Are Pennies (and What Plate 77 Changes) Penny Red stamp value, honestly: most of the 21 billion printed are worth 10p to 30p. Find out which type you have and what Plate 77 actually changes.
- July 20, 2026 Inherited a Stamp Collection? Do These 5 Things Before Selling Anything Inherited a stamp collection? Do these five free steps first: protect covers, identify, triage, then decide whether to sell or pay for an appraisal.
- July 8, 2026 How to Tell if Your Penny Black Is Valuable: 5 Checks That Decide the Price Own a Penny Black? Most are worth £15–£400, not a fortune. These five checks — margins, plate, cancel, gum, and condition — decide where yours lands.
- July 5, 2026 Why Most Stamps Aren't Worth Much (and How to Find the Ones That Are) The honest math of stamp values: why billions of old stamps are worth pennies, what actually makes a stamp valuable, and how to check yours.