Kind of non-sports...Canadian stamp collection

[Don Robertson]

I attended an estate sale this morning because it was advertised that there was a large sportscard collection available. Well the sportscards were a bust but the guy also collected stamps. There were hundreds of binders and boxes full of them. I picked up one book that was all 1950 and earlier (some much earlier) Canadian stamps. I only grabbed the book because there were multiples of a cool old hockey stamp included.
Now with no knowledge of stamps at all I have been looking through conpleted auctions on eBay to try to figure what I have.
My question is if anyone here has any knowledge of stamps that might have any idea what i have here. The prior owner was very maticulous with thier collection so everything is seperated and sorted...some post marked some not...all loose and many with 10 to 20 duplicates. Of the few that i was able to find on eBay i know that sales wise i easily have my money back and more if i sell but for the other 98% i have no idea what i have.
Does anyone here have any stamp knowledge where if i scan these up you might be able to fill in some gaps for me?
Thanks!
Don

 

[Newfie]

You would be better off going to your local library and looking through the Scott Catalogue of Stamps Vol #2 should have the Canadian listings. The other reference book is the Unitrade Specialized Catalogue of Canadian Stamps. There is so much to take into consideration when you are trying to put a value on a stamp and it is in more detail than grading a sports card.
You have to look at what type of perfs (The small perferations around the stamp) or if it's a coil stamp (perfs on 2 sides only) or a booklet stamp (perfs on 3 sides). The value will also be different on regular issue stamps or if it's a definitive issue ( these were issued in larger quantities for every day mailing). Now you have to take in if the stamp is NH-VF (one that has not been used and still has its original gum on the back with no hinge markings on it, some collectors use what is called a hinge to mount their stamps on pages in a book or album that leaves a mark or removes a portion of the glue when the stamp is removed) or if it is a used stamp that has gone through the postal system and has a cancelled mark on the face of the stamp. Some used stamps can bring a better value than a mint one if it has a certian type of cancel and the clarity of that cancel. When stamp collectors look at a stamp for evaluation they will normally put it under a magnifying glass, so as you can see there is a lot to take into consideration on trying to determine a proper value. I hope this has been some help to you and if you have any questions I'll try to help as best I can.

 

[hextall27]

If you can put up some scans of the older cards I can tell you if there is anything of significance.

 

[Uhtred the Viking]

I would suggest going to a local stamp show and talking to some of the dealers. They can help you sell your stamps through a public auction, or something called a private treaty sale. I think it's important to find a dealer you are comfortable with, someone who attends a lot of stamp conventions/shows and has a great number of contacts. Even though I live in a city of a million people, my longest association with a stamp dealer (almost 25 years) is with someone from Edmonton. I like the way he does business, and he has become a good friend. He travels across the country and has an excellent knowledge of the marketplace. I've bought stamps on eBay as well, but if you're looking to sell it helps to have someone knowledgeable about different variations, stamp conditions, and to really help you identify your top end items.

Best of luck with this!