# What do I do with these stamps? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 18, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-these-stamps/269933 "2004-10-18T23:30:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-these-stamps/269933/1 "2004-10-18T23:30:14Z")
My mother is moving and she gave me a bunch of stamps. I don’t know anything about stamps. I have googled a bit but the sites are confusing since I don’t know anything about stamps. I have a small stack of books from the 60’s with stamps from around the world. All of the stamps have cancellation marks on them although I can’t read all of them. There are various loose stamps also. Specifically I would like information on how to determine if this collection is trash or not. I would also like to know how to care for them now that I have them. And I’d love to know some better questions to ask other than “Uh - is this a stamp?” Are there still stamp shops one could go to looking for help? Or stamp collector clubs? ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-these-stamps/269933/2 "2004-10-19T00:16:44Z")
Go to the reference section of your friendly local library, and ask them to point you to the Scott’s guides to postage stamps. I think what you will discover is that stamps from any time after WWII have very little value - they were generally printed in huge quantities, and only rarity makes a stamp valuable. The fact that they’re all canceled makes it even less likely that they’re worth anything, since unused stamps are generally worth more (as a general rule). There are certainly stamp shops around, though they’re disappearing. The hobby is gradually dying - kids just aren’t picking up the hobby as they once did. A stamp collection just can’t compete with a video game. There are a couple of stamp dealers in your general area (if your location is actually Haverhill, MA) - Brunelle’s Stamps and Coins and Derry Coin and Stamp, both in Derry, NH. You could drag your stuff in, and let them take a look at what you’ve got. ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-these-stamps/269933/3 "2004-10-19T01:04:20Z")
I’d never seen a postage due stamp before. This has been interesting just perusing the stamps… I am in Haverhill, I will be heading to the librabry this week and maybe into Derry in the near future. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-these-stamps/269933/4 "2005-01-04T18:27:44Z")
Any luck at the library? You could try [this book](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0764553798/104-9688221-4032722?v=glance) or [this one](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0609808842/ref=pd_sim_b_2/104-9688221-4032722?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance), plus [this price guide](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1400048427/qid=1104863596/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-9688221-4032722?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) would be a good start, too.