From: BenAndMarsha@mail.com   
      
   Barry,   
      
   You'd still probabily be better off letting a dealer give you a quick   
   appraisial.   
      
   Find out where a stamp show is in your area and take them to a dealer   
   there to get his opinion.  He'd probibaly let you know without charge   
   whether they're worth a full appraisal.   
      
   Be carefull of the catalog values you see for your stamps.   
      
   Stamps rarely sell for catalog value.  Depending on many factors   
   (condition, centering, damage, etc), they usually sell for much less   
   than catalog value.   
      
   Also, if you find a particularly rare stamp, check very carefully to   
   see if its properly identified.  Differences in perforations, color,   
   or watermark can change a $10,000 stamp to a $.10 stamp.   
      
   Good luck.   
      
   Helmar Herman   
      
   On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 08:41:54 GMT, "Barry Kramer"   
    wrote:   
      
   >-----------------------------------------------------------------------   
   >>>>"kevin"  wrote in message   
   >>>>news:vp24daine4v523@corp.supernews.com...   
   >   
   >>>> go down to your local library and get a Scott catalogue and that will   
   >give   
   >>>> you a start... good luck... kk   
   >   
   >-----------------------------------------------------------------------   
   >>> On Mon, 22 Dec 2003 02:05:44 GMT, "Barry Kramer"   
   >>>  wrote:   
   >   
   >>>isn't there anything available online?   
   >   
   >-----------------------------------------------------------------------   
   >"TC"  wrote in message   
   >news:39pcuvgvi5eid44n775s9msesf56jb4cli@4ax.com...   
   >   
   >> Scott's catalogue is 7 volumes of about 1,300 pages EACH.   
   >> That is over 9000 pages of data and images.   
   >> Now you know why it is not online.   
   >   
   >-----------------------------------------------------------------------   
   >Thanks, Blair.  Wow, I had no idea.  My mother just handed me an old stamp   
   >collection of my fathers, 3 albums in fair to poor condition, US and   
   >worldwide stamps.  I was just trying to ascertain whether they are worth   
   >anything.  I mean it doesn't pay to have an expert look them over and charge   
   >a relatively large sum to tell me they are not worth very much.  So I   
   >endeavored to do some of my own research.  I've only been at it for a week   
   >or so, have learned alot.  I know some of these stamps do have some value.   
   >Just cataloging the stamps alone is a daunting prospect.  Hauling them down   
   >to the library and researching the value one by one is out of the question.   
   >I will likely be posting some related questions here soon.  Best Regards,   
   >Barry.   
   >   
      
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