Stamps worth taking the time to list

Looking around the eBid "stamps" listings (with over 500,000 active listings, definitely a "major" category) I often find myself puzzled by the volume of very common material offered, and the sheer number of items being offered for "a few pennies" each.

Is this really worthwhile, to anyone?

I can't imagine very many collectors are actually in the market to buy the most common stamps of a country. Sure, if they are in particularly nice condition, or have superb postmarks or something like that. But otherwise? A common stamp in "average" (and sometimes even obviously faulty!) condition?

Second... the time it takes to choose, scan and list something to sell for 5p. I suppose it doesn't matter if you're purely a hobbyist... but aren't we basically agreeing that our time is only "worth" 50p an hour?

Maybe I am missing something here... just curious what other people's perception might be. I mean, I do this "for fun," but I can't see how it would be "fun" to spend hours and hours listing cheap faulty stamps nobody wants to buy. Part of the "fun" (at least for me) lies in the idea that someone actually WANTS what I have for sale.

Cheers,
Peter

We have acquired a large accumulation of stamps from husband's relatives. We aren't collectors and I don't have any knowledge of stamps, so am trying to learn a bit as I go along.

Some of the stamps are mounted in albums, but the person who collected has been gone for almost 40 years. The rest of the stamps are in stock books or stored in glassine envelopes or other. I've been sorting through stamps on paper, used stamps that have removed from paper, etc. We have a lot of mint British and Canadian. Lots of German stamps. A little of this and that.

So much of this is common and worth very little in terms of monetary value.

I wonder at what to list as well, since I'm guessing at what a collector might want to purchase. I would imagine that some of my prices are too high and some prices are too low.

I had been listing single low value stamps, but decided that I would take them down. I just don't want to deal with listing / storing / organizing stamps that sell for pennies. But, I might list some of them if, as you say, I come across items in very good condition with a nice cancel. Then again, I'm not sure that I know what a collector would consider a nice cancel to be. I suspect that each collector would have his / her own opinion on that topic.

Sometimes I see items sell over on the bay and it is perfectly obvious that the seller has lost money. That obvious loss doesn't even begin to consider the listing and relisting fees or store fees. They might as well throw the item in the garbage. Online selling takes a lot of time, so I at least want to see a profit if the item sells. Either money in my pocket or money that I can donate to a charity that I support. Otherwise, I can find a lot of other things to spend my time on.

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Originally Posted by Cancelcollector

Looking around the eBid "stamps" listings (with over 500,000 active listings, definitely a "major" category) I often find myself puzzled by the volume of very common material offered, and the sheer number of items being offered for "a few pennies" each.

Is this really worthwhile, to anyone?

I can't imagine very many collectors are actually in the market to buy the most common stamps of a country. Sure, if they are in particularly nice condition, or have superb postmarks or something like that. But otherwise? A common stamp in "average" (and sometimes even obviously faulty!) condition?

Second... the time it takes to choose, scan and list something to sell for 5p. I suppose it doesn't matter if you're purely a hobbyist... but aren't we basically agreeing that our time is only "worth" 50p an hour?

Maybe I am missing something here... just curious what other people's perception might be. I mean, I do this "for fun," but I can't see how it would be "fun" to spend hours and hours listing cheap faulty stamps nobody wants to buy. Part of the "fun" (at least for me) lies in the idea that someone actually WANTS what I have for sale.

Cheers,
Peter

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It's not just about selling, it's about getting other people interested in the hobby. Why not put up something for 5p if it starts someone off on their collection and a lifelong hobby. Future customers!

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Originally Posted by DT3KMAN

It's not just about selling, it's about getting other people interested in the hobby. Why not put up something for 5p if it starts someone off on their collection and a lifelong hobby. Future customers!

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Yes. I agree. It is also about offering as wide a choice as possible. There are many collectors who are missing the odd "common" stamp. They are more likely to buy more expensive stamps from me if I give them a chance to fill annoying gaps.

Good points-- I suppose I forgot that people approach collecting in different ways... when I was a beginner, I tended to start new areas by buying "500 different" (or however many) packages so I would have all the common stamps out of the way. Also good point about attracting new collectors.

~Peter

"common material" is less expensive and a good way to start a collection for a beginner.

Lots of Common stamps are still being sold on many websites and if you have all the "commons" from every Country, then you have a large collection.

Cheers

Steve.