Stamp identification & value guides
Each guide answers one question stamp owners search for, from “what are my stamps worth?” to spotting an error stamp, then shows how to do it in minutes with StampGo.
- Comparison6 min read
Free stamp identifier app
Yes, free apps can identify a stamp from a photo. How they work, what a good one shows you, and how to get started with StampGo on iOS or Android.
See comparison - Guide6 min read
How to identify stamps
Five checks identify almost any stamp: country, denomination, year, printing details and condition. Or get straight to the answer with a photo.
Follow guide - Guide6 min read
What are my stamps worth?
The four steps dealers use (identify, grade, compare, verify), and how to run a stamp value lookup from a photo.
Follow guide - Article6 min read
Are old stamps worth money?
Most old stamps are common, but rarity, condition and demand make some very valuable. How to tell which kind you have.
Read article - Article5 min read
The most valuable stamps in the world
The seven stamps that set the auction records, what each one sold for, and the realistic signs of a valuable stamp in your own album.
Read article - Guide5 min read
How to tell if a stamp is rare
Seven signs that separate rare stamps from common ones, the rare stamps collectors want, and how to get a quick rarity score.
Follow guide - Guide5 min read
How to value a stamp collection
Sort the collection, find the few stamps that carry the value, price the rest as bulk, and decide whether a paid appraisal is worth it.
Follow guide - Guide5 min read
Inherited a stamp collection?
Keep it safe, find the few stamps that matter, get more than one offer, and decide whether to keep, sell or donate it.
Follow guide - Comparison6 min read
How to sell stamps
Dealer, auction house or online marketplace? How to choose, what each costs, and the preparation that gets you a better price.
See comparison - Article5 min read
Stamp condition grades explained
Centering, gum, faults and cancellations: the condition terms dealers use, what MNH and VF mean, and how much condition moves the price.
Read article - Article5 min read
Error stamps worth money
Inverts, missing colors, imperforates and double prints: which printing errors are valuable, how to tell them from freaks and fakes, and famous examples.
Read article - Article5 min read
US stamp values
What American stamps are worth from 1847 to today, which eras hold their value, and how to look up any US stamp from a photo.
Read article - Article4 min read
Forever stamp value in 2026
Every Forever stamp mails a one-ounce letter at today's rate, 82¢ since July 2026. What that means for old stamps, and which ones collectors want.
Read article - Article5 min read
UK stamp values
What British stamps are worth by reign, from the Penny Black to the Machins, and which UK stamps are worth checking.
Read article - Article5 min read
Canadian stamp values
What Canadian stamps are worth by era, from the 1851 Beaver to the 1929 Bluenose, and which Canada stamps are worth checking.
Read article - Article5 min read
German stamp values
From Bavaria's 1849 “Black One” to WWII and East Germany: which German stamps are worth money and which are common.
Read article - Article5 min read
Chinese stamp values
Qing dynasty dragons, Cultural Revolution issues and the 1980 Monkey: which Chinese stamps are valuable, and why fakes are a real risk.
Read article - Article5 min read
Penny Black value
What a Penny Black is worth today, and how margins, plate, check letters and the cancellation change the price.
Read article - Article5 min read
Inverted Jenny stamp value
One sheet of 100, sold in 1918 for $24: what an Inverted Jenny is worth today, what the normal 24¢ Jenny is worth, and the 2013 reissue.
Read article - Article5 min read
Washington & Franklin stamp values
Why the same-looking Washington or Franklin stamp can be worth 5 cents or $500, and how to tell which one you have.
Read article - Article5 min read
Elvis stamp value
The best-selling US commemorative ever is also one of the most common. What an Elvis stamp is really worth, and the exceptions.
Read article - Article5 min read
First day cover value
Most first day covers sell for a few dollars. Which ones are worth more, from early covers to rare cachets, with values by decade.
Read article - Guide6 min read
How to start a stamp collection
Pick a focus, buy three cheap tools, and get stamps free from your own mail before you spend anything. A practical first month.
Follow guide - Comparison5 min read
Stamp collecting supplies
The three things every collector needs, when to upgrade to mounts and gauges, and the supplies that quietly ruin stamps.
See comparison - Guide5 min read
How to store stamps
Cool, dry, dark and flat, in the right materials. The storage rules that decide whether a collection holds its value or quietly rots.
Follow guide - Guide5 min read
Removing stamps from envelopes
The soaking method that works, the stamps that must never touch water, and why the hair dryer and microwave tricks are a bad idea.
Follow guide - Guide5 min read
Organizing & cataloguing a collection
Sort by country and year, record six fields per stamp, and keep a backup. The system that makes insuring or selling a collection painless.
Follow guide - Comparison5 min read
Where to buy stamps
Dealers, auctions, shows, marketplaces and club circuits compared, plus the checks that stop you buying fakes or paying catalogue prices.
See comparison - Article5 min read
Stamp catalogue numbers
How to read a Scott, SG or Michel number, what the letter prefixes mean, and why catalogue value isn't the price you'll get.
Read article - Article5 min read
Commemorative stamps value
Most commemoratives are worth face value. Here's which ones aren't, and why gold-foil “collector” stamps are worth even less than they look.
Read article - Article5 min read
Plate block values
The number in the margin explained: how to identify a plate block, and why the classic ones are worth a premium while modern ones aren't.
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Duck stamp values
The hunting permit stamps collectors chase: why the 1934 first issue leads, what a hunter's signature does to value, and which years matter.
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Indian stamp values
British India, the princely states and the 1948 Gandhi set: which Indian stamps carry real value, and which fill every album.
Read article - Article5 min read
Australian stamp values
Colonies, Kangaroos and King George heads: which Australian stamps are worth money, and why 1966 is the dividing line.
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Find out what your stamps are worth tonight
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