Purchasing and Appraisals Oceanview Stamp Company offers the option of outright purchase as well as a variety of appraisal services (including free appraisals). Before scheduling an appraisal, please read the sections regarding what constitutes an appraisable stamp collection. OUTRIGHT PURCHASE Oceanview Stamp Company is always looking to buy better United States and Foreign stamps, collections, postage lots etc. We pay top dollar on the spot and are constantly seeking new material. Whether your collection is worth hundreds of dollars or hundreds of thousands of dollars we are happy to purchase them. FREE APPRAISALS Oceanview offers several different types of free appraisals. First, any collection we view for the purpose of an appraisal and we end up purchasing, the appraisal fee will be waved. Free Verbal Appraisal Usually conducted over the phone - is done by verbal consultation where an appraiser asks questions and based on the information given arrives at a "ballpark" value. Please read appraisable collection information BEFORE scheduling. Free In House Appraisal We will gladly give free market value appraisals for collections shipped to our office for in house viewing. Please contact us by email or phone before shipping. Free Appraisal by Appointment If it is more convenient we can appraise stamps at our office in the Los Angeles Area. If you are in the area and would like to bring your stamps in for an appraisal please call in advance to schedule an appointment. OTHER APPRAISAL SERVICES We will travel to appraise better collections. Normal appraisal fees will be charged in addition to reimbursement of travel expenses. Remember, if we appraise a collection and end up purchasing the collection no Appraisal Fee is charged. Appraisals for Estate, Tax and Insurance Purposes Oceanview Stamp Co. will provide a detailed appraisal and all necessary documentation for these particular purposes. Please email or call for further information. INTERNET Appraisals Where the interested party sends scans via email of the stamps or pages of stamps to be appraised. After the scans have been studied we will follow up with a telephone consultation to help determine a "ballpark" market value estimate. If you are unable to send scans, you may also send color photo copies. What is an appraisable stamp collection? Many people receive stamp collections through inheritance or some type of estate transfer, while some collectors have little knowledge of how to value their stamp holding. For a novice, evaluating a large quantity of stamps can be a mysterious and overwhelming task. We have listed a few general guidelines to help the novice determine if their holding has enough market value to schedule a professional appraisal. Appraisable Stamp List Perhaps the easiest way to tell if a stamp collection has value is if the collector spent at lease a moderate amount of money on stamps, and if the money was used to purchase better items as opposed to spending money on large quantities of common material. In other words if someone purchased a scarce item for a thousand dollars it would still be a valuable item, whereas if someone purchased a roomful of common stamps for a thousand dollars it would not be of much resale value. Always check invoices and receipts for clues as to the type of material that was collected. Here are some stamp albums that contain spaces for better stamps; if you have these albums and there is a fair degree of completion you probably have an appraisable collection. ANY Specialized Album (concentrating on one country or geographic area) Scott Specialty Albums Scott National Albums Lighthouse Hingeless Albums Elbe Albums Scott International Albums ITEMS purchased from auction companies MASTER Global Albums Stanley Gibbons Imperial Albums (British) OLD (circa pre 1940) Foreign Albums ITEMS purchased with certificates from recognized expertising authorities such as The Philatelic Foundation, Professional Stamp Experts (P.S.E.), and American Philatelic Society (A.P.S.) etc. Large quantities of mint foreign or United States sheets and blocks Better United States and foreign covers (generally letters with stamps attached or postal history) NO MODERN First day covers (after 1940) NOT Appraisable Stamps Oceanview will purchase all stamp related material including items on the "not appraisable list" IF there are also better stamps or collections included. We will not purchase a holding of items exclusively on the "not appraisable list". While there are many valuable stamp collections in private hands, most stamp collections are common or in the beginner / hobby category - these collections are fun and educational to put together but usually have little or no cash value. Beginner / Hobby Collections - usually put together by children or budget MINDED collectors consisting of common stamps bought from the post office over the last 60 years or bought in sets or packets from mail order stamp companies. Items manufactured by after market companies such as: "Gold plated stamp replicas - singles or on envelopes. Items by companies such as the "America Commemorative Society", "Postal Commemorative Society", "Franklin Mint", "Heirloom Collection", "Royal Wedding Collection" etc. These types of products which consist of large albums with fancy binders and elaborate stories and pictures have little or no resale value. First Day Covers - issued by postal services over the last 50 years or so have little resale value due to overproduction. Stamp supplies, empty or almost empty albums and stock books, old catalogues, literature, etc. Commemorative panels and souvenir pages (U.S.P.S.) Common Correspondence - old letters sent by friends, penpals etc., old bills, stamps cut off envelopes. Accumulations of mostly used stamps from the past 60 years or so whether in boxes, bags, envelopes, stock books U.S. or Foreign - even if carefully organized and assorted. Collections in the MODERN POSTAGE STAMP ALBUM Collections in Harris albums (i.e. Statesman, Ambassador, Pioneer etc) Junior International Albums (unless mostly complete with un-cancelled stamps) United Nations Stamp Collections The preceding lists of appraisable and non-appraisable stamps are by no means complete, they are only rough guidelines. If you have questions please submit the email form for Stamp Appraisal Information. © 2006. 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