Valuable stamps: These stamps are rare & expensive

Rare stamps are particularly valuable and are auctioned again and again for large sums of money. These stamps are among the most precious in the world

Rare stamps: These are particularly valuable

The history of the world’s most sought-after collector’s items is impressive. Particularly valuable stamps fetch record prices at auctions. These are the most expensive stamps in the world:

• British Guiana 1 cent magenta: This stamp is the only one known to date from 1856, supposedly only one copy of it exists. In 1980, the US billionaire John E. du Pont acquired the stamp for 935,000 US dollars. After his death, his relatives auctioned the piece for 9.5 million euros.

• The Red Mauritius: On 21 September 1847, Mauritius issued two stamps; seven years after England developed the first stamp in 1840. What makes the stamp so valuable is that instead of “post paid” it says “post office”. This error makes the piece particularly desirable. It was auctioned off for 8.1 million euros.

• Treskilling Yellow: The misprint from Sweden has an estimated value of 2.6 million euros. Originally, the stamp issued in 1855 should have been blue-green, but the final product was yellow. This makes the stamp a valuable unique piece.

• “The whole country is red”: Issued in China in 1968, this stamp represents Maos communist revolution and stands out with the central phrase “The whole country is red”. The stamp is worth €2 million.

• Baden 9 Kreuzer: In 1851, a printing error by the German Post Office caused a batch of 9 Kreuzer stamps to be green instead of pink. Today, only four of these stamps are known to exist, which makes them particularly valuable. The value is 1.5 million euros.

This makes stamps a good investment

Collecting stamps can become a professional hobby. By selling them to the right buyers, you can make quite a bit of money. Here’s what to look out for when selling:

• The value of the stamp you want to sell depends especially on its rarity. Most stamp collectors prefer particularly rare pieces; this means that the rarer the stamp, the higher the price you will be offered.

• The condition in which the stamp is found is equally important. The stamp should be as flawless as possible. Especially the integrity of the stamp is important if you want to make a high profit.

• Another important point is authenticity. You must be able to prove the authenticity of the stamp. You can prove this with a certificate from trustworthy organisations.

• Stamp fairs are particularly suitable for selling stamps. There you will meet many enthusiastic collectors who are willing to pay quite a bit of money for valuable stamps. You can also sell your stamps at an auction house, where you will be given advice on selling them.

• With sufficient research, it is also possible to sell stamps on ebay classifieds. When doing so, make sure to include a well-worded description and thoroughly research the actual value of the stamp.