The first step is appraisal of the collection giving it a careful search through to establish if there are any hidden gems worth selling as individual items. Most valuations are carried out at our office in Galashiels, where we have access to our library of reference books and catalogues and large database of information concerning recent auction realisation prices.
Once we have examined and valued your collection, we will either write to you or discuss in person advising you of the estimated valuation and recommended best method(s) of sale.
Currently there are five options you to consider when selling a property.
Occasionally collector’s or vendors simply want a quick valuation and sale with immediate payment up front. This can be arranged subject to the overall commercial value and popularity of the collection. For example some stamps can have quite high catalogue values but if the specific stamps or Countries they come from are not very popular, they can prove quite hard to sell. We do strongly advise that you allow sufficient time for a full and proper valuation to be completed.
This option can be ideal if you have a collection of modern mint stamps, which still have a valid postage value. Such stamps generally have a well established fixed trade price. We buy postage to sell on to customers direct from our website. This applies mainly to modern GB decimal currency stamps issued by the royal Mail from 1971 to present day.
Other European and World Countries can also be purchased and sold on as postage. However, these stamps are usually sold back to stamp dealers based in the countries where the stamps originally came from. Selling across borders has become much more difficult since the UK left European Market so we now generally just auction foreign stamps on the Internet.
Valid postage stamps can be resold relatively quickly at a small profit to individuals and businesses who require the stamps for their letters and small packages. The added bonus is there are no selling fees, or auctioneer’s commission and buyers premiums involved.
The key advantage of this method of sale is that you know exactly how much you will receive for your collection and there are no commission fees to pay.
Feedback from Paul Godley (Glasgow)
I found Dave very approachable and he provided honest and sensible advice on how I should go about selling my late father’s stamp collection. He provides an excellent and trustworthy service. Highly recommended!”
Our internet selling service is ideal for collectors and dealers who want the best return on higher-value items (£20+). We list your stamps on eBay for you, reaching over 70,000 buyers worldwide — and millions more via international eBay sites.
We charge a 25% commission on the final selling price, which includes all eBay and payment processing fees (approx. 13%). There’s also a £1.00 listing fee per lot, and postage is charged at cost.
This option works best if you can provide item descriptions and catalogue values. If your items are unusual, rare, or difficult to value, this method lets the open market decide their worth — often with excellent results.
As a Top-Rated eBay Seller, we offer premium listings, accurate descriptions, quality photography, and full customer service. You’ll be able to follow sales in real-time, with no hidden fees — just a transparent, professional service that maximises returns.
If you’ve inherited a stamp or coin collection and don’t know where to start, our full-service selling option is ideal. We handle everything — sorting, valuing, describing, listing, selling, packing, and shipping.
We charge a 30% commission, which includes all eBay, listing, and processing fees. A £1.00 per lot listing fee also applies, plus postage at cost. This higher fee reflects the extra time and care we invest — often spending weeks or months processing large or unsorted estates.
You don’t need any specialist knowledge. Simply provide the collection, and we’ll create attractive, marketable lots. Clients can even opt to receive monthly payments as items sell. We work hard to ensure the best possible return, often outperforming traditional auctions — and we don’t charge buyers a premium, meaning more money goes back to you.
As an eBay Top-Rated Seller, our listings are seen globally, reaching motivated buyers across Europe, the USA, Asia, and beyond.
Real Results: Case Study:
One client brought us a collection he assumed was low-value — until we discovered a rare 1980 Chinese ‘Year of the Monkey’ stamp tucked inside. Despite slight faults, it sold via eBay auction for £1,070, far exceeding UK expectations.
This story highlights the power of expert handling and international reach — key advantages of selling through us.
For collections made up of many low-value items, such as cheap first day covers or junior stamp albums, public auction is often the best route. While individual items may be worth only pennies, grouped collections — especially when neatly stored — can still fetch £150–£250 or more when sold intact.
This approach is particularly suitable for:
Large volumes of ordinary low value used stamps.
Worldwide junior stamp collections.
Items where the value lies in quantity, rather than rarity.
With decades of experience, we know when it’s more profitable to sell a collection as one lot rather than split it.
Why Public Auction Works
Ideal for unsorted or general collections
Buyers can inspect items in person and bid accordingly
We often remove higher-value items for separate sale to maximise returns
Ensures the rest of the material is still sold efficiently
A Note on Market Trends
Unfortunately, many junior collections from the 1960s–1980s now have little to no commercial value, Sadly traditional stamp collecting has declined significantly among younger generations. A typical junior album with say 1000 stamps inside might only sell for £7 to £10 at auction. If we feel a collection has minimal value, we’ll let you know honestly and may suggest just donating it to charity of your choice..
Looking back over the years and reflecting on the hundreds of clients we have helped it is often a combination of all four options above, which gives the best financial return. This is especially so for very large varied properties. It really depends on what each individual client has available to sell.
Generally our clients are more than happy to leave their collections allowing us full control on how best to sell their property and trusting that we will achieve the maximum financial return for them. More often than not we have used a combination of options 1 to 4.
We generally pay clients in stages as each part of their collection is sold off. Normally payment is made by direct back transfer on a monthly or ad-hoc basis, whatever is best for the client. We can also pay by cash, cheque or via PayPal but we do prefer online bank transfer if possible.
An important point about Internet selling. Buyers generally do have a full 30 days to return items, even if they just change their mind. This rarely happens with stamps, but it is always a possibility. For that reason we do have to wait until the buyer is satisfied with their purchase, often through feedback received upon receipt of the goods. This very much down to the quality of descriptions and images provided. We guarantee ours are always top notch. We are approaching 67,000 positive feedbacks on eBay and not a single negative in over 20 years, something we are very proud of.
To arrange a free, no-obligation valuation, simply call us or send an email to book an appointment. Bring your collection along and we’ll assess it together, offering expert advice on the best way to proceed. For larger or high-value collections, home visits can be arranged within the UK — and occasionally overseas.
We welcome enquiries for all collectible items including stamps, covers, coins, banknotes, and more. In fact almost anything which can be sold by auction on the Internet and easily shipped e.g. items that are not too big, heavy or bulky to store and expensive to ship..
