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Investing in Stamps

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

Collectors are buzzing about the question posted in an online forum: If you had a
hundred thousand dollars to invest for a client, what stamps would you buy?

There were a number of suggestions, such as China and other Asian countries where stamp
collecting is booming.

Me, that’s out of my league. I don’t have that sort of money, and I actually enjoy having
a whole bunch of inexpensive “fun” items rather than a few expensive ones.

But I do have some thoughts on the subject.

First, if I were investing a large sum of money, I would do my own research... so that at
least I’d have an idea whether my counselor knew what he was talking about.

Second, expensive stamps generally go up in value... the cheap ones, don’t.

Next: Stamps are perishable. These are fragile pieces of paper, OLD paper, and any damage
lowers their value. Even if the damage can be repaired, the stamps are not as valuable.
Unlike paintings, stamp collectors frown on repaired stamps.

If you have very valuable stamps in your collection, you’ll need safes, safe deposit boxes,
loads of insurance and climate control. Looking at your stamps becomes a major effort.
That’s not my idea of fun.

Are you looking for a quick profit or something that will hold its value and increase over
time? If you’re in a hurry, forget stamps.

My advice is to collect what you like, because you like it. That’s where the value is, not
in profit or bragging rights.

But if you held my feet to the fire, I’d buy an Inverted Jenny Airplane stamp.

I'm Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting,
visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.

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