Collectables: Stamps, Coins, Sterling Silver Flatware

[TonyDown]

I've been collecting stamps and coins my whole life.  I also own a sterling silver flatware set that belonged to an aunt, which she purchased back in the 1960s or 70s.

I haven't tracked the value of any of it, but from a finance standpoint, I know there is a base value plus some premium amount collectors might offer.  Full disclosure, none of it includes what might be considered high value items.  There is just a lot of it, collected over the years.

Knowing how stamps and coins are no longer utilized at the level they were, I wonder if the interest to collect has dropped, and that the collectable value may be declining.

When I pass, I prefer these items go to someone that appreciates them.   But is there much interest in stamps and coins any longer? 

 My worst fear is falling into the wrong hands where they get used for regular postage and purchases, and that they don't realize the sterling silver set has value. It's up to me to do responsible planning for the best outcome.

So here is my question, which is a rather niche question.

Do any of you have experience dispensing with coin and stamp collections or sterling silver?  Am I correct that collectable values maybe be declining?  Have you come up with a clever plan how to pass your stamps or coins or sterling silver to someone?  Or have you found a reputable collector to sell to and be done with them?

 

 

 

 

Edited January 5 by TonyDown

[BuffaloKyle]

You don't have any family members to pass them on to? Nieces, nephews, cousins, or even just a good friend? I'm sure someone will share the best way to get a value of something but if you don't have anyone to pass them on to I suggest, once we find the best option, sell them then and treat yourself to a nice vacation!

[TonyDown]

3 hours ago, BuffaloKyle said:

You don't have any family members to pass them on to? Nieces, nephews, cousins, or even just a good friend? I'm sure someone will share the best way to get a value of something but if you don't have anyone to pass them on to I suggest, once we find the best option, sell them then and treat yourself to a nice vacation!

I have many.   

However, my sense is none of them would find owning my collections very rewarding.

I remember Boys Life magazine had adds in the back pages one could order coins for collecting.  I was in the Cub Scouts which offered subscriptions.  Also it had adds for military prep schools which sounded scary to me.  😕  Good old days.😅

There was also a coin shop downtown that I Ioved visiting.  I know that coin shop is long gone.  

So what drives the young folks to pick up a hobby like stamp or coins collecting?

I'll do some research to see where there is still interest in collecting.  Perhaps that is a good start.

[Postiche]

On 1/5/2025 at 1:09 PM, TonyDown said:

I've been collecting stamps and coins my whole life.  I also own a sterling silver flatware set that belonged to an aunt, which she purchased back in the 1960s or 70s.

I haven't tracked the value of any of it, but from a finance standpoint, I know there is a base value plus some premium amount collectors might offer.  Full disclosure, none of it includes what might be considered high value items.  There is just a lot of it, collected over the years.

Knowing how stamps and coins are no longer utilized at the level they were, I wonder if the interest to collect has dropped, and that the collectable value may be declining.

When I pass, I prefer these items go to someone that appreciates them.   But is there much interest in stamps and coins any longer? 

 My worst fear is falling into the wrong hands where they get used for regular postage and purchases, and that they don't realize the sterling silver set has value. It's up to me to do responsible planning for the best outcome.

So here is my question, which is a rather niche question.

Do any of you have experience dispensing with coin and stamp collections or sterling silver?  Am I correct that collectable values maybe be declining?  Have you come up with a clever plan how to pass your stamps or coins or sterling silver to someone?  Or have you found a reputable collector to sell to and be done with them?

 

 

 

 

You are correct.  Most of the items, which people collected 30+ years ago, with a few exceptions, have declined in value. In the case of sterling silver, based on my own experience, unless you have a particularly rare coin or unusual piece of flatware/holloware, you are unlikely to sell an item for much more than the silver melt value.  
 

If you do not have a family member or friend, who would appreciate your collectables, you could attempt to sell them on EBay (though you will pay a commission).  Various online auction sites also are helpful. Of course, you will realize the greatest value for your collection, if you can just sell directly to another individual.

Good luck.

 

[TonyDown]

I watched a documentary report on the rise of  NFT collecting. 

NFT collecting is not my scene but is a wake-up call how interests definitely changed since I was a kid.

On a recent replay of Antique Roadshow  they showed the value fluctuation of the artifacts after 15 years.  I was shocked how far many of the items had depreciated, based on collector demand.  (Basoon sound effect)

More than ever, I doubt my items (coins, etc ) offer much of a premium value, as demand changes.

I bought a Vivian Maier print a few years ago.   I realize it is only worth what a collector might pay.

Ultimately I own these items for enjoyment, just to look at them and reflect.

Hopefully someday someone else will enjoy them as I do.

 

 

Edited January 12 by TonyDown

[+ PhileasFogg]

Collectibles - particularly stamps and coins - are a potential hedge against inflation…BUT, it’s usually the highly sought after items that perform best.

i prefer art.  And judging by a recent art buying trip trying to add works from my favorite living artists, I need to double the insurance on my collection vs the amount I chose just five years ago.   

[BeamerBikes]

Sadly, echoing everyone else’s thoughts here.  Collectibles should be for your enjoyment, primarily.  Any profit made is a sweetener, but then you have to part ways with that enjoyment.  Not a sad thing, if it’s being used to bring new enjoyment into your life.  
 

One more data point, you can look into estate sale auction sites. A good number of them have gone to Online formats, which will let you see historical actual closed prices. I find estate sales to be a bit sad, but I’ve picked up some sentimental items. 
 

I haven’t looked into the stamps side of the house, but I do occasionally flirt with getting a bigger coin collection.  The challenge I have - I don’t see them as being an investment. It has to be something I appreciate for the beauty or historical nature. I don’t see myself parting with these items unless I’m doing a massive liquidation to pare things down for whoever has to handle my affairs. 

[+ PhileasFogg]

7 hours ago, BeamerBikes said:

 

 

I haven’t looked into the stamps side of the house, but I do occasionally flirt with getting a bigger coin collection.  The challenge I have - I don’t see them as being an investment. It has to be something I appreciate for the beauty or historical nature. I don’t see myself parting with these items unless I’m doing a massive liquidation to pare things down for whoever has to handle my affairs. 

Sound investments rarely eat, drink, or require protection from moisture and humidity 😉

[viewing ownly]

It is rather stunning to see the things people would pay a fortune for (remember when Hostess was gone and people sold individual snack cakes for crazy money?). Unfortunately, the younger generation largely doesn't give a rat's ass about the appreciative value of priceless items, therefore their value is far lower than you could imagine. The bottom has entirely dropped out of the value of rare baseball cards. I don't even know if annual editions of that is even published anymore. 

I had one thing that today fetches hundreds. Peter North the porn actor released a book called "Penetrating Insights" in the late 1980s. I owned a copy, and unfortunately had it either stolen or discarded when I moved the many times I bounced around in my 20s. The one line in the book that amused me is he used Richard Belzer as an example to him of an unattractive man. While I never had the hots for Richard, I would simply call him a plain look, not a lousy one. Many women found Peter to be unattractive, with his brillo pad hair, fake tan, and shaved legs. I just loved that he did gay porn, too. 

[Jim_n_NYC]

On 1/12/2025 at 2:11 AM, TonyDown said:

I watched a documentary report on the rise of  NFT collecting. 

NFT collecting is not my scene but is a wake-up call how interests definitely changed since I was a kid.

On a recent replay of Antique Roadshow  they showed the value fluctuation of the artifacts after 15 years.  I was shocked how far many of the items had depreciated, based on collector demand.  (Basoon sound effect)

More than ever, I doubt my items (coins, etc ) offer much of a premium value, as demand changes.

I bought a Vivian Maier print a few years ago.   I realize it is only worth what a collector might pay.

Ultimately I own these items for enjoyment, just to look at them and reflect.

Hopefully someday someone else will enjoy them as I do.

 

 

This is so true.  I inherited a coin collection from my Dad and brother and I'm now looking to liquidate and it's not fetching much.  When I look on eBay to get an idea of what stuff is selling for, some of the Morgan and Peace silver dollars I have are going for one cent ($0.01) each (I think that's the way the sellers try to gen-up business.)...That's not even the value of the silver content in these coins.   

 

[+ nycman]

Just echoing what others have already said. Having served as the executor overseeing several estate liquidations recently, I can tell you things that the deceased thought were “priceless collections" were all in fact basically junk. Out of hundreds of various items only one had any value at all and even that was about half of what I expected.

What has value?

Flawless never used Hermes bags, rare Rolexes, pristine vintage cars with almost no mileage, and diamonds. 

Everything else is junk that you’re going to have to pay someone else to haul away. 

[BeamerBikes]

56 minutes ago, nycman said:

Everything else is junk that you’re going to have to pay someone else to haul away. 

Let me add - so enjoy your collections and treasure it as it makes you happy.  If you can start parting with the collection to someone else who shares the interest, all the better.  

[BSR]

On 1/22/2025 at 2:14 PM, nycman said:

Just echoing what others have already said. Having served as the executor overseeing several estate liquidations recently, I can tell you things that the deceased thought were “priceless collections" were all in fact basically junk. Out of hundreds of various items only one had any value at all and even that was about half of what I expected.

What has value?

Flawless never used Hermes bags, rare Rolexes, pristine vintage cars with almost no mileage, and diamonds. 

Everything else is junk that you’re going to have to pay someone else to haul away. 

Even the diamond market is crashing:  Diamonds lose their sparkle as prices come crashing down

[Kcdave]

Great thread I have a lot of inherited collectibles that unfortunately my mother and other generations thought were very precious. Things like Lalique, Steuben,Royal Doulton figurines, and Tobey mugs. Today they have little value. Things that were very costly people don’t want today. 

multiple place settings of different types of sterling silver while you don’t want to give it away it seems like the value unfortunately is the melt price of silver. Unless it’s a very rare collection.