Stamp Market Trends

As regular buyers and sellers at major stamp auctions as well as full time stamp dealers for many years, we closely watch the market for buying and selling trends. Most of our information comes from watching auctions, from other dealers, and from our buying and selling transactions with our customers.

Overall the stamp market has finally started to show signs of upward movement after about three years of decline. Here's how we see the current market for the areas we stock.

Austria - The overall market for Austria has been very steady for the past 5-6 years.The better singles and sets are bringing realizations about 5-10 % lower than in the recent past. The back of the book stamps have been bringing especially strong results at auction and are my best sellers. There have been very few substantial Austrian collections offered in recent auctions and those few have been selling at a high rate with realizations at or close to expectations.

Germany - Early German related issues are doing well at auction and modern issues have declined sharply. Better singles and sets of Germany proper and most German areas have been bringing about 5-10 % lower realizations at auction. Unused German states and never hinged German WWII occupation singles and sets have been bringing significately higher than normal realizations. Collections of Germany proper prior to WWII have been bringing 10-15% less than 5 years ago. Post WWII Germany, Berlin and DDR have declined about 25-30% in realizations and lesser collections have not sold well at all. Collections of German colonies, WWII occupations, and better German states have been bringing realizations 5 - 15% higher than in recent years. Post WWII occupation material also have consistently brought high realizations. In the past 4 months there has been a decided upsurge in the market for all better German stamps. Single stamps and sets cataloging $200 and up have been selling at the highest rate we've seen in the past 15 years. Whether this will turn into a long term trend remains t9 be seen.

Liechtenstein - The market for Liechtenstein stamps has improved in the past 4 months and fewer collections are being offered at auctions. Still the overall market for Liechtenstein remains very steady compared to prices ten years ago.

Luxembourg - Surprisingly Luxembourg stamps have been doing very well for us and at auction. We believe one reason for this is that there is not a lot of better Luxembourg material to be found in dealers' stocks. Older stamps in sound condition are scarce and are sought by serious collectors.

Overall, 2011 so far has been a good year for both dealers and collectors. Auctions are offering some really good material and it is selling at competitive prices. Quality stamps maintain and increase in value. In recent months retail and auction sales have increased very significantly.