Why Stamps Are Good Investments
Postage Stamps have a price history going back to the Year
1840 when the British Penny Black became the first stamp for the pre-payment of
the postage rate for sending a letter within Great Britain. It proved to be a popular concept and spurred
all other nations to eventually follow suit.
It also initiated what is probably the second oldest hobby in the world
after coins. But what was a hobby back
then became an investment vehicle over time, witness the current value of that
British Penny Black which rose from a 1 cent cost to a price as high as $
11,000 today. Is this price
appreciation an exception? By no means.
Currently there are
over 1,100 stamps costing $54 million with individual prices over $11,000. Stamps that cost pennies when issued. And this is only stamps that were never
postally used. That used stamp universe
is almost as large with over 700 stamps with an aggregate value of $51
million. In fact, looking at the
universe of investment grade stamps, StampFinder tracks some 60,000 different
stamps with an aggregate value of $148 million.
So, if you thought postage stamps was just a hobby, think again. It is a bifurcated market with millions of
hobbyists buying some 1 million different common variety stamps and a secondary
market of 25,000 different stamps worth billions of dollars purchased by
wealthy individuals with a variety of investment needs. The focus of StampFinder is to help this
secondary market of investment buyers identify and buy stamps that meet a
variety of investment needs. It is also
our objective to inform a larger audience of wealthy individuals who are
unfamiliar with the stamp market as to what investment objectives this market
can serve best. So, let get started.
The following is a brief explanation of why someone may want
to consider an investment in investment grade stamps:
1.
Stamps are a safe-haven asset. With a 180 year history of trading, stamps
are the oldest universal alternative asset market. While the collector stamp market has been in
decline because of demographics, the investment grade market continues an
almost unbroken appreciation trend.
2.
Stamps are very portable. There is no other tangible asset which offers
the portability and anonymity of stamps.
In many countries it represents an underground currency whose value is
not readily apparent nor subject to contraband laws.
3.
Stamp purchases and sales are confidential. Governments view stamps as one of dozens of
hobby activities. Therefore, they
require no special disclosure of stamp trading activity.
4.
The stamp market is worldwide. The Internet has expanded the stamp market to
all corners of the earth. Because of
their small size and weight stamps pass through the postal system anonymously
so, buyers and sellers are often worlds apart.
5.
Stamps have growth potential. You may be content with using stamps as an
asset diversification simply to preserve what you already have. However, the current stamp market for
investment grade stamps is made attractive by the fact that four collectors are
dying for every new one, so the availability of quality material has never been
better.
If you find one of the above purposes serves your investment
needs, contact us about your needs and how we can help you fill them.