Old Postage Stamps?

[fatenoir]

My friend has a bunch of old postage stamps - first day collections etc from his mum

Comments

[bloodofareptile]

My husband swears to me that they are actually just 1st Class indefinitely. He's always going on about how stamps can be an "investment", which I think is very silly indeed - how many stamps would you need to buy before you saw a return on it???

[bopeepsheep]

If they're first day collections, don't use them. They're (eventually) worth more in mint condition than they are used. You'd only be saving pennies by using them.

It is, however, 1st class forever [or until further notice, anyway] so you can use a 1998 1st class stamp in 2008 quite happily.

[undyingking]

Mm, check 'em out on eBay, they might be worth a bob or two already.

[ext_72852]

yup. if it says first class it's first class for ever. http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content1?mediaId=52300718&catId=600025#46800275

[fredtheavenger]

As others have said, first means first: but if they're old, they may be worth more than their postage value. I remember wondering what all the fuss was about when the 'forever' stamp came out in the US: it's been normal here for longer than I can remember.

Stamps which say 1st or 2nd rather than a price in pence are known as NVI (Non-Value Indicator) by collectors and trade.

If by "first day collections", you mean "first day covers", you can't use these, as they have been used already: it's a stamp postmarked on the day of issue.

[fyremoon]

As far as the post office is concerned, any post decimal stamps are legal tender (including the half penny stamps) and 1st class stamps are only for letter post (an excess is charged on large letter of 6p right now with a 1 pound handling charge)

However, to a philatelist (stamp collector) the value of a stamp as a collectors item is generally worth far more than the face value, especially if the stamp has flaws in it (such as overprinting, adhesive with perforations, or even the wrong colours)