Selling Stamps for Fun

So you think you'd like to start selling stamps on okay? I've been sellingfor about7 years and I've had a great time (mostly), and met a lot of nice people (mostly). I'd like to offer the following suggestions to make your selling experience both positive and profitable ( hopefully ). ;-)
1. Show your item(s) clearly. This is important! Do not, I repeat, do not use digital camera pictures ! They may be great for cuckoo clocks, jewelry etc. but are almost certain death for stamp sales. The reason being, theygenerally are too blurry, small or mis-colored. If you're a collector you'll already see where I'm heading. To the non-collector: collectors are concerned with a variety of factors when buying stamps. If they can't see clearly what they are bidding on they willgenerally not bid, or bid VERY low.If you're serious about selling stamps, invest in a flat-bed scanner. You don't need one with all the whistles and bells, just a plain scanner that will hold up to an 8 1/2 x 11 page. Scan individual items at at least 150% of size. Resolution - I generally use 300 to 400. Light intensity - experiment. The default setting may be too bright or too low. Try 2-3 passes with different intensities, then keep the best one. Why all this fuss about scans? I've given 1 reason already. Another is that there are "specialists" lurking out there, looking for scarce varieties. My favorite area for selling is classic Denmark 1851to about 1900. Due to the printing process used there are many design variations - a dent in a line, a small white spot within asolid area of the design, a slight thickening or thinning of a line etc. To the average collector these mean nothing, but to a specialist they are"gold". The beauty of it is, if you have large andclear scans, you don't have to know about the variety - the stamp sells itself. All it takes is at least 2 people who spot the variety ( trust me, they're looking for them ) andupgoes the price. Ready to buy that scanner now? ;-)
2. Write an HONESTand accuratedescription. If you're not already a collector ordealer, and thereforewithout stamp knowledge, you'd be better off not trying tosell stamps.The old "I don't know anything aboutstamps, but these werefrommy Uncles estate" or wherever,really won't cut it. Rightoff it smells like a scam. Identify the stamp by country andcatalog number. If you're using Scott's, Facit, Michel,whatever, indicate which one. Ex. Denmark: Sc# 79.Sweden: Fa 12e.Indicate whether it's unused or used. If unused, is it hinged or never hinged?Use standard abbreviations: NH-never hinged, LH-lightly hinged, no hinge remnant, HR-hinge remnant. OG-original gum. So if our Denmark stamp is in post-office fresh condition, it would read : Denmark: Sc# 79 NH OG. If it had been hinged repeatedly : Denmark: Sc# 79, OG HR. If it's been cancelled, call it used. Item specifics: If you can identify the stamp as geing from a specific printing or plate position, or if it has a collectable plate/printing flaw, say so. Give all the information you can. Condition: Do not say "see scan". If there are any faults, especially on the back, describe them. Is there a thin spot? Damaged or missing perforation tooth/teeth?Small tear or crease? Say so. You won't get top dollar, but the buyer knows what their getting, and you won't have to give a refund for an undescribed fault. Also,buyers will learn that they canbuy from you with confidence. 100% positive feed-back is a nice thing to have. Items or large lots sold "as is". Use this sparingly. If you've already described any defects in the stamp/large lot then say " sold as is ". Use it too often, however,and you'll get a reputation for selling junk, and when a bidder sees your name at the top of the page they'll click right out again without looking at the lot. I can think of at least 3 regular "as is"sellers that I will not waste my time with.
3. Return /refund policy: Very important.State the time limit and condition(s) under whicha buyer may return an item. My personal policy is 14 days for returns and a refund of the bid price plus the buyers postage both ways ( not fair to make them pay for mymistake )if I have mis-identified the item, or if it has a fault NOT described in the write-up or visible in the scan, usually a thin, creaseor repaired tearthat I didn't see. Request that if a buyer wants to return an item they must email you first so that you know it is geing.Since I often deal in specialized material I also grant an extension of timeifthe buyer wants to have the item expertised, but the buyer mustinform mewhen paying for the item. If the item is found to be not genuine I give a full refund of the bid price plus the buyers postage costs but NOT the cost of expertising.
4a. Have realistic shipping charges. I've seen a few sellers who offer damaged or cheap stampswith a $5 shipping charge. Don't get greedy. If you're shipping in a plain envelope with a recycled cereal box cardboard filler, $1-1.50 for US shipping is reasonable (which includes a little for the cost of shipping materials, time invested scanning the stamp, writing the sales page etc.) For foreign airmail- $1.50-2.00. If you offer insurance ( US only ) mention the price. The same goes for registered mail.If you're using special mailing items ( padded, cardboard, etc.) include that in your shipping costs along with postage, but mention that you ship inwhichever special container sobuyers know you're not inflating the price.
4b. Shipping methods: Most of my shipments go by regular 1st class mail or airmail. However, some countries have, shall we day, less than honest employees that supplement their ingee by stealing items ( including your stamp shipments ) from the mail. On my selling page I make it quite clear in 3 languages that the buyer has the option of regular ( cheap ) postage but onlyAT THEIR RISK, and no refund will be given for "lost"or non-delivered items. Indicate the actual cost for both domestic and foreign registered shipping on your selling page. For certain Very Unsafe countries I now require only registered shipping and refuse to ship to those countries unless the buyer pays for registered shipping. I might lose a few bids, but I don't have to pay a refund PLUS lose the stamps
5. Tell bidders how they can pay you. PayPal gets the lion's share for payments. It's fast, convenient and safe. The down-side is that they charge a basic fee plus percentage. However, you're guaranteed payment.Since the time that I originally wrote this guide okay changed their payment policy to ONLY on-line electronic payments, plus bidders on okay.ge ( the USsite ) are required to have a PayPal account. Besides PayPal,okaynow also give the option of selectingotherelectronic paymentservices, plus direct credit card payments from the buyer ( but you need special free software) or bank transfer ( expensive service charges for transatlantic transfers ). For gepleteand current information check okay's selling tutorial.
6. Have realistic start prices. Don't expect to get top dollar for gemon or damaged items. It ain't gonna happen.If you have a start price of, say, $5 for a $15 catalog price stamp, most likely the only thing you'll get is a bill fromokay for the listing fee, and no bidders. On the other hand,if you're offering a $100 catalog stamp in VF condition ( see the Guide on "Grading Stamps" )a start price of 10-15 % of catalog is reasonable. Serious collectors are attracted by top quality stamps. Again, all it takes is 2 or more serious bidders to send that final price up where you'd like to see itgo. Not quite through theroof but... ;-) Suggestion :dosomeresearch.Find a few sellers who have different shipping charges, different % start prices etc. and track them by "watch this lot" in My okay. See how well they do or don't do.
7. Plan your selling time to target the bidders. Meaning what, exactly? A lot of bidders wait until the final few minutes to bid. If the lot closes while they're at work, they can't bid. I've found that week-ends and eveningshave the largest number of available bidders. ( pretty obvious, eh? )Example: I sell Danish stamps. I've found that the largest numberof bidders are in Denmark ( obviously), the US, and Germany. Happily, Denmark and Germany are in the same time zone. Remember that start times in okay.ge ( USA )are Pacific time. So if I start a lot Saturday at 12 noon Pacific time, it will start at 3 pm in New York, and 9 pm in Denmark/Germany. Lots of available biddersdesperately trying to beat out the other biddersto make that last minute purchase, andputting in higher bids, hoping to not get out-bid.
8. Notify winning bidders of the total cost including postage as soon as possible after the sale.okay offers service in this area, or you can send your own email. I use the okay service - "send invoice" option on "Items I've Sold" on your "My okay" page. It's quick, convenient, lists all lots won by the bidder, allows you to adjust postage as needed, and has a space for a message to the buyer.
9. Ship the lots promptly after payment is received.The buyer wants their newpurchases as soon as possible, and appreciates fast service. When you ship, send an email acknowledging payment received and letting them knowwhen you will ship their purchase. I include a short hand-written thank-you note in English, German or (faulty) Danish with the lots. The personal touch counts. They see thatthey aremore thanjust another anonymous buyer, and might just begee regular bidders on your lots.I've received many nice return emails frombuyers in response to the foreign language notes, and have made several "philatelic" email- pals ( like pen-pals)in Europe and elsewhere.
10. If you have problems: non-paying bidder, lot not received by bidder, etc. Try to settle any problems through okay. Read the "Frequently asked questions" and the specific articles about your particular problem. They've heard it all many times and have good answers.
11. Have fun. You probably won't get rich, but you can sure meet a lot of interesting people, most of them nice ( there's always a few of the 'other' kind wherever you go) .
12. Check out one of my sales pages. I generally have some lots for sale on the week-ends during the cooler weather ( stamp collecting weather). They aren't fancy with backgrounds etc., and they're a little wordy. But I try to give all the information a perspective bidder would need regarding all the things listed above. So far it's worked for me. Do a search for ' fiddlerstrings '. If you have any questions ( that I can answer ) feel free to contact me through okay.