Frequently Asked Questions

Browse the shop, add the stamps you want to your basket, and check out securely on our website. Every order is dispatched within one working day. See why buy from us for the full picture.

Yes. We are an accredited dealer, every stamp is described accurately and shown front and back in high resolution, your order is packed stamp-safe, and you are covered by a 90-day returns guarantee.

Yes. We are members of the PTS, the IPDA and the GBPS. You can read what each accreditation means on our accreditations page.

Of course. A real, knowledgeable dealer answers, so if you have a question about any stamp or listing, just contact us.

Payment is taken securely through our website at checkout.

We grade to Stanley Gibbons' standard terminology and photograph every stamp front and back in high resolution, so you can judge condition for yourself. See our quality and grading standards.

No. Centring is a matter of opinion, so instead of grading it we show clear front-and-back images and let you judge. We add a note only to disclose something the images cannot show.

Yes, always. Every fault, repair or instance of regumming is disclosed on the listing.

Yes. A forgery is never knowingly sold as genuine, and for high-value stamps we obtain or rely on a certificate from a recognised expert.

They describe the gum on a mint stamp. MNH is never hinged, MVLH has the faintest hinge trace, and MH has a more visible hinge mark. See our guides to MNH and MVLH.

CTO means cancelled to order: cancelled in bulk rather than used in the post, and usually worth less than postally used. Much bright packet material is CTO. See our guide to CTO.

Standard UK postage is free, by Royal Mail 2nd Class. High-value items are sent tracked, and larger or bulkier items are charged at cost, shown at checkout. International postage varies by destination. See delivery and dispatch.

Every order is dispatched within one working day of payment. Orders placed over a weekend or public holiday are sent the next working day.

High-value orders are sent on a tracked service. International orders are sent standard, with tracking available on request.

Every order, whatever its value, is packed the same careful way: a glassine packet and stockcard, a card insert, a waterproof bag, and a double board-backed envelope. See how we protect your stamps.

Yes, to most of the world. A few regions are currently excluded for security reasons. See international shipping.

Yes. You can return any stamp within 90 days of receiving it, for any reason. See our returns policy.

We refund you in full and cover the cost of returning it, wherever you are. It is the promise behind our grading standards and our IPDA membership.

We will refund you or send a replacement, whichever you prefer, and if the original later arrives you are welcome to keep it.

Sometimes. We buy only when we can offer a price that is genuinely fair to you, and we will tell you honestly when an auction would serve you better than we can. Contact us to discuss what you have.

Value depends on the stamp, its condition, and genuine scarcity, not just catalogue figures. We are glad to advise, so you are welcome to contact us about what you have.

It depends on what you have. A dealer is quick and certain, while an auction can reach more for scarce material. We will give you an honest view for your situation.

Daniel Ardley, an accredited full-time dealer who has been collecting since the age of nine and selling since 2003. Read more on the meet the expert page.

We are an online dealership based near Ely, with no public premises.

By email at daniel@blackheathstamps.co.uk, by phone on 07492 078183, or using the form on our contact page. We aim to reply within one working day.