Selling
How to Sell Stamps at Auction
To sell stamps at auction, choose a reputable specialist stamp auction, send or take in your stamps for assessment, and agree how they will be described, estimated and grouped into lots, along with any reserves. The auction charges the seller a commission, deducted from the proceeds. After the sale, you receive the hammer prices less commission. Auction is the best route for rare and valuable stamps, where collectors compete to buy.
At a glance
When auction is the right choice
Auction is not for everything, but for the right material it is the best route there is. Genuinely rare and valuable stamps do best at a specialist auction, because competition between collectors finds the true price, more than any single dealer can offer.
Common and moderate material, by contrast, may not justify the fees and the wait, and is often better sold to a dealer or directly. An honest adviser will tell you frankly which group your stamps fall into; our guide to auction versus dealer weighs it up, and our free valuation gives you that honest steer.
How selling at auction works, step by step
Choose a specialist auction
Pick a reputable auction house that specialises in stamps and handles material like yours. Specialism matters: the right collectors must be watching.
Submit your stamps
Send or take in your stamps for the auctioneer to assess. They will advise what is saleable and how best to present it.
Agree the lotting and estimates
The auctioneer groups stamps into lots and sets estimates. Better single stamps may be sold individually; lesser material in groups.
Set any reserves
You can agree a reserve, a confidential minimum, for valuable lots, so they will not sell below a sensible figure.
The sale
Your lots are catalogued and offered to bidders in the room, by telephone and online. Collectors compete, and the highest bid wins.
Settlement
After the sale, you receive the hammer prices, less the seller's commission and any agreed charges, usually within a set period.
The costs of selling at auction
Selling at auction has costs, which you weigh against the prices it can reach. The main one is the seller's commission, a percentage of the hammer price deducted from your proceeds, and there may be smaller charges, for example for lotting, illustration or unsold lots. These vary between houses, so ask for the full schedule before consigning. For valuable material, the competition an auction generates usually more than covers its fees; for common material, it often does not, which is why route matters.
Getting the best from an auction sale
Specialism, honesty, patience
A few things help an auction sale go well. Choose an auction that genuinely specialises in your kind of material, so the right collectors are watching. Present your stamps honestly and let the auctioneer describe them accurately, since trust draws bidders. Set estimates and reserves sensibly, neither so high that lots go unsold nor so low that you give value away, on the auctioneer's advice. And be patient: the auction calendar and settlement take time, but for the right stamps the result rewards the wait. Our guide to how to get the best price covers the principles across all routes.
Frequently asked questions
Choose a reputable specialist stamp auction, submit your stamps for assessment, agree how they are described, estimated, lotted and reserved, and after the sale receive the hammer prices less the seller's commission.
The main cost is the seller's commission, a percentage of the hammer price, with possible smaller charges for lotting, illustration or unsold lots. These vary by house, so ask for the full schedule.
Auction suits rare and valuable stamps, where collectors compete. Common and moderate material is often better sold to a dealer or directly, since auction fees and waiting can outweigh the gain.
A confidential minimum price you can set for a lot, so it will not sell below a sensible figure. If bidding does not reach the reserve, the lot goes unsold.
Specialist sale, lots and reserves, commission
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Founder and stamp dealerLast updated June 2026