Where to Buy Stamps

Auctions, in the room or online, are where many of the better and rarer stamps change hands. They can offer material you will not find elsewhere, and sometimes at keen prices, but they suit the more experienced buyer. You need to judge condition yourself from the catalogue or viewing, understand the added buyer's premium, and bid to a sensible limit. Our guide to auction versus dealer explains how auctions work and where they fit.

For friendly, economical buying, local and national stamp societies, clubs and fairs are hard to beat. They are a fine source of more common material, a place to meet fellow collectors and learn, and often where collections first take shape. The Great Britain Philatelic Society and similar bodies, and the larger stamp fairs and exhibitions, are good places to start. Our guide to the GBPS gives one example of what a society offers.

Online marketplaces are convenient and offer enormous range, but they are variable, so buy with care. Favour established sellers with strong feedback, read descriptions and study images closely, and apply extra caution before assuming value, as our guide to spotting a fake or repaired stamp advises. For inexpensive and common stamps, marketplaces are a practical source; for valuable ones, the reassurance of an accredited dealer or established auction is usually worth more than a marketplace bargain.