If you look through the Apfelbaum store, you will find stamps and covers sold in several different ways. The stamps that collectors want to fill their albums are sold as individual stamps or sets. Then there are specialty groups for more specialized philatelists in each area including covers and Proofs and multiples of individual stamps for collectors who enjoy looking for perforation varieties and cancellations. And finally, there are the collection lots that we offer for sale.
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Collection lots are sold by us in two main types-by country and as general collections. Country collection lots are collector made and often contain the vast majority of the stamps for any particular country. General collection lots are of more interest. Consider one that we currently have for sale:
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WONDERFUL FOUR CARTON COLLECTION- the bulk of the value and the collector’s interest being in his lifelong fifteen volume Scott International that he was constantly adding to and upgrading and which has wonderful British Commonwealth, China with many hundreds specialized, good Iceland with values to $500, wonderful Germany and Area, Italy & Area, Netherlands and Colonies, and much more. The International collection alone probably catalogs over $150,000 in the current Scott catalog. In addition, there are several Scott Specialty album collections of areas that the collector further specialized in- including a beautiful volume with a couple hundred German covers including Zusammendrucke covers, extensive WWII Occupation and Third Reich covers, Zeppelin flights, Berlin Luftbrucke covers, and much more, a highly complete mint Trieste collection in a pair of Joe Bush specialty albums, a volume of better German Area Postal stationery, an excellent Japan collection of a couple thousand different mostly mint in a clean Scott specialty album, an excellent Scandinavia collection with many better in a clean Scott specialty album, Netherlands and Colonies in a clean Scott specialty volume, and a wonderful highly complete Canada and BNA collection in a Scott album that catalogs over $14,000 by itself and contains many better stamps. This is an excellent opportunity to acquire an untouched and valuable collection.
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Lots of this type offer collectors and dealers a wonderful opportunity to essentially move through the collector’s philatelic life and merge these collections with their own collection or stock. Apfelbaum buys scores of collections each month. Many we break down into individual singles and then country collections or dealer stocks. But sometimes, when a collection has great specialty appeal, shows considerable philatelic knowledge in its formation, and looks like it would afford a new buyer great joy in breakup, we leave the lot intact. Buyers of these lots should expect great value and breakup potential, usually with the stamp portion of the lot coming in at less than 10% of catalog when the collection is worked out. And, in addition, buyers can expect great specialist appeal in the numerous stamps and covers that a serious philatelist acquires over a lifetime and never gets to research or place in albums. Many of our buyers find these types of lots the most interesting to buy, and for sellers on eBay or at stamp shows, these lots are a fount of profit.