Question regarding selling stamps

[gahutc-73]

Can someone please tell me (please note that I have just created this account as a posting ID, it's not my "real" account) if it is legal to sell stamps on Ebay and also if I would look like a scammer selling fakes.

I ask this because of the following factors :-  on my "real" account I have less than ten feedback and none are for selling, I have approximately £400 of 1st class stamps to sell which may look strange. 

If I were to list them, I would not be able to explain where I got them from as members of the Spectos, mailagents panel are NOT allowed to reveal their identity and if I were to sell any, the buyer (I'm guessing) would have my real name, address and telephone no. 

I can't sell these on Facebook market place either for the same reasons as I've outlined here. Meanwhile because stamps are given every month (as well as points for vouchers) I'm just going to get more and more of them and they are of no value to me because I never post anything. 

I would list them at less than half the face value as I really only want to get something for them rather than have them just sitting in a drawer.

In case anyone thinks that I am "dodgy" please Google "Spectos Mailagents" I've been on the panel for a long time which is why I have so many stamps.

Thank you.

[ile136yz]

Have a look at eBay's Stamps Policy Guidelines

[gahutc-73]

I didn't know that they had guidelines for selling stamps, I will have a look. Thank you.

[*vyolla* · Accepted solution]

Given that there's recently been a big media announcement about fake stamps being bought from a popular online selling platform and a recommendation that they should only purchased from a Post Office, I can't see much of a buyers market here, to be honest.

[myriad*seller]

As far as I know, you can use stamps to pay bills over the counter in a post office 

So you could use them to pay your council tax bill 

[4_bathrooms]

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@myriad*seller wrote:

As far as I know, you can use stamps to pay bills over the counter in a post office 

 I'm pretty sure that's an urban myth that is loosely rooted in fact from when perfins were around.

[rjwilmsi]

You can certainly sell genuine Royal Mail stamps on eBay. However, as you explain that you can't reveal where the stamps came from, that might be an issue for selling on eBay.

[gahutc-73]

I haven't heard anything about that but as that's the case then sadly I'm sure that you are right. Thank you for your reply.

[gahutc-73]

I don't use the post office to pay bills, I didn't even know that you could still pay bills in a post office. I pay my council tax and other bills by direct debit. Thank you for your reply.

[*vyolla*]

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@gahutc-73 wrote:

I haven't heard anything about that but as that's the case then sadly I'm sure that you are right. Thank you for your reply.

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It's pretty recent, just Google 'fake stamps'.

[gahutc-73]

Looks as though it's not worth bothering then as you have confirmed what I suspected. Its really frustrating but I can certainly understand it from a buyers perspective. Thank you for your help.

[barry.110]

If you can't sell them on here, or at least it being unavisable to, haven't you got any family or friends who would take them off your hands for a reduced price, after all they probably could be told why you have them. If not, and if you want to be really generous, isn't there a small local charity near you that would be gratefull for a donation of stamps to help offset their costs?

[greetingcards]

Try philatelink, they buy in genuine 1st class stamps.

[gt_preloved]

Yes - you can sell stamps on eBay as long as they adhere to the Stamps Policy here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/stamps-policy?id=5043 which basically sells you can sell legitimate stamps.

Why don't you list them and see what happens? You don't have to provide any explanation to a potential buyer as to where they came from. Buyers are protected by eBay's money back guarantee, so should be able to buy stamps confidently and would be able to return for a full refund if they were fake. 

[4_bathrooms]

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@gt_preloved wrote:

Why don't you list them and see what happens?

Buyers are protected by eBay's money back guarantee, so should be able to buy stamps confidently and would be able to return for a full refund if they were fake. 

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The risk being a seller of counterfeit stamps could buy them using a "buying" account, claim the stamps the OP sent are counterfeit then switch the OP's genuine stamps for their own (worthless) counterfeits. I realise every transaction carries a risk but in this case I'd advise the OP to sell them to a recognised dealer as suggested by @greetingcards; I just think the risk of being scammed would be much higher than usual in this case. 

This BBC article shows just how difficult it is to tell the genuine article from a counterfeit. The OP would probably have no way of knowing whether the returned stamps were theirs or not unless they tried to use them.

[tommystrezures]

@greetingcards  Makes a very good suggestion, David Waldie is one of the leading buyers of postage stamps, for this purpose and was on TV earlier this year talking about the very matter. He is also a member of the PTS (philatelic Traders Society), as I am too, but buying these sorts of stamps is not my thing.

I am assuming the stamps the OP has are either 1st or 2nd barcoded stamps, Philatelinks current buying prices are from memory about 60% for first class and I think about 67 0r 68% on second class stamps., but that may depend on the value of stamps being offered. Their email address is sales@philatelink.co.uk

They are based up in the Scottish Borders.

[jere-nott]

I do not know what kind of stamps you have but the rule is -Machin stamps (QEII Head) no bar code and Machins with a monetery value ie other than 1st or 2nd are no longer valid for postage.

Commeroative and Christmas stamps ie stamps with a pictuure are still valid for postage, If you have 400 of these then they have a face value of £540. Most dealers would by these for about £300 and use them for postage,

I am selling my own personal QV stamp collection of about 50,000 stamps and I would be happy to buy 400 valid for postage stamps to save on postage. 

In addition, QEII and CHIII fake stamps with bar codes are easy to spot. The perforations and the colour are all wrong and the security oval is eliptical. A lot of these stamps  come from Taiwan and China.

All honsert sellers would describe these stamps as NOT FOR POSTAGE collection only.

Hope this helps,

Jem

[jere-nott]

Addition to my last post. Sorry I misread your original post I read it as 400 stamps not £400 face value. My mistake. If they are genuine and valid for postage I would happily pay £175 for them. If they look dodgy as you said then put them in the bin.

[jere-nott]

That is incorrect and complete nonsense You cannot pay any utility bills or any other bills with valid postage stamps. That was stopped in 1960 or thereabouts

[jere-nott]

That is correct it is a myth and Perfins were used by Companies to identify where they came from and to discourage theft by employees.