What Information Does an Appraiser Need?

Published 2026-11-08

The honest answer to what information does an appraiser need is less dramatic than most people expect: country, catalogue number if you have one, a note on condition, and a clear photograph of both sides of the stamp. Everything else just narrows the number down — it doesn't create it.

What follows breaks that list into the pieces that actually matter, because most of the frustration people run into with appraisals comes from sending too little of the right thing, or a great deal of the wrong thing.

What does an appraiser actually need to see?

An appraiser is working from evidence, not memory, so they need either the stamp in hand or a photograph good enough to stand in for it. From that, they are trying to establish two separate things: what the stamp is, and what condition it's in. Identification and condition both come from looking closely at the object itself, not from a verbal description of it.

In practice, the useful information falls into a short list:

• Country of issue and approximate year, if you know it
• Catalogue number, if you've already looked one up
• Denomination and color printed on the stamp
• Whether it's mint or used, and what the gum or cancel looks like
• Any visible faults — creases, thins, tears, toning
• How many items you're asking about: one stamp, a handful, or a full album
• Where the stamp came from and how long it's been in the family
• Why you're asking — selling, insuring, settling an estate, or just curious

Few people arrive with all eight. That's fine. But the more of this you can answer before you contact someone, the less back-and-forth it takes to get a usable figure.

Why does the appraiser ask what the appraisal is for?

Because the purpose changes the number. A stamp's fair market value — what a willing buyer would actually pay a willing seller — is not the same figure used to set a homeowner's policy rider, and it is not the same figure required for a probate filing. An appraiser who doesn't know which one you need may give you a figure that's technically correct and practically useless.

If the stamps are being insured, the relevant number is a replacement cost, which can run higher than a quick sale would bring — that distinction is covered in more detail in the piece on stamp collection insurance value. If the stamps are part of an estate, the figure usually has to meet a specific standard tied to the date of death, which is its own process described in the article on stamp collection value for estate tax. Say which situation you're in before you ask for a number, and you'll get a more useful answer.

What identification details make the biggest difference?

Many stamps that look identical to the eye differ in catalogue terms, and that difference is often where the value sits. Perforation gauge, watermark, paper type, and shade can all separate a common printing from a scarce one of the same design. Different countries also use different catalogue systems — Scott in the United States, Stanley Gibbons in Britain, Michel in Germany, Yvert & Tellier in France — so telling an appraiser which catalogue you've been looking at, if any, saves confusion over which number you mean.

You don't need to work any of this out yourself before asking for help. A sharp photograph, the country, and a rough date are usually enough for someone experienced to find the rest.

What should you say about condition?

Condition is the single factor an appraiser can't skip past, and it's also the one people describe least accurately on their own. Be specific rather than complimentary. Instead of "excellent condition," note whether the design sits centered within the perforations, whether the gum is original and undisturbed or shows a hinge mark, and whether the cancel is light and legible or a heavy smudge across the design. The full breakdown of what each of these means for value is in the stamp condition and grading guide.

If you suspect a repair — a filled thin, a reperforated edge, fresh gum applied over an old hinge mark — say so rather than leaving it for the appraiser to discover. Disclosed problems are priced in calmly. Undiscovered ones found later cost you credibility on every other item in the lot. The signs to check for are covered in the guide on how to tell if a stamp has been repaired.

Do you need to send photos, and how good do they need to be?

Yes, and the quality of the photo matters more than most people assume. A blurry snapshot taken at an angle, with glare across the surface, tells an appraiser almost nothing. What they need is the front and back, both flat, both in focus, in even light with no flash glare, close enough that perforations and any damage are visible without being so close that the whole stamp doesn't fit in frame. A guide on getting this right, including how to catch creases under raking light, is in the article on how to photograph stamps for sale — the same techniques apply whether you're listing a stamp or just trying to get an honest appraisal of it.

What paperwork or history should you include?

Provenance rarely changes a stamp's identity, but it can matter a great deal for the handful of items where authenticity is in question. If a stamp has ever been examined by a recognized body — the Philatelic Foundation or the American Philatelic Society's APEX service in the United States, the BPP in Germany, or one of the French bodies such as the CNEP or the Chambre syndicale française des négociants et experts en philatélie — include that certificate. It settles a question the appraiser would otherwise have to raise themselves, and it matters most for the kinds of items that attract forgeries: an Inverted Jenny, a Z Grill, a Plate 77 Penny Red, or classic French issues like the Cérès, Sage, or early Semeuse and Marianne designs.

Family history is worth mentioning too, even informally — who collected it, roughly when, and whether it sat in an album or loose in a drawer. It won't move the price, but it often helps explain the condition you're looking at.

Should you send one stamp or the whole collection?

Tell the appraiser the actual scope of what you have. A single suspected rarity is handled differently from a shoebox of mixed material, and an appraiser who thinks they're looking at one item will give you advice that doesn't transfer to a full album. If you're starting from an inherited box with no idea what's in it, the approach to sorting and triaging that volume is laid out in what are my stamps worth, and it's worth reading before you send anything anywhere.

Some appraisal routes charge a modest flat fee for a quick in-person look — a local club valuation day, for instance, might post a nominal charge such as £5 at the door — while others work from photos sent by mail or online at no cost for a first opinion. Either way, arriving with identification, condition notes, and a clear reason for asking is what gets you a number worth trusting, rather than a vague estimate that has to be redone later.

Common questions

What is the single most useful thing I can give an appraiser?

A clear, well-lit photograph of the front and back of the stamp, taken flat and in focus. Identification and condition both come from looking at the object, and a sharp photo lets an appraiser do nearly everything they could do holding it, short of checking the gum by feel.

Do I need to know the catalogue number before contacting an appraiser?

No, but it helps if you already have a guess from Scott, Michel, Stanley Gibbons, or Yvert & Tellier. If you don't, a good appraiser can usually identify the stamp from a clear photo and the country and approximate date, then find the catalogue number themselves.

Why does an appraiser ask what the appraisal is for?

Fair market value, insurance replacement value, and estate valuation are three different numbers for the same stamp, calculated differently. Telling the appraiser the purpose up front saves a round of questions and gets you a figure that actually matches what you need it for.

Should I send one stamp or describe the whole collection?

Tell the appraiser the scope honestly: a single item, a few suspected highlights, or an entire album or box. The approach differs for each, and an appraiser who thinks they are looking at one stamp will give advice that doesn't apply to a full collection.

Do I need a certificate before getting an appraisal?

Not for an initial estimate. A certificate from a body such as the Philatelic Foundation, the APS's APEX service, or Germany's BPP becomes relevant only once a stamp looks genuinely scarce and you're deciding whether to sell or insure it.