I am both a stamp collector and stamp dealer. As a collector, I get the occasional post cards from other dealers who are on buying trips through my area. Please contact them if I have something to sell.

To reduce expenses, dealers will send out these notices and hopefully review and buy several collections in one trip.

What kinds of material are they looking for?

First of all, it has to be material they are interested in. If it’s a US dealer and you want to sell your collection of Germany, they probably aren’t interested in seeing you. If you have material they are potentially interested in, you’re going to be asked some questions when you contact them. Such as, “What is the catalog value of your collection? Is it mint or used? What range of Scott numbers? Do you have the Graf Zeppelins?” Things like that. In short, the dealer is trying to determine if you have only low value material or if you have better items too.

If it’s a collection of low value material, the dealer is probably going to pass. The dealer isn’t going to travel a half hour or more out of his way to review a collection that is worth a few hundred dollars or less. There is just too much time involved.

If the dealer is already in your town reviewing another collection that is valuable, they may be willing to swing by and see you if you’re in the neighborhood. A few minutes to swing buy and review a small collection – maybe.

Or what the dealer might do is “set up shop” at a local hotel for a day or two. If you, and scores of other sellers want to drop by the conference room he has reserved at the hotel and bring your material along, sure, he may spend a few minutes with you to see what you have.

A buying trip isn’t going to be spent reviewing dozens and dozens of low value collections. The dealer is hoping to buy several higher value collections. Don’t be upset if the dealer doesn’t come to see your collection of used US stamps from 1950 to date or the dozens of mint sheets that you bought from the post office in the 1970s when you were a young collector.

The dealer may pass on meeting you. Or he may ask you to bring your material to the local hotel instead.