Making a Good Investment

Fortunately, because of the combination of our expertise in knowing what makes a good investment-grade stamp and our stringent adherence to quality, the majority of our portfolios turn out to be excellent investments over time.

Since the market is driven by demand, we can never know exactly which stamps will perform best and in general, price increases are not linear but ‘jump’ in steps every 3-5 years or so (which is why we recommend a medium to long term portfolio holding); as with all investments, performance is never guaranteed, only indicated by historical precedent.

That said, there are certain items (often picked out by CEO, Mike Hall or Investment Director, Keith Heddle in the regular investment e-newsletter; you can sign up here) which stand out for their quality and likely investment performance. The rare

Classic stamps such as quality Penny Blacks, Tu’penny Blues and £5 Oranges always have a strong following and tend to perform well; similarly, rare historical documents like Henry VIII or Edward IV or Beethoven, or classic icons of the 20th Century such as Marylin Monroe, James Dean or Bruce Lee all have a history of increasing interest and price rises.

Here is a selection of the type of rare stamps that Stanley Gibbons offers for investment purposes. Look at how their prices (taken from Stanley Gibbons published catalogues) have risen in the last 10 years.

Image	Description	2001 SG Catalogue Value £	2006 SG Catalogue Value £	2011 SG Catalogue Value £	10 Year Growth %
	Great Britain SG2 1840 1d Black Superb mint example	£3,500	£6,000	£10,000	186%
	Great Britain SG5 1840 2d Blue Superb mint example	£6,500	£15,000	£32,000	392%
	Great Britain SG132 1882 £1 Brown Superb mint example	£40,000	£80,000	£140,000	250%
	Great Britain SG456a 1936 2½d Superb mint example (watch video)	£6,000	£9,000	£16,000	167%
	Great Britain SG1414a 1988 13p Christmas - error of value Superb unmounted mint example	£6,000	£7,000	£10,000	67%
Total		£62,000	£117,000	£208,000	235%

The 'King's Error'

Stanley Gibbons catalogue and magazine editor Hugh Jefferies discusses SG456a - the rare Prussian Blue error stamp.

If you’d like to talk to one of our Investment Portfolio Managers about building your own rare collectibles investment portfolio, call now on 0845 026 7170 (UK) or 00 44 1534 766 711  (Int) or email us on investment@stanleygibbons.com.

With our access to premium rare stamps and now also investment grade coins, you can have even greater opportunities for diversification.