Postage stamps for charity

[StePickford]

Apologies if this subject has been discussed here before.. I'm kinda new....

I regularly see requests to cut out and keep the used postage stamps from letters "for charity". I recall reading about some fake campaigns, where unwitting organisations ended up with piles of useless postage stamps and didn't know what to do with them.

My question is, how do used postage stamps generate money for the charities that collect them? Who pays for them?

The only value I can imagine is in selling them to stamp collectors in different countries, but this seems unlikely to be much of a money spinner. Does anybody know more?

Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

I think that you're right. All the people I've talked to so far (including the old lay who works at my local post office) say that the money is raised by selling the stamps.

I don't think serious collectors would be interested, but some companies issue "starter packs" for new collectors with a bag full of stamps to get you started. I think the stamps are put in these packs for the benefit of keen foreign children.

I remeber when I was little I got a pack with thousands of identical Hungarian stamps in it.

 

[StePickford]

The cash generated for the charity by each stamp collected (minus the admin costs for the operation, shipping costs, profit for the stamp selling company etc) must be absolutely infinitesimal. Surely it can't be worth the effort.

 

[Anonymous]

From what I understand, the stamps are first looked at by stamp specialists who weed out any valuable ones (like you're going to throw that tiresome old Penny Black away!), so I suppose the chance of finding a valuable one may justify the collection of millions of useless ones, but you're right it doesn't make financial sense.

 

[Anonymous]

Perhaps the DNA from the saliva residues are 'filed' for future reference.
I'm sure someone would pay a lot to do that.
Black Project, anyone?

:monster:

 

[Anonymous]

Well, I collect used stamps for charity. Every few months, I see an appeal for used stamps, from some charity or other in the local paper, and bung them what I have (quite a lot usually). I always get a thank-you note back, so they are definately bringing in revenue somehow.

 

[DerekH16]

The Blue Peter Appeal asked for used postage stamps one year, and bought an entire fleet of Land Rovers (or was that the milk bottle tops?)