Stamps - An Investment to Enjoy - The GB30 Rarities Index

Mr Marco Kaster, investment director for Hong Kong and Asia at Stanley Gibbons, says there are five golden rules for such investments: rarity, the condition of the stamp, authenticity, liquidity and price. The ability to track long-term historic prices is invaluable to any collector and investor. The Stanley Gibbons GB30 Rarities Index is a collection of 30 desirable classic GB postage stamps, organised by Stanley Gibbons. The Penny Black as this site is about, is not a rare stamp, but still has a very significant presence in terms of historical value and recognition. Having said this, the GB30 index still offers a guide or appreciation in terms of stamp collecting and it has increased by 38.6% in the last year, with the best performing stamp increasing by 93.5% and the worst performer in the index increasing by 8.6%. The GB30 Rarities Index was launched in 2004 and backdated to 1998. For more information view: http://www.stanleygibbons.com/stanleygibbons/view/content/sg_invest_gb30

Such items are considered to be the most likely to show consistent returns over the medium to long term, as demand from collectors exceeds what, in many cases, is a very scarce supply. The best performing stamp currently on the index is the 1903 10d. dull purple & carmine official (SGO40) which has increased in value by 540% since 1998. The worst performing stamp currently on the index is the 1878 10s. greenish grey (Plate 1) (SG128) which has increased in value by 138.1% since 1998.
 

 

There is also a Stanley Gibbons SG100 Stamp Index that has has been designed to provide the definitive measure of overall market performance and helps to measure individual price increases. Stanley Gibbons believe that the index highlights the real prices being achieved, especially among the classic Great Britain and Commonwealth stamps. The index is based on retail and auction prices for the top 100 most frequently traded stamps in the world. It includes items from all major collecting areas, such as Great Britain, Commonwealth and many foreign countries, but does not specify any particular stamp. It has recorded a cumulative increase of 89.7% since its launch in 2000. Source: http://www.stanleygibbons.com/stanleygibbons/view/content/sg_invest_sg100

In addition to the GB30 and the SG100 Indices, the Stanley Gibbons Commonwealth Rarities Index records prices of 30 desirable classic postage stamps from the British Commonwealth, organised by Stanley Gibbons. The index has recorded a compound increase of 143% in the last 10 years, with the best performing stamp increasing by 336% in that time. The Commonwealth Rarities Index was launched in 2004 and backdated to 1998. It is similar to the Stanley Gibbons GB30 Rarities Index but it records the prices of 30 classic Commonwealth stamps that Stanley Gibbons Ltd recommends for investment. Launched in 2004 and backdated to 1998, the Commonwealth Raritites Index is the same as the GB Index, but records prices of 30 classic Commonwealth stamps that the company would recommend for investment. Source: http://www.stanleygibbons.com/stanleygibbons/view/content/sg_invest_cw_rarities