The Postal Service Guide to U.S. Stamps by States Postal Service United (2004, Paperback)

My first "stamp catalogue" was a Postal Service Guide. I have graduated to the more expensive Scott Catalogue, but I still consider these books to be an excellent value. It is a great reference for identifying US stamps. You will find color photos of all stamps by Scott number (including some varieties) with the year of issue and a brief description. The catalogue values quoted here are useful when comparing the relative value of one stamp issue to another, but they do represent "retail" prices and you cannot expect to sell your stamps on eBay for the prices shown in the book. If you can pick up a recent edition of The Postal Guide in good condition at a fair price, don't hesitate to do so.

GUIDE TO US STAMPS

This 2004 edition is the 31st edition as published by the Postal Service. They list prices for unused, used, plate block, and FDC for all issues. Each stamp also is depicted is a beautiful scan against a black background. Postal cards and envelopes are listed at the end. Also, there is an extensive index of the issues. Some stories of modern stamps are included.

The book is beautifully constructed using glossy pages , and that leads to its expense of $18.95 retail. The best features of this book are its compactness and its beauty. An ordinary US catalogue would have more information and is not much more expensive. Each year’s edition does not change much.
The USPS guide to US stamps would make a nice gift, but is introductory in nature and is not intended for the intermediate or advanced collector.

I ordered this book because I bought a lot of stamps at an Estate Sale and just had to know what kind of investment I had. I found all of my stamps in this book and now know the value of my great find. I have a store on Ebay called OHSOooooBlessed and I plan on selling several of these stamps, therefore I really needed to know the value of these stamps.