Historical Data
While there are long term records of retail stamp prices, the first catalogue being prepared in 1862, there is little objective historical data about the past performance of stamps as investments. No long term indices like the Dow Jones or FTSE Index exist, although some figures have started to be compiled by Stanley Gibbons and Stamp Magazine in the UK.
Since 2002, Stanley Gibbons have compiled a SG100 Stamp Index based on retail and auction prices for the "top 100 most frequently traded stamps" in the world. This index now appears on the Bloomberg website. In 2004 they also launched an index of 30 rare British stamps. According to Stanley Gibbons, rare stamps have averaged an annual compound return of 10 per cent over the past 50 years, however, it is important to remember that this figure has been calculated using backtesting as stamp price indexes are a recent innovation. In addition, the prices in the indexes are based in part on Stanley Gibbon's own retail price lists.
Stamp catalogue prices are not considered reliable as they are nothing more than estimates at the top end and represent a retail selling price at the bottom end of the market. Auction realisations may be more reliable but are difficult to use as the investor has to personally analyse the realisations from many auctions over a long period of time in order to come to any useful conclusions. While most trading in shares is on a recognised stock exchange and takes place transparently in public, that is not the case with stamps where only auction transactions take place in public view.
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