Buying and selling stamps – Back in the early and mid-1970s, I was an avid stamp collector. In particular, I was partial to stamps from Canada and the U.S. For about three years, I spent my Sunday afternoons going to coin and stamp shows that took place in hotel ballrooms throughout Montreal, leading through the albums of multitude stamp dealers to see what I could add to my growing North American stamp collection.
Robert Cooperman was also attracted to the world of philately (the classic term for stamp collecting), when he first took up the hobby at the age of eight. Six years later, he turned his passion for stamps into a profession, when he became a bond fide stamp dealer. In 1975, Cooperman established City Stamp Montreal, a business that catered to long time stamp collectors who wanted to buy and sell rare and valuable stamps. And 45 years later, City Stamp Montreal has maintained their stellar reputation as a high end stamp dealer.
“I feel like it’s quite an accomplishment for my business — or any business — to be around for 45 years,” said Cooperman during a recent phone interview. “I have seen City Stamp through many different phases, whether it be inflation or other difficult times that have affected the world. But I have to give myself a pat on the back for being around for so long, especially owing to the fact that City Stamp was able to adapt to changing times.”
And one major adaptation that greatly affected City Stamp Montreal for the better happened eight years ago, when Cooperman was approached by Michael Rosenblatt, a young entrepreneur who specialized in online marketing, who strongly suggested that City Stamp follow the World Wide Web route (www.citystamp.ca). Since that fateful decision, City Stamp now has Platinum Seller status with eBay, and as a result of their tremendous online success, revamped their website in 2017.
“We now have a strong website, and it’s an important part of the business because it’s a major platform for us to sell high value stamps,” said Cooperman. “We’re also affiliated with Hip Stamp (www.hipstamp.com), a user friendly site for stamp collectors that covers 940 stores and has an inventory of over six million stamps, which offers a direct line to collectors, and people have really taken a liking to that.”
How much are stamps worth?
“With the recent corona virus pandemic, there have been a lot more people who have been on the sidelines for years that have just come back into the hobby, and with stamp dealers going online, it brings them into the present moment,” he added. “And stamp collectors are definitely thrilled that they have this hobby to keep them active during this time. They have more time and less responsibilities to devote more time to stamp collecting. As well, they are spending more money on stamps because they have a great appetite for it.”
Cooperman said that these days, stamp collectors are seeking out classic stamp issues from around the globe, especially those from Great Britain and British Commonwealth countries, as well as the U.S., because they either maintain their high value or go up in price. Another type of stamps that are sought after by collectors are the high grades of all sorts of stamps, because they are instantly able to sell them to dealers or fellow collectors.
Cooperman runs City Stamp Montreal with a staff of four (which includes three expert philatelists), who constantly buys and sells rare stamps of a high quality, as well as worldwide stamp collections, from a customer base from North America and around the world.
As well, City Stamp Montreal is well known for offering collectors higher premiums on what it purchases and sells for less than what competing stamp dealers offer. There is also free worldwide shipping, flexible payment terms and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. For more information, or to book an appointment, call 514-875-2596 or toll free at 1-800-615-2596, or by email at info@citystamp.ca.
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