How to Find and Buy Items

There are many ways to search the StampStore listings. We've designed the site so that specialists can search for items relevant to their specific wants, while collectors who want to look at many stamps can use broad search options to view the listings in a logical, orderly manner.

Just remember, in order to buy on StampStore you must be an APS member. If you are not an APS member and wish to join and use StampStore, Click Here.

For expertizing information click here.

Search Stamps: Search Stamps offers those looking for very specific items various search paths.

1. Country Only: Allows one to view ALL the listings for a specific country or geographic region, like "Latin America."
2. Stamp Type Only: Allows one to search on specific terms derived from the Scott Catalog listings and several other types of items based upon criteria listed on the StampStore submittal forms.
   Select "Air Mails" and a list of ALL Air Mail stamps is returned.
   Select "Revenues" and a list of ALL revenue stamps is returned, etc.
   Select "Postal History" or "Cinderellas" and a list of all items submitted under these listing criteria will be returned, etc.
3. Keyword Only: Allows simple word searches on item descriptions. Useful for searches based upon a topic, like "Fish." Search for covers from a specific place, like "San Francisco" or for types of stamps like "Coil," or "Specimen" or "Omnibus."
4. Country and Scott Catalog Number: Allows one to pick a country and begin the output at, or close to, a specific catalog number. If you collect GB Machin Heads you could begin your search with the first of these issues by searching for country of "Great Britain" and Scott Catalog number "494."
5. Country and Stamp Type: Allows one to limit a search to a country and a stamp type. Useful if you just collect Italy Revenues or United States Air Mails, etc. Or, United States Plate Blocks or Germany Postal History.
6. Country and Keyword: This allows a combination search of a simple keyword within the listing descriptions for a single country or geographic region, like "United States" and "Precancel," or "Japan" and "Mihon."
7. Stamp Type and Keyword: Allows one to combine a stamp type and a keyword. Like "First Day Cover" and "Flowers," or "Cinderellas" and "APS."
8. Country, Stamp Type and Keyword: Allows very targeted searches like: "United States," "Revenues" and "Printed Cancel," or "Germany," "Postal History" and "Cologne."
9. Stamp ID Number: Allow one to find a specific item by its unique identification number.

Further Search Refinements: After selecting a search type and entering appropriate parameters for it, you will be prompted to, if desired, further refine your search by limiting your search in several other ways, like: Unused or Used Only; and / or Specific Date Ranges; and finally ordering the search display in a number of ways. Try displaying your favorite search by "Reduced Price Items First!"

Browse Stamps: If you would like to Browse the StampStore in a more general manner, click here.

When you find an item of interest and you decide that you wish to purchase that item, click on the "Add to Cart" button. If you are not logged in you will be prompted at this time to login and the item will be added to your cart.

Adding Items to Your Cart: You can add items for four (4) full days, from the time the first item is added, to your cart. An automated email is sent to you prior to the cart closing indicating that if you do not finalize the order the items will be returned to inventory.

When you are finished with all your shopping, click on "Shopping Cart" at which time you will be asked to login -- if you have not already done so. You then click on "Check Out" and you will be directed to a screen which gives you payment options. Make your choice and click on "Next". The next screen then asks credit card information (if paying by credit card), where the item is to be shipped, and how you wish the order to be sent. To view shipping fees click here.

When you receive the item, and you are not satisfied with your purchase, you are given a 30 day money-back guarantee. This 30 day period begins from the date the order is shipped to you. If a return is received after the 30 day period, refunds cannot be honored.

Order Fulfillment: All purchases, made by credit card, are normally shipped within three working days. Orders purchased by check will be shipped when the check is received. Orders held for a check payment will be returned to the StampStore.org inventory if the check has not been received in 10 days of purchase. To speed delivery we recommend payment by credit card -- our payment site is secure!

Shipping: Orders totaling $100 or more to U.S. addresses are shipped free. Standard shipping for orders under $100 is $4.95 which includes insurance. For orders totaling less than $50 and being shipped to U.S. addresses the buyer may opt out of insurance and pay only $1.95.

Orders totaling $200 are shipped free of charge to foreign destinations. Standard shipping for foreign orders is $12.95. On request foreign orders totaling less than $50 will be shipped to foreign addresses for $3.95 at the owner's risk.

All purchases from StampStore.org are shipped via the US Postal Service. The APS will determine the best mode of shipment, but orders will normally be sent First Class insured for $100 or by Priority Mail to U.S. addresses and by Registered Mail to all foreign addresses.

Insurance: There is a charge of 1% of the value of each order for insurance. This fee applies to all orders regardless of destination and protects the order against loss or damage. This insurance does not cover confiscation by a foreign government, see below.

Customs and Import Duties: When ordering from StampStore.org, the purchaser is considered the importer of record and must comply with all laws and regulations of the country to which the order is being sent. Shipping forms for all international shipments will show the total value of the order and will be identified as 'stamps for collectors'. The purchaser will be responsible for all applicable customs fees, import duties or any other fees levied on the order by the authorities at the receiving destination. Since customs policies vary widely from country to country, the purchaser should be familiar with local customs requirements. Contact the local customs office for further information.

The APS Guarantee: The American Philatelic Society stands behind every item sold in the StampStore.org. We try to screen all consignments and remove any item which is not genuine or accurately described. However, the volume of material received precludes a detailed inspection of each item. Therefore, you have thirty days after receiving any item purchased from StampStore.org to return material which is not as described for your money back.

Expertizing: You may request that an item purchased from StampStore.org be expertized before your purchase is final. In such cases, if the item is genuine, the cost of expertizing will be borne by the purchaser. The Society waives the postage, shipping and insurance charges normally required for an item submitted for expertizing, if the expertizing is requested before the item is shipped from StampStore.org.

The expertizing process usually takes 45 to 75 days. When an opinion is rendered, APS notifies the purchaser of the decision. If the item was not as described, the purchaser may request a refund of the purchase price and the expertizing fee. If payment had been by credit card, the refund will be issued to that account. If payment was by check, APS will issue the refund in the form of a check.

The above fees do not include return postage costs, a discretionary expense of the owner.