Check your attic for valuable stamps, postcards or letters

That’s according to stamp collector and postal history expert Stephen Osborne, who has made a living out of his passion, and is keen to help others make the most of potentially valuable collections.

Mr Osborne runs a monthly surgery in Arundel where people can bring in their collections to be valued or sold.

But how did his passion for stamp collecting begin?

“I have been a collector since I was five years old,” he said. “My father gave me his stamp collection to keep me quiet as I was an only child. I was pleased to receive the collection. I had a great deal of fun with it. It was quite clear to me that I wanted to make a go of this as a career.

“I was educated at Brighton and then Lancing. I was buying and selling stamps to some of the teachers. That inspired me to make a go of it.”

Mr Osborne left school early and began working in London, first from St Martins Lane in 1968, and then in his own shop in Charring Cross Road.

“But being so tied to a shop was not what I wanted as I wanted to see the world. I decided to facilitate this by buying and selling stamps.

“I started going to Germany, Scandinavia, America, buying and selling stamps and postal history.

“There was also an opportunity for me to buy coins. I am very comfortable with British coins. My knowledge with stamps is world wide.”

With more than 50 years in the business, Mr Osborne said the largest stamp and postal history lot he ever purchased was in 1987 from HE Harris Inc in Boston, then the worlds largest stamp firm; it was made up of 180 filing cabinets. He’s also made a number of other valuable purchases over the years.

But for Mr Osborne, stamp collecting isn’t just a job, it’s a passion.

“I can almost tell a person’s life story through a collection or accumulation. We can work out where they were stationed during World War Two or other wars, we can work out where their favourite areas were. You can tell if a person had an organised mind or a chaotic one or both!

“A good stamp collection including postal history integrated in the postal collection is like a painting.

“You have the palette which is the stamps, but how you apply the stamps to the collection is very much your own work and research. You can have the same stamps placed on the table and then the same again but written up and researched in albums and the lot in the collection is worth twice the stamps on the table.”

Mr Osborne is particularly interested in 19th century or early 20th century postal history, especially those from exotic locations or with links to the British colonies.

“This can add a great deal of value,” Mr Osborne said. “And the contents of the correspondence, it can change current interpretations of history.”

He said unearthed letters could turn history on its head when ‘the contents say something quite different’ to the narrative we’ve learned.

“World War Two Feldpost correspondence would be of great interest as it would reveal what life was like for German soldiers in the occupying territories. And Boer War correspondence can also be in this category.

“I would say to anyone reading this, look in the attic, do you have correspondence from your great-great grandfather when he was stationed overseas?

“I have a surgery on the first Sunday of every month, with the exception of the summer months, at the Norfolk Arms Hotel.

“If anybody wishes to bring collections or postal history of stamps or postcards, or anything of that nature, I am there not just to buy but I’m happy to give valuations to discuss the best avenues for their collections.

“Even if the collections aren’t worth hundreds or thousands of pounds, I am still interested in having the fun of going through and sorting it out. I would give them the very best advice.”

Mr Osborne runs a stamp surgery at the Norfolk Arms Hotel in Arundel, on the first Sunday of every month from 2.30pm to 6pm, with the exception of the summer months. To make an appointment call 01798 817579.