Stamp Expo to Boast Variety of Collections

A common stamp from anywhere around the world--whether it’s Zambia or Canada--sells for about a nickel, but an 1893 commemorative U.S. stamp goes for $29,000.

Hollywood stamps with the likenesses of Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Elvis, Disney characters and royalty such as the late Princess Diana can range in price from $5 to $7,500.

They all can be found this weekend at the International Stamp Collectors Society’s Stamp Expo Valley in Encino.

Organizers say the event has something for every collector, regardless of budget or interest.

“There are two types of stamp collecting, by country and by interest,” said expo organizer Israel Bick. There are collections with doctors, animals, flowers, you name it.”

Twenty dealers will showcase an estimated 20 million stamps at the expo. Most are for sale and some are available for trade.

Among the more popular stamps are those featuring famous Hollywood figures, Bick said.

A series of nine Alfred Hitchcock stamps sells for $14.95 and a series featuring the famous vampire Dracula is listed at $9.95 while stamps of Rocky, the fictional boxer played by actor Sylvester Stallone, sell for $5 to $15.

For the more serious collector, there is a tiny 1847 Benjamin Franklin stamp, valued at $600, in mint condition.

“I think this is the last hobby in the world that the whole family can enjoy, regardless of economic situation,” Bick said. “You can buy 1,000 stamps for less than $10.”

The expo will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the St. Nicholas Community Center, 17114 Ventura Blvd. Admission and parking are free.

For information, call (818) 997-6496.