Using the website

Not by a long way; this is a small fraction of it. It's all down to the time it takes to describe, scan and list material but over time the choice of items will grow considerably.

Every month. A selection of the most recently added stock is shown on the Homepage and is updated regularly.

The stamps sold on the Classic Latin America website are not promoted on eBay/HipStamp. Likewise, the stamps on eBay/HipStamp are exclusive to those channels. In general, the eBay/HipStamp stock tends to be quality, lower value material plus auction lots but there is no strict delineation. Note that the stock on HipStamp is identical to the stock on eBay, so you don't need to search both sites.

The world of Seebecks can be understandably confusing. The recently published 19th Century Issues of El Salvador lists no less than eleven original and seventeen reprint papers for that country alone. Combined with the myriad combinations of 'plate proofs', 'imperfs', 'color trials' and varieties there is plenty of opportunity for misdescription amongst internet listings. However, the popularity of Seebecks appears to be on the increase, particularly for 'better' items such as die proofs and postal history. And whether original or reprint, they always brighten up a collection of early Latin America. Unless indicated otherwise, assuming a listing is a reprint is usually a good starting point, although some issues were never reprinted. If you need more information on paper type, paper thickness etc, please enquire.

Placing an order

Certainly. Please send details of the item(s) you are interested in and a reverse scan will be sent to you.

Certainly. Please contact us for further details.

All orders with a value above $100 are sent with tracking and insurance. Tracking for lower value items can be provided at cost, if required. Please ask.

All shipments are insured: if your stamp doesn't arrive for whatever reason (or arrives damaged) then your purchase is protected.

Bear in mind that delays do occur, so please be patient. If you are concerned that a shipment is taking longer than expected, get in touch so that we can check on the tracked progress.

Note that the insurance process cannot commence until 60 days after dispatch, to allow for delays within postal and delivery systems.

Thankfully, virtually all deliveries reach their destination safely. For delivery to the US and Europe, we have yet to lose a single item.

Growing your collection

Many collectors will aim for a basic collection of all twenty Republics. It's enough to give you a lifetime of variety within a defined geographic region. Or you could decide to just concentrate on Central America or South America, with ten countries a piece.

Alternatively, you may find it easier to focus on just one or a few countries. I would start by looking through a general, all world catalogue to get a feel for the stamps of each country. Are there particular countries that stand out as more interesting than others; are there countries that don’t appeal and could be rejected quickly? This will, at least, build a shortlist.

Do you prefer to collect mint or used? If used, a country that has a strong collector base of town cancels, such as early Peru, may appeal. Or the district overprints of Mexico.

For complexity, you probably can’t beat Nicaragua. Its profusion of provisional overprints and varieties could keep you busy for a lifetime.

And then there is the subject of cost. Although all Latin America is comparatively inexpensive compared to the US, Europe and British Empire, there are certainly areas that would need deeper pockets in the early issues. The more expensive countries are Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, probably followed by Colombia, Venezuela, Uruguay and Peru.

At the other end of the spectrum, collections of countries such as Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador and Paraguay can be put together very economically…and still provide endless hours of opportunity for research and hunting out varieties.

Lots to consider! If you have any specific questions or would like an informal chat, drop me an email and I will endeavour to help further.

We're not really geared up to fulfil Wants Lists unfortunately. But if you are after something specific, by all means get in touch and we'll try and help.

In many ways, finding some of the low values can be just as hard as finding the higher ones. This is compounded by the fact that the catalogue prices for certain low value stamps have not moved for many years, despite some of them being quite scarce in their own right. The reality is that pre-1940 stamps that value at 25c (from any country) can be hard to find online.

The best solution is probably to look out for inexpensive collections from which to pillage the values you need. We occasionaly have collections of low value (and sometimes modern) Latin America for sale. If you are after something specific, please get in touch.

Very possibly. We maintain an extensive library of books, journals and articles on Latin American philately. Please enquire.

Yes. We are always interested in buying collections, particularly more specialized material. Please get in touch.

Contact

Por supuesto. Debo confesar que no hablo español. Sin embargo, mantengo regularmente conversaciones escritas en español (¡con la ayuda de las herramientas de traducción de Internet!). Así que, por favor, escribe en el idioma que prefieras.

Sure. Please send an email with your contact details to arrange a mutually convenient time. Zoom calls are also possible.