Software Solutions for Stamp Dealers and Philatelic Sellers
Philatelic stock is identified by catalogue number, issue, condition and whether a stamp is mint or used. Dealers sell singles, sets, covers and mixed lots, and many send selections on approval. This page covers how stamp dealers run online and what the catalogue has to hold.
Catalogue stamps by number, state and perforation and sell them singly, in sets or on approval.
A stamp is judged by its centring, its gum and its perforations. The listing needs a clear, enlarged image, because the buyer’s decision rests on a few millimetres.
Dealers with approval business
A dealer mails selections to known collectors, who keep some and return the rest.
Web-first stamp sellers
A seller lists thousands of stamps with catalogue numbers and sells mostly to repeat buyers.
The workflow for stamps.
- 1
Catalogue by number
Each stamp is given its catalogue number, issue and year, and its state is recorded as mint, used or on cover.
- 2
Scan at high resolution
The stamp is scanned at a high resolution so that the buyer can enlarge it and see its edges.
- 3
Build sets and lots
Single stamps are grouped into sets, and unsorted material into mixed lots with a described content.
- 4
Prepare an approval selection
A selection is chosen for a collector, sent with a return date, and tracked until it comes back.
- 5
Pack flat and protected
Stamps travel in hinged mounts or stock cards, flat and stiffened, in a plain outer envelope.
The challenges, and what they cost.
What is specific to this trade.
These are requirements we would confirm in discovery. They describe what the solution may need to handle. They are not features that already exist.
- Catalogue number and state as searchable fields
- Approval stock that is held, not sold, until a decision
- High-resolution images with zoom
What we would build for stamps.
Chosen from the commerce capabilities this business needs, not a list of everything.
Who works in the system, and what each can do.
What it would connect to.
An integration is confirmed only after its API, access and scope are checked. A connection that updates on a schedule is described as scheduled, not real-time.
- A catalogue reference list you licence or maintain, with its terms checked
- Bank-transfer matching, with received amounts tied to orders by reference, agreed in writing before anything is built
- Freight booking for heavy or bulky consignments, linked once the carrier’s interface and coverage are checked
How the work runs, and what we need from you.
What you provide
- A sample of stamps with the numbers and notes you use
- How your approval service runs today
- Your scanning method and image sizes
Catalogue fields first
We settle the numbering system and state terms, because every search depends on them.
Approval flow next
The approval tracker is added once single listings work.
What you receive.
- A stamp record structure and scan standard
- An approval tracking flow
- Set and lot listing templates
How progress is judged.
Measures are agreed against your own baseline. We do not promise a result in advance.
- Approval selections returned late
- Stamps listed without a catalogue number
Selling at home and abroad.
Postal and customs treatment of stamps differs between countries, and some older material may need papers to cross a border. A customs adviser should confirm each route before you offer it.
The wider requirements for collectibles are on the Collectibles page.
Related subcategories.
Collectibles E-commerce & Item Register Software
Custom software solution
No GullySystem product records grade, provenance and one-off items for collectors. The software would be written around your stock, and an existing shop system can keep running beside it.
The category solution covers item records, condition fields and holds, and approval selections are a variant of its hold flow.
Read about the softwareQuestions about stamps e-commerce.
Does the system include a stamp catalogue?
No. The numbering and descriptions come from a catalogue you hold or licence. The system stores them against each stamp.
Can I send stamps on approval?
Yes. Stamps on approval are held as out on approval, so they do not show as sold or as in stock.
Can the images be large enough to inspect?
Yes, within the resolution you scan at. Zoom is part of the listing page, and image sizes are set during discovery.
Talk through your commerce requirement.
Describe what you sell, where you sell it and what is slowing you down. An engineer will reply within one business day.
- No obligation
- A reply within one business day
- Your details stay private