Before you touch anything
The mistakes that destroy value in seconds.
Almost every irreversible mistake is made in the first week, by someone trying to be helpful. Tidying, cleaning, sorting into fresh envelopes — each of these has cost families more than the collections were ever likely to fetch.
Coins
What it's worth →- Do not clean the coins. Any of them. Ever.Cleaning leaves microscopic scratches that graders detect instantly. A cleaned coin routinely loses 50–90% of its value, and it cannot be undone. This is the single most expensive mistake heirs make.
- Do not remove coins from sealed holders or original mint packaging.The packaging is part of the provenance, and proof sets in their original cases are worth more intact than the coins are loose.
- Do not sell to the first buyer who offers for the whole lot.A sight-unseen offer on an entire collection is a bet that there is something good in it. That bet is being made against you.
Stamps
What it's worth →- Do not soak, peel or lift stamps off envelopes.For many stamps the envelope — the 'cover' — with its postmark and route is worth substantially more than the stamp alone. Removing it destroys that.
- Do not use tape, glue or self-adhesive mounts.Any adhesive contact is permanent damage. Even removing an old hinge badly can halve the value of a mint stamp.
- Do not store them anywhere damp or hot.Humidity makes gum stick and foxing spread. An attic or garage will quietly ruin a collection over a summer.
Sports cards
What it's worth →- Do not laminate, tape, trim or write on cards. Ever.Any of these makes a card unsellable at grade. Trimming in particular is treated as fraud by the grading services.
- Do not rubber-band stacks together.Rubber bands leave permanent indentations and, over years, chemically mark the surface. Use a plain box.
- Do not open sealed wax packs or boxes.Sealed packs from certain years are worth considerably more unopened than the cards inside are worth individually.
Vinyl records
What it's worth →- Do not wet-clean records with household products.Washing-up liquid leaves residue in the grooves and can haze the vinyl permanently. If a record is valuable, it is worth a proper clean by someone with the right machine.
- Do not stack records flat.Weight over time warps everything underneath. Store them vertically, like books.
- Do not throw away the inner sleeves or inserts.Original inners, posters and lyric sheets are often a meaningful share of the value of a first pressing.
Comics
What it's worth →- Do not fold, roll, or press comics flat under weight.Spine stress and colour-breaking creases are permanent and are exactly what graders penalise.
- Do not store them in the standard cheap PVC bags.PVC breaks down and releases acids that yellow and brittle the paper. Mylar or polypropylene only.
- Do not tape a loose cover back on.Tape is worse than the tear. Leave the damage and let a professional decide.
Paper money
What it's worth →- Do not flatten, iron or press folded notes.Pressing is detectable and treated as alteration. A genuinely creased note is worth more than an obviously pressed one.
- Do not repair tears with tape.Tape residue is permanent and cuts value far more than the original tear.
- Do not spend old notes at face value without checking.Silver certificates and star notes circulate at face value and are regularly spent by people who did not know what they had.