 |
At some point in time every collector realizes that they need to dispose of all or part of their collection. Collecting interests may have changed, a spouse may be demanding return of one or more rooms in the house, or you may have no heirs interested in the hobby and desire to ensure that your collection is enjoyed by others.
Donations of tangible personal property are often called “gifts-in-kind.” Gifts of stamps, postal history, philatelic literature, and supplies are related to the purpose of the APS and APRL as tax exempt organizations and thus may be deducted at their fair market value. Gifts-in-kind unrelated to the mission of the APS/APRL may also be donated but for tax purposes must be valued at your costs
We Can Use
Advanced and specialized collections. Postal history and serviceable supplies are welcome. Unless requested otherwise our Reference Collection gets the first choice of any stamps donated.
We Do Not Want
- stamps on paper
- bulk copies of the same stamp
- beginner collections
- sheets of cancelled to order stamps
- common first day covers
- copies of The American Philatelist from the 1960s to the present
- copies of the Philatelic Literature Review from the 1980s to the present
- 20th century Scott Catalogues more than ten years old
- U.S. auction catalogs from the 1960s to the present, except for Siegel from 2010 to the present
- supplies that are no longer in usable condition (mounts that have shriveled up, hinges stuck together or badly yellowed old glassine envelopes.) Used glassine envelopes in decent condition are welcome.
Local stamp clubs, scouts or boys and girls clubs may be interested in the stamps and first day covers that we currently do not need.
Mailing Address
In-kind donations should be shipped or delivered to:
Attn: Development Office
100 Match Factory Place
Bellefonte, PA 16823
Please include your name and mailing address so we can provide proper acknowledgment. Our written acknowledgment will include a brief description of the items received. You do not have to provide a complete inventory, but if you do we will compare the inventory to the material received, date stamp your inventory, and return it with the written acknowledgment. Please allow 30 days for our written acknowledgment.
Benefits
In addition to a tax deduction, donating philatelic material may save you capital gains taxes. A donation of all or part of your philatelic property may save non-philatelic heirs the hassle of disposing of your collection as well as possibly reduce estate taxes.
Valuation
While we provide written acknowledgment of all in-kind donations, we may not value the gift. When the total claimed value of all philatelic related in-kind gifts is $5,000 or less during a tax year, the IRS permits the donor to use their guidelines to determine the valuation. Most donors use catalog value as the basis.
To claim more than $5,000, the IRS requires an independent and qualified appraisal. Most philatelic appraisals are performed by APS dealer members. Our website provides complete contact information for our 650+ dealer members and a search feature is available to help narrow the list. The cost of the appraisal is also tax deductible.
Tax Forms
When $500 or more is claimed IRS Form 8283 will need to be completed (instructions available). We routinely provide a copy of this form and its instructions with most donation acknowledgments.
