The Great Stamp Expedition of 2026 and onward.

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The Intrepid Stamp Explorer's Guide

How to Help Me Find Rubber Stamp Treasure

Mission Objective

Find vintage rubber stamps and send photos before buying (unless they're ridiculously cheap).

🏴‍☠️ Rule #1: Buy Lots, Not Singles (unless that single meets certain criteria, see below)

If you find:

  • Shoeboxes
  • Totes
  • Plastic bins
  • Estate sale craft rooms
  • Grandma's stamp collection

STOP.

Take pictures.

These are often where the hidden gems live.

📸 Rule #2: Send Three Photos

Please send:

  1. The whole lot.
  2. A close-up of the stamp faces.
  3. The side of the wooden blocks showing the company name.

Those little side labels are GOLD.

🚨 Priority Companies (THE LIST)

If you see ANY of these...

Text Angela immediately.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

  • PSX
  • House Mouse
  • Penny Black
  • Laurel Burch
  • Lost Coast Designs
  • Stamp Francisco
  • Sherrill Kahn
  • PEANUTS
  • DISNEY
  • WARNER BROTHERS

Vintage Bears!

SNOOPY!!!








A bit of PSX Fodder for you to feast your eyes upon. 


⭐⭐⭐⭐

  • Hero Arts
  • Art Impressions
  • Northwoods
  • Carolyn Shores Wright
  • Brian Kesinger (Otto Octopus!)
  • Stamps Happen

🎨 Subjects I adore!

If you find any of these...

I'll squeal.

🐙 Octopus

🐋 Orcas

🐳 Whales

🦅 Eagles

🐦 Ravens

🦉 Owls

🐇 Rabbits

🐭 Mice

🗼 Eiffel Tower

🗿 Totem Poles

🌲 Pacific Northwest

🌿 Mushrooms

🧙 Gothic

📚 Alice in Wonderland

     Snoopy

🐉 Dragons

🏰 Fantasy

🦋 Beautiful botanicals

💰 Price Guide

BUY IMMEDIATELY

Entire box

Entire tote

Entire collection

Estate sale craft room

Church rummage sale

Garage sale collection

Especially if:

  • Under $50
  • Under $100
  • Lots of wood-mounted stamps
Also to ensure subsequent Venmo of correct reimbursement of stamp fees and shipping fees. 

🤔 Unsure? Single Stamp?

Text ME. (IYKYK)

She would rather answer 20 questions than miss one amazing stamp.

🚫 Don't Assume

Old doesn't always mean valuable.

Cute doesn't always mean valuable.

Weird often IS valuable.


What NOT to Buy

❌ POOR CONDITION

Please DO NOT buy stamps that have:

Wood Block Problems

  • Split or cracked wood
  • Warped wood
  • Mold
  • Water damage
  • Burn marks
  • Loose rubber peeling off the block

Rubber Problems



DO NOT BUY if the rubber is:

  • Cracked
  • Brittle
  • Torn
  • Missing chunks
  • Dry-rotted
  • Falling off the wood

Ink Problems

Some ink is perfectly normal.

Skip stamps that are:

  • Completely caked in ink
  • Covered in glitter glue
  • Covered in paint
  • Covered in embossing paste
  • Oily
  • Sticky


Normal staining is OK. THIS ^^^ IS NOT.

🚫 Avoid Craft Store Junk

Think twice about:

  • Dollar store stamps
  • Tiny alphabet sets
  • Tiny number sets
  • Generic "Happy Birthday"
  • Generic "Thank You"
  • Generic hearts
  • Generic flowers
  • Generic baby stamps


🚫 Skip These Even If They're Free

  • Foam stamps
  • Children's craft stamps
  • Clear acrylic stamps 
  • Silicone dollar-bin stamps
  • Obvious knockoffs

Angela mainly collects wood-mounted vintage rubber stamps.

🚫 Holiday Overload

Just don't buy it. 

🚫 Damaged Lots

Avoid collections with:

  • Mouse damage
  • Mildew smell
  • Flood damage
  • Bugs
  • Heavy smoke smell

🚫 If Every Stamp Looks Like This...

  • Generic teddy bears
  • Generic balloons
  • Generic flowers
  • Generic sentiments

It's probably not worth buying.

🚫 Stampin UP! Or anything on a roller. Gross. 

⚠️ Before Buying

Ask yourself:

Do the stamps have:

✔ Company names?

✔ Artist names?

✔ Interesting artwork?

✔ Vintage look?

If yes...

Take pictures.

🚫 Don't Buy Because...

"It's old."

Old does not equal valuable.

🚫 Don't Buy Because...

"It's cute."

Cute isn't my MO most of the time. Some of the time yes, not all of it. 

🚫 Don't Buy Because...

"There are a lot of them."

Quantity without quality becomes firewood with rubber attached.

When in Doubt...

TEXT ME. If you don't have my # message me here. We'll connect.

📍Where to Hunt

✔ Estate Sales

✔ Garage Sales

✔ Value Village

✔ Goodwill

✔ Habitat

✔ Antique Malls

✔ Facebook Marketplace

✔ Craft Store Destashes

✔ Church Sales

✔ Quilt Shows

✔ Scrapbooking Retreats

The Golden Rule

If it makes you say...

"That's the weirdest/cutest/most "her" stamp I've ever seen..."

BUY IT...

...or at least send me a picture first.

Official Motto

"No stamp gets left behind until I have seen the maker's mark."


If you find an octopus wearing a top hat, buy it immediately. No questions asked. 🐙🎩


But what is the end game here? Well, 10,000 stamps by the end of 2026. Labeled, Organized and ready for the great stamp off. Or some otherworldly project you'll just have to wait and see. But I promise you it's going to be great.  

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