Passport Collectors’ Market

Observing and understanding the vintage passport collectors market is crucial to identifying potential opportunities and challenges. Being a collector for 20+ years I always made reports about the market. Long-time newsletter subscribers will remember my “Market Newsflash”.

Market Scope passport collectors’ market

Market data and experience show that passport booklets are always preferred from collectors. While older and long-time collectors go for folios and booklets, to make a defined area complete, young and new collectors are less focused on history, but on the rather modern passport booklets with their security features and design.

Some collectors don’t even have a collection focus, and they are hoarding everything they like. Third Reich travel documents are always on demand if the price is right. While 16th-18th century documents are sought by passionate collectors with a focus on (passport) history. Passport collectors’ market

Market Size and Growth

The market for passport collectors has long been recognized as an exclusive and refined niche, distinct from the more widely recognized fields of stamp collecting, numismatics (coins/banknotes), or postcard collecting. Whenever I am asked about the size of this particular market, the question of how many passport collectors exist, I must admit that it is difficult to provide an exact figure. However, based on my own extensive experience and extensive network of connections across the globe, I would estimate that the number of passport collectors likely falls within the range of a lower five digits.

In recent times, it has come to my attention that numerous collectors have refrained from adding new documents to their collections, possibly influenced by factors such as the ongoing pandemic or concerns regarding inflation. Additionally, there appears to be a prevailing sentiment that the current market lacks noteworthy items of exceptional quality or that evoke a sense of excitement. Instead, there appears to be an abundance of quantity without the corresponding level of quality. This sentiment echoes my previous observations and remains pertinent to the present circumstances. Passport collectors’ market

The presence of new collectors in the market is indeed noticeable, albeit it requires a deep-rooted passion to transform into a dedicated, long-term collector. I have witnessed numerous instances where “new” collectors initially display enthusiasm by making a few acquisitions, only to eventually lose interest over time.

Often, their attraction to such items is fueled by their novelty and the initial excitement they evoke. However, presently and for quite some time, I have observed a state of stagnation within the market. This sentiment is best illustrated by the graph below, indicating a lack of significant growth or change in recent times.

During the period from 2012 to 2015, the passport collectors’ market experienced a remarkable surge of activity and enthusiasm. This period was characterized by a sense of novelty, excitement, and a high demand for vintage passports, with the peak of this fervor occurring particularly in 2012 and 2013. However, following this period, there was a noticeable cooling down of the market.

The year 2019 witnessed a significant sell-off in the market, marked by a substantial increase in transaction volume. Unfortunately, the subsequent onset of the pandemic and its adverse impact on the global economy further exacerbated the prevailing challenges, leading to a sustained decline in the market. Regrettably, these unfavorable conditions persist until the present day.

What do you think? Share your opinion… passport collectors’ market

• Readers/collectors contact me frequently, asking for specific collectibles
  Sellers: Take a look at WANTED
• Auction houses increasing their commission. I have seen auctioneers asking now for a 35% premium!
• eBay is getting more strict on passport listings and cancels everything that non-conform to their policy.
  (However, eBay often doesn’t stick to its own policy)
• Delcampe is another source – good for buying (even the buyer has to pay now a 10% commission)
• Having traveled within Europe recently and strolling over well-known flea markets, I found nothing.
  Except the collection I could buy in Switzerland. A long planned and rare deal.
• Currently, we can only find quantity of items of no significance at quite high prices, and even “standard” documents at reasonable prices don’t sell.

QUO VADIS – PASSPORT COLLECTORS?

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