How Can You Redeem Top Value Stamps?
As of January 1, 2010, Top Value Certificates or Stamps cannot be redeemed. The best bet for owners of Top Value Stamps is to try to sell them to collectors through eBay or similar websites. Typically, individual stamps have negligible value, but a collection in a stamp book or a large number of stamps could draw bids in the $15 to $20 range.
Trading stamps are small paper coupons given to customers by merchants in loyalty programs similar to the modern loyalty discount cards. Individually, these stamps only had a minimal cash value of a few thousandths of a dollar. When a customer accumulated a number of them, however, these stamps could be exchanged with the trading stamp company for prizes including toys, housewares, furniture and appliances. The Redemption Catalogue for True Value Stamps also has some collectible value if in decent condition.
The stamp program originated in 1895 when manufacturer and distributor L.H. Parke set up a trading stamp program named Parke’s Blue Point Trading Stamps for customers who purchased Parke’s products in local retail grocery stores in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Stamp programs became and remained popular until 1965, when supermarkets stopped issuing stamps to spend more money on advertising.
True Value Stamps were the second-most popular brand of trading stamps behind S&H Green Stamps. Green stamps can still be redeemed at greenpoints.com as of 2015.
