About Americana Stamps |Innovative Philatelic Auction House

About Us

Americana Stamps is a leading philatelic auction house dedicated to preserving philatelic history, educating the next generation of collectors, and modernizing the stamp auction experience. Our commitment to detailed research, high-resolution imaging, and expert insights sets us apart in the industry.

Founded by lifelong collectors who have seamlessly transitioned into the role of auctioneers, we understand the challenges and frustrations collectors face when participating in auctions. Our mission is to bridge that gap by offering an innovative platform designed for today’s philatelic community.

Whether you’re looking to consign classic postal history or bid in rare U.S. stamp auctions online, we deliver a transparent, engaging experience that puts collectors first.

Our Story

Americana Stamps is the culmination of a lifelong passion for philately shared between father and daughter, Angelo Ismirnioglou and Alexa Valdez.

Angelo’s philatelic journey began at age five when he received his first stamp album from a Long Beach stamp and coin shop. That simple gift sparked a lifelong fascination with stamp collecting. Living in California, Angelo loves studying Western Express Postal History, which has led to his dedicated research in Carriers, Locals, and Independent Mails.

Alexa’s passion for stamp collecting began in childhood, inspired by handmade stamp albums her father, Angelo, created for her and her classmates. During a childhood school field trip to Sutter’s Mill, Alexa’s father shared stories of California’s early gold miners. Together, they visited antique shops, searching for Gold Rush-era ephemera and postal history, which ignited her lifelong passion for philately and interests in Western Expresses.

What began as a family tradition evolved into a professional commitment to advancing the philatelic auction experience.

Americana Stamps standing in front of the rare inverted jenny stamp.

Meet Our Team

Angelo Ismirnioglou

Angelo is retired from the United States Navy, where he flew the P-3 Orion. He then went on to fly the L-1011 Tristar commercially, carrying U.S. Mail on postal contracts and routes with FedEx, UPS, and other private carriers through their systems worldwide. He brings to philately the same complex research and data analysis skills that he honed during his aviation career.

Angelo currently serves as Auction Manager and Treasurer for the Carriers & Locals Society, Regional Vice President for Southern California in the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, and is an active member of the Western Cover Society, Civil War Philatelic Society, Collectors Club New York, and the American Philatelic Society. Angelo has partnered with his daughter, Alexa Valdez, to found Americana Stamps.

Alexa Valdez

Today, Alexa combines her lifelong interest in philately with her professional expertise as an engineer and a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins University. Alexa uses her technical background to bring a fresh, innovative approach to our philatelic auctions. Her skills in analysis and technology enhance the research, presentation, and innovation of Americana Stamps’ offerings.

Alexa serves as the Web Manager for the Carriers & Locals Society and is an active member of the Western Cover Society, U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, and the American Philatelic Society.

What We Value

At Americana Stamps, we believe every philatelic item tells a story. Our role is to honor that story through careful curation, expert research, and collector-centered presentation. These guiding values shape every aspect of our auction process.

Scroll through to explore how our values shape every aspect of our philatelic auctions and discover why collectors and consignors choose Americana Stamps.

Meticulously Captured

Our commitment to preserving philatelic heritage has driven us to redefine how images are captured and presented in the auction setting.

Every lot, regardless of its rarity factor, is presented with a suite of high-resolution images to accurately showcase what is being sold. This includes photos of all items contained in the lot, and close-up details of postmarks and other aspects of the lot that prospective bidders might want to evaluate closely.

By capturing such high-quality imagery, perspective bidders can closely inspect lots online and bid in confidence

Intentionally Curated

When preparing our auctions, we take pride in going above and beyond in typical descriptions , which solely provide basic identifications.

We are committed to providing a rich context for each lot that celebrates the item’s history and relevance by providing Provenance, Links to reference articles/research material, Links to philatelic certifications, Interviews with philatelic experts, and High-Resolution imagery of ALL aspects of the item.

In doing so, it is our intent that our auctions become a “living” census and repository of references to engage, educate, and excite collectors for years to come.

Passionately Presented

At Americana Stamps, we take a deliberate and thoughtful approach to curating our auctions. We are committed to creating an auction experience that celebrates the significance of all of our lots.

For that reason, we meticulously curate lots, breaking down large collections into smaller, more meaningful lots. Each lot is accompanied by in-depth research, descriptions, and high-resolution images to equip prospective bidders with all the information we have available.

Professional Affiliations

American Stamp Dealer’s Association

American Philatelic Society Dealer