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    So you found an old stock in your attic.
      --  Is it worth a fortune or not?

Your main questions:
-  Does the stock have any value?
-  Is it redeemable?
-  Is the company still around?
-  How do I get money for it?
-  What is the collectible value?

First, check if the company is still traded on any major financial site.  Most sites have a company name to symbol search system.  If you have no luck, check the links below.

Kmart stock certificate from OldStocks.com

 
Please check out our categorized resources below.  If you have inherited or discovered old stock certificates,  you may have found a fortune or maybe only a neat collectible.  These links and companies will help you to research your stocks to see if they are obsolete or negotiable.  Some links are free while others are for companies that charge research fees.  Of course, we suggest starting with the free resources to see if your old stock is worth anything. 

Please note that OldStocks.com does not provide what a stock might be worth as an investment.  Our business is collectible old stock certificates.

Determining value:
If the certificates are not cancelled (perforated, hole punches, stamped, or otherwise marked), you can research by yourself or, save time, and pay for the service.  These services also may help with redemption questions and procedures (how to get your money if it is worth something as an investment). We get no compensation from the links to fee-based research sites and list this only as information if you choose this route.

 

Fee-based Services for Stock and Bond Research

Old Company Research
888-786-2576
RM Smythe & Co.
800-622-1880
Stock Search International
800-537-4523
Suggest more links! Stock Research Services
435-586-9497
Prudential-American
626-795-5831
Wall Street Journal for 75% off!
The Market's news
Save 40% on Barron's Magazine
Financial Investment News
 
 
I have not used any of the services and cannot recommend one over another. Check which service fits your own needs.



Internet resources:

You can also check for yourself to see if the company still exists or merged into another company.  It may still have value!  The following links may help in your research.  We provide information on stock exchanges, transfer agents, and state security contacts.  We leave it up to you to check the financial sites for company symbol or listing.

We highly recommend contacting the State Securities Regulators in your investigation of a company or stock certificate.  The state of incorporation is normally stated on the face of the certificate.  The second most important resource is the transfer agent.  We have two links below to trace information from transfer agents (also indicated on most modern securities).  Corporate archives are also a good source for old or merged companies.

Free Research Sites for Old Stocks and Companies

Securities and Exchange Commission
AKA the SEC  -- get your taxes worth!
Regulatory Contacts and Exchanges
NYSE, AMEX, Nasdaq, etc.
 State Securities Regulators
Check with the state of incorporation
Treasury Direct
Info about US bonds, bills, and notes
Depository Trust & Clearing Corp
Clearing, settlement & info for equities
National Securities Clearing Corp
Info for mutual funds and insurance
FINRA.org
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
NACAA.org
N. American Securities Administrators 
Library of Congress
LOC guide to researching old companies
 Canadian Regulators
Links to every territory
 International Regulators
Outside the US (excludes Canada)
Int'l Org. of Security Commissions
International information
World Federation of Exchanges
International information
StockTransfer.com
Find the company's transfer agent.
Transfer Online
More transfer agent information
Hoovers.com
Business profiles and subsidiaries
CorporateAffliations.com
Mergers, acquisitions, and name changes
Directory of Corporate Archives
US & Canada business archives
Business.com
"The Business Search Engine"
Tracing Old Stocks
Library guide to investigating old stocks
OTCBB
Over the counter stocks 
Gold Sheet Links
 Tons of research links from one page
Replacing Lost Certificates
The SEC answer page
Suggest more links!
Investopedia Dictionary
List of financial terms
Investor Words
Investing glossary of terms
The Wall Street Journal
The market's paper

Reference Guides (see more in Scripophily Reference Books )


Offline Research
A number of the above links list books and offline contacts that might help in your search.  We did not list them here in order to save space.  Don't forget to use your local library!

Found something valuable?
Contact a licensed broker or authorized financial institution to redeem.  Usually, an active company has investor information on their website (e.g. their transfer agent).  Your broker or transfer agent can also help with merged company information and how securities are handled from previous company names.

Collectible Value
We will provide you with FREE valuation for your certificates as collectibles.  We have a large collection of references and databases of previously sold items so we can provide a good retail figure on most any US piece.  Again, this service is completely free!  We can also tell you the best places to sell your item if we do not purchase it.  However, we cannot provide the investment value of any active security. Please use the links above or a securities broker for investment research on any item thought to be negotiable.  The SEC also has great resources to start.

 

 

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