What we collect!

 

Stamporama Discussion Board Logo
For People Who Love To Talk About Stamps
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Stamporama Discussion Board Logo
For People Who Love To Talk About Stamps
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Stamporama Discussion Board Logo
For People Who Love To Talk About Stamps



What we collect!
What we collect!


General Philatelic/Gen. Discussion : Advice needed - if,when and how I should break down mint sheets?

 

Author
Postings
doomboy
Members Picture


16 Feb 2016
10:23:56am
I've been agonizing over this for quite a while. A few years back, my father died and I added his stamp collection to mine. During the 1970s and 1980s he decided he would collect mint sheets from Canada Post. However, the mint sheet files that he stored them in were not designed for the larger sheets - the end result is that the edges of these sheets were not protected. For most of the larger sheets, the stamps themselves are fine, but the selvage is mangled/damaged. I have several questions coming out of this.

1) Is the value of the sheet compromised by damaged selvage?

2) If I remove the damaged selvage, is the value of the sheet compromised?

3) If I break the sheet up (which I will need to do with some of the more damaged sheets) what's the best way to do it?

Few of the stamps are high value or valuable in of themselves - I just hate the thought of breaking them up.

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks in advance,

DB
Like
Login to Like
this post
michael78651

16 Feb 2016
10:42:06am
re: Advice needed - if,when and how I should break down mint sheets?

Any damage compromises the value of the item. Of course the value of the individual stamps is not compromised unless the stamps are damaged.

If you remove the selvage, then you no longer have a sheet.

If you break up the sheets, it will depend what you want to collect from the sheet. You can make singles, pairs, blocks, and inscription/plate blocks. Check a specialized catalog for the configuration of plate and inscription blocks.

If you live in Canada, you can always use the surplus stamps for postage. If not, you can sell them to get some money to buy more stamps!

The bottom line is that it will depend how you want to collect the stamps. You could always just get a larger sheet album and store them in there as is. Overall, you shouldn't worry about the value. You are collecting stamps for fun, and the emotional attachment of the stamps to your father is probably greater than any desire to break up the sheets. There's no need to rush to do anything about the sheets, unless you have a need to.

Like
Login to Like
this post
DavidG
Members Picture


APS member since 2004

16 Feb 2016
10:28:57pm
re: Advice needed - if,when and how I should break down mint sheets?

Doomboy:

Canadian mint stamps, post-1935, in complete panes or not, are in a market that is flooded.

Stamp dealers are currently paying 30 % to 50 % of face-value, and selling them off as postage to charities, businesses, etc. That is becoming more difficult as fewer folks mail much, to-day.

Collect what you like, as this is a grand and wonderful hobby.

To quote Michael:

"Overall, you shouldn't worry about the value. You are collecting stamps for fun, and the emotional attachment of the stamps to your father is probably greater than any desire to break up the sheets. There's no need to rush to do anything about the sheets, unless you have a need to."



That which you decide not to keep, your best use is for postage.

Enjoy the hobby.

David Giles
Ottawa, Canada
Like
Login to Like
this post

"President, The Society for Costa Rica Collectors"
BenFranklin1902
Members Picture


Tom in Exton, PA

17 Feb 2016
06:44:35am
re: Advice needed - if,when and how I should break down mint sheets?

Even as discount postage they are difficult to use since the rates today require so many old stamps.

Here in the US I bought a lot of $50 postage for $40. I was amazed at what I got. Old commemoratives from the late 1930s through 1950s, ten of each as if they emptied a dealer stock book into the bin. And the major portion was all 10 cent commemorative plate blocks. Lots of them. I still cringe when I break up one of those for postage.

So with the lot I bought, I'd need to put 4 10 cent stamps, or an entire plate block, plus 3 3 cent stamps to make up the 49 cent rate. There's often not enough room on an envelope for all that!

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Check out my eBay Stuff! Username Turtles-Trading-Post"
amsd
Members Picture


Editor, Seal News; contributor, JuicyHeads

17 Feb 2016
10:32:57am
re: Advice needed - if,when and how I should break down mint sheets?

our good friend Roy often has large US discount postage of recent vintage, so it's a single commem plus one or two make-ups. and his stuff is quite nice, often including SSs and such. Always a good buy, and I usually grab a lot or two when they come up.

Like 
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.

"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"

juicyheads.com/link.php?PLJZJP
        

 

Author/Postings
Members Picture
doomboy

16 Feb 2016
10:23:56am

I've been agonizing over this for quite a while. A few years back, my father died and I added his stamp collection to mine. During the 1970s and 1980s he decided he would collect mint sheets from Canada Post. However, the mint sheet files that he stored them in were not designed for the larger sheets - the end result is that the edges of these sheets were not protected. For most of the larger sheets, the stamps themselves are fine, but the selvage is mangled/damaged. I have several questions coming out of this.

1) Is the value of the sheet compromised by damaged selvage?

2) If I remove the damaged selvage, is the value of the sheet compromised?

3) If I break the sheet up (which I will need to do with some of the more damaged sheets) what's the best way to do it?

Few of the stamps are high value or valuable in of themselves - I just hate the thought of breaking them up.

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks in advance,

DB

Like
Login to Like
this post
michael78651

16 Feb 2016
10:42:06am

re: Advice needed - if,when and how I should break down mint sheets?

Any damage compromises the value of the item. Of course the value of the individual stamps is not compromised unless the stamps are damaged.

If you remove the selvage, then you no longer have a sheet.

If you break up the sheets, it will depend what you want to collect from the sheet. You can make singles, pairs, blocks, and inscription/plate blocks. Check a specialized catalog for the configuration of plate and inscription blocks.

If you live in Canada, you can always use the surplus stamps for postage. If not, you can sell them to get some money to buy more stamps!

The bottom line is that it will depend how you want to collect the stamps. You could always just get a larger sheet album and store them in there as is. Overall, you shouldn't worry about the value. You are collecting stamps for fun, and the emotional attachment of the stamps to your father is probably greater than any desire to break up the sheets. There's no need to rush to do anything about the sheets, unless you have a need to.

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
DavidG

APS member since 2004
16 Feb 2016
10:28:57pm

re: Advice needed - if,when and how I should break down mint sheets?

Doomboy:

Canadian mint stamps, post-1935, in complete panes or not, are in a market that is flooded.

Stamp dealers are currently paying 30 % to 50 % of face-value, and selling them off as postage to charities, businesses, etc. That is becoming more difficult as fewer folks mail much, to-day.

Collect what you like, as this is a grand and wonderful hobby.

To quote Michael:

"Overall, you shouldn't worry about the value. You are collecting stamps for fun, and the emotional attachment of the stamps to your father is probably greater than any desire to break up the sheets. There's no need to rush to do anything about the sheets, unless you have a need to."



That which you decide not to keep, your best use is for postage.

Enjoy the hobby.

David Giles
Ottawa, Canada
Like
Login to Like
this post

"President, The Society for Costa Rica Collectors"
Members Picture
BenFranklin1902

Tom in Exton, PA
17 Feb 2016
06:44:35am

re: Advice needed - if,when and how I should break down mint sheets?

Even as discount postage they are difficult to use since the rates today require so many old stamps.

Here in the US I bought a lot of $50 postage for $40. I was amazed at what I got. Old commemoratives from the late 1930s through 1950s, ten of each as if they emptied a dealer stock book into the bin. And the major portion was all 10 cent commemorative plate blocks. Lots of them. I still cringe when I break up one of those for postage.

So with the lot I bought, I'd need to put 4 10 cent stamps, or an entire plate block, plus 3 3 cent stamps to make up the 49 cent rate. There's often not enough room on an envelope for all that!

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Check out my eBay Stuff! Username Turtles-Trading-Post"
Members Picture
amsd

Editor, Seal News; contributor, JuicyHeads
17 Feb 2016
10:32:57am

re: Advice needed - if,when and how I should break down mint sheets?

our good friend Roy often has large US discount postage of recent vintage, so it's a single commem plus one or two make-ups. and his stuff is quite nice, often including SSs and such. Always a good buy, and I usually grab a lot or two when they come up.

Like 
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.

"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"

juicyheads.com/link. ...
        

Contact Webmaster | Visitors Online | Unsubscribe Emails | Facebook


User Agreement

Copyright © 2024 Stamporama.com