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United States/Stamps : USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

 

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joshtanski
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29 Jan 2017
04:27:51pm
Hi All,

I sorting thru some USA collection remnants - I'm transferring the MNH or used stamps into my collection. Starting with the 1938 Prexies and anything newer than that - are there any mint stamps that if they do not have MNH pristime gum that I should not just put in my uncatalogued/unwanted "discount postage" pile, or is there collector value / demand for certain stamps beyond that?

A few of the Prexies and others were hinged, some stamps have fingerprints on the gum, etc.

Thanks,
Josh
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amsd
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Editor, Seal News; contributor, JuicyHeads

29 Jan 2017
06:56:22pm

Auctions
re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

there's a few, but not many

the various blocks of 4 SS, ie, future travel (45c) and Lincoln (90c), the submarine prestige booklet, any of the high values of the series, $14 eagle, and maybe the Ameripex presidential mini sheets. pretty much all else is face or discount. pity.

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seanpashby
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30 Jan 2017
12:00:33am
re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

There are quite a few varieties that are worth quite a bit. Many of the Liberty series are pricey and some of the transportation and later coils go for a lot as well.

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larsdog
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APS #220693 ATA#57179

30 Jan 2017
10:31:49pm
re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

There are actually several, but sometimes you have to check perfs.
I would do a quick check on all souvenir sheets and anything with FV 50¢ or more.
The Looney Tunes panes with 10th stamp imperf and Legends of the West Error pane are valuable. 1998 Christmas Wreaths can be worth some money. There are other examples. Get a Scott Specialized Catalog (it can be a few years old, that's OK) and look for price spikes to see where to spend your time.

Lars

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BenFranklin1902
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Tom in Exton, PA

31 Jan 2017
06:25:50am
re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

It seems to have gotten worse over time. Back when I was last collecting in the late 1970s, the original se-tenant commemoratives (the two space pairs, 10 Historic Flags, Beautification of America, Botanical Conference and Natural History and Anti-Pollution issues) were all perceived as having value. I have two Scott Minuteman albums originally assembled by teens in that era and both are missing those issues.

Today, I'm even finding those stamps in discount postage lots and received both space se-tenants on my mail recently. And the lots I've bought have been full of plate blocks too. Seems nothing has any value today at all.

So I'll pose the question.... does hinging even matter here? If I have one stamp or only a block of a certain issue and it has a hinge mark on it, I still put it in my collection. It can't be worth any less than it's perfectly mint brothers since nothing has any value. So why would I seek out a better copy?

And I'll pose another question. As I get tons of this material used on my incoming philatelic mail, how do collectors feel about postmarks outside of a stamp's era on stamps in their collection. As I go through my stock book I have many old stamps with cancels in that stamp's issue period. That's proper. But how do you feel about blocks of stamps with postmarks 20-30 years after the issue date?

As far as the stamps being worth squat, I don't really care. It's allowing me to build a complete collection of USA from the era I collected in my youth rather cheaply. Do I care if it's worth something in the future? Nope, I'm just enjoying looking at them!

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pedroguy
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31 Jan 2017
08:24:03am
re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

Image Not FoundI was really surprised when these arrived on a package the stamps were issued May 11,1949
and are postmarked Feb. 3,1999 where were they for 50 yearsSurprise

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amsd
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Editor, Seal News; contributor, JuicyHeads

31 Jan 2017
12:31:51pm

Auctions
re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

Tom,

for most collectors of mint US, they want MNH, so hingeing is probably a no-no IF you're gonna sell it. if it's for your collection and you don't care, then.....

for purists, an anachronistic cancel reduces the desirability of a stamp.

but I'd rather have an anachronistically cancelled stamp than no stamp

David

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

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joshtanski
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31 Jan 2017
02:41:37pm
re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

Thanks all. Basically I am just just piling up all the hinged or faulty mint as I do not want myself, do not want to spend time IDing or organizing stamps I do not want. I am just saving all the hinged or disturbed gum stamps where Scott still values as hinged. It is kind of a shame, there are some nice stamps from the 1920s and airmails where they would be worth 2 or 3 times the price if MNH, the previous owner took the time to put them in mounts but many have some small gum disturbance as the previous owner must have wetted the mounts with the stamps in them. Sigh...

My next question is, what to do with the more modern hinged or faulty mint pile? I cannot really use for postage, too many low denominations (3 - 6 cent commems) to be efficient and I much prefer receiving very recent setenant forever stamps on my mail so that is what I use for mailing as well.

As far used stamps, I also prefer a contemporary cancel - to me a stamp soaked from a FDC is not collectible, and spray on cancels were started during the USA 37 cent rate time period, so a commem older than that with a spray on cancel is not desirable.

Thanks,
Josh

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BenFranklin1902
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Tom in Exton, PA

31 Jan 2017
07:59:35pm
re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

Older stamps are victims of time and circumstance. Early on, there were no clear mounts so stamps got hinged... sometimes brutally with selvage or other draconian methods. I have stamps from the 1800s that had multiple hingings, no doubt as they were transferred from album to album and owner to owner in the last 150 years. And early stamps will occasionally have a pin hole as it was practice of early dealers to market their stamps by pinning them to a board.

Covers also got massacred. I don't understand where it was practice to just keep the fronts of covers.. that thickness of an envelope really mattered? Or when postmark collectors decided that a 2x4 cut square was the way to collect. Or worse, when I see the great fancy cancels like Vince displays, I think how spectacular the entire cover would be!

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Author/Postings
Members Picture
joshtanski

29 Jan 2017
04:27:51pm

Hi All,

I sorting thru some USA collection remnants - I'm transferring the MNH or used stamps into my collection. Starting with the 1938 Prexies and anything newer than that - are there any mint stamps that if they do not have MNH pristime gum that I should not just put in my uncatalogued/unwanted "discount postage" pile, or is there collector value / demand for certain stamps beyond that?

A few of the Prexies and others were hinged, some stamps have fingerprints on the gum, etc.

Thanks,
Josh

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
amsd

Editor, Seal News; contributor, JuicyHeads
29 Jan 2017
06:56:22pm

Auctions

re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

there's a few, but not many

the various blocks of 4 SS, ie, future travel (45c) and Lincoln (90c), the submarine prestige booklet, any of the high values of the series, $14 eagle, and maybe the Ameripex presidential mini sheets. pretty much all else is face or discount. pity.

Like
Login to Like
this post

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

juicyheads.com/link. ...
Members Picture
seanpashby

30 Jan 2017
12:00:33am

re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

There are quite a few varieties that are worth quite a bit. Many of the Liberty series are pricey and some of the transportation and later coils go for a lot as well.

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
larsdog

APS #220693 ATA#57179
30 Jan 2017
10:31:49pm

re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

There are actually several, but sometimes you have to check perfs.
I would do a quick check on all souvenir sheets and anything with FV 50¢ or more.
The Looney Tunes panes with 10th stamp imperf and Legends of the West Error pane are valuable. 1998 Christmas Wreaths can be worth some money. There are other examples. Get a Scott Specialized Catalog (it can be a few years old, that's OK) and look for price spikes to see where to spend your time.

Lars

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Expanding your knowledge faster than your collection can save you a few bucks."

stamps.colp.info
Members Picture
BenFranklin1902

Tom in Exton, PA
31 Jan 2017
06:25:50am

re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

It seems to have gotten worse over time. Back when I was last collecting in the late 1970s, the original se-tenant commemoratives (the two space pairs, 10 Historic Flags, Beautification of America, Botanical Conference and Natural History and Anti-Pollution issues) were all perceived as having value. I have two Scott Minuteman albums originally assembled by teens in that era and both are missing those issues.

Today, I'm even finding those stamps in discount postage lots and received both space se-tenants on my mail recently. And the lots I've bought have been full of plate blocks too. Seems nothing has any value today at all.

So I'll pose the question.... does hinging even matter here? If I have one stamp or only a block of a certain issue and it has a hinge mark on it, I still put it in my collection. It can't be worth any less than it's perfectly mint brothers since nothing has any value. So why would I seek out a better copy?

And I'll pose another question. As I get tons of this material used on my incoming philatelic mail, how do collectors feel about postmarks outside of a stamp's era on stamps in their collection. As I go through my stock book I have many old stamps with cancels in that stamp's issue period. That's proper. But how do you feel about blocks of stamps with postmarks 20-30 years after the issue date?

As far as the stamps being worth squat, I don't really care. It's allowing me to build a complete collection of USA from the era I collected in my youth rather cheaply. Do I care if it's worth something in the future? Nope, I'm just enjoying looking at them!

Like
Login to Like
this post

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

31 Jan 2017
08:24:03am

re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

Image Not FoundI was really surprised when these arrived on a package the stamps were issued May 11,1949
and are postmarked Feb. 3,1999 where were they for 50 yearsSurprise

Like 
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
Members Picture
amsd

Editor, Seal News; contributor, JuicyHeads
31 Jan 2017
12:31:51pm

Auctions

re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

Tom,

for most collectors of mint US, they want MNH, so hingeing is probably a no-no IF you're gonna sell it. if it's for your collection and you don't care, then.....

for purists, an anachronistic cancel reduces the desirability of a stamp.

but I'd rather have an anachronistically cancelled stamp than no stamp

David

Like
Login to Like
this post

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

juicyheads.com/link. ...
Members Picture
joshtanski

31 Jan 2017
02:41:37pm

re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

Thanks all. Basically I am just just piling up all the hinged or faulty mint as I do not want myself, do not want to spend time IDing or organizing stamps I do not want. I am just saving all the hinged or disturbed gum stamps where Scott still values as hinged. It is kind of a shame, there are some nice stamps from the 1920s and airmails where they would be worth 2 or 3 times the price if MNH, the previous owner took the time to put them in mounts but many have some small gum disturbance as the previous owner must have wetted the mounts with the stamps in them. Sigh...

My next question is, what to do with the more modern hinged or faulty mint pile? I cannot really use for postage, too many low denominations (3 - 6 cent commems) to be efficient and I much prefer receiving very recent setenant forever stamps on my mail so that is what I use for mailing as well.

As far used stamps, I also prefer a contemporary cancel - to me a stamp soaked from a FDC is not collectible, and spray on cancels were started during the USA 37 cent rate time period, so a commem older than that with a spray on cancel is not desirable.

Thanks,
Josh

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
BenFranklin1902

Tom in Exton, PA
31 Jan 2017
07:59:35pm

re: USA Stamps 1938 or newer: Any better than discount postage if not MNH pristine gum?

Older stamps are victims of time and circumstance. Early on, there were no clear mounts so stamps got hinged... sometimes brutally with selvage or other draconian methods. I have stamps from the 1800s that had multiple hingings, no doubt as they were transferred from album to album and owner to owner in the last 150 years. And early stamps will occasionally have a pin hole as it was practice of early dealers to market their stamps by pinning them to a board.

Covers also got massacred. I don't understand where it was practice to just keep the fronts of covers.. that thickness of an envelope really mattered? Or when postmark collectors decided that a 2x4 cut square was the way to collect. Or worse, when I see the great fancy cancels like Vince displays, I think how spectacular the entire cover would be!

Like
Login to Like
this post

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

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