Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
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I feel like I have offered my good stuff here and prices well below commercial dealers and get very little attention. Maybe it is because I provide very accurate descriptions in my titles and sell primarily U.S. stamps. Perhaps my offerings are hidden from the search criteria that most buyers use. For example, I have been studying the Hot Items listings in the US category. I see stamps that are only described by early US and a scan getting far more attention than they deserve, based on my evaluation of their evident rarity. I am currently offering a certified unused copy of an 1869 pictorial. No views let alone bids. Go figure.
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Les, you sound let down. No need to be. Classic U.S. stuff is not necessarily collected by many, so the chances of having those who do catch your offerings may depend upon upon factors other than price(time of allowing the auction to run, other more pressing activities, timing of the placement if around holiday's-things like that.)
I'd personally encourage you to continue to list- I know I do from time to time and have had some sales every now and again. If you are selling from a business standpoint I can understand the frustration- I personally am selling from a collectors viewpoint only.
I wonder if it wouldn't be of value to you to consider the approval book approach-once made up it could remain for quite a long time and offer the folks who are into our area of collecting a longer time to discover it. Just saying!
All good thoughts,
Dan
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i didn't see it. has it been removed?
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Les,
I took a look and I'll have to say that I wouldn't bid on it.
To me, unused stamps (i.e., no gum/no cancellation) are neither fish nor fowl. It could have been used and not cancelled, or it could have been mint and had the gum removed, but there's no way to tell. It could have been used and had the cancellation removed — it happens.
Then there is the matter of the grill. A grill that has been "pressed out" and is, moreover, covered by a hinge remnant, isn't really a grill at all, not for me anyway.
And then there is the matter of attraction. Not to be shallow, but just as I'm attracted to some females and not others, I'm attracted to some copies of U.S. #113 and not to others. I'm not attracted to your copy. It's kinda dingy. Perfs are "OK" but the copy I have is a lot nicer: its perfs are perf-ect: the stamp looks like has just been carefully removed from the sheets, but it's clearly used, with a gorgeous segmented cork cancellation.
I'll have to question your asking price, too. In my experience, which is kinda sorta a lot, collectors are mostly tightwads who want a good deal, and most dealers think their stamps are worth a lot more than their actual street value. One of the biggest and continuing problems in my club's auctions is that members overprice their stamps and then complain when they don't get any bids. I rarely fail to sell stamps at the same auctions because I offer them at what are apparently reasonable prices, usually around 10% to 15% of catalogue value, a bit more for better material. And I'm often pleased when bidding goes far beyond my original asking price. Even tightwad collectors can't resist what they think is a bargain, especially if someone else is bidding against them.
(By the way, If you think that you should make a profit on your stamps, don’t. Stamps are a godawful investment. The return that collectors should expect on their investments is pure pleasure; being able to sell them at any price when you no longer want them is just the cherry on top. How many hobbies offer that kind of return?)
Some suggestions: soak the hinge off the stamp, provide even larger scanned images, and give potential buyers some background information. That entire set is fascinating — the “Tea Party†of the day suggested that the design of the stamp your are trying to sell did not show Paul Revere riding to warn that the English were coming, but John Wilkes Booth riding towards Washington to assassinate President Lincoln. Seriously! That’s one of the reasons that the set had a very short lifetime.
And here’s the biggie: Lower the price!
Bob
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Les,
Many years ago it was common place to remove the gum from early high value U.S stamps- thats why Scott list them with gum, w/o gum and used. Also the value given is only a guide line and not set in stone. There are many factors that can go into the price of any stamp but I believe that the most important for U.S. classic's at this time is centering and then eye appeal. I sold U.S Classics and W/F (Washington-Franklins) on the bay for many years and without a doubt the centering always brought the better money. Now with so many collectors using the PSE grading system and purchasing graded stamps centering and margins are more important than ever. If the stamp in question has perfs touching any part of the design, heavy cancel or any other small defects it will command only 10%-15% of Scott. i know this is not what most collectors want to here but it is where the hobby is now.
Ross
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Doesn’t gum cause stamp-collecting woe, though?Most of us seem to be affected by the “perfect-gum syndrome.†I’m currently looking for a MNH copy of Italy Scott #341, which shows a medic working on a wounded soldier (probably the first such stamp). I have a perfectly centred, clean copy, but it’s gumless — “unused†— and that bugs me! So far, I’ve been able to find only complete sets, which I don’t want.
There’s no question that cracking gum on classic stamps can actually destroy them; the rarest of them probably should all be soaked to remove gum, but that’s a step that most of us are loathe to take. Not that many of us have rare stamps!
Bob
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Sigh ! Bobstamp i fear you are correct...until recently i purchased stamps at club auction because they were a "steal"..but what to do with then ? The days of the worlds great stamp dealers is over...so now i buy what is pleasing to me and let the deals go..better late than never !
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Bob
The 113 was certified as unused by APS at my expense, because I bought it on eBay as a 124. I priced it at 75% of Scott graded value because it was certified.
Amsd
It is still there. Look at your hot items and tell me if they comply with your rules.
Ross,
At the present time, I have 5 used copies of 113 with perforations cutting the design. I class them as very good with a Scott value of $22.50. I have 1 fine used copy. The unused NG copy with a certificate was my best copy outside of my collection.
The point of my post was to point out that good stuff with accurate descriptions is ignored while stamps with only scans and no written description become hot items. I conducted an experiment, I placed four US 65s on the auction as early US with only the scan no descriptions priced at a penny. Each of them got more views than my meticulously described certified stamp from the same era.
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Les, ah, I misunderstood what you were describing. My bad.
as to the rules, i see no problem. you're talking about something else and using your 113 to illustrate it.
David
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Les, Although I do go through the U.S. Stamp section, I don't review it as much as the others. I see your stamps, description or not, but as a Topical Collector I purchase the stamp "for the picture."
It does me "no good" if the picture has heavy cancellation lines covering it, what would be the point, for me?
Also, I do not go out of my way to buy early U.S. stamps whether it's .01 or $20, they're just not the focus of my collection.
Just my point being, that Heavy cancellation stamps (at least to me) are of no value
Have a Great New Year...
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For mdroth:
You did not offend me, but you still misunderstood the description. The Scott Catalog value of $60 is for a very good copy of 112 taken from the graded values section on page 312 in the 2011 US Specialized catalogue. You also might note that an unused 124 No Gum in a very good condition is also priced at $60.
And for those of you who are presumptuous enough to repeatedly point out that Scott values are for very fine stamps only, Scott also values classic US stamps by grade (Very Good up to Superb) up to 834 in the US Specialized by grade. You also might note that the early Air Post, Postage Dues, Officials, Revenues, Newspaper, and others are included in this expanded section of the catalogue.
And your argument that it is somehow damaged because the grill is pressed out is unsound. The purpose of the grill was to allow the cancelling ink to soak in and prevent cleaning. Many of the grills in that issue were light and some stamps on the corners and edges missed being grilled altogether because of poor placement during the grilling process. The fact that the grill was light and pressed although barely detectable with no evidence of cancelling ink was probably the clue that established it as a genuine unused no gum stamp.
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Auctions
I saw this stamp on the Stamporama auction and had to have it...There are some collectors here who have the "good stuff" and are willing to share at a fair price. I have not had a bad experience buying here. A mans reputation is everything..at least what some of us oldtimers like to think !
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re: I got it on Stamporama !
I feel like I have offered my good stuff here and prices well below commercial dealers and get very little attention. Maybe it is because I provide very accurate descriptions in my titles and sell primarily U.S. stamps. Perhaps my offerings are hidden from the search criteria that most buyers use. For example, I have been studying the Hot Items listings in the US category. I see stamps that are only described by early US and a scan getting far more attention than they deserve, based on my evaluation of their evident rarity. I am currently offering a certified unused copy of an 1869 pictorial. No views let alone bids. Go figure.
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re: I got it on Stamporama !
Les, you sound let down. No need to be. Classic U.S. stuff is not necessarily collected by many, so the chances of having those who do catch your offerings may depend upon upon factors other than price(time of allowing the auction to run, other more pressing activities, timing of the placement if around holiday's-things like that.)
I'd personally encourage you to continue to list- I know I do from time to time and have had some sales every now and again. If you are selling from a business standpoint I can understand the frustration- I personally am selling from a collectors viewpoint only.
I wonder if it wouldn't be of value to you to consider the approval book approach-once made up it could remain for quite a long time and offer the folks who are into our area of collecting a longer time to discover it. Just saying!
All good thoughts,
Dan
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re: I got it on Stamporama !
i didn't see it. has it been removed?
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re: I got it on Stamporama !
Les,
I took a look and I'll have to say that I wouldn't bid on it.
To me, unused stamps (i.e., no gum/no cancellation) are neither fish nor fowl. It could have been used and not cancelled, or it could have been mint and had the gum removed, but there's no way to tell. It could have been used and had the cancellation removed — it happens.
Then there is the matter of the grill. A grill that has been "pressed out" and is, moreover, covered by a hinge remnant, isn't really a grill at all, not for me anyway.
And then there is the matter of attraction. Not to be shallow, but just as I'm attracted to some females and not others, I'm attracted to some copies of U.S. #113 and not to others. I'm not attracted to your copy. It's kinda dingy. Perfs are "OK" but the copy I have is a lot nicer: its perfs are perf-ect: the stamp looks like has just been carefully removed from the sheets, but it's clearly used, with a gorgeous segmented cork cancellation.
I'll have to question your asking price, too. In my experience, which is kinda sorta a lot, collectors are mostly tightwads who want a good deal, and most dealers think their stamps are worth a lot more than their actual street value. One of the biggest and continuing problems in my club's auctions is that members overprice their stamps and then complain when they don't get any bids. I rarely fail to sell stamps at the same auctions because I offer them at what are apparently reasonable prices, usually around 10% to 15% of catalogue value, a bit more for better material. And I'm often pleased when bidding goes far beyond my original asking price. Even tightwad collectors can't resist what they think is a bargain, especially if someone else is bidding against them.
(By the way, If you think that you should make a profit on your stamps, don’t. Stamps are a godawful investment. The return that collectors should expect on their investments is pure pleasure; being able to sell them at any price when you no longer want them is just the cherry on top. How many hobbies offer that kind of return?)
Some suggestions: soak the hinge off the stamp, provide even larger scanned images, and give potential buyers some background information. That entire set is fascinating — the “Tea Party†of the day suggested that the design of the stamp your are trying to sell did not show Paul Revere riding to warn that the English were coming, but John Wilkes Booth riding towards Washington to assassinate President Lincoln. Seriously! That’s one of the reasons that the set had a very short lifetime.
And here’s the biggie: Lower the price!
Bob
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To error is human -to really fowl things up takes a computer
02 Jan 2014
07:56:01pm
re: I got it on Stamporama !
Les,
Many years ago it was common place to remove the gum from early high value U.S stamps- thats why Scott list them with gum, w/o gum and used. Also the value given is only a guide line and not set in stone. There are many factors that can go into the price of any stamp but I believe that the most important for U.S. classic's at this time is centering and then eye appeal. I sold U.S Classics and W/F (Washington-Franklins) on the bay for many years and without a doubt the centering always brought the better money. Now with so many collectors using the PSE grading system and purchasing graded stamps centering and margins are more important than ever. If the stamp in question has perfs touching any part of the design, heavy cancel or any other small defects it will command only 10%-15% of Scott. i know this is not what most collectors want to here but it is where the hobby is now.
Ross
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re: I got it on Stamporama !
Doesn’t gum cause stamp-collecting woe, though?Most of us seem to be affected by the “perfect-gum syndrome.†I’m currently looking for a MNH copy of Italy Scott #341, which shows a medic working on a wounded soldier (probably the first such stamp). I have a perfectly centred, clean copy, but it’s gumless — “unused†— and that bugs me! So far, I’ve been able to find only complete sets, which I don’t want.
There’s no question that cracking gum on classic stamps can actually destroy them; the rarest of them probably should all be soaked to remove gum, but that’s a step that most of us are loathe to take. Not that many of us have rare stamps!
Bob
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Auctions
re: I got it on Stamporama !
Sigh ! Bobstamp i fear you are correct...until recently i purchased stamps at club auction because they were a "steal"..but what to do with then ? The days of the worlds great stamp dealers is over...so now i buy what is pleasing to me and let the deals go..better late than never !
Login to Like
this post
re: I got it on Stamporama !
Bob
The 113 was certified as unused by APS at my expense, because I bought it on eBay as a 124. I priced it at 75% of Scott graded value because it was certified.
Amsd
It is still there. Look at your hot items and tell me if they comply with your rules.
Ross,
At the present time, I have 5 used copies of 113 with perforations cutting the design. I class them as very good with a Scott value of $22.50. I have 1 fine used copy. The unused NG copy with a certificate was my best copy outside of my collection.
The point of my post was to point out that good stuff with accurate descriptions is ignored while stamps with only scans and no written description become hot items. I conducted an experiment, I placed four US 65s on the auction as early US with only the scan no descriptions priced at a penny. Each of them got more views than my meticulously described certified stamp from the same era.
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re: I got it on Stamporama !
Les, ah, I misunderstood what you were describing. My bad.
as to the rules, i see no problem. you're talking about something else and using your 113 to illustrate it.
David
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re: I got it on Stamporama !
Les, Although I do go through the U.S. Stamp section, I don't review it as much as the others. I see your stamps, description or not, but as a Topical Collector I purchase the stamp "for the picture."
It does me "no good" if the picture has heavy cancellation lines covering it, what would be the point, for me?
Also, I do not go out of my way to buy early U.S. stamps whether it's .01 or $20, they're just not the focus of my collection.
Just my point being, that Heavy cancellation stamps (at least to me) are of no value
Have a Great New Year...
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re: I got it on Stamporama !
For mdroth:
You did not offend me, but you still misunderstood the description. The Scott Catalog value of $60 is for a very good copy of 112 taken from the graded values section on page 312 in the 2011 US Specialized catalogue. You also might note that an unused 124 No Gum in a very good condition is also priced at $60.
And for those of you who are presumptuous enough to repeatedly point out that Scott values are for very fine stamps only, Scott also values classic US stamps by grade (Very Good up to Superb) up to 834 in the US Specialized by grade. You also might note that the early Air Post, Postage Dues, Officials, Revenues, Newspaper, and others are included in this expanded section of the catalogue.
And your argument that it is somehow damaged because the grill is pressed out is unsound. The purpose of the grill was to allow the cancelling ink to soak in and prevent cleaning. Many of the grills in that issue were light and some stamps on the corners and edges missed being grilled altogether because of poor placement during the grilling process. The fact that the grill was light and pressed although barely detectable with no evidence of cancelling ink was probably the clue that established it as a genuine unused no gum stamp.
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