Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Where do you set the limit when considering to keep or trash? Are damaged rare stamps worth anything? I know some collect certain cancellations, do you buy damaged stamps if the cancellation is nice?
Thanks for any advice :-)
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Severely damaged stamps (called space fillers) are generally worth 5% to 10% of catalog value. Such stamps that catalog less than $1 are generally not worth keeping. However, if you have an empty space in your album, keeping a space filler in the space can look better than an empty space. Keep the space filler until you can obtain a good example of the stamp.
Rare stamps that are damaged will command a higher percentage of catalog value just because they are rare and obtaining a sound example of the stamp is often cost prohibitive.
Stamps with minor damage are generally worth a little bit more, but not that much more. Again, stamps cataloging less than $1 and have damage are worth next to nothing, but can be used as space fillers until a better one comes along.
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Thank you :-)
This is very helpful for me in my sorting. I might keep some damaged common ones as space filler as you recommended, and maybe try to use the rest in mixed-media art projects :-) And keep those who might have some value even if they have minor damage.
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I keep a few damaged stamps because they give me a good idea of the colour varieties. I find the Stanley Gibbons key falls short of the number of colours they quote in their catalogue.
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Instead of throwing away damaged stamps, use them for artwork. You can give them to your kids, grand kids or other deserving tykes to create beautiful things like my pencil can!
I actually made this myself, back when most of the stamps on it were new and I was maybe 14. My uncle worked for a large public utility and he'd bring me huge boxes of used envelopes, from people mailing in their bills. They were opened mechanically at the top, so a lot of the stamps got the top perfs sliced off. So those got immortalized in my art.
This one was on my desk at work for many years, and now that I work from home, it sits on my desk in my office here.
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there are some good ideas here: use them in color studies; perhaps they might be useful in cancel studies; or for those who save SON cancels with birthdays, etc.
for those that don't find a home or purpose, rather than throwing them out, please send them to the Holocaust project:
Holocaust Stamp Project
Foxborough Regional Charter School
131 Central Street, Foxboro, MA 02035
jdroste@foxboroughrcs.org
They are midway through a multi-year project where they study and honor the victims of the Nazis and their cohorts.
David
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Thanks for the ideas and advice :-)
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Any group that promotes stamp collecting for young children is a great place to pass on your extras as well. Kids are very tactile. Even more than us OCD-graced experienced collectors, most kids love nothing more than to play with their stamps and rearrange them according to the whim of the day. Better they do it with a 1990's commemorative than a Columbian Exposition set... The more you can do to get children into the hobby, the better the hobby will be.
As far as my own kids go, my daughter has an interest in stamps, but she hasn't found her niche yet. She's hit and miss - loves kitty cats and cute animals. My son (handsomely portrayed in my profile picture because everyone calls him my Mini-Me, though he is much more handsome), is crazy about trains and collecting (Pokémon, Minecraft toys, rocks and minerals). I'm slowly trying to brainwash him into stamp collecting by having him experiment with postcards of trains; and then showing him some of my own railway stamps and peripherals (cancellations, Royal Train covers from 1937, etc.) to whet his appetite for a point in time when he's more ready to explore.
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I suppose this question fits in here.
I am thinking of starting a collection of topical stamps relating to Astrononmy. I have seen these two advertised as mint but as you can see there is hinge damage to one of them.
The price is $25 US (£17 UK), basically are they worth it (Cyrenaica Air Mail 1933, Sc#C18-C19, North Atlantic Crossing)
Cheers
Baz
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there are two parts to your question. I can't answer the "worth" part but I can answer the damage part.
the backing on the right is not damaged; the one on the left might be. I can't tell if that ink from another stamp or a thin. If it's a thin, it's damaged; if ink from another source, I wouldn't call it damaged.
Neither stamp is "mint," however. One might call them Mint Hinged (I hate that term) or, better yet, "unused, original gum, with hinge remnants; one stamp has thin on reverse (or one stamp has gum disturbance: ink).
additionally, the centering is merely OK, with both stamps barely qualifying for F/VF
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Thanks Guys. 
PS
If anyone finds a better looking set for the same sort of price please let me know.
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I think you made the right decision. If you buy a stamp despite your doubts and questions, you'll probably never really appreciate having it.
Bob
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Guys, just received this back from the seller of these stamps in answer to my questions:
" Thank you for your interest. The U.S. philatelic community generally refers to uncancelled stamps as 'mint'. It may be further defined as 'mint hinged (MH)' or 'mint never hinged (MNH)'. Perhaps it would have been clearer if the description had read 'MH'. However, the item description notes 'Hinge marks' to clarify that it is 'mint hinged'.
In answer to your question regarding thinning, there is no thin on either stamp. If you are in any doubt as to the condition of either stamp, we urge you NOT to purchase the set. You need to purchase with confidence, and we do not want to have an unhappy buyer."
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Bookmark that seller!
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Barry,
I introduced the possibility of a thin becuase I can't really see the stamp nor hold it to the light. If no thin, then they are MH with gum disturbance.
Nigel's pricing suggests that these are in the ball park of what you should pay for a set similar to these.
David
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David, I was thinking exactly the same as you . It did look like it could have been a thin.
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The word "mint" can be very deceiving, in some places it may mean unused yet hinged, and in other places it may mean unused and unhinged. That is why many dealers in Australia now use "mint unhinged" as an official entry of condition to a stamp that is not damaged by a hinge.
tele1962, the hinge from the green stamp badly thinned out the paper, the price tag in my opinion is not worth it.
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Most stamps in good condition can be had for 20-30% of catalog, if you are looking in the right places. The key is to have patience. If I were selling them they would be priced at $12.50. I rarely ever pay more than 30% for a stamp. And in most cases I find what I want for under 15%. The higher percentage you pay means you will have less stamps for your money. It also means you are likely to loose money when you sell.
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It takes all kinds! These were part of a 1950s mostly mint Liberia collection I bought in the 1980s. The collection included the complete set perforated and imperf, but these two and the 20c stamp were cut in half and then "repaired" with large glassine hinges. Overall it was a very nice collection—and then there were these three gems, er, space fillers!
I'm still trying to decide what to do with them. I'm afraid if I add them to the pile of stamps at the local club for the kids to rummage through, the pieces will get separated again. Permanently this time.
Tom
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Hi keesindy,
Bin 'em... They are going to deteriorate over time anyway.....
Steve.
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"The collection included the complete set perforated and imperf, but these two and the 20c stamp were cut in half and then "repaired" with large glassine hinges. Overall it was a very nice collection—and then there were these three gems, er, space fillers!
I'm still trying to decide what to do with them. I'm afraid if I add them to the pile of stamps at the local club for the kids to rummage through, the pieces will get separated again. Permanently this time."
When stamps are cut in two they become valueless, you can either keep them as a space filler; give them to the first kid you pass at the local club; turn them into a spit ball or bin them.
The choice is all yours.
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"When stamps are cut in two they become valueless"
I couldn't agree less. As a space filler they have value, albeit tiny. To a kid who enjoys them they have value. Even as a spitball they'd have some value if you had no other scraps of paper around.
Perhaps they'd have the most value to a crafter. Their value may be small, but they are not valueless.
As to the original question, if you put them in the kids' pile and they later become separated, it would be no big loss to anyone anyway. If you feel the need to play caretaker to them (a roll I understand well), just ask some kids or crafters at your next club meeting, or put 'em in a glassine marked "FREE" and see how long they stay on the auction table.
Chris
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08:05:45pm
Absolutely, Chris!
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I am digging up my stamps again, and considering what to keep and what to throw away. When I started with stamps I would soak everything and they look kinda alright after drying them. But now when considering to trade or sell stamps, I see many of the stamps that I once thought look OK are not worthy of trading.
Where do you set the limit when considering to keep or trash? Are damaged rare stamps worth anything? I know some collect certain cancellations, do you buy damaged stamps if the cancellation is nice?
Thanks for any advice :-)
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08:52:32am
re: Damaged stamps
Severely damaged stamps (called space fillers) are generally worth 5% to 10% of catalog value. Such stamps that catalog less than $1 are generally not worth keeping. However, if you have an empty space in your album, keeping a space filler in the space can look better than an empty space. Keep the space filler until you can obtain a good example of the stamp.
Rare stamps that are damaged will command a higher percentage of catalog value just because they are rare and obtaining a sound example of the stamp is often cost prohibitive.
Stamps with minor damage are generally worth a little bit more, but not that much more. Again, stamps cataloging less than $1 and have damage are worth next to nothing, but can be used as space fillers until a better one comes along.
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re: Damaged stamps
Thank you :-)
This is very helpful for me in my sorting. I might keep some damaged common ones as space filler as you recommended, and maybe try to use the rest in mixed-media art projects :-) And keep those who might have some value even if they have minor damage.
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01:57:30pm
re: Damaged stamps
I keep a few damaged stamps because they give me a good idea of the colour varieties. I find the Stanley Gibbons key falls short of the number of colours they quote in their catalogue.
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re: Damaged stamps
Instead of throwing away damaged stamps, use them for artwork. You can give them to your kids, grand kids or other deserving tykes to create beautiful things like my pencil can!
I actually made this myself, back when most of the stamps on it were new and I was maybe 14. My uncle worked for a large public utility and he'd bring me huge boxes of used envelopes, from people mailing in their bills. They were opened mechanically at the top, so a lot of the stamps got the top perfs sliced off. So those got immortalized in my art.
This one was on my desk at work for many years, and now that I work from home, it sits on my desk in my office here.
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re: Damaged stamps
there are some good ideas here: use them in color studies; perhaps they might be useful in cancel studies; or for those who save SON cancels with birthdays, etc.
for those that don't find a home or purpose, rather than throwing them out, please send them to the Holocaust project:
Holocaust Stamp Project
Foxborough Regional Charter School
131 Central Street, Foxboro, MA 02035
jdroste@foxboroughrcs.org
They are midway through a multi-year project where they study and honor the victims of the Nazis and their cohorts.
David
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re: Damaged stamps
Thanks for the ideas and advice :-)
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re: Damaged stamps
Any group that promotes stamp collecting for young children is a great place to pass on your extras as well. Kids are very tactile. Even more than us OCD-graced experienced collectors, most kids love nothing more than to play with their stamps and rearrange them according to the whim of the day. Better they do it with a 1990's commemorative than a Columbian Exposition set... The more you can do to get children into the hobby, the better the hobby will be.
As far as my own kids go, my daughter has an interest in stamps, but she hasn't found her niche yet. She's hit and miss - loves kitty cats and cute animals. My son (handsomely portrayed in my profile picture because everyone calls him my Mini-Me, though he is much more handsome), is crazy about trains and collecting (Pokémon, Minecraft toys, rocks and minerals). I'm slowly trying to brainwash him into stamp collecting by having him experiment with postcards of trains; and then showing him some of my own railway stamps and peripherals (cancellations, Royal Train covers from 1937, etc.) to whet his appetite for a point in time when he's more ready to explore.
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re: Damaged stamps
I suppose this question fits in here.
I am thinking of starting a collection of topical stamps relating to Astrononmy. I have seen these two advertised as mint but as you can see there is hinge damage to one of them.
The price is $25 US (£17 UK), basically are they worth it (Cyrenaica Air Mail 1933, Sc#C18-C19, North Atlantic Crossing)
Cheers
Baz.
Login to Like
this post
re: Damaged stamps
there are two parts to your question. I can't answer the "worth" part but I can answer the damage part.
the backing on the right is not damaged; the one on the left might be. I can't tell if that ink from another stamp or a thin. If it's a thin, it's damaged; if ink from another source, I wouldn't call it damaged.
Neither stamp is "mint," however. One might call them Mint Hinged (I hate that term) or, better yet, "unused, original gum, with hinge remnants; one stamp has thin on reverse (or one stamp has gum disturbance: ink).
additionally, the centering is merely OK, with both stamps barely qualifying for F/VF
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re: Damaged stamps
Thanks Guys.
PS
If anyone finds a better looking set for the same sort of price please let me know.
Login to Like
this post
re: Damaged stamps
I think you made the right decision. If you buy a stamp despite your doubts and questions, you'll probably never really appreciate having it.
Bob
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re: Damaged stamps
Guys, just received this back from the seller of these stamps in answer to my questions:
" Thank you for your interest. The U.S. philatelic community generally refers to uncancelled stamps as 'mint'. It may be further defined as 'mint hinged (MH)' or 'mint never hinged (MNH)'. Perhaps it would have been clearer if the description had read 'MH'. However, the item description notes 'Hinge marks' to clarify that it is 'mint hinged'.
In answer to your question regarding thinning, there is no thin on either stamp. If you are in any doubt as to the condition of either stamp, we urge you NOT to purchase the set. You need to purchase with confidence, and we do not want to have an unhappy buyer."
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06:55:28pm
re: Damaged stamps
Bookmark that seller!
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re: Damaged stamps
Barry,
I introduced the possibility of a thin becuase I can't really see the stamp nor hold it to the light. If no thin, then they are MH with gum disturbance.
Nigel's pricing suggests that these are in the ball park of what you should pay for a set similar to these.
David
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re: Damaged stamps
David, I was thinking exactly the same as you . It did look like it could have been a thin.
1 Member
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re: Damaged stamps
The word "mint" can be very deceiving, in some places it may mean unused yet hinged, and in other places it may mean unused and unhinged. That is why many dealers in Australia now use "mint unhinged" as an official entry of condition to a stamp that is not damaged by a hinge.
tele1962, the hinge from the green stamp badly thinned out the paper, the price tag in my opinion is not worth it.
Login to Like
this post
re: Damaged stamps
Most stamps in good condition can be had for 20-30% of catalog, if you are looking in the right places. The key is to have patience. If I were selling them they would be priced at $12.50. I rarely ever pay more than 30% for a stamp. And in most cases I find what I want for under 15%. The higher percentage you pay means you will have less stamps for your money. It also means you are likely to loose money when you sell.
Login to Like
this post
re: Damaged stamps
It takes all kinds! These were part of a 1950s mostly mint Liberia collection I bought in the 1980s. The collection included the complete set perforated and imperf, but these two and the 20c stamp were cut in half and then "repaired" with large glassine hinges. Overall it was a very nice collection—and then there were these three gems, er, space fillers!
I'm still trying to decide what to do with them. I'm afraid if I add them to the pile of stamps at the local club for the kids to rummage through, the pieces will get separated again. Permanently this time.
Tom
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this post
re: Damaged stamps
Hi keesindy,
Bin 'em... They are going to deteriorate over time anyway.....
Steve.
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this post
re: Damaged stamps
"The collection included the complete set perforated and imperf, but these two and the 20c stamp were cut in half and then "repaired" with large glassine hinges. Overall it was a very nice collection—and then there were these three gems, er, space fillers!
I'm still trying to decide what to do with them. I'm afraid if I add them to the pile of stamps at the local club for the kids to rummage through, the pieces will get separated again. Permanently this time."
When stamps are cut in two they become valueless, you can either keep them as a space filler; give them to the first kid you pass at the local club; turn them into a spit ball or bin them.
The choice is all yours.
Login to Like
this post
re: Damaged stamps
"When stamps are cut in two they become valueless"
I couldn't agree less. As a space filler they have value, albeit tiny. To a kid who enjoys them they have value. Even as a spitball they'd have some value if you had no other scraps of paper around.
Perhaps they'd have the most value to a crafter. Their value may be small, but they are not valueless.
As to the original question, if you put them in the kids' pile and they later become separated, it would be no big loss to anyone anyway. If you feel the need to play caretaker to them (a roll I understand well), just ask some kids or crafters at your next club meeting, or put 'em in a glassine marked "FREE" and see how long they stay on the auction table.
Chris
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
06 Sep 2015
08:05:45pm
re: Damaged stamps
Absolutely, Chris!
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