I have sent you a small document attachment to your regular email. That should help you.
Michael
Brookman is not a good source; it tends to over value stamps far more than Scott does.
If you're thinking of selling here, 20% of catalogue value is a decent starting place for most stamps. Some common stamps aren't worth that, given Scott's minimum is 25c. And I would use Scott, since you're selling to a mostly north american audience.
if you have more questions, ask.
That's been my question since I've gotten involved with general USA in the past year. Over the last 35 years, I have been collecting unique items, covers and private perforations on my 1902 Ben Franklin stamp so I had no use for catalogs.
Now, I'm pursuing a USA collection and I'm finding that catalog values are way out of whack. It's like Scott and Linn's refuse to admit that the market is in the toilet, and prices are a small percent of what they were decades ago.
I have found that MOST USA from the late 1930s to date are pretty much worth face value, if that. I've been filling in my holes by buying lots at a percentage OFF face. And those lots include plate blocks.
I've been buying 19th Century / early 20th Century commemoratives for 10-20% of Scott. Not space fillers, but nicely centered, lightly hinged mint stamps. I won't buy poorly centered or damaged dogs. Definitives sell for less than commemoratives, so now I'm working on 19th Century definitives.
The stamps that pull more value are the popular ones like Scott USA 1, Columbians and Zeppelins.
How do I feel about this? I'm actually happy. I am not building this USA collection as an investment, more of a Bucket List item from my youth. I'm happy I can do this at a low cost. And I just want to have it all in my album so I can leaf through and enjoy it.
Part of the confusion started when Scott stated that their pricing was based on VF, rather than FVF.
My own findings after going through vast old hoards of stamps over the past 35 years is that less than 1 percent of what is out there is really VF (centering, freshness, color, light face free cancel etc.). Many stamps achieve 2 or 3 of these criteria, few achieve all 4.
Stamps that meet all 4 criteria generally sell at or above catalog. I sold a VFXF Whire Plains sheet to a dealer a few years back at 150 per cent of Scott - it was the best one either of us had ever seen.
Stamps that meet 3 of these criteria and are often described as VF are worth maybe 50 per cent of catalog.
Stamps that meet 2 of these criteria (nice stamps usually called FVF) generally sell at 20 to 25 per cent and stamps with minor defects at 10 per cent or so. Space fillers generally net 2 to 3 per cent if you can find a buyer.
BenFranklin1902: it was halfway back to 1902 when I first heard the complaints about Scott Catalog prices, and the answer has always been that is the onesy-twosy price from a gotta-pay-the-rent dealer for a really nice copy of that stamp.
Anybody who wants to sell modern stamps, one at a time, for a fraction of Scott is welcome to do so ... but don't quit your day job.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
I still find Scott prices useful when CV is more than $5 or so (less than that face value is a better guide for mint stamps). For items that catalog over $5 and less than $1000 I know what percentage I am likely to pay for most items based on my personal criteria for what I will accept (10% to 20% of SCV). There are, of course exceptions. Good luck finding a legitimate 350 or 351 coil for 15% of CV! Ditto for 315 imperf. If the margins are big enough to not be a trimmed 304, 30% of CV is a bargain. Once you get to a SCV of over $1000 the rarity issue kicks in on key items like $5 Columbus (245). Even a space filler commands a hefty price. At the very high-end ($10,000+) there aren't that many stamps out there. I'm certainly not expecting a "space filler" C3a (Inverted Jenny) to show up that I can buy for 5% of CV!
Lars
Besides using Scott catalog (as a benchmark) you could research completed sales (auctions, Ebay, etc.) or current offering prices for the more valuable items. Current offerings you can find at online auction venues (e.g., Ebay), APS store, and even in Lynn's magazine advertisements.
Indeed! For more valuable items I tend to follow online sales for a few months before establishing my personal value (what I'm willing to pay).
How do you search auctions that have ended on ebay? How far back does it go?
When you do a search, and the results come up , look at the menu at the left. Look for the check box "completed listings", or alternatively only "Sold Listings" (eliminating closed, but unsold lots).
About 3 months.
Roy
"or alternatively only "Sold Listings" (eliminating closed, but unsold lots)."
Thanks everyone. All of you helped. Thank You
Orley
Many of the collectables markets are depressed right now. People are not spending money.
"Many of the collectables markets are depressed right now. People are not spending money."
what is the best method of pricing US stamps? I use Brookman as a starting point.
What do you use to give a stamp a price that comes close to what it is worth?
Orley Swoveland
re: pricing of stamps
I have sent you a small document attachment to your regular email. That should help you.
Michael
re: pricing of stamps
Brookman is not a good source; it tends to over value stamps far more than Scott does.
If you're thinking of selling here, 20% of catalogue value is a decent starting place for most stamps. Some common stamps aren't worth that, given Scott's minimum is 25c. And I would use Scott, since you're selling to a mostly north american audience.
if you have more questions, ask.
re: pricing of stamps
That's been my question since I've gotten involved with general USA in the past year. Over the last 35 years, I have been collecting unique items, covers and private perforations on my 1902 Ben Franklin stamp so I had no use for catalogs.
Now, I'm pursuing a USA collection and I'm finding that catalog values are way out of whack. It's like Scott and Linn's refuse to admit that the market is in the toilet, and prices are a small percent of what they were decades ago.
I have found that MOST USA from the late 1930s to date are pretty much worth face value, if that. I've been filling in my holes by buying lots at a percentage OFF face. And those lots include plate blocks.
I've been buying 19th Century / early 20th Century commemoratives for 10-20% of Scott. Not space fillers, but nicely centered, lightly hinged mint stamps. I won't buy poorly centered or damaged dogs. Definitives sell for less than commemoratives, so now I'm working on 19th Century definitives.
The stamps that pull more value are the popular ones like Scott USA 1, Columbians and Zeppelins.
How do I feel about this? I'm actually happy. I am not building this USA collection as an investment, more of a Bucket List item from my youth. I'm happy I can do this at a low cost. And I just want to have it all in my album so I can leaf through and enjoy it.
re: pricing of stamps
Part of the confusion started when Scott stated that their pricing was based on VF, rather than FVF.
My own findings after going through vast old hoards of stamps over the past 35 years is that less than 1 percent of what is out there is really VF (centering, freshness, color, light face free cancel etc.). Many stamps achieve 2 or 3 of these criteria, few achieve all 4.
Stamps that meet all 4 criteria generally sell at or above catalog. I sold a VFXF Whire Plains sheet to a dealer a few years back at 150 per cent of Scott - it was the best one either of us had ever seen.
Stamps that meet 3 of these criteria and are often described as VF are worth maybe 50 per cent of catalog.
Stamps that meet 2 of these criteria (nice stamps usually called FVF) generally sell at 20 to 25 per cent and stamps with minor defects at 10 per cent or so. Space fillers generally net 2 to 3 per cent if you can find a buyer.
re: pricing of stamps
BenFranklin1902: it was halfway back to 1902 when I first heard the complaints about Scott Catalog prices, and the answer has always been that is the onesy-twosy price from a gotta-pay-the-rent dealer for a really nice copy of that stamp.
Anybody who wants to sell modern stamps, one at a time, for a fraction of Scott is welcome to do so ... but don't quit your day job.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
re: pricing of stamps
I still find Scott prices useful when CV is more than $5 or so (less than that face value is a better guide for mint stamps). For items that catalog over $5 and less than $1000 I know what percentage I am likely to pay for most items based on my personal criteria for what I will accept (10% to 20% of SCV). There are, of course exceptions. Good luck finding a legitimate 350 or 351 coil for 15% of CV! Ditto for 315 imperf. If the margins are big enough to not be a trimmed 304, 30% of CV is a bargain. Once you get to a SCV of over $1000 the rarity issue kicks in on key items like $5 Columbus (245). Even a space filler commands a hefty price. At the very high-end ($10,000+) there aren't that many stamps out there. I'm certainly not expecting a "space filler" C3a (Inverted Jenny) to show up that I can buy for 5% of CV!
Lars
re: pricing of stamps
Besides using Scott catalog (as a benchmark) you could research completed sales (auctions, Ebay, etc.) or current offering prices for the more valuable items. Current offerings you can find at online auction venues (e.g., Ebay), APS store, and even in Lynn's magazine advertisements.
re: pricing of stamps
Indeed! For more valuable items I tend to follow online sales for a few months before establishing my personal value (what I'm willing to pay).
re: pricing of stamps
How do you search auctions that have ended on ebay? How far back does it go?
re: pricing of stamps
When you do a search, and the results come up , look at the menu at the left. Look for the check box "completed listings", or alternatively only "Sold Listings" (eliminating closed, but unsold lots).
About 3 months.
Roy
re: pricing of stamps
"or alternatively only "Sold Listings" (eliminating closed, but unsold lots)."
re: pricing of stamps
Thanks everyone. All of you helped. Thank You
Orley
re: pricing of stamps
Many of the collectables markets are depressed right now. People are not spending money.
re: pricing of stamps
"Many of the collectables markets are depressed right now. People are not spending money."