Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
"B5. Stamps with defects must be identified by entering the word "Damaged" in the description. (See also Auction Rule C8a.)"
Does this mean that we no longer have to indicate missing perfs, bent perfs, perfs that are smaller than others but can't be seen unless you blow the image up bu 1000% etc etc with specific notations but the word damaged will do? (I use a (D) next to the catalog number and mention the meaning below the line.
As far as sales, these stamps get sold, at least for me. We are not talking about a MNH $5 Columbian here but rather in many cases a 5 or 10 cent stamp. I don't intentionally list them but once in a while one slips through. If I need 100 and have no others though they are left in.
Greg
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"Does this mean that we no longer have to indicate missing perfs, bent perfs, perfs that are smaller than others but can't be seen unless you blow the image up bu 1000% etc etc with specific notations but the word damaged will do? "
As relates to approval books only, that is correct. You also do not have to specifically mention any other type of damage unless you want to.
"I use a (D) next to the catalog number and mention the meaning below the line."
That is fine. Some people write "damaged" on the sheets where the stamps are mounted. Some are using arrows to draw attention to the damage on a stamp, and also noting "damaged" in the description. The idea is to alert a potential buyer that a stamp is defective. The buyer can then determine whether or not to buy the damaged stamp.
Remember that this applies to approval books, not the auctions.
Greg, I agree that low-valued stamps with minor defects do sell. However, we had a plethora of low-valued stamps with major damage, such as stamps that looked like they had coffee spilled all over them, stamps torn in half, stamps with large chunks missing from them, stamps with perfs trimmed off on one or more sides. Those are trash, and aren't going to be big sellers. They also reflect poorly on the seller and the site.
Now, I am noticing, and have been told by a few sellers as well, that some people are no longer selling damaged stamps. Defects that I find in approval books (and I review all new books) are not so much of the major variety, but are now mostly smaller in nature. Most sellers are complying with the rule since it was implemented, a few are not, and even fewer don't seem to know what is considered to be a defect.
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I have always thought this whole thing unnecessary. Are there actually members who would NOT take back a stamp that the buyer found fault with? If so than you are right. This is nothing like Ebay,Bidstart or Delcampe. There you HAVE to take it back if it is misdescribed. No excuses. No discussion.
Greg
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The same here as well, but I think one of the big differences here is that we will get collectors who have never sold before, and don't want to get involved with the "big" sales sites. They go through a learning process here, especially with the approval books. Some move to one or more of the other sites, but they cut their teeth here.
You are one of the several seasoned sellers/dealers here. I think many novices look to you and the others to see how you handle your auctions and approvals. They learn from observing, thus gaining confidence in their sales activities.
All sites have their rules that show how site management wants business conducted. Not all sites have the same rules. Most are similar however. For example, HipStamp doesn't permit counterfeit and forged stamps to be sold on its site. We do, with conditions.
Regardless of which site one is on, one must learn the system.
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"You are one of the several seasoned sellers/dealers here..."
Michael###s is right-on here. Greg/"soundcrest" is very reliable and amenable to "make it right, no matter what" which is why he is a preferred seller when I am buying.
And the comments about damaged stamps being described as such (acknowledging them when listing), or sometimes slipping through due-diligence, are also relevant. Michael recently saw a few of mine that I had missed (and I was glad he informed me). I also (despite being "ruthless" lately) noticed a few more as I was preparing my month-end invoices/mailings.
Easy to deal with. Send them to the buyer but note the defects you found and deduct the purchase price - adding a few "sorry I missed these" extras to make it up (an equivalent stamp if possible).
We are an incredibly honorable community looking out for each other 99.9% of the time. And for the small amount of money any of us generate here, is it worth risking bad karma to stretch poor sales practices?
I sold about $100 of stamps in March (10% of which will go to the Holocaust Stamps Project Canada, and 100% of the remainder which will go to buying stamps from other members). I figure I spent at least 40 hours of time on it. At my normal billing rate to clients my dollar-return-on-time was reduced by about 98%. Like many of us, I'd rather take nothing than take unnecessary aggro!!!
And before I forget, Passover and Easter are both upon us starting tomorrow. I hope everyone will have time to celebrate with family, remember our fleeting mortality, and truly consider how blessed we are to live and enjoy each others company.
Dave.
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12:57:53am
" ... and even fewer don't seem to know what is considered to be a defect. ..."
Just as I have long suspected.
In a similar vein, unless the stamp is rarely seen and sold,
a really smushed cancel ought be priced at a give away price,
if at all.
Now I have been stamping long enough to know that the condition
of the cancellation is a matter of opimiom, possibly conjecture.
But a lot, at least a significant number of offerings
have no place being offered at the starting prices that I see at times.
Of course, I can use my magic fingers and skip
what fails to meet my exacting standards, but I strongly suspect
that some sellers simply have little idea as to what is attractive,
enough to sell, or not.
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There are times when even the most experienced seller(s) can make a "pricing" error.
The difficulty sellers have is "What is a Fair Price" for an item, never mind condition.
Is it 50% of catalogue value or 5% of catalogue value???
Of course that is entirely in the eye of the Beholder/Buyer.
How can any seller price an item that satisfies all Beholders??
The answer is simple.....HE CANNOT!!!!
The Seller can only name his price, the Buyer can either buy or not.
Please remember that sellers may not have the same expertise as buyers!!!
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Approvals
There was no way to reply to this and I have a question:
"B5. Stamps with defects must be identified by entering the word "Damaged" in the description. (See also Auction Rule C8a.)"
Does this mean that we no longer have to indicate missing perfs, bent perfs, perfs that are smaller than others but can't be seen unless you blow the image up bu 1000% etc etc with specific notations but the word damaged will do? (I use a (D) next to the catalog number and mention the meaning below the line.
As far as sales, these stamps get sold, at least for me. We are not talking about a MNH $5 Columbian here but rather in many cases a 5 or 10 cent stamp. I don't intentionally list them but once in a while one slips through. If I need 100 and have no others though they are left in.
Greg
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12:26:08pm
re: Minor Change to Approval Books - Reply
"Does this mean that we no longer have to indicate missing perfs, bent perfs, perfs that are smaller than others but can't be seen unless you blow the image up bu 1000% etc etc with specific notations but the word damaged will do? "
As relates to approval books only, that is correct. You also do not have to specifically mention any other type of damage unless you want to.
"I use a (D) next to the catalog number and mention the meaning below the line."
That is fine. Some people write "damaged" on the sheets where the stamps are mounted. Some are using arrows to draw attention to the damage on a stamp, and also noting "damaged" in the description. The idea is to alert a potential buyer that a stamp is defective. The buyer can then determine whether or not to buy the damaged stamp.
Remember that this applies to approval books, not the auctions.
Greg, I agree that low-valued stamps with minor defects do sell. However, we had a plethora of low-valued stamps with major damage, such as stamps that looked like they had coffee spilled all over them, stamps torn in half, stamps with large chunks missing from them, stamps with perfs trimmed off on one or more sides. Those are trash, and aren't going to be big sellers. They also reflect poorly on the seller and the site.
Now, I am noticing, and have been told by a few sellers as well, that some people are no longer selling damaged stamps. Defects that I find in approval books (and I review all new books) are not so much of the major variety, but are now mostly smaller in nature. Most sellers are complying with the rule since it was implemented, a few are not, and even fewer don't seem to know what is considered to be a defect.
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Approvals
re: Minor Change to Approval Books - Reply
I have always thought this whole thing unnecessary. Are there actually members who would NOT take back a stamp that the buyer found fault with? If so than you are right. This is nothing like Ebay,Bidstart or Delcampe. There you HAVE to take it back if it is misdescribed. No excuses. No discussion.
Greg
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01:01:23pm
re: Minor Change to Approval Books - Reply
The same here as well, but I think one of the big differences here is that we will get collectors who have never sold before, and don't want to get involved with the "big" sales sites. They go through a learning process here, especially with the approval books. Some move to one or more of the other sites, but they cut their teeth here.
You are one of the several seasoned sellers/dealers here. I think many novices look to you and the others to see how you handle your auctions and approvals. They learn from observing, thus gaining confidence in their sales activities.
All sites have their rules that show how site management wants business conducted. Not all sites have the same rules. Most are similar however. For example, HipStamp doesn't permit counterfeit and forged stamps to be sold on its site. We do, with conditions.
Regardless of which site one is on, one must learn the system.
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re: Minor Change to Approval Books - Reply
"You are one of the several seasoned sellers/dealers here..."
Michael###s is right-on here. Greg/"soundcrest" is very reliable and amenable to "make it right, no matter what" which is why he is a preferred seller when I am buying.
And the comments about damaged stamps being described as such (acknowledging them when listing), or sometimes slipping through due-diligence, are also relevant. Michael recently saw a few of mine that I had missed (and I was glad he informed me). I also (despite being "ruthless" lately) noticed a few more as I was preparing my month-end invoices/mailings.
Easy to deal with. Send them to the buyer but note the defects you found and deduct the purchase price - adding a few "sorry I missed these" extras to make it up (an equivalent stamp if possible).
We are an incredibly honorable community looking out for each other 99.9% of the time. And for the small amount of money any of us generate here, is it worth risking bad karma to stretch poor sales practices?
I sold about $100 of stamps in March (10% of which will go to the Holocaust Stamps Project Canada, and 100% of the remainder which will go to buying stamps from other members). I figure I spent at least 40 hours of time on it. At my normal billing rate to clients my dollar-return-on-time was reduced by about 98%. Like many of us, I'd rather take nothing than take unnecessary aggro!!!
And before I forget, Passover and Easter are both upon us starting tomorrow. I hope everyone will have time to celebrate with family, remember our fleeting mortality, and truly consider how blessed we are to live and enjoy each others company.
Dave.
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
02 Apr 2018
12:57:53am
re: Minor Change to Approval Books - Reply
" ... and even fewer don't seem to know what is considered to be a defect. ..."
Just as I have long suspected.
In a similar vein, unless the stamp is rarely seen and sold,
a really smushed cancel ought be priced at a give away price,
if at all.
Now I have been stamping long enough to know that the condition
of the cancellation is a matter of opimiom, possibly conjecture.
But a lot, at least a significant number of offerings
have no place being offered at the starting prices that I see at times.
Of course, I can use my magic fingers and skip
what fails to meet my exacting standards, but I strongly suspect
that some sellers simply have little idea as to what is attractive,
enough to sell, or not.
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
05:28:26am
Approvals
re: Minor Change to Approval Books - Reply
There are times when even the most experienced seller(s) can make a "pricing" error.
The difficulty sellers have is "What is a Fair Price" for an item, never mind condition.
Is it 50% of catalogue value or 5% of catalogue value???
Of course that is entirely in the eye of the Beholder/Buyer.
How can any seller price an item that satisfies all Beholders??
The answer is simple.....HE CANNOT!!!!
The Seller can only name his price, the Buyer can either buy or not.
Please remember that sellers may not have the same expertise as buyers!!!
3 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.