Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
06:20:38pm
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I don’t know if there is a “basic” perfin book that would be helpful. I have the catalog published by the perfin group and it is huge - fills a very large 3-ring binder. Not sure how it could be condensed and retain all the information. Perhaps someone here will know….
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07:21:34pm
Basic might not be possible. If not, I might just leave this alone rather than start something I can't finish! I thought it was just possible to find a source that just ID's the various companies or groups represented on the stamps. This might not exist.
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There is no basic - I have a 1979 catalog - It is large - the problem is that not only each company, but often each office had their own that looked similar but had differences and changed over the years.
New York Life comprises several pages totaling 191 variations - all at quick glance indiscernible from each other and different varieties have different scarcity factors.
And one of the few fields where there is probably a lot of new discoveries out there undiscovered. I lucked into finding a couple of"proof" covers at one show out of dollar boxes - "proof" covers are where the perfin has been identified but there are no known covers to prove it.
Also control perfins covered nicely by Don - here is but one thread
https://stamporama.com/discboard/disc_ma ...
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10:28:17pm
I have probably about a hundred perfins and I think I'll just enjoy them for what they are - examples of a very complicated collecting area. It doesn't really matter that I don't know what they represent, I can still appreciate them! One day I might take them on but for right now my new collection of precancels is keeping me busy enough and I still have 10 state capitals to locate!! And I haven't even really started working on "one duck stamp / state and province" collection. You can't do everything, some things just have to remain undone for awhile!!! Patience, patience, patience! 
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US Schermack Control Perfins are a fun collecting area and is more manageable than the tens (hundreds?) of thousands of typically US perfins in general.
The rarity and demand is much higher for Schermack Control Perfins, so the challenge is not the scope of them but rather the cost. I have a limited collection of them and would say the average cost of a Schermack Control Perfin is about $20-$25.
https://stampsmarter.org/features/ConPer ...
Don
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Harvey,
If you just want to have fun and generally identify many of your perfins there are three website that offer help with perfins (this is how I approach perfins):
A page hosted by the The Perfins Club called the US Perfin Covers
Pefins of the USA
https://inkspotantiques.com/index.php?ma ...
These lists are not mutually exclusive so if you don't find it on one list check the other two.
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In my Ben Franklin 1903-09 collection I collect both precancels and perfins. If I see one I don't have and it's priced reasonable I grab it. Especially on cover. I'm not trying to collect them all, just adding what I find.
What was the first year for US perfins?
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
12 Dec 2023
06:20:38pm
I don't want to collect perfins so all I need is a basic book that will ID the various perfins that I have accumulated over the years. I don't need to have a book that gives all perfins for all US stamps, all I need is to ID the companies or groups that are shown on the stamps.
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re: Can anyone recommend a very basic book on US perfins?
I don’t know if there is a “basic” perfin book that would be helpful. I have the catalog published by the perfin group and it is huge - fills a very large 3-ring binder. Not sure how it could be condensed and retain all the information. Perhaps someone here will know….
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this post
This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
12 Dec 2023
07:21:34pm
re: Can anyone recommend a very basic book on US perfins?
Basic might not be possible. If not, I might just leave this alone rather than start something I can't finish! I thought it was just possible to find a source that just ID's the various companies or groups represented on the stamps. This might not exist.
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10:11:08pm
re: Can anyone recommend a very basic book on US perfins?
There is no basic - I have a 1979 catalog - It is large - the problem is that not only each company, but often each office had their own that looked similar but had differences and changed over the years.
New York Life comprises several pages totaling 191 variations - all at quick glance indiscernible from each other and different varieties have different scarcity factors.
And one of the few fields where there is probably a lot of new discoveries out there undiscovered. I lucked into finding a couple of"proof" covers at one show out of dollar boxes - "proof" covers are where the perfin has been identified but there are no known covers to prove it.
Also control perfins covered nicely by Don - here is but one thread
https://stamporama.com/discboard/disc_ma ...
Login to Like
this post
This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
12 Dec 2023
10:28:17pm
re: Can anyone recommend a very basic book on US perfins?
I have probably about a hundred perfins and I think I'll just enjoy them for what they are - examples of a very complicated collecting area. It doesn't really matter that I don't know what they represent, I can still appreciate them! One day I might take them on but for right now my new collection of precancels is keeping me busy enough and I still have 10 state capitals to locate!! And I haven't even really started working on "one duck stamp / state and province" collection. You can't do everything, some things just have to remain undone for awhile!!! Patience, patience, patience!
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: Can anyone recommend a very basic book on US perfins?
US Schermack Control Perfins are a fun collecting area and is more manageable than the tens (hundreds?) of thousands of typically US perfins in general.
The rarity and demand is much higher for Schermack Control Perfins, so the challenge is not the scope of them but rather the cost. I have a limited collection of them and would say the average cost of a Schermack Control Perfin is about $20-$25.
https://stampsmarter.org/features/ConPer ...
Don
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re: Can anyone recommend a very basic book on US perfins?
Harvey,
If you just want to have fun and generally identify many of your perfins there are three website that offer help with perfins (this is how I approach perfins):
A page hosted by the The Perfins Club called the US Perfin Covers
Pefins of the USA
https://inkspotantiques.com/index.php?ma ...
These lists are not mutually exclusive so if you don't find it on one list check the other two.
4 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: Can anyone recommend a very basic book on US perfins?
In my Ben Franklin 1903-09 collection I collect both precancels and perfins. If I see one I don't have and it's priced reasonable I grab it. Especially on cover. I'm not trying to collect them all, just adding what I find.
What was the first year for US perfins?
Login to Like
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