Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
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I don’t think it necessarily adds value or makes a stamp more desirable it just validates the authenticity and the value. I have a a valuable Washington-Franklin coil. I know it’s real because I found it and took it off paper, however, to ever get the full value for it, I would have to get it certified. But….it’s not for sale. LOL
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I would only add that there are some stamps where the likelihood is higher that it might be altered or forged. If that is the case for the stamp you are interested in, a certificate of expertisation goes a long way to assuring you that what you are buying is genuine.
If you are not sure if getting a certificate of expertisation is a good idea, feel free to canvas the members here for their opinions.
We are never short of opinions. 
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For some US stamps it is likely critical that the stamp be certified, especially some of the more expensive imperforate (perforated as well) Washington/Franklin stamps where there are very inexpensive alternatives which can be altered by removing or adding perforations. An example is US #315 imperforate stamps where having a minimum margin size or a pair is virtually the only way to guarantee your copy is genuine. While I think my copy is genuine, the margins are simply not wide enough to guarantee it. Unfortunately I was not aware of the issues with this particular Scott # when I bought it. Some day I will likely replace it with a horizontal pair to match the Scott #314 imperforate pair I have that sits beside it in my album.
I will admit that I do look for certificates when purchasing color variants as well such as Scott #'s 64, 65, and 66. My current project is to find a Scott #517 which is normally a red violet stamp but instead is the light violet variant and is listed in my Lighthouse album as being Scott #517a but no longer listed in the normal Scott catalog or the classic Scott catalog. The question of course is whether the variant actually exists. 
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05:22:50pm
I know what you mean about #315! I don't have it yet but would really like to. I find it, in most cases, incredibly over priced and when I do see one at a reasonable price it's margins are too small. A pair would be great but very pricey! If I could just find one with large enough margins with a reasonable price! It would finish that page but so far I've had no luck at all!!!!!
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Thanks. I don’t collect color variations and the Washington Franklins drive me to drink but I totally understand getting an expensive stamp certified. But I see fairly common easily identifiable stamps with certifications being offered at a premium and wondered why they bothered getting it certified. Just because the stamp was certified doesn’t make it more valuable than the stamp that isn’t certified.
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"But I see fairly common easily identifiable stamps with certifications being offered at a premium and wondered why they bothered getting it certified. Just because the stamp was certified doesn’t make it more valuable than the stamp that isn’t certified."
There is one expertiser that has made a business of giving certificates for very well centered common stamps and assigning ridiculously high values to them. I pay no attention to such tomfoolery.
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Just curious. Now that I got the kids through college I can look at purchasing some higher value items for my collection. I see the same stamp, same or similar condition and centering one certified the other isn’t. How much does a certificate add to the stamps collectibility or value?
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08:02:52am
re: Certifications
I don’t think it necessarily adds value or makes a stamp more desirable it just validates the authenticity and the value. I have a a valuable Washington-Franklin coil. I know it’s real because I found it and took it off paper, however, to ever get the full value for it, I would have to get it certified. But….it’s not for sale. LOL
Login to Like
this post
re: Certifications
I would only add that there are some stamps where the likelihood is higher that it might be altered or forged. If that is the case for the stamp you are interested in, a certificate of expertisation goes a long way to assuring you that what you are buying is genuine.
If you are not sure if getting a certificate of expertisation is a good idea, feel free to canvas the members here for their opinions.
We are never short of opinions.
5 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: Certifications
For some US stamps it is likely critical that the stamp be certified, especially some of the more expensive imperforate (perforated as well) Washington/Franklin stamps where there are very inexpensive alternatives which can be altered by removing or adding perforations. An example is US #315 imperforate stamps where having a minimum margin size or a pair is virtually the only way to guarantee your copy is genuine. While I think my copy is genuine, the margins are simply not wide enough to guarantee it. Unfortunately I was not aware of the issues with this particular Scott # when I bought it. Some day I will likely replace it with a horizontal pair to match the Scott #314 imperforate pair I have that sits beside it in my album.
I will admit that I do look for certificates when purchasing color variants as well such as Scott #'s 64, 65, and 66. My current project is to find a Scott #517 which is normally a red violet stamp but instead is the light violet variant and is listed in my Lighthouse album as being Scott #517a but no longer listed in the normal Scott catalog or the classic Scott catalog. The question of course is whether the variant actually exists.
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
05 Jul 2024
05:22:50pm
re: Certifications
I know what you mean about #315! I don't have it yet but would really like to. I find it, in most cases, incredibly over priced and when I do see one at a reasonable price it's margins are too small. A pair would be great but very pricey! If I could just find one with large enough margins with a reasonable price! It would finish that page but so far I've had no luck at all!!!!!
Login to Like
this post
re: Certifications
Thanks. I don’t collect color variations and the Washington Franklins drive me to drink but I totally understand getting an expensive stamp certified. But I see fairly common easily identifiable stamps with certifications being offered at a premium and wondered why they bothered getting it certified. Just because the stamp was certified doesn’t make it more valuable than the stamp that isn’t certified.
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like this post.
Login to Like.
re: Certifications
"But I see fairly common easily identifiable stamps with certifications being offered at a premium and wondered why they bothered getting it certified. Just because the stamp was certified doesn’t make it more valuable than the stamp that isn’t certified."
There is one expertiser that has made a business of giving certificates for very well centered common stamps and assigning ridiculously high values to them. I pay no attention to such tomfoolery.
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