Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Wondering about the value of the stamps on this page. I don’t have any reference to consult and have been shown these stamps by a club member. Any help is appreciated
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The penny red stamps with a letter in each corner can vary in price quite widely from less than a dollar to many thousands of dollars, depending on the plate number. If you turn the stamp sideways, the plate number is in between the scrollwork.
Some examples:
Plate #78
Plate #144
Let me know the plate numbers and I will check to see if any more more valuable.
The violet penny stamps and green or orange half penny stamps are of minimal value.
The two and a half pence lilac stamp catalogs for $11 in my 2004 Scott Classic book. Perhaps someone has a more recent price.
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Thank you smauggie. I do not have the stamps, only a photo. The resolution is not good enough to see tiny numbers. Will have to wait until next month when I see them in person.
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Further information perhaps of interest:
Stanley Gibbons Concise GB Catalogue, 2022 edition shows the 2 1/2p QV purple and blue (7 copies of which appear in your photo -- i.e. row 1, item 7; row 5, items 3 and 4; row 6, items 4 and 7; row 7, items 2 and 3) and lists this as #201 with a used value of £5. This is a fairly common stamp, but if a particular copy happens to have an inverted watermark, the catalogue value is £1400.
JTH
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11:24:06am
with respect to "Stamps with cancels", I like this one best!
Roy
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I had never really given any thought to the penny reds and the plate identification for each stamp. It's nice to learn something new or at least new to me. I've been collecting for over 40 years now and now realize what I have been missing all this time and they have been in front of me this whole time along with the means to identify them Plate # 129 and 183 not any real value with the 2 that I have but priceless to learn something new. Thank you for sharing smauggie.
Jeremy
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@smaier
If I was in your place I would want to know:
What countries are they from.
Is there any damaged stamps.
I would want to see the backs of the stamps.
If I wanted them I'd offer $1.00 for them, and expect the seller to counter offer, then I would counter offer.
Hopes this helps.
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05:34:33pm
"I'd offer $1.00 for them"
Please don't be offended by this comment! If I were the seller I'd consider a $1 bid to be an insult and certainly would not counter the bid!! In my opinion that is way too low, it's a great looking set of stamps!!
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Hi smaier,
I see a lot of interest in the wide range of postmarks shown here and this would be a good starting point for a collection of British postmarks. 
I agree with Roy that the Ipswich "squared circle" postmark is a lovely example.
It would be easy to identify the towns represented by many of the numeral postmarks. There are lots of references for this.
I see a couple of "hooded circle" postmarks including one from Liverpool with "E. LOW HILL D." which I've not seen before outside of the catalogue.
Other types represented here include the Scottish 131 numeral from Edinburgh, an English numeral with an "F" prefix from Haywards Heath or Cuckfield, a London District style postmark with the numeral in a circle etc.
There's a lot of fun to be had here!
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09:05:03pm
This sort of fits here. I was offered these as a gift by a seller here and all I can seem to find is that the "J" cancel denotes Montreal. I found another grouping on E-Bay for about $10. I would like to know if this is a fair price or low. Sellers here are quite amazing, some of the gifts I've received over the last few years are quite remarkable. Thanks!!
I quite like the look of this cancel and they will make a nice addition to my Canada collection. Odd material like this adds interest to a collection!!
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Thanks everyone for the comments and advice.
I was offered these (for free) at a local club meeting but thought the stamps and the cancels might actually be worth something. I know the owner would accept items in trade but just wasn’t really sure of the value. To paraphrase Harvey: I just really liked them and would be glad to have them in my collection.
I didn’t feel comfortable just taking them and said I would try to get more information. Haven’t seen the stamps since as the owner missed a couple meetings. Might get to see them again at the end of January.
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I have a cat. that is 10 years old (11 years old now) I use this as a reference when buying stamps. Look around, usually 10 year old cat. are cheap.
This works for me,
Just a suggestion.
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11:40:21am
Sally, if I were you, and both you and the owner of this lot trust each other, I would ask if he would give me the page of stamps. Then take them home and check them out very carefully for value. Some of these stamps might have significant value because of the postmarks. For example some early postmarks mean the stamps were used in other countries and have a good value. For example the postmark C41 (none there) represents early Ecuador (Guayaquil) and are quite expensive. I have only found one of these!! Also there might be rare plate numbers there, probably not, but you never know! Remember the last Canada #32 found was in a dealer's lot of miscellaneous Canada stamps. Then offer the seller a reasonable percentage of CV, about 10 - 15% is fair! I remember once going to see a house lot of antiques to buy. The lady had no idea of prices and we turned a couple items down because the price we would be forced to give would be extremely high. Maybe that was stupid, but it was fair! What you do is obviously your choice but finding a value first seems a reasonable way to approach this. IMHO of course!
EDIT: The last cat I picked up from the local SPCA cost $300. They have all been neutered and have up to date needles and they give you at least a month's worth of food and medication. By the way, this cat was not 10 years old, she was 12! If you want something half decent you must pay for it, whether it is a cat or a stamp. I remember a certain quote, "I don't pay for rare stamps, I find them." That's not normally the way things work with either stamps or cats! Sorry if this offended anyone!
EDIT#2: Please ignore the last edit, I think the reference was to catalogs, not cats. I actually did not see the "." and actually thought he was, for some odd reason, referring to felines! My bad, sorry David!
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The OP said in Part " I don’t have any reference to consult......"
Getting a cat. would help a great help.
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Harvey, 1899 and I seem to have rather different approaches when considering stamps!
I often find a lot of interest even when the value is minimal.
I recommend the catalogue Collect British Postmarks (now published by Stanley Gibbons) which gives an interesting overview of the main types of British Postmarks.
This gives indicative prices for postmarks used on entire or on cover but I wouldn't get too excited at all about these prices when considering postmarks on loose stamps.
The best catalogue for British stamps used abroad (as mentioned by Harvey) is SG Part 1.
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This!
"I often find a lot of interest even when the value is minimal."
I love those ultra-award winning exhibits that are based on the most common of postally used definitives that are essentially of no material value.
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09:04:21pm
"The OP said in Part " I don’t have any reference to consult......"
Getting a cat. would help a great help"
I might be wrong but I think Sally needs help, not with the stamps, but with the post marks. Scott's would help very little with this!
I'm guessing almost everyone on this site has a set of either Scott's, some other cat. or a way to check the ID of material using online sources. It's really hard to enjoy the hobby if you can't look up the material you collect.
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smaier or Sally?
I understand your posting, too bad the OP did not make it clear.
My advice was if I was shown these, what I would do!
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I apologize if my original post wasn’t clear - Harvey is right that I mostly need help with the postmarks. I do have a “catalog” for Great Britain but it is old and very general. So smauggies offer of help with the plate numbers is greatly appreciated
I did not find the advice by 1899 to offer $1 helpful or remotely fair. I regard the collector who offered these stamps to me as a friend and not someone to be cheated.
I read all the posts here that pertain to US, GB, and Canada and lots of other areas. Along the way, I obviously pick up lots of tips and info but in no way does that make me an expert. Hence the request for info. I don’t have a reference for the postmarks but may get one if I am able to negotiate for these stamps.
Stop flogging the idea of getting a catalog - I have lots of catalogs for all areas I do actively collect. They do add greatly to the enjoyment of collecting. But I’m not buying a catalog for stuff I don’t have yet and may not get. That’s why I asked the knowledgeable folks here.
Thank you to all who have offered constructive advice both in this thread and via private message. If I ever see these stamps up close again, I have a good idea what is important to look for….
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03:10:40pm
This image is a bit blurry because I swiped it from a page from a book here and increased the size. It's another example of what you can find here if you check out the world books. The A25 postmark on the British stamp makes it a really nice early stamp from Malta. I don't collect Malta but this stamp was too nice to pass up and another great example of an interesting post mark!! Thanks Jan-Simon, I hope you don't mind me using your picture!!!
EDIT: Actually I was a bit out to lunch, seems to happen a lot. It's actually a Malta stamp, not British and it seems they are still using the A25 postmark as they did on the British stamps. Still like it a great deal because of the postmark, maybe it might be fun to collect early Malta!
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No worries Joe! I am glad you found something interesting.
Here is a better picture of this stamp.
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04:59:08pm
Really like the Maltese cross in the corners!
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Wondering about the value of the stamps on this page. I don’t have any reference to consult and have been shown these stamps by a club member. Any help is appreciated
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re: Stamps with cancels
The penny red stamps with a letter in each corner can vary in price quite widely from less than a dollar to many thousands of dollars, depending on the plate number. If you turn the stamp sideways, the plate number is in between the scrollwork.
Some examples:
Plate #78
Plate #144
Let me know the plate numbers and I will check to see if any more more valuable.
The violet penny stamps and green or orange half penny stamps are of minimal value.
The two and a half pence lilac stamp catalogs for $11 in my 2004 Scott Classic book. Perhaps someone has a more recent price.
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re: Stamps with cancels
Thank you smauggie. I do not have the stamps, only a photo. The resolution is not good enough to see tiny numbers. Will have to wait until next month when I see them in person.
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re: Stamps with cancels
Further information perhaps of interest:
Stanley Gibbons Concise GB Catalogue, 2022 edition shows the 2 1/2p QV purple and blue (7 copies of which appear in your photo -- i.e. row 1, item 7; row 5, items 3 and 4; row 6, items 4 and 7; row 7, items 2 and 3) and lists this as #201 with a used value of £5. This is a fairly common stamp, but if a particular copy happens to have an inverted watermark, the catalogue value is £1400.
JTH
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BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
04 Sep 2024
11:24:06am
re: Stamps with cancels
with respect to "Stamps with cancels", I like this one best!
Roy
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12:42:26pm
re: Stamps with cancels
I had never really given any thought to the penny reds and the plate identification for each stamp. It's nice to learn something new or at least new to me. I've been collecting for over 40 years now and now realize what I have been missing all this time and they have been in front of me this whole time along with the means to identify them Plate # 129 and 183 not any real value with the 2 that I have but priceless to learn something new. Thank you for sharing smauggie.
Jeremy
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03:34:57pm
re: Stamps with cancels
@smaier
If I was in your place I would want to know:
What countries are they from.
Is there any damaged stamps.
I would want to see the backs of the stamps.
If I wanted them I'd offer $1.00 for them, and expect the seller to counter offer, then I would counter offer.
Hopes this helps.
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
03 Jan 2025
05:34:33pm
re: Stamps with cancels
"I'd offer $1.00 for them"
Please don't be offended by this comment! If I were the seller I'd consider a $1 bid to be an insult and certainly would not counter the bid!! In my opinion that is way too low, it's a great looking set of stamps!!
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re: Stamps with cancels
Hi smaier,
I see a lot of interest in the wide range of postmarks shown here and this would be a good starting point for a collection of British postmarks.
I agree with Roy that the Ipswich "squared circle" postmark is a lovely example.
It would be easy to identify the towns represented by many of the numeral postmarks. There are lots of references for this.
I see a couple of "hooded circle" postmarks including one from Liverpool with "E. LOW HILL D." which I've not seen before outside of the catalogue.
Other types represented here include the Scottish 131 numeral from Edinburgh, an English numeral with an "F" prefix from Haywards Heath or Cuckfield, a London District style postmark with the numeral in a circle etc.
There's a lot of fun to be had here!
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
03 Jan 2025
09:05:03pm
re: Stamps with cancels
This sort of fits here. I was offered these as a gift by a seller here and all I can seem to find is that the "J" cancel denotes Montreal. I found another grouping on E-Bay for about $10. I would like to know if this is a fair price or low. Sellers here are quite amazing, some of the gifts I've received over the last few years are quite remarkable. Thanks!!
I quite like the look of this cancel and they will make a nice addition to my Canada collection. Odd material like this adds interest to a collection!!
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re: Stamps with cancels
Thanks everyone for the comments and advice.
I was offered these (for free) at a local club meeting but thought the stamps and the cancels might actually be worth something. I know the owner would accept items in trade but just wasn’t really sure of the value. To paraphrase Harvey: I just really liked them and would be glad to have them in my collection.
I didn’t feel comfortable just taking them and said I would try to get more information. Haven’t seen the stamps since as the owner missed a couple meetings. Might get to see them again at the end of January.
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11:00:46am
re: Stamps with cancels
I have a cat. that is 10 years old (11 years old now) I use this as a reference when buying stamps. Look around, usually 10 year old cat. are cheap.
This works for me,
Just a suggestion.
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
04 Jan 2025
11:40:21am
re: Stamps with cancels
Sally, if I were you, and both you and the owner of this lot trust each other, I would ask if he would give me the page of stamps. Then take them home and check them out very carefully for value. Some of these stamps might have significant value because of the postmarks. For example some early postmarks mean the stamps were used in other countries and have a good value. For example the postmark C41 (none there) represents early Ecuador (Guayaquil) and are quite expensive. I have only found one of these!! Also there might be rare plate numbers there, probably not, but you never know! Remember the last Canada #32 found was in a dealer's lot of miscellaneous Canada stamps. Then offer the seller a reasonable percentage of CV, about 10 - 15% is fair! I remember once going to see a house lot of antiques to buy. The lady had no idea of prices and we turned a couple items down because the price we would be forced to give would be extremely high. Maybe that was stupid, but it was fair! What you do is obviously your choice but finding a value first seems a reasonable way to approach this. IMHO of course!
EDIT: The last cat I picked up from the local SPCA cost $300. They have all been neutered and have up to date needles and they give you at least a month's worth of food and medication. By the way, this cat was not 10 years old, she was 12! If you want something half decent you must pay for it, whether it is a cat or a stamp. I remember a certain quote, "I don't pay for rare stamps, I find them." That's not normally the way things work with either stamps or cats! Sorry if this offended anyone!
EDIT#2: Please ignore the last edit, I think the reference was to catalogs, not cats. I actually did not see the "." and actually thought he was, for some odd reason, referring to felines! My bad, sorry David!
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03:40:23pm
re: Stamps with cancels
The OP said in Part " I don’t have any reference to consult......"
Getting a cat. would help a great help.
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this post
re: Stamps with cancels
Harvey, 1899 and I seem to have rather different approaches when considering stamps!
I often find a lot of interest even when the value is minimal.
I recommend the catalogue Collect British Postmarks (now published by Stanley Gibbons) which gives an interesting overview of the main types of British Postmarks.
This gives indicative prices for postmarks used on entire or on cover but I wouldn't get too excited at all about these prices when considering postmarks on loose stamps.
The best catalogue for British stamps used abroad (as mentioned by Harvey) is SG Part 1.
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re: Stamps with cancels
This!
"I often find a lot of interest even when the value is minimal."
I love those ultra-award winning exhibits that are based on the most common of postally used definitives that are essentially of no material value.
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
05 Jan 2025
09:04:21pm
re: Stamps with cancels
"The OP said in Part " I don’t have any reference to consult......"
Getting a cat. would help a great help"
I might be wrong but I think Sally needs help, not with the stamps, but with the post marks. Scott's would help very little with this!
I'm guessing almost everyone on this site has a set of either Scott's, some other cat. or a way to check the ID of material using online sources. It's really hard to enjoy the hobby if you can't look up the material you collect.
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09:23:25pm
re: Stamps with cancels
smaier or Sally?
I understand your posting, too bad the OP did not make it clear.
My advice was if I was shown these, what I would do!
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re: Stamps with cancels
I apologize if my original post wasn’t clear - Harvey is right that I mostly need help with the postmarks. I do have a “catalog” for Great Britain but it is old and very general. So smauggies offer of help with the plate numbers is greatly appreciated
I did not find the advice by 1899 to offer $1 helpful or remotely fair. I regard the collector who offered these stamps to me as a friend and not someone to be cheated.
I read all the posts here that pertain to US, GB, and Canada and lots of other areas. Along the way, I obviously pick up lots of tips and info but in no way does that make me an expert. Hence the request for info. I don’t have a reference for the postmarks but may get one if I am able to negotiate for these stamps.
Stop flogging the idea of getting a catalog - I have lots of catalogs for all areas I do actively collect. They do add greatly to the enjoyment of collecting. But I’m not buying a catalog for stuff I don’t have yet and may not get. That’s why I asked the knowledgeable folks here.
Thank you to all who have offered constructive advice both in this thread and via private message. If I ever see these stamps up close again, I have a good idea what is important to look for….
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
11 Jan 2025
03:10:40pm
re: Stamps with cancels
This image is a bit blurry because I swiped it from a page from a book here and increased the size. It's another example of what you can find here if you check out the world books. The A25 postmark on the British stamp makes it a really nice early stamp from Malta. I don't collect Malta but this stamp was too nice to pass up and another great example of an interesting post mark!! Thanks Jan-Simon, I hope you don't mind me using your picture!!!
EDIT: Actually I was a bit out to lunch, seems to happen a lot. It's actually a Malta stamp, not British and it seems they are still using the A25 postmark as they did on the British stamps. Still like it a great deal because of the postmark, maybe it might be fun to collect early Malta!
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Approvals
re: Stamps with cancels
No worries Joe! I am glad you found something interesting.
Here is a better picture of this stamp.
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
11 Jan 2025
04:59:08pm
re: Stamps with cancels
Really like the Maltese cross in the corners!
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