Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
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I just don't find them to be very attractive myself, though they are an interesting part of our world's history.
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12:23:12pm
You are right, they are cheap. But the chance of resurgence in popularity is, in my opinion, remote. They had their hey-day in the 1970s and 1980s, but have fallen miserably out of favour since then. Very seldom does an area reach a peak of interest and recover. The reason is that the bulk of UN right now is begging for a bid in the market, and that turns off new collectors rather than encourages them. In fact, UN is on my list of 3 "deadest markets" in the world. Having once been "hot", a lot of stamps were put away and most of them are still circulating around.
UN since 1990 is still ok, but only because of demand from topical collectors and the drop-off of new issue buying at the time. There is a small bright spot in early UN. I have recently been offering some precursor covers that have met with good interest and quite good bids - UN meter, corner card and internal mail covers from the Lake Success NY (pre-NY) era.
I believe the loss of interest accelerated when UNNY no longer accepted outside mail through the UN post office, and the bid for unused UN postage from the NY dealers disappeared.
Roy
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All good points to support not collecting UN but look at the positive side. Where else can you compile a complete 'country' collection at such a bargain basement price? Sometimes I get a bit frustrated when I go thru my albums and see all of the 'holes' as I'm leafing thru the pages. Some of the missing elements are so expensive that I probably will never have the opportunity to fill them. And there is always the possibility of putting together an exhibit that could be both extensive and educational as well as economical! Great opportunity there. Maybe I see the glass half full but I do think there are some opportunities missed here. And again, the beginner can actually complete a collection rather than doing the world-wide thing and getting so frustrated after the first few years that they put collection on the back burner. Happens all of the time and we really do need the new collector to bolster our thinning ranks.
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Joseph is right that it's cheap, with the exception of Scott 38, so a complete collection mint can be attained for well under face (38 excepted); Roy is likely right that demand will never return, so if you like collection areas without competition, this is it.
i think that Roy is also likely right that non-traditional areas, including covers, is more likely to hold some value, while traditional mint stamps will likely go begging.
David
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"I believe the loss of interest accelerated when UNNY no longer accepted outside mail through the UN post office, and the bid for unused UN postage from the NY dealers disappeared.
"
That hits the nail on the head as to what happened to UN stamps. Not being able to use the stamps for postage makes the UN a "Sand Dune" entity. I did business with a few dealers in the New York area who used the UN Postal Administration to mail their shipments. I certainly heard of their opinions about the end of that from them!
You can pick up the #38 as a first day cover for not too much money. Many do that to have a space filler until they can afford the #38 unused. You also can find the #38 MNH quite often at a low price.
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10:11:20pm
I have sold many #38 FDCs in the last couple of years. Except for unusual cachets, they typically fetch $10-$15. (Got $40 for an unaddressed Ken Boll Cachet Craft)
Roy
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02:28:03pm
But if you really want a challenge try to assemble UN stamps postally used. They do exist and are usually listed in catalogs at even less that Mint unhinged, but they are hard to find without an FDC cancellation.
Even more difficult would be UN stamps on covers that were neither FDCs, favor cancelled nor philatelic souvenirs. You know, used to actually carry a genuine message between people.
As Roy mentioned once the average collector realizes that mint sheets were put aside in bulk and drawers full of FDCs are lying in back rooms it is very difficult for them to regain real value.
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can't tell for sure, Brian, without context,but it sure looks commercial
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When I was just starting out in stamp collecting, at about age 12, I purchased U.N. #38 from an approval lot, probably from H.E. Harris. Here's an image that I grabbed off the internet:
When I was 26, I decided that stamp collecting was for kids, and sold my collection. That U.S. souvenir sheet was the only thing in my collection that had any value, and I got the princely sum of $20 for my entire collection, which included a complete set of Scott International albums (just three volumes at that time). Years later, when I realized the error of my ways and got back into collecting, I learned that #38 had rather increased in value, to $500!
A good lesson to be taken from all of this is that stamps really are not a great financial investment. But I still wish I'd kept that souvenir sheet!
Bob Ingraham
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Best way to tell is look at the return address.
I have a few from various UN missions/Offices. But they seem to be few and far between. If you should find any with non-corporate, UN or UN Mission return addresses, DO NOT remove them! Those are HIGHLY sought after! They can often be found in $1.00 boxes. Most dealers see UN and toss them aside without ever really looking at them. Any without return addresses in New York, Genève or Vienna are most often (but, not always) from visitors writing home.
Happy Hunting
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The sheet has since dropped to below $100 now ($90.00 MNH; $50.00 hinged; $18.00 FDC). There also is a retouched sheet that cats at $100.
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One of the most economical and undervalued collecting areas today is the collecting of United Nations stamps and souvenir sheets. This area should be one the new collector and the seasoned collector should contemplate collecting since these stamps and sheets can be purchased well below their current catalog values and have a diversity of subjects that appeal to many areas of philately. I believe that within the next few years this 'country' will be more sought after and that any collector who spends the time and meager dollars to build a collection now will be well ahead of the game when these issues become popular again. Any thoughts on the matter???
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re: Totally Undervalued and Ignored Collecting Area
I just don't find them to be very attractive myself, though they are an interesting part of our world's history.
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BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
08 Mar 2014
12:23:12pm
re: Totally Undervalued and Ignored Collecting Area
You are right, they are cheap. But the chance of resurgence in popularity is, in my opinion, remote. They had their hey-day in the 1970s and 1980s, but have fallen miserably out of favour since then. Very seldom does an area reach a peak of interest and recover. The reason is that the bulk of UN right now is begging for a bid in the market, and that turns off new collectors rather than encourages them. In fact, UN is on my list of 3 "deadest markets" in the world. Having once been "hot", a lot of stamps were put away and most of them are still circulating around.
UN since 1990 is still ok, but only because of demand from topical collectors and the drop-off of new issue buying at the time. There is a small bright spot in early UN. I have recently been offering some precursor covers that have met with good interest and quite good bids - UN meter, corner card and internal mail covers from the Lake Success NY (pre-NY) era.
I believe the loss of interest accelerated when UNNY no longer accepted outside mail through the UN post office, and the bid for unused UN postage from the NY dealers disappeared.
Roy
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re: Totally Undervalued and Ignored Collecting Area
All good points to support not collecting UN but look at the positive side. Where else can you compile a complete 'country' collection at such a bargain basement price? Sometimes I get a bit frustrated when I go thru my albums and see all of the 'holes' as I'm leafing thru the pages. Some of the missing elements are so expensive that I probably will never have the opportunity to fill them. And there is always the possibility of putting together an exhibit that could be both extensive and educational as well as economical! Great opportunity there. Maybe I see the glass half full but I do think there are some opportunities missed here. And again, the beginner can actually complete a collection rather than doing the world-wide thing and getting so frustrated after the first few years that they put collection on the back burner. Happens all of the time and we really do need the new collector to bolster our thinning ranks.
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Auctions
re: Totally Undervalued and Ignored Collecting Area
Joseph is right that it's cheap, with the exception of Scott 38, so a complete collection mint can be attained for well under face (38 excepted); Roy is likely right that demand will never return, so if you like collection areas without competition, this is it.
i think that Roy is also likely right that non-traditional areas, including covers, is more likely to hold some value, while traditional mint stamps will likely go begging.
David
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09:47:24pm
re: Totally Undervalued and Ignored Collecting Area
"I believe the loss of interest accelerated when UNNY no longer accepted outside mail through the UN post office, and the bid for unused UN postage from the NY dealers disappeared.
"
That hits the nail on the head as to what happened to UN stamps. Not being able to use the stamps for postage makes the UN a "Sand Dune" entity. I did business with a few dealers in the New York area who used the UN Postal Administration to mail their shipments. I certainly heard of their opinions about the end of that from them!
You can pick up the #38 as a first day cover for not too much money. Many do that to have a space filler until they can afford the #38 unused. You also can find the #38 MNH quite often at a low price.
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BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
08 Mar 2014
10:11:20pm
re: Totally Undervalued and Ignored Collecting Area
I have sold many #38 FDCs in the last couple of years. Except for unusual cachets, they typically fetch $10-$15. (Got $40 for an unaddressed Ken Boll Cachet Craft)
Roy
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
09 Mar 2014
02:28:03pm
re: Totally Undervalued and Ignored Collecting Area
But if you really want a challenge try to assemble UN stamps postally used. They do exist and are usually listed in catalogs at even less that Mint unhinged, but they are hard to find without an FDC cancellation.
Even more difficult would be UN stamps on covers that were neither FDCs, favor cancelled nor philatelic souvenirs. You know, used to actually carry a genuine message between people.
As Roy mentioned once the average collector realizes that mint sheets were put aside in bulk and drawers full of FDCs are lying in back rooms it is very difficult for them to regain real value.
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this post
Auctions
re: Totally Undervalued and Ignored Collecting Area
can't tell for sure, Brian, without context,but it sure looks commercial
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re: Totally Undervalued and Ignored Collecting Area
When I was just starting out in stamp collecting, at about age 12, I purchased U.N. #38 from an approval lot, probably from H.E. Harris. Here's an image that I grabbed off the internet:
When I was 26, I decided that stamp collecting was for kids, and sold my collection. That U.S. souvenir sheet was the only thing in my collection that had any value, and I got the princely sum of $20 for my entire collection, which included a complete set of Scott International albums (just three volumes at that time). Years later, when I realized the error of my ways and got back into collecting, I learned that #38 had rather increased in value, to $500!
A good lesson to be taken from all of this is that stamps really are not a great financial investment. But I still wish I'd kept that souvenir sheet!
Bob Ingraham
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12:42:05pm
re: Totally Undervalued and Ignored Collecting Area
Best way to tell is look at the return address.
I have a few from various UN missions/Offices. But they seem to be few and far between. If you should find any with non-corporate, UN or UN Mission return addresses, DO NOT remove them! Those are HIGHLY sought after! They can often be found in $1.00 boxes. Most dealers see UN and toss them aside without ever really looking at them. Any without return addresses in New York, Genève or Vienna are most often (but, not always) from visitors writing home.
Happy Hunting
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04:31:15pm
re: Totally Undervalued and Ignored Collecting Area
The sheet has since dropped to below $100 now ($90.00 MNH; $50.00 hinged; $18.00 FDC). There also is a retouched sheet that cats at $100.
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