An Example Of Sheets/Covers

Here are three different full size sheets.
the first one is a commemorative panel designation CP in scott
second is a souvenir sheet designation SP in scott
third one is a maxi card.. it's a FDC but not form the post office, so I don't think it is in the catalog, if I am wrong let me know
the first 2 have value. the third one, who knows.

The first two were issued by the US Postal Service; the third one is a page out of a larger album. It has a maker's name below the page number that I can't quite make out. I'm guessing it's H.E. Harris & Co. In any event, I expect they all have value to someone ... how much is the question, as none are particularly scarce. This link may help on the first one:

http://www.stampprof.com/cp/docs/indexcp.html

A question of value seems to be laughable. People don't pay for what they're worth...or even half of it it seems. I have some SP pages in auction and it seems I can't squeek a dime out of anybody. Value is all relative no matter what someone thinks they can get out of it. It's quite depressing actually.

the third one is not listed in scotts. just like the golden stamp replicas...
the are worth the stamp on it..

mark. you are correct, if no one wants to buy them, then they are worth anything..
I got all mine as donations from other people. I wouldn't buy them myself..

as for the golden replicas, if enough people give me theirs and I get enough, I can melt them all down and maybe get 10 or 20 cents worth of gold.

I guess the whole purpose of a catalog value is in question. Most people who sell in auctions hope to sell their items for half of catalog value, especially if they are modern philatelic items. If the catalog value of an item is $20, expect a selling price of $10, and start your auctions below that (if you are willing to sell for a lower price).

There is a paradox when it comes to the stamp market. Those most likely to buy stamps are collectors who have been collecting for some time and do not rely entirely on a catalog to tell them the price they will pay for a stamp.

Also keep in mind that with few exceptions (i.e. newly discovered errors or oddities), most of the modern material from the U.S. will probably not be worth all that much of "catalog value" in our lifetime. Since most modern stamp issues were printed in the millions (or even tens of millions) there are just too many copies out there that flood the market for anything to greatly appreciate in value. In fact, there are buyers out there that will take MINT stamps off your hands for only a small percentage of the FACE value, never mind catalog value. It's the enjoyment factor one must consider in the modern stuff, it never was a "get rich quick" hobby.

Of course, the classics are a different story ... some command close to or even above catlaog value under certain conditions, but unless you're fortunate enough to have them handed down within a family, many of the true classics are out of reach of many of us of modest means.

Well,

Catalog value to me is rather meaningless. First, something is worth, only what a willing seller and a willing buyer agree upon. Also, in the area that I collect, covers, Catalog value is also meaningless.

I think that wt1 said it best, most of this modern stuff will never be very valuable, there's just WAY too much of it.

Heck, what's a #65 worth? A #11? Nice used ones are worth $5-10 each, and they're 140-150+ years old!

It appears to me that the "CP", commemorative panels would be the most
desirable to the average modern collector. Would you agree?

I say that for 3 reasons:
USPS release
Uncancelled block of stamps
Nice presentation

I like the "SP"s myself, but don't understand the reason for cancelling
the stamp on a display page. FDC is one thing when it's on cover, but a page?

Mark:
The group of items you had for sale as bulk were just the sort of thing my Dad
collected and would fit nicely into his collection. I would love to buy, but
money is horrible to come by nowadays. I don't think you should give up, I
believe you are just having slow luck due to economic pressures. If you had
put that stuff up for sale 2 years ago, it would be gone by now.

That said, since I have been into stamps (2 years or so), I have noticed that
nothing ever sells for catalog value. Especially modern stuff, seems to only
sell for a fraction of CV. Now with money tight, even at pennies on the dollar,
buyers are hard to come by.

You may "squeek" a dime but no way will you squeak a dollar. For what it's worth SCV is NOT what it's worth. Brutal reality is that oddball stuff does not sell well, and FDC pages fall into that category.Offering oddball stuff at 80 to 90% SCV will not result in many bites. The few souvenir pages that have a big SCV may take months or years to sell,if the right guy comes along.




For a further reality check, visit a storefront dealer and see what he will offer , maybe 5% of catalog. As an example local dealers are paying 50% of face for sorted MNH sheets of modern issues regardless of SCV and 5 to 10% SCV for marginal desireable stamps.Bottom line the more desireable the stamp the mo money. Modern stamps aint all that desireable. It is what it is.

so let's chuck the ol' scott value; it ain't nothing anyway. Let's make it more tangible. I'll give you a pound of butter for your #65. or I'll give you 4 toasters for your #630....

keep in mind Scott Value is for (better than normal stamps) that perfectly centered piece, with no rips, tears, folds, creases, missing perfs, spots, appropriate cancel, lets not even get into the back side of hinges and gum condition. in just the past few months I've gone from O I still need that stamp to Shoot its not centered or it has spots, looks like its folded or missing a few perfs. as you collection builds you begin to see the rare value in certain nicer stamps.

you have to think of it as a kelly blue book style of book, my car us used, and has alloyed wheels but the AC is broken and it has water damage, can I really get blue book?

thus, if you have a nice stamp of good value make sure you offer a very good scan I believe this makes all the difference in the world.

(NOTE: all this from a guy that tries to spend .02 cents a stamp or less on book lots...)

Mark,

I had the thought, while perusing ebay the other night, that you could do well to sell these as topical items plus mentioning the Scott number of the regular stamp, not just the sheet. Just to get the attention.

Also, ebay is free to list on til January I believe so if you are on there anyway it will give you more exposure than Wensy (good as it is), especially for topical stuff.

For instance, the Wolf Trap Farm Park (what a name, caught my interest right away) is mostly mentioned on ebay as by the Scott # and name on the stamp. What about the other folks out there in the performing arts that don't know about it? Non-stamp collectors that is.

Use some words to catch people's attention about that idea. Look at how topical sellers sell there stuff. They pick out the words that will appeal to the audience, that the intended audience will search for.

Look at what is on the stamp or souvenir sheet and describe that. Since ebay is free now for a while there are lots of items on there and you almost have to stand out from the crowd in a good way to get attention (and bids).

wolf trap farm is known for the outdoor concerts held there..

Mark: That's a really great argument for the monetarization of an economy. I don't have 15 lbs of butter lying around, and no place to put it if I did.