Numerical Stamp Grading

My take on the grading issue is a little different than what I have read on this post so far. From my perspective, it started out as a sort of gimmick to breath new energy into a hobby, at least in the US that was starting to die by creating an artificial market for common 20th century stamps with a grade. I have had this conversation with a very well respected dealer that I have known for 20 years and from whom I bought the bulk of my certified 19th century classics in the late 1980's and 1990's. Today, he offers graded specimens of 20th century stamps. Frankly, if you know his history as a dealer, this material is beneath him. But, he readily points out that the grading craze has so inflated the true classics in VF or better condition, that it makes it impossible to buy them anymore because the profit margin is too small to tie up signficant capital buying a few classics when he can buy many more recent stamps, get them graded high, and live off that. Hard to fault his thinking from the monetary standpoint. If people are willing to spend ridiculous sums for a graded 2 cent red why cough up big bucks for premium pictorials etc. They are just following the herd mentality of the masses. If there was no market for this overpriced junk, reality might return.

True enough.

In many cases, no massive effort is required. All of us doing little things can't hurt, and may actually help.

Greetings

I for one, do not think that ebay is a good source to test the market. To me, it is nothing more than a hige 'flea market' rather than a 'specialzed' stamp auction house. My reasoning for this will take us back before the internet and online auctions. Before this period, we had to depend on 'stamp dealers' who specialized in stamp auctions and the only way to see these auctions was either to go to the auction itself, or request a catalogue for any particular sale from a dealer who so specialized in these auctions. The catalogue would have to arrive by regular snail mail. These catalogues from the different auction houses were usually sent to people who were collectors who, it can be assumed anyway, were knowlegeable collectors after particular items for their collections.

Enter the online auctions era:

This opened a whole new kettle of fish! The various materials up for auction are scanned and visible for all to see for those who know what they are looking at and also for those who are ignorant of the hobby in general. Some of these people will be led to believe that everything they see will be valuable and we all know this is not the case.

Rather than throw up your hands in frustration and say you are going to quit collecting the US altogether, why don't you make a formal complaint to either a large reputable stamp society, who may go to bat for you or, also, contact the Internet Philatelic Dealer's Association (IPDA) at

http://www.ipdaonline.org/

Tell them what your problem is and maybe they might be able to do something for you?? I am a member of this organization and I know they they do not like dealers who try to bilk collectors out of their hard-earned money.

This organization would like to be informed about dealers like the one you have stated trying to sell at these exhorbitant prices.

For myself, I wouldn't let jerks like that make me give up the hobby. I think I would be going out kicking if anything else.

My opinion of course

Chimo

Bujutsu

This really isn't about ebay, they have nothing to do with it and neither does e-commerce. This is about a system that is practiced and endorsed by ASDA members themselves. The dealers that use the numerical grading system to rape and pillage buyers over false pretenses are some of the largest Stamp dealers out there. It's not about Auctions or auction houses because they don't set or represent the market place for everyday buyers.

If someone is stupid enough to pay 40 or 50 times catalogue in an
era where 90% of stamps are usually sold way below catalogue then I guess the rape is voluntary.

And people new to the hobby that don't want to flip out $600.00 for a set of catalogs ?

They can always go to the library and check out the latest Scott
volumes.
That's what I do.

I seem to recall someone saying " Knowledge is Power"

Never overestimate the intelligence of Human beings.....

A relevant Frank Zappa quote:

"Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is so plentiful, is the basic building block of the universe. I dispute that. I say there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe."

Ryan

While I agree that ebay listings are littered with overinflated buy-it-now listings for 20th century material (although in fairness so is almost every category on ebay) I tend to lean towards the relevancy of numerical grading for all stamps as a useful measure of quality. In the end those willing to spend 10x cat value will and those of us who are more prudent than that will have larger purses for the next lot.

A fool and his money are soon parted. Grading killed the sport card hobby and will do major damage to this hobby as well.

Mystic, Kenmore/Jamestown... It's sad but true, well in my opinion anyway. I know people that that have spent thousands on junk from uncouth sellers like that. Now I understand that they are a business and they have to make a profit and make payroll but they seem to be doing the same thing that the unscrupulous seller on ebay are doing! I've seen the huge mark up common commemoratives on ebay and wondered why that particular stamp is valued so high? And why the one I have that's has better centering, no pulled or missing perforations, no gum disturbance is valued lower? Now I'm starting to get the picture a little more clearly. Nuff' said. -Jay

Sorry for the rant..

Check out this one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CE1-MINT-NH...em1e46bbd988

around 100 X times CV. Only a real newbie (or sucker) would pay that price. I have one just as nice. Wonder what the dealer would give me for it. This obsession with minuet differences will drive people from the hobby.

I want to add that I think a difference has to be made between Mystic, Kenmore and these ebay crooks. Mystic and Kenmore sell 20 cent stamps for $1 each. But nobody buying a dollar stamp expects to recoup $1 when he sells it. It is a hobby, and 99% of all purchasers know their money is gone when they buy a stamp. These ebay crooks are selling $1 stamps for $100 as investments. Such as the following

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CE1-MINT-NH...em1e46bbd988

And many more like him. A much worse crime in my opinion