APS Circuit Books

As a new member to the APS, I was wondering if anyone used the circuit book program they offer.

Are the stamps in the books really expenseve ones, or are there cheaper stamps? (And by cheap I mean around 20 cents). I was thinking this might be a good way to get stamps, but I don't want to sign up and then find out everything's too expensive!

Thanks!

They really are at the fate of other collectors. I have recieved some that are very reasonable and others that are very much out of line price wise. Depending on your collecting interest you may get the quickly or be on a long waiting list. There are some very nice finds if you keep with it.

I subscribed to the circuit program about six months ago and they have been valuable to me as a source to fill gaps in my collection(s). They vary in price vs. catalog value by the owner of the book. I signed up for a few circuits and then after getting nothing for several weeks I got four circuits in one week! That was a little too much to enjoyably page through the books. I felt rushed. The paperwork can be a little involved but I suspect I will get more comfortable with that as time goes by.

I have subscribed to APS circuits off and on for the past couple of decades and currently am receiving about seven circuits.

As others have said, the seller sets the prices. For the circuits I receive which are largely non-US, most sellers price at least 1/3 off catalog and often closer to half off. It usually works out a little better than this as the seller may be using a Scott catalog that is a couple of years old.

Because I collect the world 1840-1940, there are far more circuits of potential interest than I can cope with. So I tend to subscribe to some circuits for a year or two and then switch to something else for awhile. So far, at least, the APS staff have been very accommodating.

Here are some advantages and disadvantages off the top of my head (the fact that there are more disadvantages doesn't mean I think the disadvantages outweigh the advantages--the opposite is the case):

Advantages:
--Prices are generally pretty good, certainly better than most dealer's prices for individual stamps. Expensive stamps with defects (e.g., thins) can be real bargains
--You can verify the condition of stamps on the spot
--You can examine at your leisure rare or expensive stamps that you might not otherwise see in person, even if you can't afford to buy them.

Disadvantages:
--As someone else has noted, ff you subscribe to a lot of circuits, especially those that have only a few other members on the circuit, you will receive multiple circuits on occasion. My record is 5 within 3 weeks. The more popular the circuit, the longer it takes to make the rounds. I tend to receive my circuits more often as there are only 4 or 5 of us on several of my circuits. By the way, if you know you are going on vacation, the APS can arrange for you to be skipped.
--This is worse for me because I receive a lot of "general" circuits, but there are sellers who make little effort to mount countries in alphabetical order or stamps within a country in order by catalog number. For a worldwide collector, this can be really irritating and I've cancelled two circuits that just were more trouble than they were worth. I don't mean this to be a tirade against a few mistakes but I had one book where literally every page was random.
--It typically costs $5-$7 to mail circuits to the next recipient plus a 5% buyer fee. I still think I come out ahead as I would in any case be paying postage and perhaps tax when purchasing a similar quantity of stamps by other means.

The APS has started sending a single mailing of selected circuits to members. I have requested these on a couple of occasions for countries that I don't normally see in my other circuits. So if you are "on the fence," watch the APS Journal for what is available. (At the moment it is Australia and British Europe.) The APS has also started offering the possibility of purchasing complete "clearance" books, but I haven't third this yet.

For more expensive stamps that look to be a bargain, I suggest checking out the same stamps in the APS store. For example, I was considering buying one of the Cape of Good Hope triangles recently only to find a similar stamp for $10 less on the APS store site.

The bottom line is I really think this is one of the best services offered by the APS.

BOB

It is also worth noting that in addition to circuits, which circulate from member to member, it is possible to request a direct circuit wherein the APS staff will send you a set of books directly and which you return to them, directly. 15 days handling time is permitted.

As to price, typically, as has been noted, prices are around 30-50% of catalog and depending on the seller faults are noted, or not. Quality can be variable, but I find it is useful way to fill holes in my collection.

Lastly, no book goes out if its total value exceeds $500, so you will not find a lot of truly expensive items in the circuit book. Hence, broadly speaking, it is an affordable way to acquire stamps and can be a bit of fun going through the books looking for item you need.

A consistent theme so far has been "filling holes" and this is the right way to approach them, in my mind.

It is not economical to use circuits to start into a country, because you can get a good base at 2 cents a stamp, or less, through country lots at auction (or ebay). Once you've started seeing all the usual suspects in your acquisitions, then circuits can come into play, to fill in gaps. And, you can use circuits to improve the condition of individual stamps out of sets you have. How often do you have VF sets with one or two dogs?

So, if I am looking for cheap stamps that would appeal to kids (mostly topical), the circuits wouldn't be the way to go?