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Rest in Peace
United States
1225 Posts |
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I'm trying to decide which is better (or worse), a mint stamp that has a light hinge but with better than average centering or a mint stamp that is off center, edge almost touching the design but not hinged.
I prefer the better centered stamp as it will display better but the hinge detracts from the value, depending on which stamp it is of course.
I am going to pull the plug on a set of zepps (C13-15). As everyone knows, the prices vary all over the place and I have a set amount that I won't go over regardless of the condition. But, like everyone else, I want the biggest bang for my buck.
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A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. (The exact & entire wording of the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution) |
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Rest in Peace
United States
7097 Posts |
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I'm certainly not a professional but I would have to sat that the stamp with the better centering would be my choice. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
5894 Posts |
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 Gum state is less important to me than the quality of the stamp (centering). |
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Valued Member
Norway
262 Posts |
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I would rather have a stamp with good centering as well. I don't really care at all if the stamp have been hinged, as long as the hinge hasn't done any damage of course. |
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Pillar Of The Community
Canada
6525 Posts |
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I'd agree. I like a nice clean centred front, crisp and bright. A nice gum is a bonus. But I admit, I'm always amazed when a get a stamp from, say, 1932 and it looks like it just came from the printer. It's like a little time capsule... listen to me! You got me all squishy about it.  |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
752 Posts |
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would always recommend the better centered stamp if available and sound. Severely off centered stamps, even if NH, rarely would fetch 25% of catalog value. I'm thinking of a NH $1 Columbian, Scott 241, that I have that conservatively would grade AVG/F or barely Fine, with cert. This was purchased a long time ago when having any $1 Columbian to me was a goal. Unless you are talking about very rare and expensive stamps, very poor centering discounts heavily the premium that someone would pay for NH, in my opinion |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
7072 Posts |
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For my own personal tastes (i.e., for my collection), I echo all of the sentiments that the front matters much more than the back. (Much, much more, for me.) I try to choose better centering and perfs every time over condition of the gum. But, since you are talking about particular stamps, you can see what the editors of Scott have to say, in their Stamp Values edition, priced by grade. At the basic catalogue standard of VF, the 1930 Zeppelin set is $1,375 OG and $2,450 NH. Bump up two grades to XF and the CVs go to $1,525 OG and $2,900 NH. Drop the grade down to just Fine, though, and the CV drops to $725 OG and $1,100 NH. So, if you were looking at two sets, priced the same, but a few grades apart in centering, Scott's editors seem to be saying to go for the grade, first, and NH second. (This only seems to hold true as long as the poorer-centered example is one of the lower grades...if you are looking at VF on up, then the NH premiums seem to often beat out hinged stamps a few steps up in centering.) I hope this makes sense.  |
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Valued Member
United States
107 Posts |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
2948 Posts |
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This is a paragraph from Scott's introduction to the US specialized catalogue ... Quote:
Collectors should be aware that the values given for never-hinged stamps from No. 219 on are for stamps in the grade of very fine. The never-hinged premium as a percentage of value will be larger for stamps in extremely fine or superb grades, and the premium will be smaller for fine-very-fine, fine or poor examples. This is particularly true of the issues of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For example, in the grade of very fine, an unused stamp from this time period may be valued at $100 hinged and $180 never hinged. The never-hinged premium is thus 80%. But in a grade of extremely fine, the same stamp will not only sell for more hinged, but the never hinged premium will increase, perhaps to 100%-300% or more over the higher extremely fine value. In a grade of superb, a hinged copy will sell for much more than a very fine copy, and additionally the never hinged premium will be much larger, perhaps as large as 300%-400%. On the other hand, the same stamp in a grade of fine or fine-very-fine not only will sell for less than a very fine stamp in hinged condition, but additionally the never-hinged premium will be smaller than the never hinged premium on a very fine stamp, perhaps as small as 15%-30% Wow, that's a lot of typing! What I derive from this is that hinged stamps in a grade of very fine or higher will always be worth more than never hinged stamps in a lower grade. The premium % also goes up exponentially based on centering and condition. So to answer your question, Art, it is better to have the hinged stamp with better entering than it is to have a never hinged stamp with average centering. Brian |
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| Edited by Rileysan - 05/31/2011 12:51 pm |
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Pillar Of The Community
Canada
1227 Posts |
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Since a mounted mint stamp is only viewed from the front, centering will please the eye of the beholder more than NH. I agree with those that chose centering. |
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| Edited by mhc99 - 05/31/2011 1:36 pm |
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Bedrock Of The Community
United States
12128 Posts |
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This should have been made a poll. As far as I can see the count is 100% in preference to a well-centered hinged stamp as opposed to an off-center never hinged specimen. |
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Pillar Of The Community
Canada
617 Posts |
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For me, given this is a hobby and in no way an investment, the front appearance is pretty much everything, so nicely centered, so long as the hinge hasn't damaged the front of the stamp in any visible way. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
1225 Posts |
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OK, My thinking and apparently everyone else is on the centering. I'll go with that. Thanks, all of you, apparently, I'm still thinking straight. |
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A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. (The exact & entire wording of the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution) |
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Valued Member
United States
338 Posts |
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Art! As you asked, I have been on the look out for Zep's. The market has been crazy, to date I have seen maybe 6 to 8 sets ranging from gem to junk and all selling for more than I would be willing to pay. A descent set just sold at Aldrich the other day. I bid out at $850.00, needless to say I wasn't even close. I did pick up a nice single c-13 and a very nice used c-15 tell me what you think. Ron   |
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Rest in Peace
United States
1225 Posts |
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Beauties, both! I just got a C13 on the cheap but, it had a missing corner perf, I'm still looking for a better copy. Send me a note about what you want and we'll see if we can do some more business. BTW, I just love that 73 I got from you! |
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A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. (The exact & entire wording of the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution) |
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Rest in Peace
Canada
5701 Posts |
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I love the $2.60, great cancel. I prefer fine used, stamps that did their job  |
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| Edited by BeeSee - 05/31/2011 11:00 pm |
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Replies: 15 / Views: 2,030 |
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Posted 05/31/2011 09:06 am
