How Do Stamp Companies Come Up With Prices??

OK, Please excuse me if this has been covered before but I'm so frustrated I could scream!
I just recently received an "approval" selection from Kenmore Stamp Co. and although they aren't half bad, the prices are indeed! Are they nuts??

"Nuts" is not quite right for Kenmore. Their approvals wing preys upon caters to inexperienced collectors. They're basically Mystic in different clothes. They're the kind of outfit that sells 3¢ commemoratives -- postage -- for $1.25 each, with quips like "OVER 40 YEARS OLD!"

I'd urge avoidance -- if you have success cancelling your approvals service. Some haven't.

Thats reasonable compared to prices I have seen in antique shops..sometimes I feel like saying something to the shopkeeper..but why bother ?

And being a STAMP vendor you'd think they'd use stamps instead on metered postage! Oh yeah they also expect you to provide proper return postage too...I smell a scam. lol I don't like disrespecting these business as I too own a small business but they are big (massive) enough to reasonably price their wares or at least up the quality to match the prices or SOMETHING!? Just frustrating. I bought the white plains sheet from them (and fastly returned it) and it was in deplorable condition,unlike the writeup, and now they won't leave me be! I must confess that I do enjoy looking through the selections but very rarely purchase anything and Especially since I joined here! What a wake-up call. Thank you everybody for educating me. ~Jay

I was curious and checked the Scotts valuing guide and all of the prices are double the catalogue price. They have got to be kidding.

The centering is not even that good on any of those stamps. Shop around elsewhere and you can find better quality at better prices.

Buying stamps from big and long-established companies will never be cost effective.




Stanley Gibbons of the Strand in London [some say the most famous Stamp company of all] sell all their stamps at SG catalogue value.
Given that SG catalogue prices are between 1½-3 times more than Scott, it makes their prices way higher than Kenmore !

Steer clear of large companies....and corrupt ebay sellers !

http://www.ebay.com/itm/20059909447....m1423.l2649

The above states in his store name to be 'Bargainstamps' but nothing could be further from the truth.

If in doubt, ask here.



Londonbus1

i always thought Harris was high with their approvals..and yet some people swore by them...someone is buying these approvals from the old name approval companies..they are still open for business...we stopped in Littleton, New Hampshire some years back for lunch and I decided to check out the Littleton Stamp company which sold approvals...if memory serves we drove a few miles out of town and there was this sheet metal building with few if any windows ..it did not look inviting at all...so I did a you turn..farewell..but I wondered if people were chainned to their tables in the sweatshop !

Thank you for all of the replies but I'm keen enough to not purchase their stuff but they keep on sending tem anyway...I sort of don't mind as I'm a curious bloke and love to browse but I never purchase from them. They are safely on their way back to to Kenmore as we "speak".

Just for fun, I went to Kenmore's web site and see that they are offering these labels (but with the title "1901 Pan-American Exposition (#294-299)") Of course, those Scott numbers are misleading when referring to Cinderellas and I suspect the $8.95 price is over-rated, too:

Yeah, Kenmore does the same thing with their reprints, at least sometimes -- then talking about the significance of the original stamp.

Well Guys, if they send stuff that was not requested..you know what to do ! Perhaps some youth groups could use them !!

And let us not forget the infamous....WE PAY TOP DOLLAR FOR YOUR STAMPS

Which usually means ... "WE PAY A DOLLAR, TOPS!"

I_Love_Stamps
Last time I bought approvals was more than 30 years ago. And I just can't figure why they just sell incomplete sets then. I just stop buying them and I stop collecting too being busy with other things in life. Last year I got kind of fooled by a dealer for a stamp I won for $40 at an ebay auction. But I still think 90% of the dealers are honest people. Where it strech sometime is that they don't give full infos on the stamps or collections and you could end up being bad surprise. So when buying don't be afraid to ask. In your case it's the high price that bugs you so you did the wright thing, just ship it back. I don't think it's a big reason to start a thread (I'm not very comfortable accusing and naming dealers on this forum) but I can understand your state of shock. Over the years I came to think approvals are for beginners.