Scott 1552 And Basic Q And A

Greetings to all,

I am new to stamp collecting and am researching in relationship to a large quantity of stamps I have received that are primarily in panes. I am looking at the Scott 2012 catalog for info on where the intrinsic value of the formats lie and don't see anything about panes. The first example is the 1552. I have the following panes of 50 stamps each:

9 UL Plate block #'s 35640-35645
9 LL Plate block #'s 35640-35645
9 UR Plate block #'s 35640-35645
9 LR Plate block #'s 35640-35645

1 UL Plate block #'s 35634-35639
1 LL Plate block #'s 35634-35639
1 UR Plate block #'s 35634-35639
1 LR Plate block #'s 35634-35639

It seems to indicate to me that they were originally sheets of 200 that were separated. There are 2 sets of the 5 different slogans along the edge of each pane above the plate numbers.

In Scott they list the Plate blocks at 20, 6#, 5 slogans and 12, 6#, 5 different slogans.

My question is whether it is beneficial to break these up into Plate blocks or other derivatives and singles to maximize the value?

If so, what would be the proper layout for the separation? I see where the plate block of 12 could be separated but that would leave 18 singles. I don't see how a plate block of 20 would be created.

Also, I have read that the Durland 2008 Catalog and 2010 Supplement would be a good resource. Particularly because it might alleviate the need to review every sheet under UV light for tagging omitted sheets in stamps other than the 1552. Is that true?

Thanks in advance for the guidance.....Peter

Welcome to Stamp Community Forum, Peter!



That is correct. When printed, they are sheets of 200, which are then cut into 4 panes of 50. Even though we call them "mint sheets", they are actually "panes". The uncut full sheet is sometimes called a "press sheet" to avoid confusion.

When you have all 4 positions for a specific set of plate numbers, it is called a "matched set".



Stamps like this are referred to as "face value" material. In other words, there really isn't any "true" premium. These are often sold anywhere from a small fraction below face value to a small fraction above face value. Most US collectors don't even bother with the catalog values for these "face value" stamps. I would suggest trying to sell the panes intact first. Otherwise, it will take you forever to individually sell 2000 10c stamps, unless you want to sell them wholesale (60-80% of face value).




There are very few collectors of the full plate strips (i.e., the entire side, not just the plate block). Those 5 slogans are arranged in mirror image from the opposite ends. By collecting the full plate strip of 20, you can see the symmetry, but you aren't getting any additional new selvage markings. Most people I know who collect blocks, will either collect the PB12 or the complete pane. I rarely run into someone who actively pursues the full plate strips. It sort of died out when USPS came to its senses and quit making floating plate blocks.



Yes, it is a GREAT resource. But not for the reason you hoped for. When Scott mentions "tagging omitted", that refers to a production error. So to find "tagging omitted" errors, you will need to use a short-wavelength UV light.

There are some stamps that were intentionally printed with and without tagging, especially during the transition period. In some cases, specific plate numbers can be associated with tagged or untagged production. This is because the early plates were used before tagging became a mainstay of mail sorting. However, you will find more often than not, that plates used to produce tagged stamps were also earlier used to produce untagged stamps. Therefore, you will often still need to use a UV lamp to make the final ID.

k

Greetings khj

Thanks for taking the time to respond. How do you enable the quoting function you used? (Enable HTML?) I would like to keep my replies neat also.




How then does one determine a fair selling price or offer price from a dealer or individual for any given pane? I have looked on ebay and done some google searches and they seem to be all over the place.




Are the plate block values in Scott also disregarded by collectors for the modern era stamps considered as face value?




Any recommendation on a reasonably priced UV light to review panes?

Thanks again....Peter

Welcome.

When you want to reply, including a quote or photo (or smilies, or what have you), don't use the quick reply. Rather, use the link for Reply to Topic right under the last message.

Then, in the format toolbar, the next to last icon, with the red arrow, is the "quote" button. Hit it, and paste the quote between the bracketed "quote" code.

Short wave lights are just going to be more expensive than long wave lights. I don't think there is a workaround. Geology and jewelry-making sites will offer them, too, catering to a different crowd, but I don't think there is any significant savings to be had there.

I mentioned a couple days ago in reply to another question that Internet Hobby Supply has a handheld short/long combo light for $49.99, but I don't own it. My very limited experience seeing it in action was a bit underwhelming, as it didn't really make things "pop" like the bigger (and much more expensive) desktop units. But it is cheap and fits in a briefcase for trips to shows, so...

Greetings CJD,

I did some searching and it looks like a good choice might be the RayTech Versaluxe 10-028 Short Wave UV Lamp. I found it for $54.95 at http://matildascheapsupplies.com. I am trying to get a picture of what the view box looks like since my primary interest for now is to inspect a large quantity of panes.
Cheers....Peter

I believe it's Ray Tech Versalume. Here's a cut from the manufacturer's catalog:

Greetings wt1,

Thanks for the correction. They don't give dimensions or show what a view box looks like. I am trying to determine suitability for reviewing panes before coughing up the greenbacks. Perhaps someone who is using one might also jump in here.

Cheers....Peter

I don't know if this helps much, but one or two catalog listings describes the light box that comes with the Versalume as follows:




It doesn't sound like much. I could be wrong, but it seems to suggest to me that it's no bigger than a watermark tray, probably just large enough to view a single stamp.