Scott Us# 372?

This maybe be a silly (newbee)question...bare with me

I've observed that some stamp issues have #s for partially imperf sides...This particular stamp would be either #372 perf. or #373 imperf.

Where does this misfit belong...Is this just a #372 that's been cut?

Thanks!

lorrlis, no, the perforations haven't been cut off the top. The straight edge on top of your stamp is just the outer top edge of the sheet. Until relatively recently, almost all US stamp sheets came with limited or no selvage on the outer edges, so on a 10 stamp by 10 stamp sheet, there could be as many as 36 stamps with straight edges. Four of them could even have two straight edges. Really serious collectors often avoid these stamps, that they don't regard as collectible as those with four perforated sides. Your stamp is not the imperf variety (US Scott #373). It's the perforated Scott #372. A very nice example as far as I'm concerned. Looks better than the one in my collection.

I agree with Ipmiller - a nice date cancel on #372 and a nice addition to many collections.

Thanks, I agree!...I like the nice clear SON cancels that have the detailed time and dates, like a captured moment in time.

Yes that is a great looking stamp. I also would love all my stamps to have a cancellations like that but I know I am dreaming. I am happy to just get a year to show. But why do "Really serious collectors often avoid these stamps, that they don't regard as collectible" ??? I feel the stamp lorrlis shows would be a very valuable one due to the cancellation with the date and time and location even though it has a straight edge. I guess even with stamps it is location, location, location?

I feel the same way you do. The outer edge doesn't detract from the overall appearance and, in this case, it does have a beautiful cancellation. Sometimes there is no explaining what goes through collectors' minds. Fact of the matter is that many collectors want that perforated border all around the stamp. As I was reminded by another collector yesterday, "there are no rules to collecting." It's a question of how the individual collector wants their "stuff".

Most definitely. It most likely can be stated these ways, Beauty in the eyes of the beholder and one mans junk is another's treasure. That would be a treasure to me.

The reason the "Purists" do not collect these is simply that the Stamp is not balanced and many prefer all sides to be perforated. The Stamps that fell on a cut line (Like the one the OP is asking about) are actually scarcer as there were less per sheet than the the 4 side perforated Stamps, yet having a cut line on one detracts from the value. Simply, scarcer does not automatically equate to more expensive.

Thank you for that great explination Stallzer. I knew about the "Purists" not wanting the edged stamps, but I never understood why. Now it makes a little more sense. I do like many of the stamps with the one edge, but for some reson the corner ones do not appeal to me quite as much.