"Grandma's Attic". Helping Non-Collectors Evaluate Stamps

First, I'd like to propose a new category on the forum for the express purpose of evaluating stamps/collections for non-collectors who may have just inherited or purchased a collection (yard sale, flea market, antique store, etc). I borrowed the term "Grandma's Attic" from my own club's information table at PIPEX (Portland International Philatelic Exhibition). The purpose was to offer free advise and evaluations on stamps for non-collectors. SCF receives so many requests that I think it would be nice to give the topic it's own category.

Secondly, I wanted to relay a story from this past weekend.

A young women, accompanied by her parents, brought a single stamp to the table for evaluation. Her story was that "Two European dealers told her that this stamp was a US 596". It also had a Kansas City bureau pre-cancel. (Rotary press sheet waste. Design size: 19.25mm x 22.5mm. Perf 11. 2013 Cat value: $175,000).

My club member who was managing the table, sent the young woman to a dealer table where I was visiting. The dealer (a friend of mine) and I both took a look at the stamp and measured it at 19.25mm x 22mm, thus eliminating the possibility of it being a 596. Offended at our conclusion, the young woman asked us to recommend another dealer to evaluate it.

I don't know what happened after that, but I still shake my head at the audacity and ignorance of people. When you consider there were tens of millions (or was it hundreds of millions?) of this stamp printed (US 552) and a there are only a handful of verified 596, she literally has a better chance of winning one of the multi-state lotteries.

*sigh*

Brian

I think a better chance of winning two of the multi-state lotteries the same year.

Good idea about the topic though. There are a lot of people who come here for that exact purpose and it would make it easier to find.

You and your dealer friend were likely accurate and correct, but it sounds as if you feel offended that the woman simply wanted a second opinion. After all, to her, you were a mere .5 mm away from what she wanted to hear.

Brian
Get to work to buy more stamps. And that's good for me too.

You hit the nail on the head! I won't claim to be an expert, but I am a very knowledgeable collector. And when you solve the equation 2 + 2 = x, and prove it on paper, it's hard not to take it personally. Ce la vie ...

Brian




You mean "C'est la vie"
When someone say that it's like saying there is nothing to do...

Brian




Brian, when you collect you choose some countries or some topics. But to say that you are a very knowledgable collector you need at least 40 years of collecting. I'm far from there and you are too. I wish one day I can pick a collection and make an evaluation just flipping the pages.

I'm at work ... of course there's nothing to do!

I'm not familiar with that rule!

Sorry Sire it's time to eat. Hope we are good friends...

Delayed

Daniel, I don't take anything you say personally. You are one of my favorite people here. I just think we struggle with a language barrier sometimes

Have a safe way back home

I like the idea of a separate forum or even a link to a special forum placed so it is prominently display and easily seen and found.

I have noticed over the years here that different people phrase the same things in different ways and thus would search on Google or Bing for different words and be directed to possibly different sites.

The way it is now here on SCF we have many different topic titles and words being used to ask about basically the same thing. This is a good thing as it attracts many different people to the site and, if they are patient enough, to search and browse here and find lots of different topics about their interest.

This is a US / North America based site mainly but we have many worldwide members and visitors and the terminology sometimes is different.

I wander off there somewhat.

Point is, we have a great site now also, even without creating a separate forum or area, there is tons and tons of info here, you just have to find it and finding it is sometimes the biggest problem.

Puzzler
It's in the rules to be very specific (precise) for the thread title. I use the search engine quit often and some members don't do it when they start a thread. I think some new members don't even read the rules. Using the search engine take sometime more time than to write a new title for a thread. That's where the problem for me...