Are You A Gambler ?

This week on ebay a lot of precancels was sold that included these:


There are at least 7 copies of the ellusive SC639a the imperf between seven cent that is only known on the Mobile AL DLE.
Wow - these catalog 250$ each [by my 2006 Scotts, more now I think]. Selling price was under 100$.

So what is the gamble? On these pairs if there is a trace of perforation indentation in between the value is about nil. They need to be 100% cleanly imperforate and it is impossible to tell from the scan if this is the case. Some do appear to have indentations. We will know shortly, because the buyer ebayID=precan is a buyer/seller who will have them back on ebay properly identified asap.

PS: I am not that much of a gambler.

No gamble here. The seller would have had to have been an absolute FOOL to include any imperf-between pairs, whether he had prior knowledge of the precancel variety or not (which I didn't, by the way).

I predict indentations, no deal. Hope springs eternal.

My fingers are crossed for you, chasa, but I'm inclined to agree with doug2222 here. I think I can make out indents on the upper McKinleys in your image.

There is only one of them where I cannot see the indents (unless there are some pairs hidden beneath others.

2 different pairs with the Mobile DLE have been submitted to PF for certification. Cert 284549 was issued as a blind perf (regular 639) and cert 432642 as genuine 639a.

The present discussion lot aside, I do find I gamble to a degree
when using ebay. Sometimes album lots have examples
that offer a slim chance of a win.
You cannot draw attention to the stamp, so you take the ride.
If the lot in general supports the price
then you try your luck.
I am awaiting one in the mail at the moment, I saw an issue
that if it is the correct paper will probably reach a CV of $1000
and a sale price in the hundreds.
The lot was $45 and would be fair stand alone value.
My decision to buy was based on
1. I collect that country.
2.I can pick several issues out and remarket the balance
3. The gamble portion is a mixture of curiosity, and wishful thinking.

As anyone knows, a close up scan reveals usually a vast array
of "conditions" of a stamp, the condition rarely
seen in any ebay scan.
The reward is beyond fiscal, it is kind of a repayment of all the hours
one puts in, studying and handling the stamps in question, a bonus of
the aquired knowledge.

I've gambled several times on ebay on a color that looked pink, and the price was low enough that I took a chance.

Gotta be willing to lose to win.......
Great topic....Ray