Value Of Major League All Stars Uncut Imperf Press Sheets

I'm just wondering what value these currently sold out press sheets will eventually hold? I see a few listings on ebay at 4-6x their original issue value per sheet, but asking prices are meaningless as I haven't seen any takers for months. Interest in these sheets seems to be pretty thin.

This is the one sheet I am missing in my otherwise complete collection of uncut imperf press sheets. I'm a collector rather than a trader out for a profit. Just couldn't decide whether to pull the trigger now or wait.

Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated.

Do your search for "completed" transactions and you will find one or two have sold in the $225 to $240 range, in the last month.

There's a Seller who persistently lists THREE at a time for $700, I don't believe he has ever sold such a lot.

Agree it will take Time to know how these will net out but I encourage having a sheet or pane depending on your collecting. If Scott changes its mind in how these are listed, which will almost certainly happen at some point, it will matter. However, other catalogs will show the no die cut sheets as legitimately catalogged items. You can see other threads discussing this if you search MLB.

Several months ago I got a decent price of around $32-$35 per pane but bought ten panes! Anyhow it is a better price than elsewhere. You can reach to Craig Selig in Fort Wayne, IN and he may be able to assist.

Also, as another note most of the 1000 initial sheets were somehow entirely secured by Mystic Stamp Company and they will hold back supply and slowly release over the next few decades to maintain an elevating price. Because of this, the USPS printed 500 more sheets for collectors.

Good luck. I am also watching this issue carefully.

Thanks for the info. Your mentioning of having bought ten panes raises another question in my mind, as I'm not an experienced collector of uncut press sheets (I'd never collected them until the imperf sheets came out).

I see many dealers cutting up a sheet and selling individual panes. Would the value of an uncut sheet overtime tend to be greater than or equal to the sum of the individual panes it contains? How have other uncut press sheets performed in this regard?

I think it's too early to tell, regarding the comparative values. The uncut sheet (of 6 panes) is a real monstrosity, almost impossible to store properly, highly vulnerable to edge damage, and inclined to roll up into a baseball bat, which will eventually cause individual stamps to pop off the backing paper. [Like the old-time Packard advertising slogan, "Ask the man who owns one!"]

At least a pane will fit on a standard album page!

"Also, as another note most of the 1000 initial sheets were somehow entirely secured by Mystic Stamp Company and they will hold back supply and slowly release over the next few decades to maintain an elevating price. Because of this, the USPS printed 500 more sheets for collectors."

This is not correct. Originally, the USPS planned to sell 1000 press sheets. They sold out before the first day of issue, so a reprint of 2500 additional sheets was ordered. In order to insure that there would be no differences detected between the first and second printings, the first 1000 were destroyed. Linn's covered this in the July 23, 2012 issue. Ultimately, the 2500 from the second printing also sold out.

Where did you get the information about Mystic buying the original 1000?

I know Jay Bigalke, who wrote that July 23, 2012, article; maybe I can persuade him to "update" the MLB-imperf situation, a year later.

On the issue of storage of uncut press sheets, after months of searching for a solution, I finally stumbled upon a product that is perfect for this purpose. I thought I'd share this info.

The product is a large portfolio case (made of cardboard and wood strips on the sides) measuring 36.5"x24.25"x1.1", which is just large enough to accommodate every uncut imperf press sheet issued so far. Sheets can lie flat on top of each other (to prevent damage, one can place a tissue paper in between sheets). The case is very light and has a handle for easy transportation. I'm extremely happy with it so far.

The case is made by a company called Safco (product #3008TS) and is available from almost all office supplies stores (as well as Amazon).

Hi philatomic, you are correct about the printings. My information, or perhaps misinformation to a degree, has come from several dealers at stamp shows with whom I have had conversations. I ask about opinions on these sheets on the show floors in the Chicago area. I have heard four different dealers state something along lines that Mystic secured 1000/the majority of sheets. It may not be precise, but considering how few sheets are on the market, and Mystic has started offering blocks of 4 (at a very sizeable premium) one has to think at least a very large portion of the total supply will be sold over decades through Mystic.

One has to wonder how Mystic was not limited to 5 sheet purchase as households were. It would be a crazy world If the USPS began issuing special limited varieties that primarily were purchase-guaranteed by the major philatelic firms such as seems to be the case with these MLB Setenant No Die Cut sheets. Ironically, the single player No Die Cut sheets are available last I checked and they are just as limited.

"inclined to roll up into a baseball bat, which will eventually cause individual stamps to pop off the backing paper"

This might be true if they were die cut, but since they aren't, individual stamps won't be popping off.

"One has to wonder how Mystic was not limited to 5 sheet purchase as households were."

Households weren't - they put that limit in later.

On the question of Mystic getting most of the initial 1000 - yes, it is true the original 1000 were destroyed, but Mystic still ended up geting most of the first 1000 of the reprinted 2500 (and possibly some of the other 1500) as they still honored the orders that were in place.