Ungraded....but Sure Will Grade High!

OK....after looking and commenting on the #E3 post....
Dont want to hijack that thread....
Seems that most here think it is easy to find a item that will grade high ( SUPERB 98 or GEM 100, NH)
Please post a scan of what you own that will grade 98 or 100 NH.
Lets make the catlog value greater than $100 (Scott)...
Waiting to see.....
UPDATED/REVISED....or even a 95 if a high catalog value like the #E3 shown.

It might help to clarify who is getting the grade, a collector sending in his first item, or a dealer who sends in 100 items a month. There is certainly no question about who will get the benefit of every doubt and get the higher grade for the same stamp.

revcollector....I disagree with you.
I asked a friend/dealer who deals in graded items to send some items in for
me next batch he sends....thinking the same thing.
He stated that there is no favortism to who sends.
I believe him because I have seen some of the rejects that came back.
I have been involved in many conversations with him about this.
The grading system must keep its integrity....or it is worthless.
That is my opinion....
Still no photos....

Agree with kevin that integrity is all a grader has and what makes some of the recent threads with incorrect identifiers alarming.

Ok, I'll toss one out here. I'd never send it in for grading but I think it's as nice of a block as you'll find and I'd be lucky to get half of catalog value for it.

I don't know who said it was easy to find superb or gem stamps not identified and priced as such, because it is not. The concept of grading is a concept more suited to stamp investors than stamp collectors. If I was a dealer (who are stamp investors by definition) and I came across a gem I would try to sell it for the highest price I could find the documentation to justify. The grading community provides that. Fine.

The average collector, or even the above average collector, has no interest in paying four-digit prices when they can fill the hole in their album with an excellent specimen for 2-digits or less. The primary criteria for grading is centering and for superb or gem status the centering needs to be equidistant from the perfs on all four sides. The odds of this happening is very low and sometimes impossible on the older issues, so they are a true rarity. However, not all collectors consider this to be the most esthetically pleasing configuration - any professional picture frame dealer will tell you that the proper way to mount artwork is with a slightly larger margin at the bottom and many people prefer their stamps to be "centered" that way also. This 619 is MNH and is the best ungraded stamp I have found recently for an ungraded price:




Is it a "Gem" or "Superb"?

I don't know and frankly just don't care. It filled my empty space nicely and since I didn't pay $5000.00 for it, I am happy.

Al

stallzer....the PB looks great...the top 2 are the best.
Lower 2 slightly low...

BreefmackUSA....the #619 is nice....but centered slightly high.
My guess 90....95 best.
This set is famous for large margins....
ALSO....does not catalog over $100.
Your looks like this???

PLEASE REMEMBER.....
I AM NOT TRYING TO DOWNGRADE ANYONES STAMPS.
JUST TRYING TO STATE GETTING A HIGH GRADE IS MUCH HARDER
THAN MOST THINK.

Kevin -

No, mine is not that faded or toned and my perforations are in much better shape than that one. How much did that go for? I picked mine up for $12 about 6 months ago. I am perfectly aware that it is "slightly high" according to P.S.E. standards - that was my point.

Whether obtaining a high grade is easy or difficult is not relevant to my collecting habits and in my opinion, as Ken Lawrence predicted thirteen years ago, grading has not been a good thing for the hobby in general.

Al

BreefmackUSA....
Stamp is not faded....must be the scan
That graded 90....

Does it have to be a US stamp?

Here's one of my Queens:

lol Nice try Mike33

Mike, no one mentioned DE-graded.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/619-5c-LexC...em338a72f7c6
This is #619 that I sold about 30 days ago...$12+
and it was a BIGGIE!

Mike, I'd give it an A+ on character alone.