Famous Americans- 10 Cent- Large Multiples

Look what I found in a folder hidden in that little treasure box I was given in the hospital. I couldn't believe it!

Scott #863 10¢ Samuel Clements ("Mark Twain") 2/13/40
2009 Scott cat value for PB/LP $32.50 (4)



Scott #893 10¢ Alexander Graham Bell 10/28/40
2009 Scott cat value for PB/LP $50.00 (4)

Nice multiples.

Even though those examples (especially the plate blocks) have a value well above most plate blocks of the era, unfortunately the SCV of both plate blocks have gone down since 2009 (at least according to my 2013 catalog; I don't have a 2014 catalog to compare it to).

The Clemens Plate Block (Scott 863) has gone from $32.50 down to $30.00 (down 7.7%); and
The Bell Plate Block (Scott 893) has gone from $50.00 down to $45.00 (down 10%).

(Interestingly, I consulted an old 2002 Scott Catalog and the Bell Plate Block (Scott 893) was listed at $65.00 in 2002, dropping to $50.00 and later to $45.00. Not a good downward trend.)

I'm not sure why the reduction in plate block values, but can only imagine the market is either saturated with an adequate supply and/or many have given up collecting plate blocks these days, so the values may be reflecting that.

Thank you wt1 but still not a bad haul eh?

The plate block market is not what it once was. Also there are still a LOT of these around. It's a nice thing to get for free, but their value is due to popularity rather than scarcity.

I_Love_Stamps,

Those are some nice multiples of a well-engraved series. Nice acquisition.

Still a GREAT haul (especially with the other panes you recently posted)!

My concern with those large multiples is proper storage. Unless you buy a mint sheet album or use page protectors (with properties that will avoid the gum from sticking to the pages), they become very difficult to store and there are only a select number of collectors who bother with panes of stamps anymore unless, of course, they are pre-1940 or else an especially desirable issue (such as the Overrun Countries, Air Mails, etc.).

As nice as many of them may look, there is an argument to be made that most of the common commemorative stamps may be better collected in blocks and/or plate blocks rather than a larger multiple, as there is no real premium placed on those larger multiples, especially when considering the higher cost of large storage albums to contain them. Interestingly, if you look solely at catalog values, if you price out the values of a mint single, block or plate block of a common stamp, the value is actually HIGHER in those smaller multiples than that reflected in an entire pane.

Not to discourage you, but once the larger (common) panes have even minor damage to the selvage or borders, the panes are no longer desirable to many collectors, which is exactly the reason why many of them get separated into smaller (and more manageable) multiples over the years.

Many thanks for the great info wt1. I do have 2 mint sheet albums. They are like a large book of very large glassine pockets for them. Works great! I might actually need another though, not sure? I know there are 2 folded under perfs on the Bell strip (2nd stamp down on the left side) but I think I'll just leave these fully intact. I see no reason to break them up. I'm not sure what to do with all these yet? If I thought there was any interest I may sell most off but like you said the storage issues limits the audience.

Sorry to veer slightly off topic. I have a large collection of full panes, but many of them (especially stamps issued in the 60s and 70s) have a tiny pin hole in the selvage (which is quite common. Would that constitute "damage"?

I have consulted many collectors and dealers on this issue, but opinion seems to be divided.

I'd put this in the fly specking category. If your happy with them don't worry about it.
Tom

Hate to say it, but when I see these I have negative vibes about catalog values.
Hypothetical question: lets say you owned a storefront stamp shop [do any still exist?]. How many of these 10 cent FA's singles would you expect to sell in a year? 1? 2? 0.5? This is a lifetime supply for all but the most active retail shops. Until we get more young collectors trying to fill spaces, there is no economic basis for rating these at 2$ 0.2$ 20$ 0.02$, or 200$. The catalog prices are basically 'made up' from a combination of legacy and dealer's dreams.
They ARE nice to look at.

The question is not retail shops, of which there are few, but show and ebay dealers of which there are many. The average 20th century US show dealer would probably sell from 5-10 a year, some in sets and some individually. A few might do better than that, it's a popular set. Catalog prices are a point of reference usually with a long history. The wholesale and retail values for a set like the Famous Americans is well established, and is not a "dealer's dream".

Everyone has (and is entitled to) a different opinion on this, but as for my personal opinion, the staple holes were traditionally in place on virtually all panes of stamps back in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, etc., so in my estimation that would not be considered damage. HOWEVER, if the damage is beyond that, it would theoretically diminish its value as a full pane.

Here are a few excerpts of the scanned panes posted by I_Love_Stamps over the past few days and I have inserted my opinion on what may or may not be considered damage:



As I said at the outset, to each their own, and there's no right or wrong answer. I suppose it comes down to if you were a buyer of a pane of these stamps, would you tolerate the damages noted or would you prefer to move onto to another lot, based on how common they are in the market?

It's a personal decision and probably heavily based on the price point in which they were offered on the secondary market.

It's just how I got them. The more tragically damaged ones I separated the plate blocks from the corners and the rest is postage. Thank you for your little chart there...lol Lots of damage on these sadly but the bulk of them seem OK.

This is always the dilemma with collecting stamps. If you're happy with them, enjoy looking at them for many years. But if you decide to sell them, be prepared for a buyer's market that is heavily skewed toward perfection.

Well, I'm a collector with a strong bias towards perfection, and generally willing to pay a healthy premium for that perfection. However, because these pin holes are so pervasive, even after extensive searches I've been unable to locate panes of many stamps in those early years without such holes (although I'm sure they must exist).

Whenever I pull out the panes in my collection from time to time to enjoy them, I'm always aesthetically bothered by those holes on otherwise perfect panes.

Doesn't really matter what they are worth in dollars, only in the eyes of the owener. Great catch!