My Latest Addition

Stamps are sealed and I don't know MNH or MH, should I open it?



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I think they are very very nice and you should probably leave them well alone.

Leave them, the odds of them being MNH are really, really small. Cat hinged about $400, NH cat about $1000. These might well have no gum. Or be thin.

Tempting, though, since the 8c is so well centered...

If you want to keep them to display, just leave it alone. If you are planning to sell, prospective buyers will assume worst-case (hinged gum, or other back faults), so will low-ball the price.

Worst-case if opening and inspecting them would be this condition result, so no harm in valuation (unless they are damaged by removing).

Question: Just how are they "encapsulated"? Would they be easy to remove? Are they stuck or in physical contact with the encapsulation or any adhesive?

Well I have tried to shake them and looks to me they are moving inside,
Looks that they are heat sealed some how on card.

It is really tempting for me to open seal.

Would love to add them to my stamp book with other MNH / MH stamps.

It was to much temptation, just got it of the card and stamps are in absolutely pristine condition, MNH

They are completely sealed from all sides and then with light adhesive attached to the card


I even managed to stick them back on card

I agree with orstampman, remove them unless you like the current display. Since they are loose, then they shouldn't be damaged because of how they were "encapsulated."

Great!!

Of course these people are incredible ripoffs, I really can't imagine them using VF MNH stamps. Since money is the object, they would use the cheapest reasonably centered stamps they could find.

http://www.pcscoins.com/pcs/cat/Sta...d1b0e25da032

Who cares ? Unless you plan on displaying them gum side out, let them be.

@Stallzer: It does mater, it adds value and few more great stamps to my MNH collection, mate its sounds you have midlife crisis :D

Gladiators001


No! No! No! You should not have removed them! even if you did get them back like they were. I have some similar. All encased and I would never remove them! If I ever decide to sell them. I will sell them as Mint never hinged. Just the way I bought them. If the buyer decides to remove them he does so at his own risk. As far as I know the ones I have are Mint Never Hinged.

TinMan, I don't understand. why should he not remove them if he wants to? These were not encapsulated by a grading service, so keeping them in their "capsules" is an aesthetic decision related to the presentation of the material the PCS did to market them. It has no bearing on a determination of grade by a recognized competent authority. If he wants them for another album, and does not care about the PCS mounting, then out they come with no harm done.

Or am I missing something?

IMO it would be like hinging a Mint stamp. It's his collection and he can do whatever he wants with it. But IMO it would take the value down 40-50%. If it could go back together so as to not be noticeable there might be no loss. Mine are vacuum sealed and there is no way to take them out/apart without cutting them with a razor blade and it would destroy or devalue them because it could not be hidden. The value is in the set and display not in the stamps.

TinMan....Sorry....the value is in the STAMPS!
The dispaly would not add any value.

That he got 6 NH items was GREAT!

I would have to agree with revcollector....they (PCS) got their hands on whatever Pan Ams they could find.

Glad --
Back to your original question: should I or not?
In dealing with duck stamps, for example, the nice unsigned ones that are framed are virtually always no gum, disturbed gum, with some kind of small faults but attractive on the face. If a frame of them comes my way the first thing I do is to remove them, carefully, to examine the condition.
Philatelists want VF condition, not just appearance. Duck fanciers want VF appearance and are mostly ignorant of what philatelic condition is. And some framed stamps are done so professionally that I just don't take them apart but have to value them as no gum.
This carries over into buying a collection with attractive unused stamps in mounts. They always must be removed. Always.
If your PanAms can be replaced properly in the PC Soc. folder, then you are ahead of the game because YOU know what you have.
Bill