Is This A Good Deal Or Not Sc#77 $699.00

Yes. This should be common sense with any purchase, whether it be a stamp, a vehicle, or a house. If a seller claims that his product has been certified, the first question to ask is "by whom". If they cannot answer that question, or if they talk around it without answering, or if they come back with "we are experts, and we certify the product ourselves", then the buyer should be extremely skeptical at best. Think of used car dealers advertising things such as "Certified Low Prices!", and you're on the right track.

Moon... I'm in total agreeance with you... you make good points...
"Tropical" is a predator, like so many others we speak about on SCF...
and, as such, they *know* with as much certainty as we all do (here)
there are large numbers of collectors whom don't know any better...
said collectors whom do not even know legitimate expertizing agencies
exist...

Self cert = NO CERT

That's not a cert, it's a green piece of paper fit only for the bottom of a birdcage.

Predator bait...

You know, my first thought was that this is awfully brazen of them - I mean, how hard would it be to print up certificates from "Joseph Johnson & co., est. 1903" instead of putting your own name on them? But, as I ponder it further, I realize that it's actually a very cunning, and effective, ploy.

They aren't targeting people who would ask questions like "who are these guys, and what qualifies them as experts?". They know that such people will see the warning signs and turn away quickly, or at the least be much more cognizant of the true value of the material at issue.

Rather, they are targeting people who don't know a lot about philately, who will look at this listing and think "wow - these guys are so respected that they even certify stamps!". And, to those buyers, the brazen self-produced certs are actually a credential that supports the legitimacy of the seller, as odd as that may seem to the rest of us. I mean, look at it - it has fancy scrollwork, and a barcode, and multiple signatures! And, if they receive decent customer service, those buyers are likely to become regulars, believing that they are building a relationship with a respected member of the community.

It's really a shame, I think. As many others have said over the years, this sort of thing only serves to turn people away from stamp collecting, once they discover the lies they've been fed.