Well Centered Revenue Stamps

Hi All

Back when I lived where there was a stamp club, I'd always carry stamps like these in my scan. I would be looking to trade for stamps I was interested in. It has always amused me when other collector would try to assign a number system to describe the centering. To me these are only well centered stamps, nothing else, in addition they are all common.

Some collectors would suggest I send them off for grading, I would say something like, you want me to pay someone who will give me a such and such number grade as to the centering, when I can do this by myself for nothing?

No two collectors at the Stamp Club would agree on the number they would assign to a well centered stamp. Some times they would disagree and spend lots of time in an effort to out talk or over talk some other collector. To me this was all a waste of time, especially for common stamps. Not worth the time or effort. They are just common well centered stamps, nothing else, not worth any more well centered or off centered!

Dave

If you have duplicates like these, I would be interested in buying them from you at "regular" prices!

My opinion on these stamps is that they will command a premium price based on their centering and margins (assuming sound condition). Even though they are common stamps, their centering and margins are very uncommon, making them more desirable to collectors, so they will be willing to pay more for them.

orstampman

I have never sold a stamp, I keep these in case I move again to where there is a stamp club. There is a stamp club, but it's 150 miles round trip. I keep them so I could trade them off.

Because they are common, any collector should be able to locate similar or even better stamps easy enough.

Good luck!

Dave

Stamps that well centered and with jumbo margins are tougher to find than one would think. As orstampman says, these can and do bring large premiums if sound. The 5-cent Inland Exchange is especially nice.

While the majority of the revenue collecting community eschews numerical grading, sound stamps with graded PF/PSE certs certainly bring large results at auction.

I wouldn't go to the expense on stamps with this low catalog value though. Now if it was a $XXX or $X,XXXX catalog value, it might be worth the investment if maximizing return is important.

Imperf jumbos are easier to find than perforated examples.

The inland would only grade 85J at best. The Liberty probably the same, and the RB2 might get an 85 or a 90 depending on a close look. But they are very attractive stamps, not rare but not quite as common as some collectors might think, which is why numerical grades should be taken with a large grain of salt.

Hi all, perhaps I've been more lucky in finding the well centered and with jumbo margins than other collectors, perhaps because I do not think they are worth more than any other revenue stamp.

I'm glad to hear the majority of revenue collecting community eschews numerical grading, that's exactly what I thinking!

Imperfs are easier to find, is true in my experience. Especially on the common regular stamps where someone has a large block, they cut out the center stamps and ruin the other stamps surrounding the center stamp. Thereby making it outstanding. Terrible practice in my opinion!

The Inland Would only grade 85J at best, and the Liberty probably the same, while the R2B might get an 85 or 90, all this proves my point better than I can. Just call it well centered and let each collector makeup their mind if the stamp fits into their collecting requirements. Forget all this numbers, confusing to me and others.

Good luck

Dave