Collecting Coil Strips

I'm not a coil strip collector, so this is a question for those who do. Is there any difference in value between strips of 3 and of 5 (both with the plate number in the center stamp)? Thanks.

Any difference in value depends on the stamp. Although it's a few years old now, there was a previous discussion on this very topic at the link below:

https://goscf.com/t/25664

Much appreciated, wt1.

Wt1 is quite correct. But things keep changing thanks to our ( greedy ) USPS that insists on multiple design coils. The latest one is part of the flag, spread out over three stamps. The plate number is on the middle stamp, and to make it a PS5 ( Plate strip of 5 ) the middle stamp is repeated on either side. This time that middle stamp does not have the plate number on it, and is thus considered a different design by PNC collectors.
Since they do not like a variety at the end of a strip, one more stamp is added on each end, making a PS7 the favorite strip!
Riderontherain, yes, a PS5 has more value than a PS3, especially on older strips! That difference can be pretty substantial.

Peter

There's a reasoning behind this, too. The PS3 was the generally accepted collecting protocol. Then, for some reason, the stamp collecting public (maybe the catalog editors) decided than PS5s were the preferred configuration. Thus, the "older" coils are harder to get in PS5 configurations, (since PS3s were the collecting standard then) as "supply and demand" took over explaining the reason why older PS5s (fewer on the market) have more value today than PS3s.

The move from PS3 to PS5 was prompted by precancel gap collectors who wanted to capture more gap positions within a plate strip.