Live Stamp Auction Etiquette

I take offense to the statement "spread like manure to newbies " I grew up on 100 stamps for 10 cents and dollar packets of Mission Mixes . I have over 30 years built a good relation with many bourse or show dealers and if they tell me they are bidding for a lot,I will past on the lot just so they can cover their mortgage payment that CODEHAPPY is concern about .

Common stamps are the manure fertilizing the soil from which new collectors grow.

Given that, as you say, you started with common stamps, just like I started with common stamps, and probably everybody else in this forum started with common stamps, I expect you'd think the metaphor rather apt.

And why so defensive about your network of dealer friends? Some of my best friends are stamp dealers, too. I am not so sporting as you are though. When it comes to lots I want, I happily compete against them.

I find the discussion about "stamp value" interesting but somewhat perplexing. It sounds like a lot of people actually believe that stamps have a set value, but in the end of the day, a stamp is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Production costs don't play a role (unless you are buying new modern), and although some of us might argue, stamp value is never going to be driven by necessity (such as prices for food, oil, etc are). It is a LUXURY market and as such, will always be susceptible to flux. The question of market value for stamps and the ability to accurately predict what it will be is obviously important for dealers and auction houses. Also, it is important for those trying to invest with stamps.

But for the average collector, value is up to us to determine. It is a good idea to have a ballpark idea of the catalog, dealer, auction house, and/or ebay price for a stamp so we don't pay high prices for something that we could get for much cheaper a week later, but that is just a stamp collecting tool...it doesn't actually reflect "value". So, we can ridicule someone who pays $50 for a stamp with a catalog value of $45, but if that person is satisfied with their purchase, by definition their stamp has a value of $50.

I just find it odd that the "value of stamps" discussion seems to be dominated by an assumption that there is a "true", objective value for every stamp, but ours is a subjective pursuit. VALUE will be based on that subjectivity. Value is in the eye of the beholder.