A Clueless Ebay Seller Who Did Not Do So Well

This pair of stamps sold today - listed as a US #538 & #540. I was the under bidder. Is it possible that only 2 people in the ebay stamps universe know how to tell a SC 545 from the commoner 538? Not much philatelic knowledge out there.

what gave it away 11x11 + its not flat? can you eyeball these, or do you fixate on images looking for diamonds in the rough? watermark and paper are tough to discern online...

With practice, you can see [or count] that the vertical perforations on the two stamps are not the same - although the aspect ratios are.

The answer may be that few bother to look any more. Most errors seem to run in against the buyer.




The aspect ratio is enough different to make wide rotary stamps look almost square. The left and right side perforations are not in the same position, a key indication that a perf 11 flat plate perforator was used and the pins move in the direction of the perforation row. Rotary coil perforations must align between rows because a gauge 10-80 stroke perforator was used with the pins moving at right angles to the perforation row. Also, with practice it should be possible to quickly separate perf 10 and 11 stamps by eye. If not, then count the perforations in a scan and compare with a reference copy at home.

So, if a seller lists an item as the more expensive variety, he is called a scammer, but if he lists it as the cheaper variety, he is clueless? Not everyone is an expert. That is the great thing about e-bay, anyone can sell. It is up to the buyer to find the bargains.

Adcaplan, Ignorance may be a good word to use in these cases, although I tend to disbelieve that.
Point in case. I notifies a seller several months ago that a strip of five (PS5) of an particular coil he was trying to sell was a common Cottrell Press printing, not the much more expensive B-Press issue. It is easy to see - the former has a joint line, the latter does not.
I got a nice answer back. They acknowledged the fact that they had it wrong but untill today it has not been changed. If at first was ignorance, now it is stupidity!

Peter

Clarification - I did not use 'clueless' in a pejorative sense... but maybe there is a better word. I would never use ignorant, or even worse, stupid. In any event stamp collecting is all for fun.

Chasa, I had a senior moment. Instead of stupidity I meant to say "highway robbery".

Peter

I don't know why you would avoid the use of the word "ignorant," since it is not a pejorative or otherwise judgmental condemnation. It is not a synonym for stupid, though I know lots of people, mostly children, misuse it that way. "Stupid" is a judgment about the quality of reasoning, but "ignorant" simply means "uninformed" as in "I was ignorant of that fact." Peter used that distinction correctly. For what you were inferring, it seems that "ignorant" would be precisely the word to use. Of course, things being as they are, the word "uninformed" is probably less controversial.

Could it be that people avoid the word because they associate/equate "ignorant" and "ignoramus" which is not a synonym. Calling someone an ignoramus is an insult, but saying they are ignorant of something merely states a fact and need not be an insult (though the ignorant may take it as one).


One of the things I like about English is the richness of its expressive power for anyone with a strong vocabulary. English has more words than any other language has had before, and the stock keeps growing.

chasa, thank you for always sharing your knowledge.

I looked at the listing. Wow! I looked in the book, $$. Knowledge is everything.

As a reformed "clueless seller", I was called worse a year or so ago. I have learned many things from SCF!

I still only know a limited amount of philately. With the help of SCF, I know a lot more than I did last year!

I am starting two ebay auctions this weekend. Forty or so items starting on Saturday, and the same on Sunday. All US Classics. Stay tuned! I have tried to research each listing, and list them in accordance and approval of stamp smarter!
If anyone sees any errors, I will make proper changes immediately!

And you condemn the dying for just throwing it away ?

What does that mean??

Was that regarding my # 76 I spoke of as kindling?

I meant it only as a last request. Let me enjoy my collection till I die and then let it go a w ay.

I must admit I am getting much better at recognizing perfs in images, thanks to chasa