Your Favorite US Classic Purchase Of 2016

essayk:
I want looking for the regulations, but couldn't find them. From memory:
The judges can call any item into question (real/fake, good/repaired...). If they do, the page is removed from the frame and sent to a group of experts they have on call. If it is not as described, they can penalize the exhibitor or ask that it get an expert certificate before being exhibited again.

If an item has an certificate, it should be noted (usually with a little "e" or the initials of the expert body next to it) and the certificate put behind the page in the page protector. Usually, a single sentence is all that is required in the description to call out any repair to mollify any questions. See: http://www.cgpostal.com/12cent/slide49.jpg for examples of both.

Re: synopsis -
Yes, you can usually include a one- or two-page synopsis with the title page and application. However, since the categories they use to assign points may be different than those used in National shows (though this is changing this year), it makes sense to adapt the synopsis to hit the criteria by which one will be judged.

Hope this helps.
Chip

Ahh, thank you.
Do you exhibit in Postal History or Traditional?

I ask because PH uses a lot more writeup per item, so I would think it's easier to embed a sentence on condition as opposed to the rather sparse writeup per item in Traditional class. Then again, I would think that replacing a stamp on a cover is judged of about the same severity as hinge reinforcing a block or splicing a tear on a single stamp. But I wonder for Traditional if it would be enough to detail significant repairs in the synopsis and use a siglum on the page to point to the right notes. Or would that be likely to incur the wrath of the judges?

Postal History.
Condition is one of the criteria. There is some latitude in postal history for tears, stains, (and even major repairs), due to the uniqueness of many of the items. They can ding you there, if they take offense to the overall state of the material.
C.

I think my favorite U.S. classic stamp purchase of 2016 is this Scott #10A (37R0), with blazing fresh orange brown color, and a neatly-struck, dark blue West Stockbridge Massachusetts CDS.

That is a nice one CC. Can you send it to me as a Christmas gift?

Here's one of my favorite finds this year. A nice 4 margin, clear copy of 95L1L--5 lines recut ULT. I bought it at a small local show for $8. I love the hunt for these varieties.

Nice 95L1L, Achilles! It's hard to find a clear impression of the five lines!

Agreed. Awesome stamp.

My 95L1L looks like it was left on a window sill...for many years.

Here is my favorite classic USA stamp purchases of 2016. Columbian 242 & Trans-Mississippi 291

Classic Coins - a gorgeous stamp indeed!

Achilles - nice find. I've watch for that stamp too but haven't been lucky enough to find one, especially one as clear as yours!

If you can't tell, I'm partial to that issue.

Carabop: That $2 Columbian is a nice addition!

Classic...that 10a is awesome. Dark blue cancel clearly struck against orange color . Love it. It's amazing how there is such a focus on centering by collectors with used stamps, but to many on this forum, the beauty/color of a cancel contrasting against the color of a stamp is way more eye catching at times . Your stamp deserves extra points in "my" handbook of grading!!

Also picked up a couple of 3c imperf covers this year (as long as people are showing cool 1851 3c stamps).

chipg, I love the way those covers are addressed. Washington 'City' and East 42nd 'near' 3rd Avenue.

Not familiar with Canadian post marks. What does the C W of the Toronto mark stand for?