Modern Plate Blocks

I bought some lots of modern stamps (3c-5c varieties from the late 1950s-1960s) at face value on ebay to use for postage. A handful , each of a single stamp, with 100 stamps per lot, so spent ~$30 but figured this would be a good way to stockpile some interesting stamps to use for postage.

Here is the thing: most of the lots arrived as plate number blocks. Now I have stacks of plate number blocks of the #1239 Red Cross, the #1122 Forest Conservation, etc.

I know that people collect plate number blocks (I have several myself), but my intention here was to buy stamps for postage.

Would it be heretical to chop up mint plate blocks for postage (or to just stick the whole block, plate number and all, on the envelope, and drop it in the mail?)

I do it all the time. Trust me, there are millions more out there.

However, I do check for premium plate numbers before I toss them in the postage bin.

For the Red Cross stamp (Scott #1239), plate number 27654 has a modest 4x catalog premium in the Durland.

Kind of what I thought. Thanks!

My local library does not have a Durland Catalog. (I had to google "Durland stamp" to even find out what it was).

Do you know of a web-based resource for checking plate numbers for scarcities?

thanks again!

The only web-based resource I am aware of, Gaff is the Stamp Community Forum.

This I brought as part of the album so It's hinged only if it wasn't.

Alackaday:

Plate blocks, plate blocks, everywhere,
Nor any a 27654 to be found.

Lacking a Durland, if anyone can check for scarce plate #'s, these are the other lots just purchased (by Scott#):

1088
1090
1091
1092
1095
1106
1107
1122
1190
1239

(I will gladly send a (common) plate block of each of the above, for your services).

The Red Cross stamp, I already posted the plate # with a premium.

The only other one on your list that has any premium is the nursing stamp, Scott #1190.

There are 2 plate numbers on each of those blocks. If you have #27099 in combination with any other plate number, it also has a modest premium.

The regular PBs catalog 45c in the Durland. The ones with plate #27099 catalog at $7. It's not that common, but it is not that rare either. I've found several over the years.

No need to send me any PBs, although your gesture/offer is appreciated.

k

Congrats! I remember having to go through about 30 PBs before I found my first one. Then I found several in succession over time, then another dry spell.

Thanks for the input, k.

I like the design on this stamp. It has class...

Going to set a few aside to give to nurses that I know or may run into at work...

We will make a plate block collector of you yet.

For a while in the late 1980s, I was interested in stamps & my mom was working at the Post Office. She would bring me home plate blocks of every new issue, as they arrived. (I also used to send off self-addressed envelopes with singles for first day cancellations -- no fancy cachet or anything, just envelopes addressed to me -- I thought it was a really cool thing to do that nobody else knew about!)

Plate blocks are nice. I need to figure out a better way of storing & displaying them. Right now, just sticking them in the stockbook along with all the other stamps & hoping for the best.

Some of those covers:









And a page of the "mom" plate blocks:

Gaff,

When you come up with that better way I'd appreciate your sharing it. I've got several hundered different PB's in glassines just sitting in a box. And sadly, the plate numbers on my 1190 are 27082/27083.

Steve

I figure at some point I am going to have to invest in a plate block album and spend at least as much on PB mounts.