How Do I Catalog These Stamps?

Got these recently on a packet of stamps I had ordered from some one.
The post mans cancel never touched these stamps. So I have soaked them off.
now, my ethics tells me to catalog these as Used VF or even USED super fine..
but is there a standard in the postal community where these would be cataloged as mint no gum? I wouldn't think so, but I am not sure how people handle this kind of post office error.

I realize a less reputable person would probably re-gum and sell as mint..
and actually I would re-gum them if I could or knew how.. but not sell them as mint..

what say you. Is my initial impression correct? Catalog these as Used Very Fine?

They are should be categorized as used with no cancel, because you know the history of the item and that it went through the mailing system.

Kim,
Thanks, that is what I was thinking as well. It also make my conscience feel good.

My favourite philatelic subject of 2010 !
Most of my mail this year has arrived without cancellations. It is not only annoying but downright disgraceful.
All of my mail from the UK and Australia since February; Most of the rest of the mail from Canada,Europe etc has arrived as clean as the day it was posted. Only mail from the USA gets a cancel these days.
I have suggested by mail/email that the Postal Authorities get their house in order but mostly my pleas fall on deaf ears. In short, they don't give a damn.I do not have the kind of info about other Postal authorities as I have about Britan's Royal Mail but it is probably a similar story.

In 2009, RM issued security definitives to halt the sale of 'Mint no gum' lots on ebay. It was a joke.
The collectors [if they didn't know how to soak them off paper] suffered, Royal Mail were [supposedly] happy and everyone else was oblivious to the situation. Now, many stamps are so-called security stamps.
But RM, as well as other Postal authorities [including Israel], are not too interested in the cancel of stamps. They churn out rubbish after rubbish at a rate far in excess of Postal needs [Stanley Gibbons take note when printing catalogue lies], and then expect all will be OK.
Well it isn't.
I have no qualms at all about re-using stamps that RM or other Postal authorities cannot be bothered to cancel. I send them to my family [soaked off of course] for using again. Israel stamps are returned to me sometimes to save me postage. I have been known to sell the odd lot of 'Gluestick Postage' on forums like this one [and I have done so here] at well below face of course. This gives me some satisfaction after the Postal Authorities' sharp dismissal of collectors.
I do not sell or give away these stamps as Mint no gum or some other misleading title. They are uncancelled stamps on covers/piece.
I do not ever use these stamps on sales where the buyer has paid for postage but I do offer free postage on some items and I use these on those offers or to mail to family.

I do not feel bad at all, in fact quite the opposite, and until Royal Mail [UK] and other Postal Authorities start to answer a little to the needs of some of the folk who are feeding them big , I will continue to do what I am doing.

I could of course save up my stamps and when I have a big batch send them to some nice kind Post Office somewhere who will cancel them and send them back. [Just joking]
I could throw them in the bin.
I could put them in my collection as 'Oddities'.
I could do many things with them.

But for now, and until those in authority at the worlds Postal Services come up with some good idea, they will be used again.

And thus far, all of those taking my uncancelled stamps either as a gift or in a sale for half face value, including very upstanding philatelists, are extremely happy that they are doing so.

Londonbus1....and so am I

I agree with you Michael. I keep a gluestick in my desk for such occasions.




Butch

Thanks Butch.

I would categorize a stamp that has gone through the post uncancelled as "unused." It is the cancellation that determines usage of a stamp not whether it has been used to pay for postage. A stamp is either cancelled (used) or not cancelled (unused). An unused stamp has either no gum (unused) or gum. A stamp with gum is either hinged (mint) or unhinged (MNH). Thus a cancelled stamp with gum is used. A MNH stamp that was accidentally dropped in water and the gum washed off is unused.

Unless the stamp was rare or unusual I would prefer a cancelled stamp over an unused one.

Just a thought.

Maybe we should send this topic to all the world's Postal Authorities and see what they have to say or suggest.



Londonbus1....I'm serious.

hinged (Mint Hinged) unhinged (MNH)
A stamp dropped in water or otherwise has lost its gum is not unused but (Mint No Gum) Humidity being a big problem over the years.
Any stamp that is canceled regardless of gum or any other condition is used..
My only issue is have a set of stamps go through the mail and not get canceled... I can't say it is mint, or used, all I can say is that it is uncanceled. Because, (Uncanceled) is the only fully true statement you can make.

then you can always regum and sell as mint! (JUST KIDDING FOLKS)