Is It Eye Of The Beholder Or What ??

I see great stamps like these from Argentina in 1918 and am kind of surprised how little they catalog... a total of 90 cents for the lot !

Philb, You will see this is the case with many countries and I think it could be because some how value also depends on what collectors are buying and where the market is,how common the stamps are and not forgetting the personal preference of the Cataloger.
The catalog price is a suggested value, we already know that stamps can sell for either more or less than what is stated. Besides WHO really decides the worth of a stamp??? Its got to be the collector. How much would you pay to get a stamp that you really really wanted? it could end up well over what the Catalog may list!
Someone might pay well over 90 cents for those three Argentina stamps, someone who values them higher.
Just my opinion!

Philb, if the disconnect between catalogue values and appearance worries you, don't go anywhere near the Indian States.

I offer Exhibit A



The 1948 Bahawalpur Official set, catalogue value £5.75 and available for far less. (Incidentally, the face value at the time of issue was equivalent to around £1.)

Exhibit B



The Jammu 1867 ½ Anna indigo watercolour, catalogue value £375. (Face value at time of issue, somewhere the wrong side of ½c.)

To me, there's no contest of course. I also love my avatar, from Bhor.

Thanks Gents..of course I agree, Tony I believe I have that Bahawalpur set somewhere in an approval packet with an indicated value of 10 dollars..i wonder if many of the colorful Bahawalpur stamps were used for postal service or if they went directly to the approval houses ?

Philb, there's a nice story (what percentage is true, I don't know) about the stamps of Bahawalpur. What is indisputable is that the Amir, whose head appears on the 1, 2 and 5 Rupees stamps, was a keen philatelist, and took great interest in his stamps. He had them designed and printed by De La Rue in London, who did him proud.

Now, this is where the scuttlebut begins. It is said that the Amir was also keen on the horses. It is also said that, occasionally, while in London, he found himself a trifle short of cash to settle with his bookies. It is said that he would then phone up De La Rue and order another printing of his stamps - particularly that Official set - and ship the stamps off to the dealers to cover his losses. Whatever the truth of the matter, that set is unusually easy to find ...