Facit Vs Scott Catalog Value For North Ingermanland

Evening everyone. For reference, I do not collect stamps for future re-sale or investment purposes. However, I do not like to pay for stamps far over any catalog value if the stamp is not overly rare. I am looking at purchasing a used North Ingermanland Scott#5, Facit #5. Scott lists the stamp at USD42.50, Facit 2020 at 800SEK ( current value 96.64). If I rely on Facit, the asking price of USD50.00 would be a purchase I could handle. If I rely on Scott, a purchase of USD50.00 I would pass on. The stamp looks quite nice, but I am conflicted with the differing catalog prices. I would prefer not to pay over 100% catalog value, but which catalog to use as they seem to differ greatly? Any thoughts and insights are appreciated.

First make sure your not buying a forgery.

And if you are paying extra for used, make sure it doesn't have one of the more common favor cancels... :)

I don't have much insight for you. When I see a stamp that I want, and am on the fence about whether I want to pay that much or not, I tend to wait. If it isn't rare, it will come up again. At the very least, if I see it sell a few times, I have an idea of what the REAL market is for such an item, irrespective of catalog value. If it is rare, or if there is a (for lack of a better word...) 'pretty' cancel, and I just must have it, I tend to bite the bullet and pay what I have to. I figure I will not see to many of them in the near future to apply Philosophy #1 to it. I better grab it while I can. I tend to be quite picky, though.

In the end, I am afraid, it is up to you to decide on this.

Perhaps you can talk to the seller and present your case to him as you have here. That you know the Facit value AND you know the SCV, and that you would like a little 'rhythm' in light of that. If there is nothing special about the stamp (cancel, rarity, fly-specking detail) then the SCV isn't a horrible reference to go by. Throw that at him. If he is European/Scandinavian, he may simply laugh at you. If he is American, he is probably using whichever catalog lists the higher value. Assuming this is not a specialty item.

Hi macsyrinx, the Scott catalog clearly states that the values listed are half of what a well centered example would catalog. Maybe Facit is giving that value of a VF example.

Many catalogs have valuations that are highly inflated for stamps in typical/standard condition. Note FACIT's grading system with luxus being at the top. Are you aware of what that grade is? The high valuation relative to Scott can accomodate the highest quality stamps possible, ideally. Since the price range is so huge, there is plenty of room for overpricing. Scott went to a net price valuation system long ago that also has been abused by buyers and sellers. So actual pricing applies to a theoretical level of centering, hinging and quality.

The only way to determine real prices is to go to several Scandinavian specialist dealers' pricelists and compare prices for a given level of centering and hinging. In general, Personally, I think you should be paying something less than Scott for a decently centered used North Ingermanland Scott 5. But even the Scott price applies to a genuine postally used stamp, whereas a cto/favor-cancelled stamp is priced like a mint stamp. However, buying stamps one-by-one as we often have to do, you will find the reasonably priced sellers will be the first ones to be out of stock of key values of any issue.