Miss The Old APS Stampstore

Is the only requirement for being able to display the APS logo on hipstamp is that the dealer is a member of the APS? I mean yes the prices are egregious and bear no semblance go real market value, but would we want the APS having any sort of ability to determine the prices that a dealer can place on their material either? I mean doing a modicum of comparison shopping would quickly suggest the dealer hasn't got a very firm grip of the marketplsce.

It is not a dealer displaying a logo. The seller IS the APS acting on behalf of people that submitted their material to it.

The other side of that coin...
Someone has an axe to grind with APS so they join and start listing ridiculous prices intending to tarnish Stamp Store reputation.
Don

Be aware that APS is not selling APS stamps on Hip.

APS Stamp Store sells stamps for their members.

Members mail their stamps to APS, securely mounted onto APS sales sheets.

APS mails the intact sheets to buyers.

Buyers may return the stamps to APS, and APS returns them to the sellers.

If APS removes the stamps from the sheets to vet, the chain of custody breaks, and APS is liable.

You may question a listing on Hip if there is a problem.

From a buyer's perspective why choose APS if apparently, they are middlemen passing paper through without responsibility for any QA/QC and APS is not allowed to examine the material or check pricing validity? Why should I look for the APS brand when purchasing?

Given a choice between an experienced eBay seller with sharp scans of a stamp, including the back, and the usual APS offering, guess who wins every time. The APS "imprimatur" means nothing to me as a buyer, although I've been an APS member for 15 years.

Perhaps APS would consider penalties for deceptive sellers. Upon a return, if an item has been obviously or grossly misdescribed, why not suspend the member from selling for 3 months? Would actually help collectors (vs. antagonizing them) and protect APS's reputation at the same time.

I believe there are penalties for items being misdescribed (faults or wrong catalog number), which result in returns from buyers. But I don't know if there are any rules about stamps that are not priced appropriately per their condition.

I can understand the challenge on APS's side. It is a slippery slope, where do you draw the line? There are many well-established dealers that price their items at or above the high end of retail, sometimes so they can afford to offer holiday 40% off sales, for example. On APS, should a stamp that is listed at 2x catalog be banned? Or 10x? I think a common stamp in average or poor condition, even 1x catalog should be rejected. If in great condition, 10x catalog may be a bargain. I don't believe that the volunteer data-entry stewards at APS have the skills to make this determination even if there were a clear set of rules to go by.


Every listing has an "Ask a question" link. APS staff is usually very good at responding to mis-described listings or data entry errors. Still I wish there were a second set of eyes reviewing the listings before allowing them on the APS Store in the first place.

It appears the only "value added" from the APS is the value of knowing as a seller you will be paid if your item sells; and as a buyer, you will get your money returned on items not as described. The Hip association is "value added" due to the additional eyeballs which have access to seeing the material for potential purchase.

Quality and accurateness of the description is not part of the value added and that is by design.

Remember, the APS also has another way to make philatelic transactions, the circuit book system which allows one to review the item in person before making the purchase.

The APS badge by a dealer only means they are a member and will follow the code of ethics.

Of course, that's true of any seller if you only use payment methods that have built-in buyer protection like Paypal or credit cards. If you don't get what you're promised, you get your money back. I don't think the APS store really offers anything of substance at all and I don't pay any attention to the little badge.

Correct, Angore.

It seems to me from reading this topic that there are buyers or lurkers on SCF and HipStamp that think that if they see the APS logo, then it is a sale from the APS stamp store. This is totally not true.

I've been a Hip seller since '19, and I didn't ask for the APS logo to be added to my listings at all, and I've asked Hip if they can remove it. The APS logo does make some folks associate my listings with the APS listings and I'm not happy with that at all.

It was explained to me that HipStamp is provided a list of members by APS, and then they auto-populate the APS logo for any seller that is a member of APS. That's it. When I look on HipStamp for items I need, and if there is a logo I'll always look at the seller to see if it's an "APS stamp store" seller, and I'll back off, since I don't want to pay for the exorbitant shipping fees (even though it's been reduced recently).

Ray

This isn't an issue in my mind. There are tons of overpriced stamps on eBay, Hip, Delcampe, etc. Why should APS be any different? Sellers should be able to ask whatever price they desire, aside from obvious overcharges for shipment.

I'll agree with this if the objective is for APS Stamp Store to be the same as eBay or HS as far as the inclusion of very poor quality listings.

I also think that in general, comparisons should be with the best quality online venues in the marketplace and not the likes of eBay. Is not the ideal position for the APS Stamp Store be among the best?

Once the decision was made for APS Stamp Store to become a middleman, many additional challenges become part of this vision. Many people do not hold in high regard the position a middleman. As a result, middlemen have to work to add value so they are not perceived as merely skimming margin for themselves.
Don

For what it's worth, I'm an actual dealer member of APS and I don't get an APS logo on my hipstamp listings. So I don't think it's being auto-populated to members.