US #306 Used On Incoming 1905 Japanese Parcel Post Item. Sold For $1540.00? What Am I Missing?

Listed as, "JAPAN 1905 REG LARGE COVER POSTAGE DUE S.F. MULT FRANKING ADDR USA CANC KANAZAWA" in the eBay title.

Here is the bid pattern at the end:


Now the illustrations:



Such an incoming parcels post package is to be assessed a 5 cent Delivery fee to be collected from the addressee. Here such was noted by an auxiliary marking which reads parcels which is the proper name of the service at that time and since it's creation in the late 1880s.

However 8 cents was collected and paid by the 8 cent Martha Washington US #306 followed by a manuscript note, "From Inquiry Div. N.O.P.O. All charges paid" with the package being forwarded to Houma, LA some 58 crowfly miles away.


So any explanation for the high sales price? Was it the stamps of Japan, the type of use for the #306 or ??? If one can tell, reporting the Scott numbers for the Japanese stamps would be a nice addition.

While I did have a bid to mark the item, I never go to raise my bid as my price was long passed with the jump from $200 to four figures.

I do have my observations as to why, but I don't want to be in an echo chamber, I want to hear other's explanations.

I know nothing about stamps from Japan, but what I find interesting is the postage due was (over)paid with a standard US postage stamp. How many Japanese covers exist like this? I doubt very many!

I would've put it down to the item itself. There's nothing rare about the stamps themselves as far as I'm aware.

Rather unusual item, and it only takes two to tango the price up!

As to parcels from Japan with the 5 cent parcel delivery fee in the era, I have several. Use of regular stamps as to collect postage due is not particularly uncommon but is unseen. My planned bid level reflected my prior purchase prices.

As to it take two to tango, there were at least three (why I posted the bid screen) willing to break $1000 and perhaps others such as myself whose bid did not show as it had already been exceeded by the current bid and thus not posted.

The 48 Sn postage is paying the rate for for a 1-2 lbs parcel at the the fee 24 Sn/lbp. A reason for the 3c extra fee may perhaps have something to do with that the address has been changed. International letter mail could normally be remailed without extra fee but if parcels were remailed an additional fee had to be paid. But how to calculate that, when the US did not have domestic parcel mail until 1913(parcel mail from Japan to USA started Aug 1 1904)