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 Replies: 21 / Views: 1,434 |
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Valued Member
United States
76 Posts |
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A couple of high denomination FDC's I got from Artmaster when they were issued. They kept to the same size envelopes as for the single stamp, so the plate blocks overrun the cachet a bit. I apparently had more money than good sense back then. :-)   |
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Bedrock Of The Community
12591 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
76 Posts |
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Artmaster sold me the $14.00 Eagle Express Mail plate block FDC for $63.
The $9.95 Eagle Olympic Express Mail plate block FDC they sold for $46. |
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Pillar Of The Community
Netherlands
6564 Posts |
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So, they made 12.5% on that first one and a whopping 15.6% on the second one, before overhead and cost. And that is assuming the covers did not cost a penny. |
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| Edited by NSK - 03/16/2026 09:58 am |
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Valued Member
United States
76 Posts |
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I'm guessing they kept their profit lower on these because there were probably not too many people willing to buy these FDC's with plate blocks, except for people like me. I've just belatedly realized that I may be one of the small reasons why Artmaster lasted so long.  |
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Pillar Of The Community
Netherlands
6564 Posts |
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Another possibility is that they paid some poor sod who had spent face value to obliterate stamps a fraction of what he paid to sell them with a mark-up over face value. |
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| Edited by NSK - 03/16/2026 12:37 pm |
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Bedrock Of The Community
12591 Posts |
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I don't think that there was time for these to hit the face market. Still, I thought that there was a bigger margin on these. After overhead the profit doesn't seem that egregious at all. Of course, the fact that the stamp value was zeroed out by cancelling them sucks. I am guessing that S&H was also padded to add some more profit. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
1272 Posts |
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With a 12-16% gross, the retail businesses I worked in would definitely be in the red after expenses. |
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Valued Member
United States
76 Posts |
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Here's another Artmaster plate block FDC acquisition from an earlier time. Scott 1612.  |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
4336 Posts |
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Bedrock Of The Community
United States
10667 Posts |
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Remember, these were only a tiny part of the FDC market for them, so the smaller profit margin was not a problem. |
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Valued Member
United States
76 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
76 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
76 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
76 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
76 Posts |
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Replies: 21 / Views: 1,434 |
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Posted 03/16/2026 06:59 am
