Buying Zepps At The Boston Expo

I visited the Boston Expo yesterday. While I haven't really collected in years, it was always a dream of mine as a kid to own a set of the Graf Zeppelin stamps. Do you have any advice for me? Half of me thinks I should get the highest quality stamps I can find, but the other half of me thinks, "What do I care if it has a hinge mark on the back?" Am I better off trying to get the entire set or buying the stamps individually? What kind of wiggle-room if any can I expect on the prices?

KCARAN ----Welcome to the board . Your looking for the U.S. Zepplins correct .

First decide if you want Mint Never Hinged ,used or Mint Lightly Hinged .
Second ,it is important all three stamps are the same condition and grade the same . If you buy the set it will be valued to the lowest condition . So watch it and inspect the whole set .
Third be sure it is bright in color ,beware of stamps that sat out in sunshine or under a strong light .Check for fading .

Buy the whole set ,don't play with buying it in pieces .

Buy the whole set.

If your budget can handle it, buy the whole set. Buy the best that you can afford. Make sure that they're well centered and without blemishes.

I personally don't care what the back looks like as long as there are no thins and it's relatively clean. The zeppelins may be one of the exceptions as they do hold their value well and appreciate over time. Regardless of what others may say, an outstanding set of them really is an investment.

Just my 2¢.

Buy the best set you can afford is always good advice.

The catalogue runs about a 60%-70% premium for never hinged.

They're popular stamps, and the pricing reflects that, but they're not rare, or even uncommon. Every dealer has some, and many dealers have many, so there should be some room to deal, especially during the back half of the show. If you want to get them as something of a souvenir of attending Boston, I'd understand that. You may be able to get them cheaper at a smaller show.

They're going to be so plentiful that you can hold out for great centering, bright color and perfect perfs. Do not rely on the dealer's descriptions. Trust your own eye.

Whether you want to then pay 60% more for MNH is up to you. If you do, be wary of regummed stamps.

These often have gum bends. If you see no gum bends, it might mean they have been regummed.

Covers come with full sets and are price at a lower cost level. The stamps were meant to pay for Zeppelin carriage why not show that action?

Can't see the repair; but yes, the Canal Zone is not common.

The choice is yours.

As too pricing ask, always ask if the price can be improved. As long as you can handle, "No" there is no risk involved.

Edit; As too wiggle room, the later in the week you ask, the more likely a favorable discount will appear. By then the dealer is no longer worried about covering expenses OR desperate to sell anything, anything at all, to cover expenses. Adjust this for "half the show" dealers and their particular start stop.

I just bought a nice set of the C13-C15, Mint Lightly hinged. Noted Price was $980, (lightly hinged, slightly off center, but bright colors, no pulls, no crease). Set was priced at $980, offered $725, settled @ $780. They complete my AIRMAILS.!! This was at The Boston 2026, on Saturday. (I waited 10yrs since the NYC Show 2016).

There are plenty of vendors with ZEPP holdings. As the show winds down, & attendance wains, especially Friday & Saturday, there might be a deal there waiting>

Ooh, pics? C'mon, man. Pics?

While not always true, when higher value stamps like zeppelins do not have a certificate, there may be a reason. There's a big jump in value for graded zeppelins, for example, a C15 VF (80) mnh is around $800, grade 98 for the same is $4500. For a very nicely centered copy with no faults, it could be a significant boost in selling price with a high graded cert.

Otherwise, you'll have to do your best to inspect copies offered for sale and use best judgement on value. Nothing wrong with that, but you assume the risk.

This issue is notorious for gum bends/wrinkles that can crease the paper and as already suggested, often are re-gummed or possibly re-perforated also.

One last thing... sellers almost always over-grade items, so don't take their word for it. There is software available that can calculate the centering grade with an image/scan.

Incorrect

Anyone sell theirs in 1982?

I think you should do a little research before you spend serious money on any stamp especially any Zeppelin stamp .

Here is a sample from my forgery collection .

That pic is clearly a fake, cuz it misspells "floortraders"






ETA: I can't believe I forgot to ask to see the backs.

Those are nice looking forgeries, from the scans at least. How do they look up close? I've seen the Panelli forgery of the $2.60 (worth more than the genuine stamp) and the engraving is very well done, except for the fine details, like the Graf Zeppelin wording is not as readable as the actual stamp.

Do you know anything more about these? Are they modern inkjet copies, or vintage engraved printings?