Does Precancancelled Sound Better Than CTO On Ebay?

Really, I'm not trying to pick on anyone, we all have to learn.

I was interested to see this and other titles by the same seller describing what I take to be CTO (Cancelled To Order) stamps as a Precanceled Mint stamp. Is this a new trend? Has anybody noticed this being done elsewhere?

Liberia #649: 10 C, Multicolor, 1904 Clement-Bayard. Precancelled, Mint, F, LH.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Liberia-649...em256ff585b1

Now, I know it's not Mint. I think perhaps he wants to convey that the stamp is in great condition, and I understand and 'get' the 'precancelled' reference. The government of the country did order the stamps with a cancel printed on them. Technically true I suppose.

But will everyone get it? (It's not really precancelled as stamp collectors know the term.)

Really and truly precancelled Canada stamps:


The seller (noodgie) does actually have some nice stamps. And he seems a good seller otherwise. I like his name, very memorable.
http://myworld.ebay.com/noodgie/

Is this a case of any advertising is good advertising?

I like his innovative photo borders around some of his stamps. Too flashy for me to use myself but maybe they do work? Who knows?


Attracted my attention anyway. Oh no, did I just create an advertisement for him?!! Ah, it's working, he's beaten me at my own game!

Checking out his ebay site I'd have to agree he's got some nice stamps at good prices. And I think he's got some good descriptions as well. Personally I find the coloured frames annoying and distracting from the stamp, but that's just me I guess. If he wants to take the time, that's his business. I figure if you've already got me looking at your product, don't drive me away with painful colour combinations.
As for 'precaneled mint', he's simply got his terminology wrong. They are two different things. Maybe somebody should tell him.

Hey puzzler the usage of "pre-cancelled" instead of "CTO" on ebay seems to be increasing to me

I don't think it is to intentionally deceive but more of a case of people maybe not understanding that they do have different meanings

I actually agree about some choices made by sellers regarding the garish colours used and then a contrasting colour used and then another and a bigger font, etc, etc. They lose me after the second sentence, if I have made it that far.

Less is more, as the saying goes.



Well, maybe, I don't know. Sometimes I think they do know or really, how can they not know? Maybe I am presuming though.

I think precancelled sounds better. To me CTO sounds harsh and in my mind it equates to trying to deceive, in a way. Something fishy in Denmark, so to speak. Precancelled sounds legitimate, legal, lawful or something.

I guess I dislike calling something what it isn't, is what it comes down to. Don't mean to point fingers, just me being touchy is all it is.

I have been looking at the whole "used CTO" or just stay with "used" as a general term in a listing a title description.

I have about 10% of my high values as "used CTO" but have never put CTO after used on any of these stamps and have never had an issue with anyone.

I just managed to get 34 sheets of Australia 2011 CTO mostly high vales and have for the first time described them as "used CTO" and they have not sold but the ones described as "used" have sold very well.

With stamp descriptions the quicker and simpler seems best for the buyer. The image of the stamp magnified as large as tells no lies and this is where it seems to count when buying your stamps. The image is 100% of everything, buyers on a whole can tell what a stamp is when they look at one, they do not want an over described stamp they want to make there own decision about the stamps grading and how well it is going to fit into there collection. Buyers are very smart buyers when it comes to stamps.It has been very interesting trying different types of title descriptions and good clear description with no fuss seem to be the best. My 2c worth. KGV

hey KGV your comments and feedback are interesting - "CTO" and "Used" have completely different meanings to me and your comments seem to indicate that this is the case for others as well - In my case I woould be more interested in an item that is described as being "Used" then an item that is described as being "CTO"

I think the issue is more that most collector do not understand the term CTO when looking at a title and the people that do understand the term CTO can tell by the type of cancel, especially with Australia.

To me "used" is a general term and then there is.

Used as a grading term.
Used with cancel to order. CTO
Used with no cancel.
Used with cancel around time of issue or postally used.
Used with cancel a long time after issue of the stamp.
Used from first day cover.
Used from maxicards.
Used with special cancels from stamp shows etc

I describe all of the above as used. My dilemma is should I take the gum off the CTOs or let someone else make that decision.

To describe CTO as "used with gum" would be the best way for me but it takes up to much room in the title.

The lots listed as used CTO have sold very well today.

The relisting lots have "used CTO" in the sets.

Nice stating of the different used meanings.

When I had a wolr collection and CTO stamps were part of it, I soaked the gum off all of them. I had mostly used otherwise and wanted everything to go together and was frustrated at the gum sticking to things and ruining the stamps. So I soaked them. Made it all much easier.

people like the new look of CTO stamps I think (I did) but also lie the idea of having a cancel on to 'prove' the officialness of the stamp.

Some countries in Europe now issue stamps and cancel them as collectors want them that way, a nice new looking stamp and a nice new looking official cancel, socked on the nose or showing most of it anyway.

CTO is a stamp issued by a country (or years ago thought of by them anyway at some point) and are nice looking too.

To hve an appreciation of a used or postally used stamp you have to collect for a while I think and like cancels and the whole idea of something being used and worth more because of it. Or valued by the collector anyway.

Canada is kind of sliding sideways into the CTO market here, cancelling things if someone wants it done and having lots of special pictorial cancels.

Being the old seasoned collector I enjoy an actual cancel on something that has been through the mail system. Taken me years to get here but it's a nice view, let me tell you.

Wish I could write letters and have them come in like my grandmother did. Boxes of the things over the years.

I wonder if years from now if people will collect emails? Ha, funny thought.

Good luck with sales always.

Precanceled looks to me to be overprints and can be placed on a letter and the PO then cancels the stamp used.

If you are in a position where you have to describe a stamp it is the only way a person truly has to(forced too)think about the best way to get the stamps meaning across to the reader without being misleading.

When reading about the word "used" as a descriptive word how many people had the idea that used could mean more than 9 different descriptive ways for a stamp to be described as being used.

I do believe that in this day cancelled to order(CTO)should be called "used with gum". To me this takes the argument totally out of CTO and gives it a truer meaning in our current market place.

To me we need to stay at the cutting edge of stamping and that is the demands of the internet stamper. The people that are saving our great hobby from falling off the map are the collectors that sit at home and buy stamps on line. My 6c worth. KGV

To me, saying 'used CTO' is redundant. Like saying 'free gift' or 'ABM Machine'. The 'C' stands for Canceled (ie used) much as the 'M' in ABM (or ATM) is Machine.
Or 'old antique'. I'm sure there are more.

Nice to hear a vote for "used" only needed in a description for CTO.

About CTO-used stamps

http://www.stampcollectingblog.com/...o-stamps.php

Good article from SCB once again,thanks Timbre667 !

And the comments and responses, adds a nice touch.

I liked one fellow's comment that he was going to play how he liked and ignore whatever the catlaogues said was good or bad to do.

That's what it comes down to in the end and why CTOs of many forms are collected (they look nice) and still are produced by many countries. They sell.

I would prefer to call a stamp that was CTO 'cancelled' or 'canceled' whichever spelling is correct in different places in the world. But that takes up a lot of room and I don't think many people search for long words too often.

Cancelled sounds better to me and has many variations
Cancelled to Order
Favour Cancelled
Postally Cancelled (usually stated as Postally Used)
So the words Used and Cancelled get interchanged a bit now and then.

Is there a question of Is it Real? That was the one that always got me going. Then you started thinking well, if it isn't real then what is it? Fake? Oh no, the brain keeps going and making connections.

'Used' is short and sweet and sounds good and there is no confusion about real or fake (although there are fake used stamps everywhere) but most people couldn't be bothered to tell the difference. too much bother and trouble and why not just enjoy my stamps?

I was so deceived when I realized that a collection I bought on ebay contains some CTO sets. When I buy a collection I always do an evaluation. I searched to find out what's value a CTO stamps and the answer was not much. So these CTO sets had much less value than real used stamps and my collection loose value too. The seller didn't mention the CTO sets. It was for me to find out looking at the pictures. I think some stamps are mainly found as CTO; real used copy are rare like water in the desert.

If sombebody describes CTO as precanceled, then he/she is mixing up things pretty badly. And I'd definitely file a report to eBay/delcampe/whatever from selling misdescribed goods.

As for what CTO should be called...I'm sticking with the opinion that I expressed on my blog post: CTO is neither mint or postally used, but a state/condition of it's own right. So let's simply call it CTO.