Question On Canadian Cancels

Hello. I have the unitrade specialized catalog for Canadian Stamps and there is a section in there on cancels and rarity factors.

My problem is that I have so many styles of cancels and tons of towns that aren't even listed in there. Is there somewhere I can get information on them?

Thanks.

The Canadian Postal History Society is your best bet. An on-line membership is $15/year. This gives you access to a lot of information.

http://www.postalhistorycanada.net/php/

All back issues of its journal is available to members.

Thanks for the link.. Do they list the rarity of all post offices in Canada?

I have W. Bruce Graham's book 'Ontario Broken Circles' and it is a terrific list of broken circle and other early circle style date stamps from Ontario (incl. Upper Canada, and Canada West). I know the book's content is included in the PHSC database, and the book does not include a rarity factor listing, so I would assume the online database does not either.

The book is some 230 pages with thousands of entries and lists only the early circular date stamps of Ontario. Based on this, a complete exhaustive list of all Canadian postmarks in all types would be absolutely massive. I know the PHSC has began working on a few databases for different types of cancels, but I know it is not complete.

The Vincent Greene Foundation Library has proof books as well as many other references:

http://greenefoundation.ca/library.html

The library is located in Toronto.

Why are you concerned about rarity? Are you selling or collecting?

I believe there is a book (or two) that has been done on rarity factors for some cancels out west (Alberta, etc.)where this is a more active collecting field. So much so in fact, that some sellers fake the more rare cancels using modern scanners/printers (and the proof books).

I am not aware of any real work done for Ontario on rarity factors.

One way to determine relative rarity is to find out how long the PO has been in operation (and if it still is). The government postal archive is online and gives a list of Post Offices.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/...100.01-e.php

Of course, then there are the many hammers that may have been produced. There is a lot of work to be done. The PHSC Canada is doing a great job on this, but rely on all collectors to provide data on specific cancels.

I think that for each type of cancellation, there is a different RF for all of them.

Squared Circles and RPOs for example, can vary in the RF rating and for the number of cancels reported.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Can someone explain to me why we need Rarity Factors?

Lorddenning
I collect but am also wanting to start selling the extra parts of my collection. I'm concerned about the rarity factor because my guess is that it would affect the price of those cancels.

How do people figure out what cancel goes for what price?? I've heard them go from $2 to $1000. Sure there are other factors like eye appeal, stamp it's on, centering, legibility. But what makes people pay $1000 for a cancel?

I think you will find that the price paid for a cancel often depends on what is being cancelled! For example, a socked-on-the-nose dated cancel on a #40e would draw a lot more money than the same cancel on a run-of-the-mill #37.

Like any facet of this hobby, you have you use your judgement.

You can understand why premiums are paid for a cancellation because there are only 2 or 3 known of them. That plus the fact that there may be several hundred people after it because they either collect that type of cancellation, or the area where the cancellation originated from.

I also believe that 'some' of the dealers tend to ask too much for some of these cancellations.

Some pricelists creep up because of popularity alone. This shouldn't be the case, but it is.

I honestly think that if all the collections in the world were tabulated / indexed, they would have to restructure the RF scales and down-grade the pricing. But you and I both know that this will never happen.

Chimo

Bujutsu