Unitrade Pricing Oddities..?

Good point fjrosetti.

Ever since I was a kid and first saw this stamp below in a catalog
(yes wert, catalogues are useful) I wanted it but could not afford it.

**

Now I could afford it I don't want to buy it any more.
I've seen the actual stamp at a couple of Toronto CSDA
shows thats good enough for me.
I have a superb scanned image which I borrowed from revenuecollector
when he posted it here on SCF.

Lithograving

This Austrian stamp is also one I have admired for its engraved beauty and therefore wish to possess. However, I am quite satisfied to observe it right here so delightfully enlarged in all its glory. Thank you for posting!

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That's actually not a bad idea. A one-stop-spot for free appraisals so to speak.

This is definitely not a new problem for collecting forums. Another forum I was one had this exact issue with one-time posters coming in, asking how much it was worth and then vanishing. It was curbed by simply not allowing monetary evaluation threads. I think you're only going to see more and more of these threads as younger generations that are web saavy continue to inherit collections.

lorddenning...Am I hearing you correctly that you think the old school way of estimating the prices that should be charged is dying and that the new improved way of estimating accurately how much a stamp should cost is being dictated by places like ebay...?????

My opinion is that I dont want to burst your bubble, but having noticed that a lot and I mean a lot of inexperienced non expert people selling their wares on ebay, to me is NOT the way to set future estimates of what stamp values should be, because these stamp sales are mostly based on as much money as an individual can grab from the public...

lorddenning..not trying to be ignorant or belittle you in any way..It is just the way I think...Letting go 100% of the old school way of evaluating costs is not a good idea...

Faken..Perfect example about what I am trying to get across to everyone..That maybe...just maybe those one timers are, and correct me if you think I am wrong, but they are 99% people who just want to sell their stamps on ebay to make as much money as they can, and are trying to get a price..NOW, if some one with not too much experience on our forum told one of these people "oh ya, I think it is worth about $100.00",and in fact may be worth $40.00....Then this person will try to sell it for that much...you don't like catalogues, but you are allowing the Internet ( ebay) dictate the future price of stamps...To me..I don't think so...

Wert, old buddy, it's called supply and demand

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_and_demand

lithograving my friend...You are a man of good words..few words, but good ones..haha

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lorddenning...You know what..i now consider this post closed to me..if anyone else cares to continue,as lorddenning suggests that their are a lot of people saying I am wrong, then please continue...but for me..i am finished with this post.

Wert, I admire your patience and tenacity in flyspecking
but don't agree with you on the importance regarding catalogue pricing.

So we can agree to disagree.

Judging from your posts in the past I know you have
a passion for stamps as do most of us.
Otherwise we wouldn't be here.

As far as I'm concerned it is the best hobby in the world
and I have spend thousands of hours enjoying my stamps
and covers and catalogues etc.

Wert, the problem is you have no control over what is used for pricing/value references, the market does. Right now the largest consumer market for stamps readily available to the largest population is ebay. So if the majority of the market uses ebay and looks at SOLD lots, what do you think they will do with people selling near CV values? Laugh and move on. If sellers want to sell rather than constantly relist, then you work with the market, not what you wish :)

Most true Faken, no matter if we like it or not.

Some great input here from everyone!

Lorddenning:

"It may be hard to believe but some of us are motivated by the material and not by their so-called "value""

I don't find that hard to believe at all. I collect postally used Canada with beautiful & interesting town cancels. I completely understand what you are getting at with looking for interesting postal history that may not have a recognized "value" or be reflected in a catalogue.

One of the points I am trying to make is that if people do enjoy the valuation part of the hobby, then I do not think they should be discouraged from doing so. It may be hard to believe, but some of us are motivated by the valuation components of the hobby, as well as aesthetic, historical etc. Collectors who are FIXATED on value in a way that is sure to bring frustration, disillusionment etc - by all means, let us encourage them to another path.

Great point with your used classic material by the way. I completely agree with you. That is why I collect for cancels. With a lot of money anyone can put a very nice mint collection together in a heartbeat. Getting all of those with VF-XF centering AND attractive dated or fancy cancels...THAT is a long journey, and a rewarding one because of it.

Here is some of what I aim for. It's not postal history like what you collect, but I love all of them without regard to catalogue value:

Minden in 1897 was tiny, but this strike is absolutely stunning. I have many more stamps that are "worth" more, but here is a case where CV is irrelevant and pointless. This is one of my most prized specimens.













Why is IrfanView downgrading the quality on this image, but not the other photos? Anyway, you get the idea...





I love both of these strikes. Courtice in particular is a tiny DPO my dad used to go to as a kid, right near where we lived. There is nothing there anymore, just a car dealership and the intersection now covers the spot where the little shack of a PO used to stand. Again, CV meaningless here; I would not sell it for anything. Well...that may be overstating it...



Even common stuff like this, I love some of these more than I do stuff that's worth much more.





Nice split rings almost exactly 1 year apart from Red Bank, NB. CV = $0, my value = a lot more.



Love this strike, they don't get much better.

"I certainly understand the difference between someone keeping track of values for the sake of making intelligent purchasing decisions vs someone who wants to make a profit on a purchase, but I also don't see a problem with either mentality either as long as it's done with integrity."

Well said Dan