A Find Of A Life Time...#32

I agree it was quite a stir. Not only did collectors get more excited about looking for rare stamps. It has fundamentally changed the forensic and analytical approach to identifying Large Queens. The analysis of my stamp has really made a big stir in a lot of ways. When I submitted it to the VG Greene Foundation I wasn't even sure they could issue a certificate on a stamp this rare let alone prove it genuine scientifically beyond a doubt. So yes this has made a TSUNAMI in philately in more ways than one can imagine...

watermark....How did you get the stamp to the VG Greene Foundation...???
Do you mail it...??
Deliver it personally..???

I used FEDEX overnight delivery w/tracking. It was returned by the same method.

Wow...Were you not nervous that they would loose it..??
Did you insure it for a lot of money..??

I was nervous just having it leave my possession. But hand delivering it was out of the question. I sent it as a document with out insurance. No need to draw attention to it. FedEx accepted it with no questions asked. If I had mailed it at the post office it would have been a real hassle with insurance and custom forms etc. to fill out. It would have had valuable indicated all over it not to mention what would it have gone through during delivery in Canada and the length of time in the mail. I liked doing it FedEx a lot better.

Yikes watermark...you are braver than me...I would have asked for an armed R.C.M.P escort as I drove to the place myself...haha

It arrived at the VG Greene Foundation in less than 12 hours with tracking. I knew when it was delivered. That is faster than I could have gotten it there. They returned it the same way and in about the same amount of time. It was just another FedEx envelope that needed to be delivered overnight with nothing indicating it was anything special. I have had stamps sent to me via international registered mail that have completely disappeared...I wonder who pilfered those because they drew attention to a valuable shipment?

Ya, but were you not nervous at all..??
Robert

I was nervous just having it leave my possession. As stated in previous post....

You know something...I would have been tempted to keep it and pass it down to my kids...But as you stated, if the wrong people knew of its location, you could be up for a robbery..Right.??
Robert

The end of my story: This copy of Canada's rarest postage stamp sold at public auction at a confirmed price of $215,000. A nice return on the initial investment.

Hi watermark: Does a long history of different owners like the provenance of several collectors add to the value of a valuable stamp? While you got a great return on your stamp (something that none of my stamps so far can get), I am wondering how did Brigham manage to get double for his copy even though your copy looks like the best one. There was a great deal of attention and advertising about his auctioning off of his collection. I am always baffled by how the well-off see things differently when they buy things like valuable stamps through auction. Congratulations on your discovery find and its auction sale.

It gives one a history of where it has been. I think the certificate of authenticity and the method of sale have a lot more to do with value. The true value is established by what a buyer is willing pay and the seller is willing to accept.

Do you think maybe timing too since an earlier sale may have attracted the buyer with the biggest bucks first to buy first sooner?

I have been told by a reliable source that one of the bidders for my stamp was willing to go as high as $400,000. But at auction it takes bidding to achieve higher values. My stamp sold for what the market was willing to pay for it and I am happy with the price paid. One can only speculate on why Brigham's copy was able to achieve its spectacular price.