Valuing Scott Unlisted United Nations FDC Variants

I have several boxes of United Nations first day covers I acquired as part of a collection (yes, I am fully aware of how low the market is for U.N. material).

The collector appeared to have subscribed to a service and got every possible variant of most issues, e.g., all 3 branches of the U.N.

Also, on the issues where sheets of 16 sets had blocks of 4 of the same stamp in each corner (and thus only the center block consisted of the 4 different stamps), he would have FDCs with (1) each of the four singles, (2) blocks of four of each of the singles, and (3) the block of four with the four different stamps (these are actually listed in Scott at comparatively much higher values).

Scott lists FDC values for #1 and #3, but not #2 (blocks of four of same stamp). How would you value these? I'm leaning towards the same as FDCs for singles, not adding any premium for the block vs. the single.

Normally it wouldn't matter, as U.N. FDCs from the era that most people have (through the 1980s) are universally catalogued at a buck each, meaning real world values of 10 cents. However, this collection contains primarily material from the 1990s into the 2000s, where quite a few of the catalog values of se-tenant blocks and sets on FDC stray into the $5-15 range, so it might actually be worth spending the time to ferret out the better pieces rather than bulking off the whole thing.

Thanks.

A plain block of 4 does not seem to add any value over a single stamp. An inscription block of 4 does seem to add a tiny bit of value, though as you say the market for UN stamps in general including FDCs is in a sorry state.

If you look at completed auctions on ebay - the ones that actually sold as shown by the prices in green type - most United Nations FDCs do not sell at all. That small percentage that does sell seems to be cases where a collector needs something in particular to fill in a collection and is willing to pay the cost of handling and convenience for the fun of completing their collection rather than people looking to buy because of perceived present or future value. When UN FDCs of any age sell, including the recent ones of the past 10 to 20 years, they tend to go for around $1 to $2 each, though there are many examples where special collection books of them or just plain kiloware of them go for much less. I noted one recent auction where 5 pounds of UN FDCs in nice condition all in plastic sleeves went for a total of $9.75.

If you want to put in the time, cost, and effort to try to sell one by one, or even sets, I am not sure you would find much profit when considering how much more you could make in that amount of time in most any other kind of work.

Or, given the state of the lack of value for most every UN FDC, you might think about using your accumulation to form the core of a collection for yourself and start buying UN FDCs to fill out your collection. It would be perhaps one of the least costly hobbies you can find and the fun would enormous.

Collecting U.N. is right out. I don't need to start yet another offshoot collection, although you are correct in that it is likely the most inexpensive country I would ever collect. Unless you start getting into the personalized sheets, the highest catalog value item for the entire country is under $100.

For the FDCs, I likely will go through and pull anything that cats above $5 or so to send in to the APS store and then either sell the remaining bulk as a single lot or donate it to the APS or AFDCS.

On the stamps, I may cherrypick a few items to lot in the APS store and then sell the remainder as a bulk face lot.

Still, high value or low, it's always fun pawing through ginormous bulk lots, no matter what the composition...