99.9% Of Catalogue Value

To make a long story short, a dealer has offered to sell me a stamp for 99.9% of catalogue value since I am on his want list for a stamp. Should I feel flattered, insulted or confused?

Depends on the stamp, the stamp's condition. and how desperate you are to own the stamp.

That is an odd way of conducting business. I've paid more than catalog. But when negotiating a price why bring oddball stuff to the table. I hope he was just joking around.

sounds like personal service, what's not to like?
I will pay 99.9% of catalog for anything on my wantlist

How should I answer back? I am finding it hard. "Thank you for offering the stamp for 99.9% of catalogue..."

Many stamps are offered for sale at full catalog value or a lot more; some of these are worth the asking price. I would personally pay several times catalog value for some of the rarer stamps on my want list, because I've never seen one and probably would never see one again. In this case, I would not insult the seller but instead would ask what qualities this stamp has that justifies full catalog value pricing. He should be able to articulate his pricing rationale.

I assume jogil's point is why the dealer doesn't simply offer to sell it at "catalog value". How much of a savings is 0.1%? If the stamp has a catalog value of $100, that means the dealer is offering the stamp for $99.90 -- a savings of 10¢. That certainly doesn't bode well if you are thinking of asking for reduced/free shipping!

Without knowing what the stamp is, surely we're talking in a vacuum.

My first reaction is he is not doing you any favors. But thinking more about it, it obviously depends on the stamp (scarcity) and the money involved.

If you want a honest opinion from the posters
please post info on the stamp offered.....

Depending on the stamp, 99.9% of catalog could be a complete ripoff or the bargain of the century.

Except that he said it was a "want list" stamp, which implies it is not commonly available, which should rule out the "complete ripoff" category. But as you and others are saying, it is entirely speculative without knowing the stamp in question. Not really fair to ask the question without revealing the stamp, though I can imagine some reasons for being reticent about revealing a hard to come by stamp. But if that's the case, he should just buy it, and not bother with our uninformed opinions.

It is for a block of 4 mint stamps with around a $48.00 catalogue value. The stamps are not that rare and I have found them for a lot less elsewhere. However, this is one of the first offers for them from this dealer.

Still too vague. There are common $48 items and there are scarce $48 items. If you are unwilling to provide details as to the exact stamp in question, then all I can recommend is to buy it from a cheaper vendor and not worry about a dealer offering it to you for full catalog value. It's not like he's committing a felony.

P.S. There are collecting areas where full cat and up is the norm rather than the exception.

If you saw them for a lot less, did you have access to purchase? if so why not. It appears the item is available on market for less.. If this is the only offer the vendor has made to you & the price is higher than market you have 3 options, counter-buy-seek less $ item in market

There are a lot of 25 cent and 50 cents stamps priced in the catalog for Spanish Colonies that I would be happy to pay $1.00 for , if any one had them .but in fifty years ,I seen then once at Regency Auctions about 15 years ago . I ran the album up to full catalog and it kept going until something like twice catalog ,I was ticked I lost it ,it wouldn't happen again.