Question About The APS Store

I was directed to the APS store (stanmpstore.org) in a response to another topic I started on the forum. There are some very nice stamps in the inventory at relatively nice prices.

What struck me,though, was the posting date of many entries being two to three years ago. Anyone familiar with the operation to shine some light on this?

Terry

I do not know exactly what you're asking, but yes there is a lot of nice stuff that is reasonably priced. I do not believe the APS store is like Walmart - the parking lot is never overcrowded. I have bought from them and received excellent merchandise. I would recommend that if you find something to your liking, get it. You have a very liberal return policy, no quibbles. One could not ask for more!

Peter

As far as I know, stamps at the APS store sit in inventory until they sell, if ever. And as stated above, there don't seem to be hordes of customers. That being said, I've had uniformly great experiences buying stamps there. The only negative is if you want something you purchase expertized (which is offered at a very reasonable price), it can take 3 months or longer to learn the results.

The APS store is conscientious about removing items after 3 years. They get returned to owners unsold.

That's good to know, chasa. I just tested it, and you're right -- the oldest stamps for sale I could find were listed exactly 3 years ago to the day. Nothing further back than that.

However the upside is that with expertizing through the APS store, the buyer is never on the hook regardless of how long it takes for the expertization. Not only that, but the expertizing costs are extremely attractive compared to other expertizer's costs.

I have bought several items through them and have always been satisfied. They are as described and the return policy is very good should there ever be an issue.

Keep in mind that buying stamps and covers is not like buying typical commodities (such as a book, CD, or paper towels). Quality matters. Condition matters.

If you limit yourself to only buying the often questionable material on ebay you are going to end up with many disappointments in terms of quality and condition.

There are some sellers of better quality and condition material on ebay, but you have to seek them out and they are usually offering things at BIN because they understand the value they represent. If a seller has lower quality material to sell, they will seek a venue like ebay and start it at $0.01 so they don't have to answer for it.

We all like to talk about a great deal or undisclosed treasure that we found and purchased. But these are the seductions that lure many of us to make bad purchases. In general, you often get what you pay for. Better material is usually going to be found at higher prices. APS store is generally known for having better material (although there are a few dogs in there as well I would say the percentage is lower than that on ebay).

And as others have pointed out, you can buy from APS with confidence.
Don

Sorry Don, but you couldn't be more wrong.

Whether an item is listed as fixed price or auction starting low, has nothing to do with the quality of either the merchandise or the seller. It is merely preference. Moreover, the statement "start it at $0.01 so they don't have to answer for it" is ludicrous. Whether one sells at fixed price or as an auction does not change the responsibility the seller has.

The fact that the APS store is a great place to buy does not de facto mean that ebay isn't. It's not an either-or proposition. Savvy collectors use both.

Additionally, you aren't going to find lots or collections on the APS store... only singles and sets.




For you personally, perhaps. In all candor, my collection would be missing some great cancels, documents, and rarities were it not for ebay.

For the novice or uneducated, yes I would recommend staying away from ebay. But the experienced collector can find any number of treasures on ebay.

I agree completely. Of course there are greedy, unscrupulous, and ignorant sellers on ebay who should be avoided at all costs. But there are lots of great sellers as well. My collection has hundreds of stamps that I've purchased on ebay since 1999. I've knowingly paid too much for a stamp I really wanted, but I don't think I've ever felt cheated by a seller. And I love the APS Store, but it can't match the selection available at any given moment on ebay.

And the original poster who asked the question is which? Just because those who have decades of experience can pick and choose through the offerings doesn't mean that it changes ebay into a good value for everyone. That is why I mentioned quality and condition. How many times have we seen novices come into this forum and post images for stamps which are low quality or have other condition issues?

Dan, we should understand that many people on these boards see (and value) our opinions, most do not have the vast experience and knowledge that you have. Of course there are some good buys on ebay, I said as much in my original post. But ferreting out those good deals is not how I would recommend a novice to build his first collection.

I was trying to differentiate between a commodity, which is straight forward to buy online, and something where quality and condition matter. This is an important delta and one in which knowledge and experience come into play. It is analogous to buying some plants for your landscape. Yes, as a novice you can go to your local big box store and buy some trucked-in plants which may or may not survive in your yard. (Good news, you can always get your money back if they die just like ebay.) Or you can go to your local nursery and get plants at a higher price but have been acclimated to your climate (and probably get some good advice at the same time).

Do we recommend that everyone flock to the big box stores to get started with landscaping their yards? Or do we recommend they start slowly by learning before they try to make many decisions regarding what quality plants may looks like?

I do agree that there are some good buys on ebay. But finding them is something that takes experience and is more difficult for novices.
Don

Don,

No one in this thread had even mentioned ebay until you chimed in, deciding to focus on the Evils of ebay rather than the APS Store that the OP was asking aboiut.

I've seen scare tactics like this employed before in order to sway people against using ebay, usually by people with an axe to grind.

While I wholeheartedly recommend the APS store as a venue to use, ebay is *NOT* something to be shunned or avoided. What was the purpose of railing against ebay when that wasn't even what the OP asked about?

There's a time and a place to discuss the hazards of ebay, but this isn't it.


Anyway, back to the subject at hand:

There are certain areas/items that are not suitable for the APS store, most notably any item that requires either more than one image, or high-resolution closeup images. For example, I would not try and sell plate varieties on the APS store.

That is biggest downside to the APS store: poor and inconsistent image quality. You can request higher-resolution images of a lot, but that can take up to a week. The people doing the imaging of Stamp Store items have very little in the way of imaging acumen.

BINGO!!
Why do you think his website was started???

Terry, thank you for starting this chat!

I am an APS member but have yet to utilize the online store -- or the approvals distribution service.
However, based on these positive reports I certainly plan to buy from APS members in the near future.

Regarding the observations about ebay I have noted in this Forum, I strongly disagree with any negative generalizations about ebay.

Can you get stuck with terrible quality items? Yes. Can you bid on and win a faked issue? I'm sure it's happened. But without ebay, I would never have been able to build the collection I have today at the price level I have invested since 2010. ebay is simply the world's largest marketplace for stamp collections, lots, specialties, albums, page sets, and supplies. Buying blind on ebay has its downside. But I have purchased numerous albums, lots and singles of terrific quality and at excellent prices. Most sellers have been accurate and prompt. I know enough to keep away from folks who are dumping poor quality and seeking unrealistic prices.

After building my cornerstone collection from ebay, I have begun attending dealer shows and live auctions, and buying directly from specialty dealers. These also vary in quality. Like all other businesses, stamp collecting includes both the honorable and the unscrupulous. Buyer beware!

Sigh.
No axes to grind, I sell on ebay and I own ebay stock too. Simply put, the doctors have told me that I have an expiration date on my foot. I'm 58 and I'm dying. I want to 'give back' to the hobby that has given me much pleasure. THAT is my motivation.

All my posts include info which say there are good sellers and deals on ebay. But if anyone is arguing that ebay is a great place to send new hobbyists to build their collection; my opinion is that they are incorrect.

I don't think that ebay is for beginners; if others don't agree so be it (but I won't turn this into a flame fest that is critical of others). I feel ebay is for those who have some experience and can understand what is and isn't a good deal. Sorry for having an opinion and trying to help less experienced hobbyists like the original poster.
Don

Whoa! I certainly didn't want to start a war between users of ebay and other venues. I was just surprised to see items still being offered for such a long period of time and sought counsel from the more experienced folks on this forum. That's how we learn, right?

In response to the negativity expressed about ebay I'll say that we as buyers have a responsibility to research what it is that we are buying and determine whether the items are worth the price being asked. I've only been disappointed (moderately) in one of my stamp purchases on ebay. In that case there was no misrepresentation or attempt to hide flaws; I just didn't do as much as I should have done before making the buy. Live and learn.

Anyway, thanks for the explanation about the store's policy on length of listing.

Terry