How Rare Are The Precancels Of The 1902 Series 300-319

I dont see alot of them on ebay but is this because they arnt worth much or because less are around?

Many are low-priced, some are high priced... depends on the city. but, not many around, fun to collect. There is a super, current priced catalog available on the PSS page.

whats the name of the book, is it the towns and types one?

at this website, http://www.precancels.com/publications/ , the Classics Part 1 - pre-1908.

Ok thanks

Chasa,
In this internet age, with many folks expecting free, real time access to information; do you know if the pre-cancel group has ever discussed putting the catalog online and making it freely available? I understand that it previously has been a profit center for the group.

But it occurs to me that sooner or later someone will post this info online and for free. (Heck, you and a few other kind folks already quickly answer most pre-cancel questions posted here.) And would not pre-cancels collecting glean new users if this was online and free?

Of course the group would want to replace the lost income but if you generate enough web site traffic this might help. And they could always withhold some of the catalog details (i.e. the values) and make a full version available at a cost. And I imagine that there are other potential profit centers that the group could develop such as album pages? Have you overheard any discussions on this topic in the group?
Don

51studebaker, great idea.

Many of the precancel album pages are online and available at this link -- which is only of limited help, as if you want to identify the type detail, you'll have to purchase their catalogs:

http://www.precancels.com/free-albums/

51studebaker - the PSS has discussions at every annual convention about the best way to market publications with an eye to promoting the hobby. The day of 'giving it away free' is getting closer, but not here yet. As you can imagine there are various rationales for inertia on the issue. I would say that buying our catalogs has a value over and above simple identification. All of the new PC based catalogs have checklisting, totalization, and album making features that most users find very helpful.
Using the popular 1902 issue discussed here as an example, the Classics-1 catalog could be used to select all stamps from particular denomination(s), or state(s) - and make a highly customizable set of album pages. I use the PSS bicentennial program to make mages for my NJ Bicentennial collection. You get a lot of value with the catalogs.

Chasa,
Thank you for the reply.

I consider myself a typical collector. In other words I have a large set of world-wide Big Blues, specialized collections of US, Great Britain, and US Christmas Seals. But like many collectors, stamps that are pre-cancels or perfins end up in a box for "a rainy day".

I am semi-interested in possibly forming a collection and might even consider joining the pre-cancel organization. (Hence my original questions.) If the pre-cancel web site had basic catalog info published that was freely available, it would probably motivate me to try to do something with the accumulation of pre-cancels I have. With all the great features you outline, it would seem easy to hold back many of them as a paid enhancement to a free online catalog.

But unfortunately my purchasing priorities do not have pre-cancels high on the list, my education for my existing specialize collections currently dominate the list. I guess that is why I am suggesting that a free, basic pre-cancel catalog would provide a 'kick start' for me to start getting a more serious about this area of philately.
Don

I wish it wasnt in so many differant books, if they had a website you could look it all up even if you had to be a member and pay to join it would be better and the income would come from memberships.

I thought I would share this, its why I was asking. I wasnt really happy to learn the 311 wasnt even made.

jim -- seriously, where did you get all these? you have some GREAT stamps and I am salivating here.

I have 2 sets of them I got from the same person, I am actually selling them if you look at my auctions