Could Anyone School A 35 Year Philatelist On What This Is?

United States Express Co. 5c PREPAID 1854. And I don't mean the perf gauge. Ha

It looks like a local carrier stamp for an independent mail carrier - The United States Express Co., but it's not listed in the U.S. Specialized stamp catalog. A google image search comes up with other labels for the same company, but not this particular label. It's probably is younger than 1854. That's probably the date the company was founded.

I have the same results as you. It is cancelled dec 17, 190? something. I have the stamp here with me.

I don't collect these. I just wanted to let somebody else deal with it on ebay but I have no idea where to start on the bid. I'd start at 1 cent, but my luck thats what it would end with. And I think its something more than that.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=http://www.ebay.ca/itm/United-States-Express-Company-Proof-USX-F5-/172048383798%3Fhash%3Ditem280ee1ff36:g:mjwAAOSwaA5Wh0st&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.X/United-States-Express-Company.TRS0&_nkw=/United-States-Express-Company&_sacat=0

I just listed it for a ridiculous amount and added the best offer option, I guess thats all I can do for now.

Just going through a lot found last month and finding all kinds of oddities.

yes you did.

Yeaa..you're not going to get an offer. Higher demand Well's Fargo stamps sell for less than that. Similar items are selling for $5 and less. It would be better if you ran it as auction and start it at 99 cents. Even then it might not sell.

There are about 12 pages of labels from the US Express Company illustrated in Bruce Mosher's Catalog of Private Express Labels and Stamps

Here is the little intro on the company and the listing for your label.

Chad, It's a Great Stamp!!

Very nice

Listing it for $3,600.00 is:
a) insanity
b) stupidity
c) attempted fraud of the gullible

Thank you for the great info guys! I better be happy with .99 cents if I'm lucky enough.

And Chip, I don't know what was put in your wheaties today, but I do have some advice for you... Get a Scott's Specialized catalog and find a section called "locals", look up around mid 1800's and tell me what you think about some of those Cat. prices. After that stupid comment I think I'll call my 2 week membership to this club DONE!

Chad, chipg knows more about this material than either of us can ever hope to. And guessing a price as you did is what I call "pin the tail on the donkey" pricing - you never know how far off you are until you open your eyes.

Chad,

Although Chip's reaction seemed over the top to you, I must admit that similar thoughts went through my mind, although I would not have posted such thoughts here. The locals listed in the U.S. Specialized are much earlier and were part of the evolution of U.S. postal history. They have been documented and collected since the early days of philately. So, of course, they have a much broader following and with that broader following, have a much greater demand. So there are well established prices and a cohort of collectors who are well heeled and who strive for completion. That accounts for the high prices for the truly rare material.

Sorry I did not see this sooner. First, your instinct was correct, that is to show the express stamp here and call for information. Second, you need to be patient and give it a few days for the knowledgable participants to advise you. Indeed, the Mosher catalog is the place to go for information. United States Express stamps are some of the more frequently encountered of what Mosher lists. The reality of the express company stamps is that there is a small group of people who collect them (much smaller than the locals listed in the U.S. Specialized), probably because traditionally there was little information about them. Traditionally the law of supply and demand kept the prices low, but the Mosher catalog has encouraged new collectors to dip into the field, inevitably bringing the prices up to higher levels. Why? Because now people can learn just how many varieties there are and what one needs to near completion of what is known. And yes, occasionally new undocumented varieties are encountered.

An inquiry to a knowledgable dealer who specializes in the deep back of the book, like Eric Jackson, also would have gotten you a response. But the key to all this is patience. Give it some time to circulate among the very knowledgable participants in this forum. You will get good information and advice.

Chad:
Sorry if you think I went a bit over the top.

However, just because something is a rock, it doesn't mean it's a diamond. You're the one who said you had 35 years of experience. If you didn't know what it was, then listing it for that much was really one of the three choices I presented. It is not a mid-1800s carrier or local stamp. It is a 1907 express label. It does not have a value comparable with the highest-priced carriers. Telling me to go look at the Scott catalog for a value because other stamps in that section have high values isn't really that useful.

I think that you've removed the listing, which is the right thing to do. As you said in your post, if you get 99 cents for it, you'll be happy. You may be lucky and get a few dollars more, though the 20th century express label market is a very thin without many collectors and therefore without a lot of competition that would drive prices up.