Israel 7-9- Why Is This Set So Overpriced?

I purchased a NH set of 7-9 without tabs from Rasdale in 2014. The hammer price was $44 as there is very little demand for non tabbed stamps from Israel. Also there are not enough new collectors for this country and there is simply a massive amount of material on the market now.

Even prices for 7-9 NH with tabs are down a lot as well.

As for the quantity printed there were 2,500 sheets of 50 stamps each issued for each of the high values. Only the bottom row of 5 had tabs.

I reduced price to $70 yesterday with offers being taken.

I wanted to revise the listing to accept buyers outside the US, I was not being given any control over where I would sell. I'm not going to put it out there like that, I'd probably sell it, but to someone in Russia who'd claim they never got it.

More than half my sales of Israel stamps go to Israel. So, if you are not allowing international sales, you are preventing the majority of your market from bidding.

One of the big boosters, and advocates, for sale/purchase of Israel stamps during the 1950s to 1980s was the late Jacques Minkus.

It's not the peak season for stamp collecting. In summertime many collectors close their albums till fall and or not buying. Not long ago I bought a collection of Israel with tabs not knowing anything about this country stamp market. All the valuable stamps have been picked but that I knew from the pics. I don't know if I will eventually buy them. I was shock by the low value of many stamps and the listing I made add up to a lower value than I would have expect. To some I would have paid too much. To conclude, it's good to make money selling stamps but don't expect near cat value for stamps that are not very valuable and rare unless you let them sit in a store waiting for that collector who is very in need for it. I'm not a dealer, i'm a collector. I spend time looking for deals and sometime win a good auction at low price. But when it comes to selling I do to dealers and this forum because it's in good trust. I get less than ebay but never had any problems so far. Selling for me is to get back some of the money i'd spend not to make a profit. My main interest is learning about and with stamps, relax and have fun. Daniel

It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that, like other countries, the market for this area is rigged. How else explain why a set that is offered by every specialist dealer in the $120-200 range cannot find buyers at prices half that on the open market?

Just for fun I did a search for sold 7-9 untabbed singles on 'sold' items. Sets went for under $50 in some cases.

I will eventually sell these stamps. I would not however advise anyone to collect this area with any idea that you are going to get more than a pittance when you sell.

There is just no market for Israel stamps without tabs. It is a great country to collect, since the stamps are readily available, there are a lot of album choices, and you can complete the basic collection without breaking the bank. Once you have completed the basic collection, there is still a lot of material to collect. Tete-Beche issues, plate blocks (especially the various printings of definitive stamps), etc. If you are collecting to make money, then you aren't collecting, you are investing, and Israel without tabs are a poor investment.

Collecting interests change. Pricing like it is the old days persists in some cases. My father and thousands like him have passed on. Israel, United Nations & Vatican City are yesteryear for now. I use his U.S. singles,blocks and sheets from the post office for postage. The FDC's for ??? I had to beg people to take the Israel FDC's for free in binders. I agree, Israel is a great country to collect.

I collect Israel, including untabbed (used). If it is untabbed, you just aren't going to get near Scott value at the moment. The collectors aren't there to drive the prices up. It is the nature of the market for now.

I agree it is a great country to collect. Lots of historical interest, you can learn a great deal about Jewish history and culture through their stamps. I would never argue that someone should pick a collecting area solely on the basis of whether you can make money or even get back what you paid in. I currently collect in five or so areas, none are areas I could expect to make back what I paid in

There is a difference between taking a loss from your collection once you are finished with it and taking a gouging. I have to ask, if this set has a real value of below $50 why isn't that reflected in the dealer's offerings? A few dealers seem to control the market and are not about to let prices drop, at least officially. Same thing has been happening for the past few years with PRC China.

I think this has to do with how Scott catalog generates pricing information. They go from dealer price lists, and auction results. E-bay doesn't factor in at all. I doubt many major auctions will pull this set out and offer separately, since it doesn't reach their floor price, and it might entice bids on a collection lot. Few dealers publish price lists, and those that do have no incentive to drop the price, since they want to recoup what they paid for the set.

Easily explained, and without conspiracy theories.

For example, perhaps they all bought-in when prices were higher, and they want their money back, and figure it is better to wait than to cash-out at a loss. The inventory does not take-up a lot of space, and dealers have a lot of things they can be doing to make money other than constantly fiddling their prices to keep-up with ebay.

Moreover, since they have real names & real inventory & real reputations, they might think that a correctly-identified, correctly-described stamp from them is worth more than a sketchy stamp on ebay.

If they are all such hapless idiots, you should enter their market and eat their lunch.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

FWIW, I received a Buy it Now offer today of $35. My first impulse was to reject it, but the set has been out there nearly a month with one watcher. Probably this is as good as it's going to get. I need to cut my losses and move on. I paid three figures for this set years ago, it is what it is.

Sad the set is not going for more, but that's the market for you. I also think that material is harder to move in the summer. People are on vacation and are busy traveling etc...