So They Tell Me The Stamp Market Is Crashing?

Or it could mean that most people don't waste $30 per stamp plus 2-way shipping and insurance costs grading 2-cent Columbians...

It's an artificially low population number bounded by the number of submissions, not the actual number of qualified stamps extant.

Starting from 1939, it appears that the electric-eye perforator for Stickney (earlier) and Huck-Cottrell (later) rotary press printed stamps contributed to the well-centering of these U.S. stamps. After that time, very few U.S. flat plate printed stamps were issued.

I have a MNH broken hat with a major double transfer, and a used normal example with a major triple transfer. Both would probably grade 85 if I bothered; I would not trade either for the stamp that just sold because both are scarcer. Each is only one position out of many thousands. Start looking for those and see how long it takes you; you could look at fifty million stamps and never find one. Finding either is totally luck.

"no doubt the Graded stamps are beautifully centered and nice to look at"

Not if you care about perforations. These buyers obviously don't as many "graded" stamps have perforation issues.

3D: agree with you 100 %. Grading is too focused on centering and doesn't reward or punish enough for perforation issues, color, impression , cancel, etc etc etc .

But as others say, it's a system that was developed but doesn't please everyone.

My main issue with grading also is reproducible centering standards for an issue and the ethics involved. If no one wants to discuss the ethics in all this (the big gorilla in the room) that is OK. Reviewing stamp after stamp graded at auctions always keeps me on my toes and wondering "what the hell was the grader thinking here?" I think that is what we all think but don't want to discuss the possibility of graders not working in a blinded fashion, or perhaps drinking on the job.

It never ceases to amaze what trends bring in the big bucks these days in philately.

Provenance can have just as high of a premium as highly graded stamps.

The material Bill Gross sold in 2013 was NOT his #1 and #2 collection - those were his duplicates and items he didn't need for his exhibit. He still has the best material.

Spqr: His exhibit has a lot more stamps than he auctioned at Siegel few years ago.
Makes sense he still has most of them

Regardless those "duplicates" fetched nice prices and NONE were graded.

To be fair, Bill Gross buys grade A material whether graded or not, so high prices should be expected. And there is a huge difference between a superb #1 or #2 and a #231, superb or not.

It strikes me as unusual that certain collectors being able to spend truly exhorbitant sums on common stamps, even if graded as one of the best known, would be regarded as reflective of a healthy stamp market. This is no more reflective of the health of the stamp market than the number of purchasers of the top of the line Cadillac (as opposed to your basic Chevy or Ford) is reflective of the health of the US auto industry.

There will always be people who can pay unlimited sums for what they want. More power to them; it is their money and they can spend it anyway they want.

But I am intrigued that such a person would require a graded certificate to either stroke his ego or tell him whether his item is any good, as opposed to the buyer figuring it out for himself.
I also seriously doubt that the vast majority of us, or even any of us, with the naked eye, or even a magnifying glass, could distinquish a stamp graded 95 vs one graded 98. And if we can't do that, the rest of the story seems pretty much of a game to me.

Quote: "...I am intrigued that...a person would require a graded certificate to either stroke his ego or tell him whether his item is any good..."

As am I. Seems like a very strange approach to the hobby, in my opinion.

I do not think it is odd that someone of wealth who likes collectimg objects wants to be an expert in everything be it stamps, art, wine, etc. It is more like "I got one" syndrome and see someone says it is one of the best". A lot is just mental to me.

I always assumed it was about resale; a way to reduce debate/consternation and to build confidence when item is sold.
Don