What Does The "Target Cancellation" Add To The Stamp In Terms Of Value?

For instance, what would this #207 stamp be worth with the fancy cancel as opposed to a regular cancel. Does it stay the same 50 cents or would it bring it up higher, and if so, what are we talking about.

Hi Jacob!

While I'm not an expert on cancels, I do tend to gravitate towards US stamps with "fancy cancels" and sometimes also target cancels. I prefer them to the "sloppiness" of a lot of cancels used way back when.....unless it's a nicely-centered circular date stamp (also known as a "socked-on-the-nose".)

Putting a slight premium on target cancels, and a larger premium on fancy cancels (there are hundreds of types--some quite scarce!) might raise the price I'd be willing to spend--often but not always roughly a percentage of current catalog value.

There's an ebay seller by the name of mrfancycancel that I sometimes buy from. Usually inexpensive but attractive US stamps that I already own, but the cancel is cool, so into my fledgling fancy cancel collection it goes!

So ask a lot of questions, we all do (or did) and that's part of the learning process and the fun!

--Jim Wentzell
stampguyaps177-681

Target cancels are fairly common, so the increase in value would rather modest (although there are different targets - different number of rings and whether the center is hollow or solid, and different ones might have different values).

Targets are really common. IF you could link it to a rare town, it could be worth something, but this looks like a common standard type based on the large dot in the center. And that's the thing about targets, too many are alike or exactly the same.

I can't think of a fancy cancel reference that bothers with targets in any detail. Stars, yes, but those can often be told apart.