Ok, I Have Had Enough!

I get a fair amount of email inquiries at Stamp Smarter and many of these sound very much like the questions we see here. The situation with 'rare red' and 'rare green' line 'error' stamp listings has really gotten out of hand. So rather than keep answering each one independently I put together a simple article which clarifies the situation. (I was tempted to play Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" as background music for the page!)

http://www.stampsmarter.com/Learnin...reLines.html

Don

Its funny how something like this catches fire.

You even covered the ultra-rare violet line as well. Nice.

Don great job. One question though. I believe I have seen a fourth color, and I think it was yellow. Is that possible?

Peter

Yes, this is helpful for many beginners I guess. But what I never understood about this: All experienced collectors laugh about the red line green line error stamps on ebay. But what about those guide line pairs which have sometimes an extreme premium? Isn't it the same line of ink which in one case is worth nothing at all and in the other case is very collectable? Or am I wrong and it's not the same kind of line?

Stamperix: for US coil stamps up to Scott # 447, it is the same kind of line. After that (1916+) the lines are formed by a different kind of process. And yes, if the line is between two stamps it makes more value... if it is on the side of one stamp it makes it less value.

Ok thank you. Interesting - same line, different reputation. (sure I see that the guide line pairs are more rare, but still it's too hard for those other stamps with the line on the side)

Fantastic!

Stamperix, it is NOT the same line. On coil stamps it is a result of the way the stamps are printed. On Transportation Coils it is because ink collects in between two plates and thus prints the line. But on the older stamps they are printed on purpose - to indicate where the sheets should be cut to make the panes. One kind is called a joint line or a seam line, the other is kind of a guide line.
They also look different; the guide line is always a perfectly printed line whereas the joint line can be all sorts of different things.

Peter

Don, good article. Thanks for taking the time to pull it together.

Should'a played the song!

perfect

Looks great Don. Be sure to setup a link from the Stampsmarter home page ... I couldn't figure out how to get to it, except by using your shortcut.

Thank you Don! I hope it helps. I did notice a typo near the end.

Hi Phil,
Well doh, I'll blame it on dialysis brain! Thank you very much, it has been fixed.
Don

Thank you for taking the time to write this up. I guess P.T. Barnum was right.

Thanks much for all you are doing for the hobby. Stampsmarter is a great website.

Bob

Great, Just Great !! I've been trying to corner the market on these. Now you tell me.