What Are These Stamps Please?

The first is a GB "stars" 1d red, c1850s. Appears toned to the top and with a horizontal crease. The US 3c has its top right-hand corner missing. Both pretty much worthless, I'm afraid. Sorry!

I agree. The top stamp also seems to have a horizontal crease, and that missing corner....sigh. Postage stamps are fragile bits of paper and for collectibility stamps need to be in nearly perfect, 100% intact condition with no tears, thin spots, missing perfs ("teeth".) Being way off center like the first stamp also consigns these imperfect specimens to "filler" status.

Meaning any collector who needs them (and doesn't have the ten or fifteen cents--dealer RETAIL value--to buy a better condition copy of each of those two stamps) will likely pass on them or reluctantly keep them as a "filler" until they can get a better copy.

Even one and a half century later, there are literally millions (sometimes even BILLIONS) of many country's stamp issues. Many collectors are also accumulators, and probably have half a million or more stamps in their "accumulations" only ten percent or less of which might have actual value. If the above stamps were in my "accumulation" I would put them in one of my many cigar boxes I keep for interesting looking stamps and sell the filled box at our local stamp club for two, maybe three dollars ( for literally hundreds of other stamps). Another collector or beginner would keep busy for hours or days searching for elusive "undiscovered treasure."

--Jim Wentzell
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