Any Value To Gum On Higher Value Cto's?

I have a some used Russian and Iranian stamps that catalog upward of $10-$30 (i.e. Russia Scott 1508-9, Iran 793). These all appear to be CTO's with gum. Some dealers I've spoken with tell me that used condition in the catalog is for CTO condition - postally used examples are impossible to find or don't exist. The stamps have some heavy duty hinges on them that I would just as soon soak off however, the CTO's have gum. Question is does the gum matter on CTO's? Thanks for any recommendations.

Not to me it doesn't. As a matter of fact, I think it would be better to soak the gum,

Peter

I seem to recall that German collectors prefer their CTO stamps to have full gum and not be mounted, but Germans can be obsessive gum collectors.

GeoffHa is correct. But yours are not NH and I think better preserved if the hinges are removed.



Scott in their introductory notes in each volume says that if CTOs are predominate, then the Scott value is based on the CTO value. Scott also says it does not always specify where this is the case. I've seen Russia #1508-09 most often mint hinged, then less often used on mostly commemorative covers (which some might consider CTO or at least favor cancelled). Iran #793 exists postally used often enough, though often with heavy cancels. That said, collectors seem loath to buy clearly postally used stamps at more than the Scott used price where CTOs are probably the basis for that price (French Community, for example).