Finding An Appraisal

Or here
http://www.stampsmarter.com/1847usa...ntifier.html
Don

And for us old geezers that like a real book over an electronic one there is always ebay. Always several older catalogs on sale there,

Peter

No certs no appraisals until you gain more knowledge. You will rarely require one. Post here first for expert advice.

Hi Worktel - welcome to the forum! You've already heard lots of great advice - so I'll just add a few more points:

Notice in your Scott catalog - it does not list a price for 'used' - only mint. Your stamp is used. Which means if you actually had a used 375b here, it would be so rare that Scott has yet to even give it a value. Think about how likely that is!

Read your Scott catalog - especially in the front. Scott values are for VF stamps, and they give pictures to show what they mean by VF. Stamps that are lower quality than VF would not command the price listed in the catalog. Even VF examples rarely sell for full catalog value.

Here's a nice copy of 375b that sold recently on ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1910-11-US...047675.l2557

(this is a good example of what the color 'Lake' looks like...)

If you have a stamp for certification/grading, then PF/PSE/APEX are the top 3. But for an appraisal, you'll have a tough time. Actually your best bet is to post a picture here, and you'll get immediate, expert, and (free!) opinions. You can also get a good idea on your own by searching ebay and/or other auction houses (Siegel for true rarities) to get an idea of what certain stamps sell for.

I agree that yours is a #332, and its value is minimal - around a dime...

When you see multiple values for a stamp - especially when one is minimal & one is high, always assume you have the lower valued item first - then you can start logically proving that you have the higher value item.

Don't forget - when you get your ID back from APS, post the result here!!

Good afternoon all. Many thanks to all for the great responses and help. As suggested I will check here for help and questions. I hope you can help me with this stamp. I think this is a type I and not a type II. Scott 599. I would appreciate any additional information you could provide. Thanks you all.
Tom

Correct, 599 type I. A type II (599A) looks like this:

Got it. Thanks a million!!

If you get it authenticated and graded by the PSE, you can look up the value in their quarterly report.

http://psestamp.com/prices/

Yet it is not that uncommon to get differing opinions on this forum.

Which in and of itself is useful, as those differing opinions usually result in discussion and/or debate, which ultimately end up educating many viewers.

My point is how would a newbie seeking advice know which person posting here to listen to more tan some of the others?

<soapbox>
They do not and this sometimes makes it hard for those of us who invest considerable amounts of time trying to help the less experienced folks. It also makes it critical that the information we post is accurate and when we move to into opinions that they are described as such.

If we were in a face-to-face club meeting, I assume that many of us would move off into smaller groups of like-minded folks. The conversations would typically reflect the experience level of the group. But a potential short-coming of an online forum like this is that everything is public and shared by everyone. While this can be great for others to learn from, it can also mislead some folks.

In some forums new people are simply chastised as 'bunnies' or 'clueless' and are driven off. I think this can be a lost opportunity to attract new folks to our hobby. On the other hand we also do get a handful of people who have no real interest in the hobby and are looking only for valuations. But it is not also important to support these folks? Or do we want to only make fun of the clueless ebay listings after-the-fact?
</soapbox>
Don

Well, speaking only for myself, I would be looking more at the CONSENSUS of opinion rather than specific opinions... which is why I believe it is important in threads for people to post "I agree with XXX" rather than simply not posting at all just because a previous post aligns with their opinion on an issue or item.

I agree with Don that they would not know. But, if one is willing to spend some time & do a bit of research, that could change. Forum members who have lingered her for a sufficient length of time undoubtedly know whose opinion they would value. So one answer would be to wait & watch & learn.
Another would be to search the forum. Some members have, at one time or another, publicly admitted their admiration for another's expertise on this forum. While perhaps a bit difficult to locate, it should nevertheless be possible to find past postings of these opinions. In other words, if a newbie finds existing forum members consistently accepting the opinion of a specific member, then that newbie should probably be willing to accept that member's opinion as well.

For me it is much harder to remember what screen name said what (i.e. which screen name should I trust and which do I doubt) and much easier if it were in person where I can much easier remember what face said what.