Do You Keep Damaged Stamps?

While this generalization may be true for run-of-the-mill material, it most definitely does NOT apply for certain specializations or certain low-population items. There are certain stamps that only exist faulty. For example, to the cancel specialist, faults can have a trivial effect on an item's value, depending on the scarcity of the cancel.

I feel strongly both ways here (Floortrader & Ringo). But I do generally look to upgrade cheaper stamps. Couple exceptions out of a number: I have an unused copy of Azores #30. It's mildly damaged and reperfed, but has original gum, which is rare. So it is kept with a reference note.

I have a used copy of Canada #16, 2016 Scott catalog $6,500. Perfs are trimmed with a tiny tear on the top. Fairly rare stamp not likely to get upgraded due to cost and me not really buying Canada right now. So, it's in my North America album, with a note.

I don't think you can compare most dealers with someone like Friedman. He wholesales everything he doesn't want at discounted prices. Just check out his 4 page ads in Linns.

One thing which I feel any collector can do is to keep the collection well-kept. One thing a dealer cringes at is boxes and boxes of unidentified and unsorted material. There is always a possibility that there is an expensive stamp buried in a pile of used 1960's commemoratives or a stock page overflowing with the same 3 cent definitive, but not likely. When dealers see this type of accumulation, they're not going to offer much.

Now, everyone has these stamps laying around. I've got lots and lots of them. So what do you do?

First, you keep the actual collection tidy. Either mounted in a series of stockbooks or stored in labeled, ordered glassines awaiting page creation (in my case).

Second you keep the ones which you have rejected but not yet sold, traded or donated separate from the actual collection. I am setting it up so that the stamps which are in the storeroom next to my den will be donated by my daughter to the APS when I'm gong. That is the first thing she is going to do. That way, when the dealers are invited to make offers, all they will see is the collection as it stood when I passed. I think they will be rather impressed and eager to make an offer.

I've also generated a list of dealers who will be afforded the opportunity to view the collection and make offers. That also will help.

Ideally, I'll live for another 50-80 years (I'm 62 now) and won't have to worry about it anytime soon.

Okay, back to reality. Ideally, I'll have enough time if I'm diagnosed as terminally ill to dispose of the collection myself.

We'll see how it works out in the long run. Who knows, maybe I'll still be typing away in another 5-6 decades, right?

The message is damaged stamps can hurt you . I am not talking about expensive or rare stamps which are identified on your album page as such.

A dealer or viewer at a stamp auction starts to see the better values like the high value to a set or a key stamp is a second or damaged . They right away start to discount every thing they are looking at ,they don't spend viewing time trying to figure out the rest of the collection .

This is so true. I had 3 Big Blues. Two of them I incorporated into my desired album. I foolishly added 3 fantasy stamps to my desired album. The auction house labeled my desired album a "fantasy" collection. It brought less than my 2 gutted albums even though it was loaded with the more desirable hard to find sets. Hurt me.

" I foolishly added 3 fantasy stamps to my desired album. The auction house labeled my desired album a "fantasy" collection"

Bad auction house.

I agree with eyeonwall's comment. If those stamps were labeled, should not have been a problem. I have a couple dozen Fournier forgeries of the surcharged Portuguese India Crown issues. They are labeled as such, and I think, serve to enhance my collection.

Here is a damaged piece that I really like. Wish I had the history behind it but it was thrown in the unsorted bags I got. I love the Piggy Wiggly bag on the back. Not sure how to "preserve" it but I will figure it out. For now I am trying to press it a bit to take out a few wrinkles. Nora.

What Floortrader says about keeping damaged stamps in your collection is true -- they're bad news when it comes to selling (not rarities, of course). It means the condition of no stamp in the lot can be trusted at face value, and no one has the time to flip them all and examine the backs.

However, I like to fill those spaces, so not averse to including a damaged stamp to do so. But one day, should I sell, the first thing I'll do is clean out all the bad stuff.

Generally speaking I bin any common damaged stamp. Customers don't like them. If its a high cat item, someone might buy it as a spacefiller -- sometimes people pay what I consider silly money for spacefillers. I think I once saw a 1 pound Seahorse sell for 60 pounds on ebay, that looked like someone had fired a cannon through it -- huge hole in the middle. Not even sure if I'd want something that ugly in my album. But if I could sell it for that I'd be delighted.

Nora,
just place it in a sheet protector "back of book"
Piggly Wiggly.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piggly_Wiggly

"No good when you sell," "money money money"
Who cares? Don't be a slave to money.

If you like it, save it, tread your own path.

Yes, I like it - even though it is ugly. I don't care about the money - I could spend on more shoes, or jewelry, biweekly expensive manicures and pedicures (Ive cut down - :) so I can buy stamps here and there :) - makes me happy. Now if my children can get value out of it 10-15+ years from know, I am fine with that - though I might NOT want to let them go for another 30 years :).

Hello.
In my collection I have 8 or 10 damaged stamps, they are turned back and they are all over 100 years old. They are expected to be replaced by a healthy specimen. Anyone who looks at the collection will not see them and therefore it matters little that they are damaged, only I know.

I always have an open envelope, no lapel, for damaged seals. When they no longer fit I send them to a friend of a town of my city. She is a collector and volunteer at a special people center (autism, Asperger, Down). Are entertained in identifying them, country, person, animal, flower, ….. anything, and he says it's very good for them.

I also use them to repair broken classifiers or make crafts like this with matchboxes.
Regards.

For the most part, I give my damaged stamps to my daughter to use in her art projects. I will, however, keep a damaged stamp with a higher catalog value as a placeholder until I can get an undamaged copy.

What a delightful option. Well done you.