Quantity Issued Vs Resale Pricing

How come there seems to be no correlation between quantity of stamps issued for a certain stamps and resale values? For example, why do the 29c Elvis sheet and the 1992 Summer Olympics Barcelona sheet sell for roughly the same percentage of face value on auction sites despite the fact that there were 17x more Elvis stamps issued compared to the 1992 Summer Olympics stamps? Is it that more people are interested in the subject of Elvis vs the Olympics?


Another example is the 1986 Navajo Art 22c stamps compared to the 1986 Statue of Liberty Centennial 22c stamps? The later was issued in 4x the quantity, yet there are more Navajo art sheets for sale on auction sites vs the Statue of Liberty sheet and both sheets sell for around face value. Have the Statue of Liberty sheets been used for postage (I remember they were popular in the 1980s) and people don't have many sheets to sell, vs the Navajo Art stamp sheets where those who purchased them to possibly frame for their artistry never did and are trying to sell them?

I notice that there seems to be an abundance of political and religious themed stamp sheets for sale on ebay, but they aren't big sellers. Is it because of the possibly controversial subject or not wanting to offend a recipient they know when used as postage? Maybe I answered my own question that subject matter is important to value and everyone is keeping and using their Statue of Liberty stamps because it's non controversial.

Just thought I'd get your opinions on quantity issued and subject matter on resale value.

Torin

Often wondered the same thing. Inverted Jenny stamps number about 86. Stamps with fewer known examples don't get anywhere near the prices realized by the Inverted Jenny. I think between rare and desirable or just rare the former trumps the later.

If stamps are selling at same low value (often a percentage of face) it just means the demand is the same (not much) and reached a minimum value.

Value is usually based upon desirability. If no one really wants a one of a kind stamp, it will not have much value.

The Jenny is hyped by the media and auction houses to promote desirability.

The inverted Jenny is probably the most famous stamp in the world. Millions who could not care less about stamps have still heard of it, so essentially it hypes itself. As for the modern material, the popular subjects sell for more, in part because non collectors will also buy them. How many people have bought Elvis stamps simply because they like his music?

It is about universal appeal. Politics and religion subjects are not so much about being controversial as they are about being exclusionary to groups of people thyat are in their own subgroups. Planes, cars and elvis!

Demand is the essential factor in price. If no one wants an item, it will sell for very little no matter how rare it might be.

Supply and demand is king.

There are hundreds of different stamps in the revenue world that are far rarer than the Jenny and they sell for 3 or 4 digits.

In the state revenue world, the value swings wildly depending on subject. Beer or liquor stamps sell for much more than feed or fertilizer simply because of the subject.

This New Mexico feed stamp comes from one pane of 4 stamps that was sold to a collector. 4 mint copies and no used copies known. Cat value = $100

Good luck buying a copy!

Demand/Desirability

It is simply that the supply of the Olympics is enough to meet demand even though there were fewer issued than Elvis.

What subjects or denomination stamp sheets of the modern era generally have high demand vs low demand?