Stamp Grading - Of Value To You Or A Marketing Ploy?

PSE will grade stamps with natural straight edges but they are considered faults and will deduct from the grade accordingly.
The deduction is substantial - 25 to 35%.

I have no problem with grading except for the 100J issue already mentioned. But I don't think a grade is required to identify a well-centered stamp or a valuable stamp. I think the recent Wingate auction illustrated that. It included many beautifully centered stamps without grades that still sold for huge premia.

So why not just park the certifying money in Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS), and put binding instructions in your will for the executor to certify them at that time?

The certs will be fresh & relevant to that market at that time, and your heirs can go begging to a judge to get released from that requirement if it is no longer relevant to that market at that time.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey (who wonders who decays faster, the certs or their stamps?)

https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indi...s_glance.htm ... Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS)

Yes all who are buying up certs and planning on holding ten years or more will need to recert again in the future. Or their heirs will. If it is at all still relevant.

Does the value drop when the population of a certain higher echelon grade increases?

He says he "loves" to send a stamp in for a cert. Why are you trying to be his financial advisor?

I collect US stamps from provisionals to the liberty series. Certificates from PF or PSE are a requirement for any sound and attractive stamp that catalogs for over about $300. I want graded certs on any higher-value stamps that would earn an 80 or above. I agree that is is silly to grade a 3-cent commemorative. I also agree that it is a tragedy that imperf blocks are butchered for a high-grade single. But for most expensive stamps, grading is a very good thing!

To me, it has no value since I do not collect stamps that need grading.

Despite the exploitation and the hyping that comes with grading, I believe it has some value.

Because he also says:




One of the best things we do in life (and on this forum) is to look out for each other.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Grading can be useful to the less experienced collector. I have found over the years that not everyone has an eye for grading. The experienced collector knows what he is buying and what he wants to buy and has no need for a graded certificate. There are always sellers that have a Fine stamp that they describe as Extremely Fine. In my opinion the graded certificate has helped to rein in that problem, somewhat. A graded certificate can make the passage through "the school of hard knocks" a little less painful, but is no substitute for experience.

LOL Right.

Wow... and I thought I was a Scrooge...

Grading is one of the worst things to ever happen to the hobby. It has destroyed many scarce and rare multiples. It has only been a benefit to a relatively small number of people who are genuinely superior at recognizing grades. Nick Kirke, who was mentioned earlier in the thread as an early enthusiastic proponent of grading supposedly lost at least 3 million when he sold his graded US collection.

Is Nick one of the "players"?

I find it helpful to presume that harsh comments posted late on Friday nights have been alcohol-fueled.