Grading For Canadian Stamps

These two pictures demonstrate the odd world of grading - and why I hope it never becomes common for Canadian stamps, as it has for US stamps.

Scott 249 - common and easy to find MNH either individually or as part of the series.

Quick search found this stamp for 25 cents on Hipstamp


This stamp is PSE certified as Gem 100, and in Kelleher's upcoming auction, estimated value is $200-300, with bidding starting at $100 USD. It certainly is a nice 249.



Would you pay an extra $99.75 for the bottom stamp?

I am no fan of grading but the centering on the top stamp is off to the left and the top right corner is a bit blunt.

I'm not a graded stamp fan and do my own grading on what I collect or decide to pass on. If you are patient you can do as well as those who pay the big bucks for a graded stamp for just pennies. I think the grading thing is for those short on time and investor collector types.

Well of course the top stamp isn't perfectly centered. That wasn't really my point. I could have spent more time and found a better centered stamp on ebay for the outrageous price of 50 cents...

gmot

To answer your question, The "gem" stamp in my opinion does not warrant the 4000% price increase. Personally I would spend the 50 cents and go for the upgrade

side note: I think they better double check that gem grade.

I'm not a fan of the perfs on the bottom right and top right of the "gem" stamp so I'd say no.

When a stamp is line perforated, it is just good fortune when the corners align perfectly. It shouldn't be considered a fault.

Ask yourself though, are you sure this "gem" is a one-in-a million stamp?

Good luck to the seller, but I hope he/she takes a haircut after paying for those PSE certs. I don't mind someone being a market maker for difficult material, but this venture borders on dishonesty.

I'll answer my own question by confirming the OP. Well centered Canada NH KGVI is VERY common. I could buy a whole sheet for 10% of this estimate. To put a 50x premium on "gem graded" singles infers a market exists that in truth has few to no comparable sales. Basically I think it's a sucker bet to buy.

Here is my 2 cents as a full time dealer. I agree that $100 is way, way too much for that stamp. BUT, I would have no problem asking $2-3 for that stamp because it is perfect in the eyes of most collectors. Whether or not a collector can buy a full sheet for $10 is not really the issue. The issue is one of being compensated fairly for providing a service to collectors, which I can explain this way:

Let's say I buy a sheet and split it up. I recognize that some of my customers are very, very particular and want stamps that actually measure out perfectly, or within micrometers of perfection. Those stamps, which are rare, I grade as SUP-98 or GEM-100. I've only ever had a few dozen of these. Then, there are customers who are happy with a stamp that looks perfect at first glance, but isn't quite if you would actually measure it. Those stamps I grade as VF-84, the highest end of the VF grade. Like archerg says, those ARE quite common. Then, there are customers who will take stamps that are VF, but not quite so perfect, and those I grade as VF-80 and VF-75. In any given full sheet, it will take a considerable amount of time to grade the individual stamps in it, and it is rare to find a sheet where all stamps will be the same grade, unless the sheet is comb perforated. Most stamps will actually be VF-75 or VF-80 in a VF sheet.

So, my pricing has to reflect that time spent. Essentially what I am doing is providing a service to those collectors who want very high quality by seeking it out and grading it professionally and consistently, while providing choice and consistency to customers who are more budget conscious. It is not that significant on an inexpensive stamp like this, but it becomes much more significant on more expensive material.

So, what I am trying to say is that I have always thought the US prices for highly graded, common stamps are insane, but I can certainly see the rationale for charging $3-10 for a perfect copy of a common stamp. I don't think that is dishonest - those collectors that want that quality are usually very happy to pay for it when they don't want to spend hours looking for it themselves. But I think it is easy for collectors to overlook the fact that dealers do provide a service when they offer material, and the price sometimes has to reflect the value of that service, which may be more than the intrinsic value of the stamp itself.

Here is another thing to consider that may bring the US prices of superbly graded stamps into perspective: the value of the time of the people buying these stamps. If the collectors bidding in these auctions are white-collar professionals who bill out between $300-$600 an hour, it may make perfect sense for them to spend $100 on a stamp that they could find themselves for 25c if they were wiling to spend a few hours looking. I'm not saying it's right, but it is another perspective to consider.

To most collectors who are older and retired, it may be difficult to see things from this perspective. But there is a significant body of collectors who are younger professionals, married with families who can only spend 2-3 hours a week on their hobby, max. So, they don't want to spend those 2-3 hours looking for and buying stamps. They would much rather spend it enjoying their purchases.

Kelleher results are posted. Some was unsold, some made half estimate. Almost nothing sold for estimate. The slice-and-dice consignors didn't make much.