Scott #505 Error - Best Way To Collect

These are one of the few higher-value stamps that I don't bother to get a certificate. . .I don't see a way to fake these. . .the only possible alteration that might be not be glaringly obvious would be a regum. And I'm sure these are not regummed.

The 485s are regummed much more often than the other two red error stamps 467 and 505 because the lack of perfs on the 485 makes it easier to hide the regum job ( no pesky fibers from perf separation to soak up the regumming).

"The 485s are regummed much more often than the other two red error stamps 467 and 505"

Rhett, what do you base that on? In my 22+ of full-time dealing, I don't recall seeing a single regummed 485. I have seen many dozens (maybe even 100+) o.g. examples though...

FWIW, I see more regummed 505's than anything else, probably because they're so plentiful (relatively-speaking) and so many were hinged right off the bat.

BTW, the "100+" is the number of auction lots I've seen/viewed that are o.g. I'm sure that would include the same item being seen multiple times... just clarifying :-)

Srailkb, unfortunately I learned this from painful experience. I sent the first 485 I purchased for expertization to get a current cert and it came back regummed. Luckily it was returned to me at a large stamp show and the dealer I had purchased it from was at the show so I was able to return it immediately. I later bought my current and last 485 from the same very reputable dealer. At that show, in dealing with this experience, I learned from the expertizer, the dealer, and another philatelic expert that the 485 regum is more difficult to detect than a 467 or 505 regum because of the lack of perfs.

Odd. Searching the PF cert database for "485" returns 46 entries, none regummed. Searching USphila returns 28 entries, none regummed. Searching the Siegel database returns 104 entries, none regummed.

I was just interested in the basis for your comment "485s are regummed much more often than the other two red error stamps." [emphasis mine].

Overemphasis on my part for sure. Was just based on my limited experience and what I was told.

Since most 485's were mounted (hinged) as blocks the error stamps usually avoided being sullied. Singles and strips are much harder to find and have been obviously broken from blocks which came to market and are almost exclusively MNH.I cannot see how regumming in this case would ever be a real issue. The same is generally true for 505's and 467's. I personally always insist on a cert for any issue with a catalog value of $300 +/- or greater because, well, why not?

On the lookout for 485 block, strip, single even. Holler if you see one somewhere!

Me too!

Rogdcam, why the bonkers? I said "runs about" as a general range' i.e "in the realm of" which at $400 retail for a single is realistic somewhere between F/VF Scott, and as I referenced, I've looked at 505's in the last year to at least reference the seller's market. Yet you then state " There is no "would run about" price. A MNH Fine single catalogs $300 and a VF single catalogs $625. It drives me bonkers when people assign one size fits all values to stamps."

So therefore I will find all examples listed at every auction or website for a F MNH single at exactly $300 and all VF examples at $625, or might I/we find them in the "runs around" range of those prices? Why list Scott values at all if not assigning a "one size fits all" value?

If my estimate was off (freely admit I was going off memory and if my estimates were wrong, no problem being wrong and admitting it,) but get off your high horse and stop being duplicitous. You've got nothing to prove; you know more about stamps based on what I've seen than most, well, anyone I've seen.

Ease up, brother; was just trying to give the OP a general sense of what the market is for singles, pairs, blocks and so forth based on what I've observed.

Batessa, apologies if I hijacked your thread. Hope you post photos of whatever you end up with; it is great that you are continuing on with your father's collection and wish you well to keep filling in the holes, so to speak.

No problem Andy. I see some less experienced collectors take numbers as gospel sometimes and when they go shopping they get fixated on a runs about number and try and shoehorn their purchase into said number. Now you have clarified as far as centering goes but we both know that condition means a lot as well. Short perfs, paper that is not so white or fresh anymore, gum skips, gum bends, disturbed gum, poor impression, ink brightness and so on. Is a very fine stamp centering wise really a very fine stamp? That depends upon a lot. That is what I was talking about. Maybe the stamp is only worth 40 percent of catalog. Maybe it is worth 125 percent of catalog. It all depends. And certs are great but they are not the end all be all.

10-4/Understood. Was just trying to give some round numbers to someone who seemed new to collecting. All good!

That said; the Washington/Franklins do seem to be hard to pin down as far as what is offered price-wise in relation to Scott. I've been looking for a nice example of a 471 for a year on and off and can't seem to find a bargain, but found the 470 and 472 well below Scott. Scratching my head...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/485-MINT-N...AOSwxuha36jh

https://www.ebay.com/itm/485-Block-...AOSw-9tdMeeg

What I would like to find is a used 485 with Schermack type III perfs.

That Bill Lang's ebay block sold for $13,000 plus commission in the Siegel Wingate sale, Lot 371.

https://siegelauctions.com/lot_grd....tFirst=First