When a Scott catalog value is given as 25c, it is explained by Scott that it is a minimal value given to account for dealer handling costs. The 1000L in the blurry image shown can be presumed to be from the following issue which is of minimal value and is badly centered besides.
Scott attempts to be a net price catalog whereas European catalog prices are tremendously inflated; double actual value is not uncommon. Don't compare apples to oranges and put catalog pricing in one basket. Further, the Scott value is for a very high quality item where people often assume one price fits all conditions. The parcel posts and many Italian stamps are notoriously off-center and real prices are seriously reduced based on centering alone. But you knew that.
A lot is almost always cheaper than individual stamps, so once again you are trying to lump different situations into one basket. This is also an auction, where most items are at a wholesale price nowhere close to a retail price. Again, a different situation than what Scott catalog pricing reflects. Further, this is also an
ebay auction with only a few participants (if that?) that are largely cheap and often unknowledgeable, who only have a scan to base their bids on and so bid much less than they would otherwise. This is not to say this lot isn't low value, and I see plenty of badly centered and potentially faulty stamps here. But you did pick the worst case scenario.
Since "catalog prices are useless for this stuff", I will take any 1954 1000L mint VF NH pairs (Scott Q76) that you have at US$50 each, no limit, and I will pay shipping.
Posted 10/26/2019 11:16 am
