Value For Reperf'd Or Regummed

What is the generally accepted penalty / % deduction in Scott catalogue value when a stamp is (1) re-gummed or (2) re-perforated?

The 1893 Columbian issues are especially prone to these faults.

I never buy regummed stamps even though they should be valued the same as no-gum. I just worry about the gum covering some other unseen fault. Reperforated stamps are totally uninteresting to me, but clearly they have a market, too. My guess, assuming they have been very professionally done and appear XF-S or better, is 40-50% of VF price.

One rule of thumb is to reduce the value 50% for every major fault, one reduction at a time. Example:
-- Catalog value = $1000
-- Regummed: 50% reduction so value is $500
-- Also reperforated? Another 50% reduction so value is $250.
-- Also a small tear? Another 50%, down to $125.
-- Stamp does not have Very Fine centering, where Scott uses its value only for VF: another reduction; will vary according to the market and probably won't be 50% like the major faults.

I would never buy an altered original stamp
For example what a company will do..Here is a place close to me...Owner explains his views on altering stamps..He does Canadian, American, etc.

Robert
http://home.golden.net/~hanssitt/SR...SRShome.html

I have always believed the focus on the back of stamps is/was overblown. While I collect MNHOG exclusively, I don't think the hobby made a good choice here. Further complicating this is self adhesive. One person's citrus spritzing, is another's defacing Under UV light.

What do you mean by "defacing under UV light"?

My belief is simply that, any alteration to a stamp is ultimately detectable given the right magnification, lighting inspection, or other forensic measure applied.

I know people use cleansers on stamps, and I believe each of them to interact uniquely with paper, as it is a porous substance. These changes are no different than a regum, if not revealed. It's always about the concealment.

The Scott US Specialized gives a value of 50% of the OG price for no gum $1 through $5 Columbians. The 50¢ value is at 45% and lower values should have a greater discount as OG stamps are more commonly available. At auction most houses use the no gum price for regummed stamps.

If a stamp is altered or "improved", why stop at one? Regummed stamps may also have a removed cancel or a difficult to detect filled thin. Sometimes fake gum is not water soluble as we know it or may damage the stamp if left in place. And, for some reason watermarks are often harder to detect on regummed stamps.

Fake perforations may detract from the appearance of the stamp. A reperforated stamp should be valued at less than a legitimate straight edge example.

The value of forged stamps or genuine stamps with fake overprints or alterations intended to change the catalog number should not be linked to the value of the real thing. No one should fall for this.

If a valuable work of art worth hundreds of thousands of dollars can be restored, why can't stamps? Sorry to disagree, but if there is no intent to deceive but only to improve, and if the improvements are clearly spelled out, I have no problem with stamps that have old gum, new gum, or no gum on the back. In fact, I couldn't care less what's on the back of a stamp anymore than I care what's on the back of a valuable painting -- as long as what's there is not damaging the stamp. This obsession with the backs of stamps is fairly new in stamp collecting, and you're welcome to it. After all, it tends to drive down the prices of stamps with disturbed gum, hinge marks, and the like. That's perfectly fine with me.

As for changes like reperfing or adding missing perforations, if the intent is to make a stamp with a straight edge look "whole" it doesn't bother me -- as long as it's clearly noted by the seller. The problem with tiny objects like stamps is that you'd have to write that on the back of the stamp or include some sort of certificate with the stamp noting how it had been altered, and that's not very likely. So the fact of reperfing tends to get lost along the way.

If reperfing or regumming are done to falsely increase value, that's not good. But keep in mind that those who fetishize full gum or MNH stamps are opening themselves to this problem compared to those who don't care about original gum or MNH. Adding perfs is not difficult to identify most of the time if you know what you're looking for. I'd buy a reperfed stamp if I couldn't afford a better copy, but I'd write "reperfed" on the back so the next owner would know that. Ooops! Now I've ruined the back of another stamp. Can't win, can you?

Perforating a straight edge is an alteration. While it is true that some stamps like the Hawaiian Missionary stamps required extensive repairs to preserve them and make them presentable, it is not true that most "restorations" or alterations are beneficial. As the Scott Catalog now acknowledges, removal of gum from most unused Confederate stamps is necessary to insure long term preservation. This has been the case for some years for certain German stamps. It is likely that regumming shortens the life of stamps. Most alterations are made by individuals with limited skills and too much time on their hands. As stated above, most reperforated stamps are ugly. Some are bad enough to induce dizziness or motion sickness.



One stamp in the reference collection has an important cancel with a corner expertly added from a stamp selected for matching color. But situations where a stamp or cover should be repaired are uncommon. Expert repair archival repair is expensive and not a realistic option for ordinary stamps.