What Does "Never Hinged" Really Mean?

I really like Siegel's approach to defining grading (non-numeric) and gum condition in their sale boilerplate. Unfortunately I cannot post an image without scanning a catalog because I do not see that information in their online catalogs. If somebody can find it and post it that would be awesome. Their approach is straightforward and sensical.

Speaking to other folks comments it drives me nuts when I see the huge variance in what is called lightly hinged and so on. Obviously it has to do with sellers wanting to paint the rosiest verbal picture, even if there is an actual picture that contradicts their verbal description, and thus get more $$$ for their item. Of course we come full circle to there being no ONE agreed upon published standard, and arguing that a hinge remnant does not constitute lightly hinged is a fruitless task.

Siegel say's the following regarding Disturbed Original Gum:

"Gum showing noticeable effects of humidity, climate or hinging over more than half of the gum. The significance of gum disturbance in valuing a stamp in any of the Original Gum categories depends upon the degree of disturbance, the rarity and normal gum condition of the issue and other variables affecting quality. For example, stamps issued in tropical climates are expected to have some gum disturbance due to humidity, and such condition is not considered a negative factor in pricing."

And what/who defines 'tropical climate'? A certain latitude or is it left to the seller/buyer to figure out?
Don

Never hinged is never hinged. Gum is pristine as released. If they were ever mounted in a way that disturbed the gum, they are no longer NH.

Countries: 'Tropical countries are those that lie within the region that we call the tropics. The tropics is the zone between the Tropic of Cancer, the parallel of latitude at 23º North, and the Tropic of Capricorn, the parallel of latitude at 23º South. Everywhere in the tropics is struck by the sun's perpendicular rays at noon on a minimum of one day in each year. At the very centre of the tropics lies the equator, a spot equidistant from the north and south poles. Many people associate tropical countries with a few islands and palm trees but in fact a large section of the world lies within the tropics. In the Western Hemisphere, tropical countries include Mexico, all of Central America, all of the Caribbean islands from just south of Nassau in the Bahamas, and the top half of South America, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, as well as the northern portions of Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. In Africa, the only nations that cannot be called tropical countries are Morocco and Tunisia in the north and Lesotho and Swaziland in the
south. All the rest lie either entirely, or at least partly, in the tropics. While no European countries are tropical countries, the Middle East has four tropical countries: Yemen, which is entirely in the tropics, and parts of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and United Arab Emirates. India, in southern Asia, lies mostly in the tropics, and all countries of Southeast Asia are tropical countries. Australia, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, and most of the other island nations of Oceania in the South Pacific are tropical countries, as well.'

rogdcam,
Is 'tropical countries' the same as 'tropical climate'? (My wife likes our house to be a tropical climate.)
Don

Yup

Also several of the US possessions are tropical; PR, Hawaii, Cuba, CZ, Guam, Philippines, DWI.

So all the possessions are tropical except the Philippines which is only slightly above, and is for all intents a tropical country.

OK I am a fairly new stamp collector. BUT I have been into classic cars and coins. MNH should be perfect - I like the German adjective about being postfrisch or "post fresh". So, in my opinion MNH goes to condition and any gum disturbance etc should be mentioned. It is NOT the absence of a hinge but could include other gum disturbance or damage. That seems to be how some people use it. I think then it is NH but with damage or other issues that need to be addressed. I have received them with hinge marks, stuck together, and with black transfer from albums - I always send back or settle on a partial refund. Humidity is irrelevant - that just goes to rarity - classic cars in the north rust - you don't say mint for the area or mint for its age. Maybe stamps from a humid country are rare in perfect MNH so those taken and stored will be much rarer and command a high premium.

"Unmounted mint", to use the British term, simply means that the stamp hasn't been hinged. It's then qualified as necessary by the description of any faults. If you think otherwise, you risk being being disappointed by purchases from GB auction houses.