US C15 Regummed - Effect On Value

Looking at this stamp:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/294381880743

The stamp looks very nice. The Scott Catalogue lists C15 NH at a value of $825. How do you value it when it is "regummed"?

It is a safe bet that the right side is not reperforated given that the centerline is visible on the tips. But what about the blue ink at the area of the F of Graf and Z of Zeppelin?

When buying higher value stamps, sellers tend to know when they have a good quality stamp and price it appropriately. In other words, sorting ebay listing by 'lowest first' is likely to produce a lot of stamps that have various issues. They are discounted for good reasons, you get what you pay for.

If you are not that experienced, stick to known, quality sellers and avoid buying from unknown random people. Knowing who you are buying from is as important as knowing what you are buying. Once you get years of experience, it gets a little easier to buy from random unknown people since you will have enough knowledge to spot good quality stamps. In other words, you are going to the spend money to 'buy an education' one way or the other. You can step into some expensive holes or you can work with a quality seller.
Don

Very solid advice from Don—as usual.

Serf, I have bought from John in the past. He is a staff member of the PNC3 club, and he can be trusted in my opinion. Why not talk to him about the stamp?


Peter

Sometimes it is not about trust. The seller may have pure intentions but lack knowledge. That sword cuts both ways for buyers. The fact that John thinks there is a side that is reperfed that obviously is not but neglects to mention the blue smudge which I have not seen like that on a C15 before is problematic. Good intentions can still lead to a pig in a poke.

Don gives good advice.

While the Scott catalogue price for a Never Hinged C15 is $825.00, the Scott Catalogue price for a previously hinged stamp is $525.OO. While ParcelPostGuy's link suggested reduction of 50%, it should be higher for
no gum stamps and regummed stamps are nothing more than a no gum stamp with a little work done. Keep in mind that regumming can be done to cover a thin or repair. A check of the Scott Specialized will show that the difference between OG and no gum is almost always more than 50%. The reduction for 20th century stamps should be higher and the later in the century the bigger the reduction

Serf Tide send him a message asking to see the back of the stamp. That will be the good way to tell if it has been re-gummed.

I took the liberty to look at it myself and I'd suspect that this may in-fact be a postal counterfeit. The letters g and r in the word Graf are joined at the top and there is a lot of ink in places that it shouldn't be. The frame lines aren't clear and defined. The word Zeppelin also looks like it is mis-spelled.
If it is in-fact a postal counterfeit it is still very collectable. There is a section in the Scott U.S. Specialized catalog for Postal Counterfeits.

Maybe someone else can elaborate some more please.

Shakey7: I think I see what you mean.


On the depiction of the zep it looks like it ends in an R

Here is a legit example.

This has described earmarks of the postal counterfeit. C15(CF1) as of the 2020 catalog (page 1024) lists at $1000-Used $1500-Mint. I did contact the seller.

Yes
That is exactly what I was talking about. Thanks for the second set of eyes and confirmation of what I saw.

This topic has taken an interesting turn.

When looking at it, if a spec of dust landed on the plate at the 3-4 o'clock position on the N, it might make it look like an R since the top of the R isn't well defined. But it does seem to bend in at the top.

I have spotted a couple other differences in minute details but I don't know if they are normal. A better scan would be needed.

The seller is convinced it's a legit stamp that has just been re-gummed.