What's Scotts Catalog Valuation Mean

What does it mean when the item is listed in Scotts as the stamp description, Unused, used valuation. Sometimes it'll state Unused 500...Used 55. The question for me is about when it lists Unused 500...Used -
Does the dash mean no such stamp exists, none ever found, no value for item or all are forgeries.
Then again would it be the only one found and value would be determined? Thanks for information.

In the Scott catalogs, a dash means that there are not enough sold results to establish a price. Often this means that there are no known used stamps but that is usually stated as such in comments after the listing.

The introductory pages to the Scott catalog explain the listings and a whole lot more.

It's probably worth adding that the Scott price is generally not a real selling price, but an index of value. Most stamp dealers sell at a fraction of the Scott price, often well below half catalogue, often below a third, or even less than that, depending on factors like how common the stamp is, the dealer's desire to sell, and other factors.

For most common modern stamps, Scott has a price figure it does not go below no matter how common the stamp is or how unvaluable it is. This permits a dealer to stock and sell even inexpensive common stamps at a profitable price even though that price is well above what most stamp collectors often pay. Especially if they buy a lot of such stamps from a dealer, the selling price may be much lower. In my old 2007 Scott Specialized (U.S.) catalogue, that minimum price was 75c for all common modern stamps.

One may get a better idea of actual prices by checking the "sold" (not what people are trying to sell for) prices on ebay but note price guides reflect a dealer's view and not someone trying to sell to a dealer. For example, dealers will not pay even face value for much of the mint (unused) modern material.

When you get outside of US material you are better off many times consulting non-Scott specialized catalogs for your info.

Thank you all for the information.
I have a 1857 10 cent vertical green set(type II, III, IV) on cover and couldn't find any listed to get an idea of its rarity or value. Does anyone know how many have been expertised. I'm still working on them to determine their plate/relief location but I'm not a professional. I've found the challenge to be an awesome learning experience. Again thank you for your input.

PK,
Your first post implied you were asking about stamp values.
It now becomes a cover question, which is an entirely different level of complexity, often beyond the catalog. With a strip like that, there is a very good chance the cover has a known provenance and price trail. Pictures please!

PK—if you have a strip of three 10 cent 1857''s on cover, that is not a beginner item —many who have an item like this have already learned how to navigate the hobby to get answers to the questions you are asking. I would think Siegel archives and PFsearch would be a good place to find census and valuation information. If you acquired this item yourself and it was not given to you or inherited it, I expect you already know this—as well as what a dash means in the Scott catalog.

There are at least two results here for what you describe:

https://siegelauctions.com/lot_grd....mitPrev=Prev

Post a good image of the item. We'll tell ya what it's worth!

Heh, yes, if you couldn't tell, you definitely have our attention.

Thank you all for the information. I've been trying to identify all three of this vertical strip. At first I believed it to be a II, III, IV but haven't confirmed this and it may only be a II, III, II or possible II, III, I I'm not exactly sure yet. It has tied cancels of 15 Mar 1859 and red cancels with a red box. I believe you can make out the rest also still has complete letter inside.

As you can see the bottom right shell appears to go completely around but the stamp was cut to much.

So your 10c stamps are Relief A-B-A from top to bottom.
On the relief, those types are: Types II-III-II.

The top and middle stamps are not recut, thus Ty II-III.

The bottom stamp is definitely not the Ty I C relief, as the top lines are too complete.

Could the bottom stamp possibly be an A relief, recut at the (not visible) bottom (its not recut at top)?

For it to be that, it would have to be position: 54L1, 55L1 or 76L1.
So, its unlikely, but - I'll have to check further.

edit add:
If in fact the blob at top left is the guide dot and not cancel (likely its a GD), then that would eliminate 54L and 55L due to orientation not matching and only leave 76L as a possibility.

All of that said, since the bottom has been cut away, even if you could prove its 76L1 by plating, it has little value as a type, since any potential recut is not visible. More than likely, its just a Ty II, not recut.

From a valuation point of view, and unless proven otherwise by plating, this should be considered Ty II-III-II.

The cover by the way-to France, is paying the double 15c rate via US-French treaty mails, thus 30c.

It was carried on the Cunard steamer "Arabia" which departed Boston on March 23, 1859, and arrived in Liverpool on April 3rd.

It is common for exchange markings in Boston/NYC to be dated the day before the steamer left, if it departed from the other city than the exchange marking.

edit add:
The 24c (2x12c) credit from US to France breaks down as:
British Steamer - 2x6c = 12c
British Transit - 2x2c = 4c
French Transit - 2x4c = 8c
which totals 24c credit from the US to France.
It was fully pre-paid to the destination per the treaty.
The US retained 6c (2x3c) for US inland transit.