Canada Post Gutter Product

I am trying to learn more about CP items. I have collected some on trips to Canada and since and would like to have a better understanding of what I have. In this case the items some were sold as 'gutter product' or 'gutter strips'. I think they were more limited in number. My question is what exactly these are and is there a complete listing of them somewhere? I haven't seen them available in recent years.

Is there some way you can show us a photo or scan of these? It would certainly help.


Peter

I do believe smuglr may be referring to the gutters of two different booklets cut from the press sheets for the issues sold by Canada Post.. They can be found in the Unitrade Canadian specialised catalogue under the regular issue; but with an individual unique number corresponding to the item.

@Petert4522 I took photos (not good) of two of them from the Zodiac series in 2013 (I'm not sure if I have the third one (there were three 'gutter product' items total for that series). I'm not sure how to post the pics. Each 'gutter product' has six stamps each of four different zodiac signs (24 stamps on the sheet with a good amount of white space, some line marks, and 'LOWE-MARTIN' and 'DESIGN:PAPRIKA' between each of the zodiac designs on the sheet. I also have a 2011 Royal Wedding 'gutter product', and some earlier ones, I unfortunately am not organized enough to put my hands on.

Not great but here are some pics

Gutter panes are, quite frankly, pains in the a$$. They fill no postal need and are simply Canada Post's chance to print money.
I'm surprised that there is no vocal backlash against them. Not any lately, so maybe the demand was low.

The 12 Zodiacs were issued as [1-2]#2450b, [3-4]#2452b, [5-6-7-8]#2456b, [9-10-11-12]#2460b.
There are others, like #2521b, Black History Month of 2012, all listed in Unitrade.

I think the first offering was in 2007, 2224b two national parks.

@sak Thank you. I also located a Calgary Stampede gutter product I have. Is the Unitrade you and @No1philatelist refer to something I'd be able to find in the States, maybe the library. I would like to get a listing of all of the gutter products and hopefully information on number produced. Also I'd appreciate a better understanding of what the 'gutter products' actually are. Are they a byproduct of production (part of a press sheet or something) or are they produced separately.

Its possible you may find it in a local library. If your looking for a new copy, shipping can be costly at about 1/2 the value of the book list price. But if you look at Canada Post.ca and check the philatelic/stamps site, they have them for sale and shipping is free! They have the 2022 issue but in another month or two they will have the 2023 issue.

There are also gutter pairs/blocks of Canadian stamps that were not produced for commercial use. Typically, on earlier issues,

Scott 34iii:


Scott 126aii


Scott 128ii


Scott 130ai


Scott 208iv


Scott 217


Scott 455a


- stamporator -

@No1philatelist. Thank you, I will have to look at the CP site for the book. I think it would be very interesting and helpful (although I'm sure it will probably bring up more questions and quests for missing items).

@stamporator Very cool, thank you for sharing. I especially like the green King George V stamps. Would you please explain further to me 'not produced for commercial use.

Also if anyone could fill in the blanks for me for the more recent gutter product items I have as far as are they part of a press sheet, produced individually as is just for extra sales, or where they come from in the process.

Hi smuglr,

What I meant by not printed for commercial use, is that these earlier stamps with gutters were not printed with the intent to create a variety or make CP more money. The recent ones have now reason for printing and selling, other than to make more money for CP. All of the stamps have a commercial value, that being the monetary value of the stamp itself.

As 'sak' stated in his post "They fill no postal need and are simply Canada Post's chance to print money."

- stamporator -

I have to agree with Sak, they fill no need except to empty the pockets of collectors who must have every variety merely because they are listed in a catalogue. Enrich CP coffers as they will probably most likely not be used for postal service.

The "gutter pane" is a cutting product.

First, if they do not cut it at all, it produces the "uncut press sheet", a product that is impossible to collect sensibly. I am embarrassed to say that I have all 72 of them and must stack them unceremoniously in the knee-hole of an old desk.

Second, when there are two or more subjects on a print sheet, they can cut out pieces that overlap, rather than isolate, the various subjects and the spaces between are the "gutters".

I hesitate to try and list all the gutter products, simply because it seems only fair that anyone that interested in the subject should support the Unitrade group by buying their product. It's expensive, however, and I only get one every two years.

@sak Thank you, that helps clear it up and explains the inconsistancy in size and appearance of the gutter products. I have, some being booklet size and appearing to be an 'error' printing and others being the size of a sheet of paper and having much selvage. So they cut them out of press sheets in different ways for different issues, however it is deyermined for that issue.

I wouldn't be embarrassed to say I had all the uncut press sheets - quite an accomplishment. I have a couple, the Bluenose (sailing a favorite theme of my dad's in his memory) and the 65th anniversary of The Queen's coronation (The Royal Family being an interest of mine). I didn't see one for the Platinum Jubilee and I was unable to get one for the Lunar New Year.

I tried looking at the CP site, as @No1philatelist mentioned for the Unitrade book with no luck. I did find it elsewhere but will have to keep it on my list with the press sheet. Thanks again for the helpful reply.

By my count, there were 12 gutter products issued by Canada Post, between 2007 and 2013.
(No email address available for the above member;(

Sak, shouldn't we also include all the gutters on the coil stamp issued between 2007 and 2013?


pollux