Pushing 330,000 All Different Worldwide Stamps In One Collection .

Just started reading description of albums/collections from auction houses at SAN.
I am coming across numerous listings which do not provide an actual number of stamps in an album but provide vague descriptions as follows:
1. Moderately filled
2. Very Well filled
3. Modestly filled
4. Accum many (1000s) */O
5.lightly to moderately filled Scott Intl albums.
6.Outstanding Collection
7. Stuffed Scott albums.
8.Encompasses thousands of mixed mint and used stamps having useful duplication.
9. Starter collection.
10. Intermediate collection.

Seems like a code to me. What do they even mean ? For example if I reference a big blue 1840-1940 how would I interpret the above? Any cheat sheets that I can use to make sense of things? Help!

From what I understand, calculating the value (catalog value or face value) of a standard US collection is quite trivial and can be done in minutes because you can just look by decade. You know that a full set of 1930's is worth $abc and full set of 40's is worth $xyz etc and you just subtract any gaps. It is probably harder for pre-1930's which is usually more scattered but same basic idea applies and you can use set value as a starting point instead of decade value. I think any country would be similar.

For something like Big Blue (which has 30,000 spaces), I think someone experienced could use similar technique to come up with a highly accurate estimate pretty quickly (maybe a couple of hours). Instead of looking at decade you can look at countries as starting point. You already know that complete France would be worth $abc and complete Britain would be worth $xyz etc. You also know which spaces are the most valuable (which would swing total CV the most) and exactly where they are.

I think you could scale this technique to 600,000. Assuming it is organized by country albums, you would already know the CV of complete Belgium collection through 2000 is worth $abc, etc. and subtract any gaps. Maybe around a week of work? Seems economically feasible for a six figure lot.

Great question about how many large 100K (and up) collections are there. Probably many! I buttonhole anyone I run into with a large collection to see if they have counted it. One collector I know counts every year in November and STARTS OVER each time he counts! I can't wait to hear his latest count.

A 100K different collection does not need to be expensive at all really. Might be hard to put together a 200K different without some fairly pricey stamps in there somewhere. The bummer is that few count, although I find it kind of fun keeping track.

Years ago it was easy to notice if a collector or was it a stamp dealer bidding against you at auction . You knew from going to stamp bourse or stamp shows plus who was running ads in the philatelic newspapers .. Anybody who attended the big collections auction would spend time next to these people during the viewing days at the auction firms .

It was a regular thing of knowing the people bidding against you on a first name basis from previous auctions .Three or four auctions a year and over a few years you got to know almost everybody in the room . You even learned their bid card number so if Rasdale says won by 126 the rest of the room knew it was Floortrader , We all had a card in hand so it was easy to know .
With this bidding on computer ,plus people don't show up on viewing days because they can see everything to bid on line , it all is a different world with online buying ,so who has what and is it a collector or a ebay seller you never know now .

Salvador 1910 set . Still enjoying adding sets to my collection ,makes a big difference when viewing any collection .

the colors really pop

Another great example from Floortrader illustrating why I collect definitives.

What a great set, floortrader. I don't think I've seen such a colorful array on an album page like that before. Really great to see these random excerpts from your collection and your general thoughts/recollections about the hobby, too.

tsmatx - you are probably right. The big dealers probably tally it that way.
floortrader - you could write your own column and it would probably be the most read article

Stamp collecting is fun. WW collecting is even better. It can also be a good investment and hedge against inflation as a collectible. If only the people in my generation could see how fun it is. I went to a stamp show recently, and the dealers there were so very nice to young people. In my experience, the stereotype that old collectors are smug is just utter nonsense. WW stamp collecting IMO is the most exciting form of collecting because you get to see cultures and history from around the world. Plus, WW from some countries are a challenge to collect. With floortraders pages, one can also see an artform develop.

Please explain your theory.

Just started reading description of albums/collections from auction houses at SAN.
I am coming across numerous listings which do not provide an actual number of stamps in an album but provide vague descriptions as follows:
1. Moderately filled
2. Very Well filled
3. Modestly filled
4. Accum many (1000s) */O
5.lightly to moderately filled Scott Intl albums.
6.Outstanding Collection
7. Stuffed Scott albums.
8.Encompasses thousands of mixed mint and used stamps having useful duplication.
9. Starter collection.
10. Intermediate collection.

All this is code to get you to buy the collection. This is all time tested language. On ebay it's - "Valuable collection, rare collection. outstanding collection etc..." starter usually means, there are few high value stamps.

1. Moderately filled - means not complete
2. Very Well filled - mostly complete
3. Modestly filled - means sparse
4. Accum many (1000s) */O - unorganized mess
5.lightly to moderately filled Scott Intl albums. - mostly blank pages and a few sections have some stamps
6.Outstanding Collection - could mean anything? Sometimes it means there are lots of better stamps. On ebay outstanding means nothing.
7. Stuffed Scott albums. - Lots of cheap stamps at the worst. stamps sometimes need a new home. Albums are stuffed after all
8.Encompasses thousands of mixed mint and used stamps having useful duplication. - useful duplication means not just cheap stamp duplication
9. Starter collection. - cheap stamps or not many better stamps
10. Intermediate collection. - some better stamps mixed in

shermae - all major collectibles have some value as long as you are wise with your purchase. This is true for coins, precious metals, stamps, collectible cards, jewelry, antiques, fine wine etc... The reason is simple. As long as you collect something someone wants after you die, you have something of value. For example, no one wants my socks or spoon or underwear even in mint condition after I die. I would be lucky to give it away. Someone will want any of floortraders stamps for example or US #1 or #2. Because collectibles don't generate income, they are not the greatest asset. But they have their own advantages; not going into that here. People think of stamps as a terrible hedge against inflation because of the drop in stamp prices that occurred in the 90's to 2000. But for most items purchased in 1865, like 99.99% of items bought back then are basically worthless. They are all likely in the garbage. Even most companies are bankrupt today that started 100 years ago. At least today you can get something for a rare stamp from that period because someone felt the need to preserve it. Why because established collectibles outlive their owners and are still useful to the next generation. my2cents.

There are two rules in stamp collecting .

First start small in any business dealing on buying ,no matter who you buy from or which firm you deal with .

Second , you will get cheated or over pay or sold something you wish you made a better choice .