Cutting Imperforate Stamps To Get Even And Better Margins.

Hi, new to forum and I do not find where this has been answered before. I have several used imperforate US stamps like Scott 1 and Scott 2 for example that are not cut square but have 4 good large margins, but some margins are larger than others. I would like to send these in to be graded and want to know if I can cut these myself to make the margins more even? Would that make the stamp get better grade or is that a no no? I also have imperforate strips of some US stamps and also some for other countries. Can I cut these a[art myself or do I have to send in the entire strips. Some of these could have almost perfect margins if I cut them off myself with scissors. Some of these strips have part of the top or bottom stamp in the strip but off and I don't think I want to send them in this way. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Bob.
Thanks for all the replies. I have collected stamps since late 50's on and off without paying too much attention to actual value. However, now I am ready to get the most value out of my better quality stamps by getting them certificates and some of them graded. Most of my collection will be left to family but I might as well cash in on the many duplicates and questionable's I have accumulated.

My inclination would be to never do this - I would leave them alone. I shudder even at the thought of it...

Disclaimer:




John

Me too, the endless desire for money or "prettiness"

NO for the US classics. The first thing to understand is that parallel and/or square margins for imperforate classic stamps is NOT required for a high grade and could very well REDUCE their value if done by yourself now. You cannot put the genie back in the bottle and once you cut off any portion of the stamp it is obviously an irreversible act.

Look at the stamps in this link for an idea of what a grade 95 or higher stamp looks like:

https://siegelauctions.com/lot_grd....emailflag=on

As for the other imperforate stamps mentioned it is hard to say without specifics. It is however, easier to botch the job than one might think.

As Rodg says, what you do with the other imperf strips will rather depend on what they are and what you wish to collect. Some may have greater value and interest as strips. Others may have as much or more value if kept or disposed of as singles. You will, of course, have to avoid the messy cuts many stamps received in post offices and offices 150 years ago.

Perhaps you could upload some scans.

For 1st series revenues, you want the maximum amount of paper to help show they are authentic.

Part of the of process of deciding "authenticness" is looking at rough edges for signs of being cut on a straight edge, or looking for signs of trimmed perfs to show it is bogus.

Making margins smaller is never a good idea for these stamps...

Also regarding these is the authentic ones have a "wonky" look, and the perfectly 90 degree corner & square stamps look phony/dubious.

Not to beat a dead horse, but to someone who doesn't collect US, the fact that questions like this arise is just another example of the damage the grading fad in the US is doing. If the end result of a collecting fad is "I need to mutilate my stamp to make it more valuable", the fad is awful for the hobby.

Not intended as a shot at the OP, simply an observation on the state of the hobby.

The OP questions relate most directly to merchantability, not about understanding the material. Commodities for exchange, not for study or even for display.

Especially "before" pictures.

I... can't... even...

Collective pain. Waiting for OP response. I consider it a "no no."

The OP did add a few sentences at the end of his original post as an edit. These were added in time sequence two posts before mine here, which makes true sequential reading difficult..

However, no images yet, which makes truly meaningful responses more difficult.

I too would add to the chorus of "first, do not harm!"

Bob, short answer, no; don't trim/cut anything any stamp like a US # 1 or something very old. See above.

That said, have I trimmed cheap/common Liberian stamps that were haphazardly cut out of a souvenir sheet simply to make them (more) attractive or uniform when mounting in an album; yes. Would I ever alter my US #1 or any other early us imperf; no way.

There's a huge difference between the two examples though.

I'd also guess that an expertiser/auction house might be able to pick up on recently trimmed old stamps by seeing clean/unoxidized edges as well, but that's beyond my area of expertise and just a hunch.

Well, methinks no pictures will be forth coming. More important to get them graded for sale than photoed for flapping our lips (okay, flicking our fingers).