Can Anyone tell me what these are?

[willis8732]

so most sellers just quote the lowest catalog value as reference.

What is the lowest value?

[khj]

Your catalog (2004) is actually newer than mine (1999). You should check in your catalog.

[boppolis]

Hey Kim,
Glad you came along since I don't have an SG so refrained from commenting earlier since I knew there were plenty more shades than Scott lists, even in the Classic specialized. But yea the 2s6p has to be a B/W printing, but the shade will be the determiner for the SG #.


Mark,
For colors/shades of GB stamps (& commonwealth too) you really need to get one of the SG color guides. They're kind of expensive, but likely well worth it for specializing in GB stamps. The Eddies are far worse about color shades too, there's a huge # of color differences for them. It's like they had to mix a different ink for every printing they did or something.

Here's a nice site for detailed images/listings of early GB & pre-1940 US;
http://theswedishtiger.com

I gave up on trying to separate/list the colors since aside from not having an SG cat. myself, most people don't care much. Having 1 of a given major variety is good for most folks (even Kim doesn't want to deal with the Eddies' colors mess )


Also know that most of us here have Scott catalogs as our default, & the values there are way lower than SG values. A sort-of rule is that the # will be the same, just in USD insead of GBP (ie. a stamp valued at £55 in SG will likely be about $50-$60 in Scott). That being said, the '07 Scott value for the 2s6p is $75. If the 5s stamp is the same printing, it's $125.

[boppolis]

Nigel & Michael both have new/current SG catalogs, maybe they'll pop in here.

[willis8732]

Well in my 2004 catalogue it is £65 for the 2s6 and it is £110 for the 5 shilling seahorse.
But what I dont understand is why do people sell these so cheaply when the cat value is more than 4 times of most selling prices?
What I did also the other day is invested £60 into a load of stamps don't know whether I was ripped off but it will be an excellent add to my collection (for a beginner) I was hoping everyone could teach me about them. Ebay item 270342259209 have a look for yourselves

[khj]

SG actually sells stamps. Although they will never admit it in print, it's to their benefit to drive their catalog prices as high as their customer base and potential customers will accept.

I only use SG GB catalog because it has a much better coverage than Scott. As far as prices, I pretty much disregard the absolute values, but the relative values are useful for me.

The reality is, that these stamps in sound used condition can be had for significantly less. I would definitely say that sound used stamps (even well-centered) selling at near SG prices are not a common occurrence, unless there is an exceptional/special cancel. Sound mint stamps tend to get much closer than used stamps to the catalog prices. Our British friends might have a different take on all this, but that's my opinion based on my observations on this side of the pond.

[fromdownunder]

Well in my 2004 catalogue it is £65 for the 2s6 and it is £110 for the 5 shilling seahorse.
But what I dont understand is why do people sell these so cheaply when the cat value is more than 4 times of most selling prices?

SG overprice pretty much everything, but more particularly Great Britain stamps, and stamps they are well stocked in. As khj said, the SG catalogues are actually their retail price list. For more common GB singles in VFU condition, never pay more than 25%-40% Gibbons. For average/good used or very slightly damaged early GB, between 5%-10% catalogue is about the 'norm', and actually the abslute maximum you should pay.

For bulk lots and old collections of early GB material in indifferent condition, about 1%-3% catalogue should be the target.

Here is an example I sold recently:



I sold the above stamp (Plate 9) off-centre, badly damaged, cut into and with short perfs, in og mint heavily multiple hinged condition for $A50.00 and was happy to get it. The catalogue value for this stamp in fine MLH condition is around $A10,000 at current exchange rates. Don't go by SG catalogue value in a vacuum ever, especially for Great Britain. Look around and see what the sort of material you are looking for is going for elsewhere, and judge by the market, not some unatainable catalogue value.

CONDITION IS EVERYTHING.

Norm

[willis8732]

Well what I am trying to do norm is but a full album for my boy I want to do all the work for him and get plate numbers etc etc (in time I will invest in a good album),so that in 20 yrs its worth a bit more than what I paid.
I have about 3 pages like the one below so far, and I am building a mint commemorative album too for him.
Everyone is helping quite alot here I am not wasting their knowledge I am really working hard on this.My girlfriend is doing his scrapbook and I am investing in him, I have alot of stamps to work on and way tooo much to learn,it feels to me like a crash course with stampwants lol.

I so far have 2 filled pages like the one below,but i want a page filled with each stamp (hopefully be worth a mint for him)

Have a look

[fromdownunder]

Well what I am trying to do norm is but a full album for my boy I want to do all the work for him and get plate numbers etc etc (in time I will invest in a good album),so that in 20 yrs its worth a bit more than what I paid.

Which is exactly why I was suggesting the maximum prices you should be looking at when purchasing material. Most bottom feeding material will NOT increase in price over a twenty year period. For example, many USA 3 cent commemoratives still often trade wholesale at under face value and are used only for postage. Compare the purchasing power of 3 cents in the 11930's/1950's to now, and see how much money has been lost.

GB, Australia, New Zealand mint material from the 1970/90's period sells at around 50%-70% face if you can find a buyer, and is virtually all used as discount postage. Very modern material may get a return, as a lot of dealers have simply stopped buying new issuesl - little demand - and rely on other "investors" for future purchases. So any decent spike in collecting numbers will make 2000 onwards era stamps worth more than face value. There 'aint that many around. But that number will have to outnumber us "oldies" who are dying, and whose material will come onto the market in the near future.

I understansd that modern USA and Canada wholesales a bit higher (80-90%?) of face value - I will leave it to other members of this Board to comment on this.

German 1970/90 stamps, now demonetised since the Euro are, I understand, selling wholesale at around 20% - 40% of face, because they can no longer be used for postage, and these are no new collectors around to take up the excess. The secondary market for the stamps as collectables is simply not there. That is a loss (not countiing inflation) of 80%.

To take my favourite example, the first Australian Decimal series was selling at over $A250.00 during 1980/82. You can now buy as many sets as you want for $A25/$30 each!

Hong Kong went beserk for two years before the China handover, and people paid stupid prices for common stamps, many which might as well be used as tissue paper these days.

What I am trying to get through to you is that as far as future value there are no guarantees at all. It is a raffle. Cheap common material does NOT go up any more than the inflation rate, and for really cheap junk, even less. And, like it or not, the market for common to reasonable (say 10c per hundred to maybe $100 each) is still contracting, because there seems to be very few new collectors to take up the excess of material that is laying around.

I think I recall you saying at one point that you read that stamps are a good investment, and that you found this on the WEB somewhere. I recall Stanley Gibbons saying this about their "investment portfolios" which are now starting to look a little bit shaky. I suggest you google Afinsa, and see how their investment portfolios went, before the stamp scheme they were promoting went belly up.

Norm

[willis8732]

Thanks for that norm, you've just made up my mind I am going to sell everything i have and put the money in an ISA for my boy, I appreciate all your help, I am just going to list it as a box on ebay

[klange]

Thanks for that norm, you've just made up my mind I am going to sell everything i have and put the money in an ISA for my boy, I appreciate all your help, I am just going to list it as a box on ebay

A very wise decision indeed if you ever wanted them to count as an investment for your son's future. The value of the collection comes in the process of collecting itself. The VAST majority of stamps will not increase in value (or very much) and there's no way to tell which of the rare (and typically expensive) ones will increase with time. If you're looking for an investment, stamps are NOT the way to go. If you're looking for a hobby, stamps are the only way to go.

Kurt

[khj]

There are a couple of stamps in your scan that you should probably list separate. For example, the 5sh (appears a bit dirty) and the 2sh6p QV in the second row.

[fromdownunder]

There are a couple of stamps in your scan that you should probably list separate. For example, the 5sh (appears a bit dirty) and the 2sh6p QV in the second row.

I actually disagree with this. If the stamps are to be sold as a box lot, the slightly better material - the 5/- is badly stained, and also has damaged perfs. the 2/6d looks OK from the front, - is needed to encourage bids. The good helps sell the bad.

And with one or two better stamps included, this may encourage more bidding which may encourage the bunnies to chime in and overbid the box. Junk boxes sometimes get many times their retail value. And to be perfectly honest, if idiot ebay buyers overbid because of lack of knowledge, I really do not care. (No I am not a member of ebay)

Put the "better" (so to speak) items on their own, you may not get any worthwhile bids on the leftovers.

Norm

[willis8732]

Well if anyone wants a profit its on ebay 9and starts sunday around 19:30 ,beat that for a bargain,If you dont want to buy it,then enjoy watching it,I'm going to spend some time with the ole boy instead of putting my time into stamps, thankyou for teaching me so much it has been a pleasure.

Mark

[ronn12]

Strange you get help here then go back to fee bay Strange just my 2cents worth