Has anyone seen this sheet? Also, looking for best stamp albums for my collection
raycyca
Posts: 1,645 ✭✭✭
I found this sheet of 4 souvenir sheets intact. I have never seen one in over 50 years of collecting. Thanks in advance for any input. I am also looking for a stamp album(S) for my collection. I have a Scott Minuteman album which goes up to 1990. I have a few stamps on page 1 including # 1, half of page 2, several on page 3, half of 1869 series, many/ most of the rest going up to 1990. As far as columbians go, I have up to the $2 in unused( most MNH ), trans Mississippi to 10 cents mint, all pan American in mint, ALL the rest in mint, most in mnh, the farley’s Include all the imperforates including the gutter pairs/sheets, which my album doesn’t have. I also have almost all the Washington/Franklins in MNH, plus all the different fractional regular sets from 1/2 cent to $5 stamps in MNH. I also have the airmails up to the $1.30 zeppelins in MNH plus many more after that until the 70’s? I can’t seem to find something with everything included. I don’t care to go any further than I already have since I can probably get them for under face which would be over $1000 for just the 30 years, besides, who collects those? Again, any input would be appreciated. I would also take hand me downs, used, etc. as they will stay with me for a long time, unless someone steps up and can’t live without them. Take care. Ray
Comments
Presumably something Postmaster General Farley concocted.
No idea on rarity or value, but an interesting item for sure.
Beautiful stamps.
Thanks
Try making your own pages using a computer or by hand using india ink. Blank pages can probably be found at stamp supply outlets (if any are left). I used to make my own pages using india ink. If you are careful they can be made to look very good. Use pages with the small, lightly printed guidelines.
And a suggestion. Don’t write in your new album, or write underneath the stamp where it can’t be seen.
The bad handwriting ruins the whole presentation of the album. And frankly, who cares what you grade them?
The stamps on this sheet is https://us.v-cdn.net/6027503/uploads/editor/7h/jn4awnk0vf2t.jpeg are quite the collector's item.
More details about them:
https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/about-us-stamps-classic-period-1847-1893-american-bank-note-company-1879-1893/columbian
Last year there was a set going for some good monies on eBay.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/quarters/PCGS-2020-quarter-quest/album/247091
I'm real leery about the $3, $4, and $5 stamps. They don't look real.
I have read that some of the high value Columbians were still available at some post offices into the 1920's!
The color doesn't look right on those pan american inverts, otherwise those are super valuable, still a very good collection
I agree. The perforations are too perfect and the borders are too white. Most likely reproductions. You can tell the difference just by looking at the photo provided. Compare the perforations and border areas to the lower denomination stamps and the differences are obvious.
Now that I look into it more I see there is no pricing on the highest value stamps (including the inverts and cattle #292).
That assures me the person who owned the album or the appraiser knew the stamps weren't real.
The $3, $4, and $5 Columbians may be stamps from the 1992 Souvenir Sheet that were later used for postage. They are real stamps but not from the original issue.
The Trans-Mississippi Expo "Cattle in a Storm" stamp looks like it came from the 1998 Souvenir Sheet of that issue.
The invert Pan-American Expo stamps all appear to have come from the 2001 Souvenir Sheet of that issue.
Like the Columbians, they are real stamps but are not from the original issues.
I agree 100%. I did not mean to imply they were fake, rather not originals.
Actually not to purposefully disagree with 291fifth, but the $3, 4 and 5 Columbians I think are out and out repros, not even genuine USPS stamps that were made decades later. The weird perfs give them away at a glance (and thankful for that.) As such I'm thinking they aren't meant to deceive, but be space fillers. Not that some wouldn't attempt to deceive with them.
Love the White Ace pages (vintage packs are still available, and newly manufactured ones as well) -- but absolutely agree, writing in them kills the appeal. If one MUST make notes about the stamps (I do like to record purchase dates, prices, etc.) you should just insert your own blank page in between the White Ace pages and make notes in pencil as to what is what.
In general, stamp collecting as a super-popular pursuit isn't what it once was -- but I would argue it's just a bit different. As with another poster's (pab1969, I believe it was you) incredible good fortune to find a beautiful set of 3 nice used Zepps, plus other high face value stamps with solid values, there are still desirable stamps out there.
I kind of liken it to a collector whose pride and joy is endless bags of '40s and 50's circ wheaties (and assuming no '55 double dies) -- it will never be all that amazing in total value. But then that same collector with a really nice AU or gemmy BU S-VDB certainly has something of value for probably well past my lifetime. Both examples are wheat cents, but there are differences. ;-)
Which leads me to comment on pab1969's amazing find -- the only thing I would caution -- if they too have heirs who may look at a number of albums, and think "where on earth do I start -- all I've heard is stamps are worthless" -- make sure they know the difference between army-navy minty sets from the '30s (literally pennies even if perfect mint) and the desirable stuff (the zepps, etc.) It really may help to have one "these are NOT drek" album and all the rest have notes: "yes, none of this is worth much, so please, have fun with them!"
Oh and same deal with the Pan-American invert pictured -- the bizarre perfs (and thankful for them) clearly indicate it's a repro.
For the Cattle in a Storm stamp (one that I'll get one day) that too is a repro of a genuine stamp that had a registered cancel -- again with those oddball stubby perfs. Nice for a placeholder, but for sure not real.
Here's how the circa 1998 cattle in a storm stamp looks -- as 291fifth mentions, this is a real stamp, valid for postage, and a great sub in case you can't afford the real thing (I can't, not in gem, but will get a pretty used example at some point.)
This is good advice for all things collectable.
I have lots of historic letters, documents, signatures, etc., and I am starting to add little notes to the sleeves to indicate what makes them special. This may morph into suggestions/instructions about where/how to dispose of things. Some should go to ebay to the highest bidder, other stuff should go to a serious auction house, for example.
Some people take it a step further and sell off their own collection so as not to burden heirs with that, but then the collector has to suffer the loss of their collection.
Agreed! Even just a brief note to indicate date/value at the time, and assuming your loved ones can make out your writing. Something marked "I paid $500 for this" and "bought everything on this album page for 50 cents" can be really helpful, even as a starting point, so that nothing important accidentally gets discarded.
This is a great idea. I should highlight the valuable items in my stamp and postcard collection. My sons have already said they have no interest in the collections and "jokingly" told me that they are going to be buried with me when I die so that they don't have to deal with them. Unfortunately, I purchase many collections at estate sales, and I believe that the sellers either don't care or wouldn't even examine any notations made by the original owner.
I think this is not uncommon, unfortunately.
I am in the process of writing my trust documents and I am going to leave my collections to a close friend and let her dispose of them, because there is no one in my family I trust to handle things as I would want. She can then kick some funds back to my my heirs as she sees fit.
I hope it works out for you both! pab1969, despite your sons' gentle ribbing, I'm sure they would appreciate and value your input on what is "special" vs. not -- I can't imagine someone not wanting to know an item was $5000 vs. 5 cents, but as you say, some don't seem to care. JBK, your plan also sounds good, provided, your close friend outlives you. Hopefully not an issue you need to deal with, but it is possible, thinking of a collector with a special collection that the instructions were "deal only with dealer X" -- except unfortunately, dealer X then passed away unexpectedly. I guess all you can do is have a plan B or C.