Eye Candy - a magnificent USA 1901 4c stamp graded "100".

psestamp · Post by **psestamp** » 29 Mar 2019 13:27

OK - I know this will blow all your minds about grading but this item was just certified.

The 1901 issue is a terribly centered issue with poor frameline definition. Usually finding a Very Fine stamp from this issue is near impossible but then this one pop'ed up.

So here is where all your heads explode - Ready?

The stamp Scott catalogs $185.00

The question people are asking is will it go at auction for $15,000 or $25,000.

And for those who think PSE is making a fortune here - the certification cost on this stamp was $30.00

ottawasteve · Post by **ottawasteve** » 29 Mar 2019 13:42

That is a gorgeous stamp, probably among the best available. But there must be thousands of the issue out there.

The rarest of the early Transvaal, Madagascar or Uganda issues are priced in the low five figures. This would buy an ultra-rare Mauritius post paiD earliest impression, used. Similar values would apply to Canada’s mint imperf pence issues, short of the black Queen.

Surely this is not in the same stratum!

steve

Global Administrator · Post by **Global Administrator** » 29 Mar 2019 14:14

We all like well centred stamps.

Me PERSONALLY, I loathe "hanging chad" corner perfs on ANY stamp, and believe they look TRULY ugly, and if it were mine, I'd have flicked the ends of those 2 off with the ends of my razor sharp "lethal tip" dealer tweezers. Single line perforated stamp issue, so no big deal.

If Scott for MUH on that is $US185 (I have no time to waste looking that up, but it is not a scarce stamp) I'd have priced this at $A150 retail if I owned it, after flicking off the ugly hanging chads, as it does indeed look nicely centred, colour looks deep and bright, even on the low grade cellphone shot, (why Caj did not also scan the STAMP mystifies me) and am assuming the gum is original and clean?

Like anything I sell, if anyone then wants to spend $A100 after 2 lots of Registered mail to and from the USA to have PSE tell them what numerical number of well centred they feel it is - their call entirely.

"Well Centred" works perfectly for 99.99999999999999% of my clients. However once they buy things, collectors can mail them where they choose. Free World.

Mailed off a set of 5 of these ''1886 Pastels'' today to a client, and this key value had a really ugly hanging chad corner which, now it is gone, makes this SO much more attractive. To me anyway. Too late to clue it back on if that improves the numerical grade which appears to be the new fad there stateside?

Sadly the bad centering on this will take it right down to "80" out of 100 or so I fear, and no American could possibly ever live with that low a grade. I was rather cheeky, and called it "NICELY centred". 8)

Point of useless trivia - there were near 6 MILLION printed of Caj's US$25,000 stamp. A rather common stamp even today. I could buy 500 x MUH tomorrow if I wanted them. Clearly 1000s are in collections globally, just as well centred - indeed most will not have ugly hanging chad corners.

There were 6,000 printed of the Victoria £9 “Pastel” Queen Victoria ‘Long Tom’. But due to this sub standard centering I sold it for $US230.

In 10 years time I ask myself whether I'd rather have 100 similar copies of the ugly poor centred Victoria, or the single 4c 1901 above - for the exact same money in 2019?

Could you buy 100 copies today if your Visa card would cope? Nope. Could you buy even TEN copies globally today? At ANY price? Nope. Interesting thought.

Glen

ViccyVFU · Post by **ViccyVFU** » 29 Mar 2019 14:44

Well, those perfs left and right don't look perfect to me. One micro nibble, and you are right back down at Scott prices again, for what is a relatively common stamp, albeit uncommon centring.

Here's a PAIR currently on eBay

So if you need $15,000, auction it in Taiwan (Taiwan New $)
or for $25,000 try Jamaica.

Hope this helps

Global Administrator · Post by **Global Administrator** » 29 Mar 2019 15:03

I remember this other PSE Graded "100" stamp that actually had ugly perfs in MY view.

It sold for 6000 times full Scott catalogue - or over $US1,200.

I'd have flicked that ugly hanging chad perf top right as well. Well it is an exceedingly common 5c retail stamp to me, so I'd not have wasted that time. However, sadly I am out of step with American trends, as ugly to me seems not universally agreed with? I'll cope with that scary reality the best I can.

Allanswood · Post by **Allanswood** » 29 Mar 2019 15:14

I must be missing something? It's not perfectly centered and yet it gets a 100J?

swankyspoon · Post by **swankyspoon** » 29 Mar 2019 15:20

Jeeze Louise. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but that $185 catalog value is for a VF centered stamp (i.e. a stamp many (including me) would find attractively centered), no? And because it's Cat, I could buy a VF copy from a reputable dealer for a discount on that cat?

I'm not trying to be dismissive. This is just something new for me, and I am getting used to these astronomically higher prices for perfect centering.

32_seeker · Post by **32_seeker** » 29 Mar 2019 15:55

That stamp gives me pause with a few deep and flat-bottomed perf holes at right and at foot, but to be fair I am looking at a scan rather than examining in person. Also the left and right perfs seem off by a small bit, maybe 0.2 difference. Easy to say, I know, hmm.

Battyrat · Post by **Battyrat** » 29 Mar 2019 17:06

I often can find off centred stamps attractive especially if it was the norm for the period and issue. Perhaps I am just an oddity.

It's really difficult to get excited over a few fractions of a millimetre.

GUTTERS · Post by **GUTTERS** » 29 Mar 2019 17:52

Opening bid $2 Aussie dollars

Rod Perry · Post by **Rod Perry** » 29 Mar 2019 18:35

I'd expect an Inverted centre (sorry, center) for that price.

Rod

thecloudwatcher · Post by **thecloudwatcher** » 29 Mar 2019 19:48

A lovely stamp of superb appearance, and clearly a premium example which would be a joy to own, but even if I was a mega-millions lottery winner I very much doubt I'd be able to bring myself to bid $15,000 for it. But if the market in the US can support that sort of price, then good luck to the seller !

figmente · Post by **figmente** » 30 Mar 2019 11:31

The centering is far from perfect - the vignette is a little high and more noticeably shifted right.

ViccyVFU · Post by **ViccyVFU** » 30 Mar 2019 11:38

psestamp wrote:The question people are asking is will it go at auction for $15,000 or $25,000.

The question people are asking here is "who are these people that are asking"?

If you are saving people from buying forgeries, just to spend their money on overpriced common stamps like this, then you are no better than Westminster Collectables in the UK. (A well known purveyor of "well presented crud").

fromdownunder · Post by **fromdownunder** » 30 Mar 2019 12:10

ViccyVFU wrote:
psestamp wrote:The question people are asking is will it go at auction for $15,000 or $25,000.
The question people are asking here is "who are these people that are asking"?

Those people would be the ones who don't know what a well centred stamp is and have to be told the answer by a third party*. The sort of people who work on the basis of spending the most money possible on any object of desire.

People who buy $10,000 handbags "because I can".

Norm

*Yes, it is a nice stamp, Glen's comments on perfs notwithstanding. I don't need PSE to tell me that. And I agree with the comment about the centre not being as well aligned as some of the other stamps I viewed when researching the stamp for this thread.

Ceres · Post by **Ceres** » 30 Mar 2019 12:43

Hi,

You got to be kidding!!!!

Even though it is a nice stamp, I'm sure you can find others with a good center.

It might take sometimes before finding it, but isn't it what collecting is all about?

I collect French and French colonies, and a good centered stamp would attract maybe 50% to 70% premium on the value of an average centered one.

Even in case of an auction, never would it go to this stratospheric price, unless we are talking of a rare issue, or two idiots with more money than brain, bidding on it...

Well it is the US market after all, and anything goes over there, even common sense in my opinion.

Cheers

Rod Perry · Post by **Rod Perry** » 30 Mar 2019 19:04

Obsessive philatelic fads generally end in tears.

When I started in commercial philately, in early 1960s, United Nations, Vatican, and Israel were all the rage.

I don't recall that ending well?

Most flavour-of-the-month fads in the interim, one of the more recent, the Afinsa Europa issues bubble, similarly ended poorly.

One wonders how long will it take the graded stamps market to implode?

Rod

Morgan · Post by **Morgan** » 30 Mar 2019 21:26

Years ago, if you wanted to buy this stamp, you would go into a brick and mortar and the dealer would open his stockbook. There would be a dozen or so of these in it. He would lay out a few and price them by perfs and centering. You would assume that all had been hinged.

The stamp shown here would probably price at about 75% of catalog.

If the stamp was grossly out of center it would go for a very low percent of catalog. I am now seeing those same uncentered stamps being sold as "errors" and a surcharge is added to the sale price.

What happened? I'm just trying to keep up.

Morgan

Global Administrator · Post by **Global Administrator** » 30 Mar 2019 22:36

Allanswood wrote:I must be missing something? It's not perfectly centered and yet it gets a 100J?

figmente wrote:The centering is far from perfect - the vignette is a little high and more noticeably shifted right.

What arrant Blasphemy. Our American cousins, after 8 tokes of legal Merrygeewarna, and using their WalMart © ® EEEEEZZZYGRAYDER © ® have HAVE DECREED IT IS *** 100 *** - utter total perfection, by definition, absolutely impossible to improve upon - the finest on the planet - value $US25,000 in the Land Of Green Cheese.

I mailed out a lovely example today for $150!

Battyrat · Post by **Battyrat** » 31 Mar 2019 03:32

Threads like this really get me thinking. I collect GB penny reds. I have many well centred examples and many more which would not even get a grade if measured to the millimetre.

In many cases the interesting constant variety's and marks useful in plating the stamps are in the margin. You would not see many of these variety's if the stamps were perfectly centred. Many collectors spend a life time trying to find examples of certain stamps being off centre in as many directions as possible. Many like myself would pay a premium for them as well if they show a certain variety or flaw which is key in helping to plate them. Even though perfectly centred stamps are nice (Eye candy) academically I prefer off centred examples.

I guess this is one example of why something being 100% dead centre is not always good.

Allanswood · Post by **Allanswood** » 31 Mar 2019 08:56

It's not 100% dead center.

ViccyVFU · Post by **ViccyVFU** » 31 Mar 2019 09:29

Morgan wrote:What happened? I'm just trying to keep up.

As bricks and mortar dropped out, so did the local dealers, then local integrity in "someone you could trust".

Criminality filled this void, and moved in at both ends of the market.

Low End - Simple forgeries of high end stamps, using tools now more widely available.

High End - Self accredited "Experts" talking up common issues / low end stamps, and fleecing the unwary.

Both claim they make no money at it, and claim their service "reduces chance of your loss at the hand of the other shysters" (whom they openly and publicly despise).

It helps if you accuse everyone else of being a criminal, and claiming expertise you don't have (which is patently obvious to dealers and advanced collectors, who steer clear of both).

PSE = Pretty Silly Evaluations

Does that explain it?

Rod Perry · Post by **Rod Perry** » 31 Mar 2019 19:08

psestamp wrote:OK - I know this will blow all your minds about grading but this item was just certified.

The 1901 issue is a terribly centered issue with poor frameline definition. Usually finding a Very Fine stamp from this issue is near impossible but then this one pop'ed up.

So here is where all your heads explode - Ready?

The stamp Scott catalogs $185.00

The question people are asking is will it go at auction for $15,000 or $25,000.

And for those who think PSE is making a fortune here - the certification cost on this stamp was $30.00

Above: Sterile Philately

Below : Philately as Art (for a tiny fraction of the price of sterile)

There go I.

Rod

norvic · Post by **norvic** » 31 Mar 2019 19:56

Rod Perry wrote:
psestamp wrote:

Above: Sterile Philately

Below : Philately as Art (for a tiny fraction of the price of sterile)

There go I.

Rod

Sorry Rod, you're wrong.

Above, Sterile Stamp Collecting.
Below, Philately - as art or otherwise.

ViccyVFU · Post by **ViccyVFU** » 02 Apr 2019 10:16

Rod Perry wrote:
psestamp wrote: The stamp Scott catalogs $185.00

The question people are asking is will it go at auction for $15,000 or $25,000.

Above: Sterile Philately

Not really.

"Buy our certificate for $25,000 and we'll throw in a $185.00 value stamp absolutely free"!!

The only rare thing in the picture is the PSE cert for 100J, which is currently unique for this stamp, but could sit alongside 99 others in less than a month.

This isn't "Sterile Philately", its more like "The Emperors New Clothes".

psestamp · Post by **psestamp** » 04 Apr 2019 15:11

Ceres wrote:Hi,

You got to be kidding!!!!

Even though it is a nice stamp, I'm sure you can find others with a good center.

You might.

You have a better chance of winning the lottery though.

figmente wrote:The centering is far from perfect - the vignette is a little high and more noticeably shifted right.

The Vignette has shading which is lighter to the front then the back which may make it look "off" but it is centered
If you see off-centering in the margins it is from distortion from the camera picture. To get a 100 it has to be spot on perfect.
To get a J the margins must be 20% larger than average.

Global Administrator · Post by **Global Administrator** » 04 Apr 2019 15:34

psestamp wrote:

Caj .. well at least we KNOW what you are drinking up there.

So this off centred stamp with the weird pointed corners PSE never bothers about, is another "GRAYD 100 - NEVA BETTA" ??

Allanswood · Post by **Allanswood** » 04 Apr 2019 15:43

Caj - yet another fake stamp and you can't even spell then name of the animal properly.

It's like philatelic junk male, unless you explain the reasons behind them.

norvic · Post by **norvic** » 04 Apr 2019 18:38

If you see off-centering in the margins it is from distortion from the camera picture.

That's why most of us use scanners instead of posting poor-quality photos from their phone.

Parisboy · Post by **Parisboy** » 04 Apr 2019 20:58

Correct me if I am wrong (and I know nothing much about Scott albums), but the reason Gibbon's catalogue pricing is rarely seen in the real world is because they price the very best condition stamps generally available. They do sometimes add a premium for something exceptional (usually a percentage) but never anything like the ridiculous price PSE thinks that this is worth.

A fool and his money etc...

Chris.

ViccyVFU · Post by **ViccyVFU** » 04 Apr 2019 21:03

Well, that's confused me ...

psestamp wrote:
Ceres wrote:I'm sure you can find others with a good center.
You have a better chance of winning the lottery though.

Really? To win the lottery, in the sense of first prize, you'd need to buy every combo possible. Is it your considered opinion that there are no other 100J's out there? .... or could a dedicated search turn up another?

The lottery is random, but the machines that produced these stamps are precision, so the rest of the sheet might have been perfectly centred, or the next sheet, or the next 1,000 stamps in position B1 (for example).

Nobody knows how many winning tickets there might be, just that the PSE has only created "one to date".

psestamp wrote:
figmente wrote:The centering is far from perfect - the vignette is a little high and more noticeably shifted right.
The Vignette has shading which is lighter to the front then the back which may make it look "off" but it is centered

Well, I don't doubt your machine can tell you to the nearest angstrom where the first fleck of ink appears, but if a collector is telling me "it looks squiffy", then your machine really isn't helping at all in the proposed sale.

psestamp wrote:If you see off-centering in the margins it is from distortion from the camera picture.

So you title a thread "See the finest copy extant", and then take a distorted picture of it? I think the PSE need better representation.

psestamp wrote:To get a 100 it has to be spot on perfect.
To get a J the margins must be 20% larger than average.

Are you claiming that the perforator is dynamically resizing between rows?
I thought the 20% bigger margins referred to the imperfs stealing from adjacent stamps, not a perforator "getting it wrong"?

I do, however, agree that the Civet is the perfect analogy to explain what the PSE part "adds to the process", though!
..... Take something ordinary, add "a little something" (PSE Cert, in this case, but the words are interchangeable), and call it extraordinarily valuable.

"For well centred, add 125%" is SG's guide, but we all known that exceptional specimens (exhibition level) can be ten times catalogue....... But 100 times? That's just mega fleecing of the ignorant.

psestamp · Post by **psestamp** » 06 Apr 2019 17:58

Ok - addressing price.....

Are you saying the percentage of catalog is too high or is the price too high?

There are lots of stamps worth $15,000 to $25,000
There are many varieties of stamps which have very high percentage increases over the "normal" stamp.

As for criticizing the Civit Coffee stamp ...... I have too much fun with stamp collecting to even
slightly pay attention to your postings here. I just see you as pathetic.

ViccyVFU · Post by **ViccyVFU** » 06 Apr 2019 18:21

psestamp wrote:There are lots of stamps worth $15,000 to $25,000
There are many varieties of stamps which have very high percentage increases over the "normal" stamp.

Yes there are ... varieties for sure
(if it was an inverted centre - well worth your attention and grading / expertisation).
But bog standard common ones, albeit machine graded as perfection?

psestamp wrote:As for criticizing the Civit Coffee stamp ...... I have too much fun with stamp collecting to even slightly pay attention to your postings here. I just see you as pathetic.

Well, maybe.
But rather than "We kill fakes", you actually promote them.
So I see you as "Phoney Stamp Enrichment".
.... Emporers new clothes - indeed.

Its difficult to see why you work in the stamp industry when you refer to them as "just worthless little bits of paper".

Lakatoi 4 · Post by **Lakatoi 4** » 06 Apr 2019 18:33

psestamp wrote:Ok - addressing price.....

Are you saying the percentage of catalog is too high or is the price too high?

There are lots of stamps worth $15,000 to $25,000
There are many varieties of stamps which have very high percentage increases over the "normal" stamp.

As for criticizing the Civit Coffee stamp ...... I have too much fun with stamp collecting to even
slightly pay attention to your postings here. I just see you as pathetic.

So, is the centering of the Civit coffee and the Forever stamps not part of the grading

Both are scans so no photo distortions to blame, yet the centring is abysmal.

Also do we assume that the corner perfs. being all identical are a major factor? If so, do they outweight the poor centring

Just trying to identify the things that create the huge disparity between high and low grading points.

Global Administrator · Post by **Global Administrator** » 06 Apr 2019 19:04

Allanswood wrote:Caj - yet another fake stamp and you can't even spell then name of the animal properly.

We should not be too harsh. He is American. They mangle and mutilate the English language on a daily basis, as they yearn so hard to be "different".

They use center, gray, catalog, color, liter, meter, jewelry etc, etc.

They even call their leader Prezident TRAMP.

norvic · Post by **norvic** » 07 Apr 2019 05:11

I have too much fun with stamp collecting to even
slightly pay attention to your postings here. I just see you as pathetic

.

The only reason to read yours is for a good laugh!

32_seeker · Post by **32_seeker** » 07 Apr 2019 19:28

The "civit" (sic) coffee analogy is priceless irony, am still laughing, well deserving of a post of the year consideration.

The market provides the stamp, and the PSE provides the processing and a special piece of paper at the end. Pardon the pun.

I don't find this niche "trophy stamp" market aesthetically appealing, but to each their own.

ViccyVFU · Post by **ViccyVFU** » 07 Apr 2019 20:37

Ubobo.R.O. wrote:Can I have a top left hand corner block of four of the Civit stamp please? With zip code man in the margin.

Sure, it should only take five minutes in Photoshop to create.

Unfortunately, PSE cannot do that for you, as they'd need to change their strapline to "We Make Fakes".
(Though curiously, not their business model, which would remain intact).

Are you after a 20 cent "run of the mill" block of 4 variety, or a $100,000 "never seen better - 100J rated" variety?

Whilst I can accept the OP first exhibit is "a very nice copy", a lot of people here have found fault with it, that implies it is probably not "the finest extant".

.... It set me thinking .... anyone here got a really nice copy to show?
Cover, used, mint - doesn't matter - we just like looking at nice stamps (not dumbass photoshops).

psestamp · Post by **psestamp** » 08 Apr 2019 05:05

Global Administrator wrote:
Allanswood wrote:Caj - yet another fake stamp and you can't even spell then name of the animal properly.
We should not be too harsh. He is American. :

I wish (truly do) that I was Australian - known for Criminals and killing their Coral reefs.
But on the plus side Australia does.... Um..... Well they did.... Um... Snakes in Toilets?

norvic wrote:
I have too much fun with stamp collecting to even
slightly pay attention to your postings here. I just see you as pathetic
.

The only reason to read yours is for a good laugh!

Thank you.

GUTTERS · Post by **GUTTERS** » 08 Apr 2019 08:23

To all if you do not reply to this pathetic nonsense it will eventually go away.

psestamp · Post by **psestamp** » 08 Apr 2019 11:52

GUTTERS wrote:To all if you do not reply to this pathetic nonsense it will eventually go away.

Disagree...

There are people who want to tell you what and how to collect. Actually they want to tell you how to do everything.
It is a function of the internet to generate people who have little or no power in their life to generate "power" here.

HOWEVER, many have fair questions about grading: how it works and why the high prices exists.
I do hope that this discussion does not end.....

I do agree that some of the people are just trolling and such is to be expected.

fromdownunder · Post by **fromdownunder** » 08 Apr 2019 12:18

Yes, grading could be interesting to discuss. What a shame we don't have an expert here to do it. Or an expert who is willing to discuss it in a serious manner, rather than just add stupid photoshop thingies to the end of every post.

Norm

Global Administrator · Post by **Global Administrator** » 08 Apr 2019 12:51

psestamp wrote: I do agree that some of the people are just trolling and such is to be expected.

Agree 100%.

Charles Ponzi had the same sort of complaint decades back. BEFORE he went to prison for 12 years for orchestrated FRAUD.

Caj .... any reports on how the Brainless American Dope who spent near $A10,000 in today's money on this $10 stamp, if it were in my stock, (then and now) which had ugly corners, is feeling today?

That cretin paid near THREE HUNDRED TIMES full Scott catalogue value.

https://www.glenstephens.com/snjune09.html

TEN years back Charles Ponzi and that idiot were linked in one of my columns - every word there has come true -

And let this be a history lesson to all Barnum and Bailey hucksters -

Charles Ponzi died penniless in a charity hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 18, 1949.

At the time I used this block as an example. A superb centred, fresh MUH original gum Block of 6 £1 Roos with Certificate both being in ABC setting vertical strips 3. That I had just sold for a LOT less than the 6c Columbus got. About HALF that figure in fact.

The rest of us do not need a number grade piece of paper to tell us this is superbly centred. AND has nice corners.

My exact words from 10 years back were -

In 5 years time if you handed me 2 Hagners - one with that Roo block of 6, and one with FIVE x 6¢ used Columbians, all beautifully centred, and asked me which I've prefer to have, the answer is simple. The Roos every time.

Indeed using the SAME sale, you could have bought about FIVE of the lovely VFU $3 Columbus shown above, for around the same money as the single 6¢ got. Quite crazy.

aethelwulf · Post by **aethelwulf** » 08 Apr 2019 15:20

ViccyVFU wrote:
psestamp wrote:If you see off-centering in the margins it is from distortion from the camera picture.

So you title a thread "See the finest copy extant", and then take a distorted picture of it? I think the PSE need better representation.

A scan of the actual stamp has never been posted; this whole thread is all deriving from one camera photo of the certificate.

I don't see what the point of the civet cat and Rocky cinderella fakes even is.

This thread provides a lot of entertaining reading; on the one hand there is the intelligent observations from serious collectors and dealers; on the other hand there are the posts from PSE...

psestamp · Post by **psestamp** » 08 Apr 2019 16:51

Well, what can I say....

I enjoy stamp collecting and have fun with it with stamp stories and parodies (including the Civit Coffe -
I made that stamp because I actually had it - I hate coffee and Civit Coffee did not change my opinion.....
but I made the stamp because that is how I memorialize stuff I do).

As for PSE - under the current ownership of PSE, it has become the largest expertizing company in the world
and that is somthing that I am very proud of.

The joy that I get from stamp collecting has truly changed my life.... I love it and I love stamps and stamp stories.

You can insult or criticize but..... I love this stuff.

And yes I know - I am

Lakatoi 4 · Post by **Lakatoi 4** » 08 Apr 2019 20:55

Lakatoi 4 wrote:
psestamp wrote:Ok - addressing price.....

Are you saying the percentage of catalog is too high or is the price too high?

There are lots of stamps worth $15,000 to $25,000
There are many varieties of stamps which have very high percentage increases over the "normal" stamp.

As for criticizing the Civit Coffee stamp ...... I have too much fun with stamp collecting to even
slightly pay attention to your postings here. I just see you as pathetic.

So, is the centering of the Civit coffee and the Forever stamps not part of the grading

Both are scans so no photo distortions to blame, yet the centring is abysmal.

Also do we assume that the corner perfs. being all identical are a major factor? If so, do they outweight the poor centring

Just trying to identify the things that create the huge disparity between high and low grading points.

I asked a couple of legitimate questions regarding grading, haven't seen any answers to these yet

warm · Post by **warm** » 08 Apr 2019 23:13

With all the recent discussions on another thread about the 'RARE' Machin with a missing value from the corner Surely rarity would overcome the small corner blemish … and get a high grade.

Went back looking for the pic I think posted on 01/04/19 - no luck

I wonder what sort of a grading that would get?

fromdownunder · Post by **fromdownunder** » 09 Apr 2019 01:05

warm wrote: Went back looking for the pic I think posted on 01/04/19 - no luck

I wonder what sort of a grading that would get?

This one?

Norm

Global Administrator · Post by **Global Administrator** » 09 Apr 2019 01:17

I listed up this 10/- Small Multi tonight, and very sadly it has no numerical grading.

All I could do was describe it lamely as ''superb perfs and centering and colour and gum.'' The same way premium stamps have been sold for 150 years. Not near as cool as GRAYDEAD 97.563693498282 I realise.

It does not have pointy corners or missing and fluffy perfs, so would NOT do well using the WalMart GRAYDOUGHMEETAH, and grading with that ugly margin at left would blow its circuit board anyway!

32_seeker · Post by **32_seeker** » 09 Apr 2019 06:45

I don't mind a for-profit business using a chatboard to market their grading services and crowing about receiving exceptional material.

But its CEO writes, and I quote:

"There are people who want to tell you what and how to collect. Actually they want to tell you how to do everything. It is a function of the internet to generate people who have little or no power in their life to generate "power" here."

Sounds like hypocrisy to me, as that is precisely what the OP is trying to tell you trolls.

<< Here is the PSE standard and this is what and how you should collect. Here are the big $US to prove our grading model is best. >>

The trouble with standards is, once you establish one, you're stuck with it. It has some niche success today in the US but time will tell if the world accepts it; tastes do evolve. Clearly it was conceived without much input from WW collectors.

I'm pleased to see the many knowledgeable here questioning the original post, and poking fun at his attempts to defend it.