Hello,

Browsing an auction site today I saw the above stamp listed. It gave me the idea that it is about time I did another short piece on stamp quality. I would hope people have enough smarts to know the obviously good from bad but there are new people getting involved in this wonderful hobby so it doesn’t hurt to be repetitive on this topic and expand on the obvious.

The stamps above is listed as  ”  fresh color, cancelled, Fine-VF”    surely no one could possible think this was a correct description. As sellers we all make mistakes however hard we try not to. But fresh colour?  I do not think so.  And, it is certainly not Fine-VF (Very Fine) as the postal cancel is blurred, heavy and across the King’s face. And, one more, which you have seen I am sure, the bottom left short perf is really a missing corner in my view. If I was really being fussy I would also point out that the image is not well centered, the white margin at the top of the stamp is larger than the white margin at the bottom.  Centering is often considered an important factor when considering quality condition and price.

Two tips if you are not sure. First, assuming you have a Stanley Gibbons Catalogue, have a look at the front of it for the “Condition Guide” section. It really is very good. Usually there are two or three pages describing quality conditions with words and pictures.  Second, have a browse on the auction site, or another auction site, for the same stamp and compare. That is very easy to do and will most likely give you a good comparison.

I hope you found this useful especially if you are a new collector

Michael

www.cddstamps.com

Kung Hei Fat Choy – Happy Chinese New Year to all my readers.