What’s in a listing write up? – the price and the description.

 

Hello and welcome to Part IX of my series Caveat emptor.

 

Including all the interim articles I think this makes at least 12 articles.   This will be the last one. One reason is that all the articles and more are now compiled into a book format and the first printing of the book – one copy to do a final proof -  is in progress. The past few weeks have been very busy and one reason for a longer than I planned break between articles.

 

I look forward to receiving the hard copy of the book to see if it looks as OK in copy format as it does as a pdf.

 

Hopefully, it will not be too long before it is available both as an eBook and in hard copy.  Watch this space as they say.

 

Anyway, this final because  I think I have covered enough for the time being on this topic and associated topics. 

 

This new piece covers a few points, the first an experience that has happened to me and one I think worth a mention, and maybe I can pose the question up front, How you would deal with the situation?.  

 

This article will discuss listing price and description.  Now that may seem boring but I can assure you it might be very much to your advantage to understand the details that are presented in a listing of a stamp for sale and the correctness of the price..

 

Let’s take price first and let mee say I have done this.  I am no hero but there are ethics I firmly believe in and this is one of them.  A seller lists a stamp and the price is displayed at let’s say 25c. This surprises you – you know your stamps after all, let’s assume that.  On checking you see the stamp is listed in your catalogue at a rather expensive price. Yes the seller made a typo when listing.  It is obvious it should be $25.  What do you do?  I wrote to the seller and said hey I think you made a typo perhaps you want to fix it?   Lovely email reply and everyone is happy, especially the seller.

 

Now I could have just purchased the stamp. That would have been unethical in my view.  Everyone to their own.

 

However, you can find bargains when people who know little to nothing about stamps start selling them online. I know, you think I am unkind. Such is life. As I recently read, the internet makes it a free for all to sell stamps.   As we all know you don’t need any knowledge, at the least just a stamp and a phone with a camera and internet connection. No regulation, no knowledge required.

 

Any this is where it pays to know your stuff, so to speak. As a friend of mine keeps reminding me knowledge is power.

 

Let’s image one example.  You can insert any country / stamp you have knowledge of.  You collect Barbados. You see a stamp listed cheap; the 1927 issue of the tercentenary of the settlement of Barbados.   Mint never hinged.  Description is simple MNH, and the price.  Literally no other words or comment about quality although you can see some might be justified.  

 

Seller a newbie – You check that out. Seller underprices everything it seems from looking at other items. Somebody just moving stamps. Because you know your stamps you are wondering if this is actually the perf variety which is as you know is a difficult stamp to find.  you don’t need the regular perf issue but you take a gamble and buy this. It does look like tighter perfs on the top and bottom margins.

 

And how pleased are you when it arrives. It is the perf variety.

 

All hypothetical of course!   I was talking stamps with a colleague only the other day and they gave me this story idea.

 

Yes knowledge is power. I could quote many examples and even some from a another colleague who trawls auction sites looking for more expensive  flaws that have not been seen in the lots listed. Auctions with expensive material and plenty of quality images can be fertile grounds for such pickings, so to speak.

 

one  flaw – one of my favourites for  various reasons many readers will know – the right hand stamp has the broken undercarriage flaw.

     

 

I tell you all this as I have listed with the wrong price. It hurts when the stamp is bought but it does make you take the time to look carefully at the price you are listing and to make sure you have studied the stamp and written the correct description / catalogue reference.

 

So for the sellers reading this, even newbie sellers who want to be serious philatelic sellers, spend the time, check your typing and gain the knowledge about your stamps. For buyers. Buyer beware, your buying experience doesn’t always have to be a negative experience.

 

Michael  cddstamps.com

Hello,  just a short interlude between Caveat emptor articles - the next one is in the  drafting stage -.    Hope everyone is well and safe in these corona virus times.

and.... to let customers and potential customers know we are accumulating another order for the USA market.  When we get  enough orders to offset the cost  - or close to -  we absorb the rest of course - and then we courier to a USA dealer who mails locally for us.    Last order  in gets really fast delivery of course and  safe and secure. 

Have a look at our 38,000 listings   or search for the GB or British Commonwealth stamps you are looking for to fill a gap or  more in your collection.   ...... and  yes we are proud to say we now have over 20,000 positive feedbacks from out fantastic customer base.

Why not become a cddstamps customer    we do have some added loyalty attractions  which as a customer you will eventually. we hope,  learn about.

Stay safe and have a philatelic day      Michael     cddstamps.com

What is a Sale ?

Hello and welcome to Part VIII of my series Caveat emptor.  This article is about a “sale”, because I saw something that literally shocked me into thinking,  “can this seller really think I am going to believe what they are saying”?

 

What is a sale?  One definition, simply put, is this: “a period during which a retailer sells goods at reduced prices”.

 

Is that a working statement I can live with?  Hmmm, maybe not.  Surely a sale is an event where the price being asked of an item is one that is reduced from a previous price which was in fact a price that was a reasonable price, with a  profit mark up,  being asked for the item in question.

 

Yes I am pedantic but then let’s take an example.  If the first time I offer something to be bought, I say for sale at 60% off, am I being a bit mischievous?   Perhaps deceiving? Perhaps misrepresenting?    Here is a $100 stamp offered at $40,    supposedly a sale at 60% off.   Well it was never offered at $100 in the first place so how can a seller say I am giving a sale price?  Confuses me for sure!!!!!  Did the seller really have a 60% mark up and is now selling at  cost,  let’s say. Or as a loss leader because they had a 50% mark up?    These thoughts cross my mind. Do they yours?

 

And yet that is what you will find time and time again in the world of selling stamps on the internet by many sellers.  Buyer beware. 

 

Why do I say this?  Simple. Think it through.   Item to be sold.  Let’s say $10 so I list as $11.50 and price it with comment, 15% off.  Price is $10  hey ho! Yes I know mathematically 15% reduction from $11.50 is not $10 but the seller is adding 15% to the $10 item and reducing.  That is the give away maybe? That is what happens and what we are given to thinking. It is all click bait really, isn’t it!

 

Talking mark up?  What is the mark up on stamps?  Obviously there is no one answer – it depends on so many factors but let’s for argument sake say 25%.   Humour me!  A rule of thumb.  Ok maybe a bit generous rule of thumb.

 

If we see 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 80%,  yes I have seen that, 80% off -   you will find them no doubt – the 80% I know of is off the catalogue price: is that deceptive?  a catalogue price for Mint Never Hinged stamp for example and  the stamp for sale that is mint hinged being advertised at 80% off CV?    Buyer beware – you decide.   In general though, have the prices been inflated to be able to state such high % reductions?   and draw you into thinking you are getting a great deal so buy buy buy!!!!! ?  Buyer beware.

 

Ok another aspect to look out for. When you see these “teasers”,  let’s call them what they really are, is the packing and postage cost, usually called “shipping”,  reasonable.  

 

Yes reasonable can be subjective but again, humour me and think reasonable. You may just find these are out of proportion to what could reasonably be expected.   Sellers cannot consistently sell at a price that is way below cost. It does not make sense does it?  So check “shipping”.

 

I know there are many costs elements;  portal fees, payment handling fees,  packing, postage,  paper for invoices and printing, yes all the p’s. But sometimes, perhaps, after all it is your call, you can say that “shipping” is out of proportion. You will just know when and then you will know the cost of sale is being cross subsidized by the “shipping” cost.  Buyer beware.

 

Just one set of images you may enjoy and hopefully to demonstrate the points I am trying to convey.  I am not passing judgement, I am just showing you what you can find when you look to fill a gap in your collection.  It is, as I say, your choice as to what is right for you. SG 478c with a Stanley Gibbons catalogue value (2020) of £26 Very Fine Used of course, also  Scott 275 with a 2019 cat of $20.

 

 

Where I say “ reduce %”  that is the % reduction shown on the listing.  The first three stamps do not show an image of the reverse but the fourth stamp included an image of the reverse, which I have to acknowledge shows honesty, because there are two very nice deep creases in the stamp and a 1mm perf tear. I guess a 25c spacefiller at best but hey, buyer beware!  If this one is what you want in your collection then ok.

 

All shipping is for items purchased in the USA and shipped to a USA address. As for the shade / colour of the second stamp well it was never issued in this shade that is for sure!  Buyer beware!

 

I hope you keep reading and I welcome  “caveat emptor” topics to share. I have two more articles to write in this series unless I hear more that I have missed.

 

Michael  cddstamps.com  visit us   here