Collectors buying with Confidence - Reverse Scans

This is my first topic in this series -   “Should you see the reverse of a stamp you are thinking of buying”?

Well it depends, on many factors.   Do you know the seller, is the seller a respected  stamp dealer with a good reputation, have you bought from this seller before and do you feel confident buying from them again,  what value does the stamp have, to you or as judged by a catalog listing,  how difficult is it to get  such a stamp, what is the condition you can see from the scanned image of the front of the stamp and what does the description text say, do you  know the seller to believe their description…….  And so it  goes on. There are many more questions we could ask ourselves.  Round and round in circles asking yourself questions. In the end, do you ever make the decision to buy?  

I wanted a particular set for my aircraft on stamps collection. There were a few available to me. I did not know any of the sellers.  The prices seemed ok. In fact I bought a nice set at a higher price than I could have paid and I think it paid off. BUT I did ask for reverse scans, as none were shown in the listings. The stamps were catalogued over USD $20 so I felt justified in asking for a reverse scan. 

One listing I saw had the description “Mint Hinged Very Fine Condition”.   Now if you do not really understand  exactly what Very Fine means  you can read various catalogs.   I thought I knew but all the same I asked the seller for a scan of the reverse of the stamps.  This is what I got.  Is this Very Fine?

 Clearly toning of some sort on the second stamp, and the start of toning on the third.  I did not buy from this seller. Accident, unintentional oversight, lack of knowledge, probably at least two of the three.  

 

So Yes, ask for a scan of the reverse of a stamp. If the stamp is a 25c stamp you want and it has no scan,   ok perhaps not worth asking, and if it comes to with toning like this well you lucked out I guess. But a stamp or stamps with some collectability  - I like that word -   then get a reverse scan, unless you really know the seller / dealer and are confident they would never list such a  stamp as Very Fine when it is / they are far from it.

 

Tomorrow - Should I ask for a scan of the stamp I will get when there is  Quantity  8,  or some number, listed?

 

Michael  cddstamps.com …. Please visit my online store https://www.hipstamp.com/store/cddstamps    where I think you will see quality and appropriately described stamps.