eBay can yield good prices for your offerings if you can build confidence and trust in the minds of potential buyers. A good feedback record certainly helps this process and, until you have built one, you may...
I notice a lot of fake and forged 1902-03 regular issue material frequently being offered at online auction.If you learn a few things to watch for you can avoid a costly mistake! The most common item I notice...
Every once in a while I notice a trimmed Scott #24 being offered as a #7 or #9. A Scott #24 (1857 1c Franklin) with it’s perforations trimmed off is worthless and only considered a space filler. Even if you...
In 1870 the US Post Office issued a radically different set of stamps from the previous issues of 1869. The reason for the change was primarily political as a new Postmaster General had been appointed. The...
The 1851-61 3 cent issue confuses a lot of new collectors. I hope that I can shed a little more light on the subject. Scott #10 was printed between July and October of 1851.The ink used to print # 10 had a...
Why eBay is a good place to buy higher value US Stamps?From a seller's standpoint, eBay is not the place to obtain the highest sale price for valuable material. Traditional auctions will usually result in a...
The United States issues of 1861-1868 are a fascinating and widely studied area of philately. All too often I see the 1861 3c rose (Scott #65) being offered as the 3c pink (#64) or the 3c rose pink (#64b)! The...
The reason for expert certification is simple; it is to have an independent third party confirm and insure that the stamps you buy are genuine and "as described". Expert committees indentify stamps and...
The new third party stamp graded certificates have really caught on in the last couple of years and added a new dimension to the hobby! All too often I notice a lot of stamps offered in a higher grade than...
The 10c issue was first issued in 1855. Many call this issue the “California Stamp” as it was mostly used on postage to and from California. This issue was mostly used to pay the domestic rate of ten cent for...