
Pitfalls of Collecting the 1908 Quebec Tercentenaries
One topic I can cover very quickly are the pitfalls and the immense impact that condition has on price.
Impact of Condition on Price
This issue, probably more than most of the Canadian stamp issues during this time is very sensitive to price. Why this is the case is somewhat of a mystery, when all stamps from this period are very scarce in superlative grades. However, the fact remains that stamps of this issue in average condition are worth relatively little compared with those in very high condition grades. Take for example the half cent value, which catalogues $15 for a very fine mint example and $5 for fine mint. There is a 200% premium in the catalogue for NH stamps in very fine condition and a note that extremely fine examples are worth much more than VF.
For example in my store I have:
- A superb 96 lightly hinged example priced at $60 - 4 times the very fine price. It is perfect as far as the eye can tell, but with a light hinge mark.
- A very fine 84 NH example I have priced for $45 - full catalogue. Again, it looks perfect to the naked eye, but measurement of the margins under a calibrated magnifier reveals that the margins are not exactly equal.
- A very fine 80 lightly hinged example I have priced for $12.
- A very fine 75 hinged example I have priced for $9.
- A fine 70 hinged example I have priced for $4.
- Re-perforating to create perfectly centered stamps.
- Re-gumming and re-distribution of gum.
- Application of fake or posthumous corner cancels to mint no gum stamps to create equally valuable superb used copies.
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