Lot 7 - 1927 Yvert & Tellier Worldwide Catalogue

An attractive copy of the 1927 Yvert & Tellier World catalogue. Hardbound and 1215 pages to the end of Zululand and in English, with prices that appear to be in Francs and Centimes. Includes advertising sections at the front and back which provides an utterly fascinating glimpse of what the stamp market looked like in 1927. How about a page advertising a packet of 30,000 different worldwide stamps for 50,000 francs, when the Canada #3 listed for 45,000 francs?. But the real value lies in identifying stamps whose value increases have outpaced inflation and those that have not. For instance, a mint Canada #3 was listed at 45,000 francs which may not have outplaced inflation, despite cataloguing between $150,000-180,000 for VF today. On the other hand, a mint 50c Jubilee catalogued just 40 francs, and now lists for $500 in VF. 40 francs back then would have been about $8, so the stamp did appreciate in the 20 odd years between 1909 and 1927 when it listed in the 1909 Scott for just $1. A used Penny Black from Great Britain was 50 francs versus 20 cents in 1909, and is now easily worth 500 times that for a VF copy and sometimes more like 1000 times that amount. So, those two stamps have well outpaced inflation, despite not being particularly rare, while the rare Canada #3, while it has increased in price significantly has not necessarily performed better than 45,000 francs invested in 1851 would have. For this reason, I consider all older catalogues to be invaluable for conducting long-term research into market trends. The past is the best predictor of the future and if you want to identify those stamps worth acquiring for long term appreciation, having these reference sources handy is very helpful. Another interesting thing you will see are varieties that were more highly prized then as compared to today. For example "ivory heads" on Great Britain line engraved issues. These list in Gibbons now for only a very modest premium, whereas in this catalogue they list for between 3 and 10 times the price. Good conditon with no missing pages, though the pages are quite aged. Est. $35.

Please note that for bulky items we will be charging actual shipping cost, rather than the usual first class letter rate. We would be happy to supply estimates of what the shipping cost will be if you tell us which items you are planning to bid on. Usually, we bill the estimate and then either refund or re-bill the difference after we return from the post office. Generally Canada Post's rates are most expensive for parcels between 3 pounds and about 15 pounds. Once you go above 15 pounds up to the 70 pound maximum, the price levels off at between $50-$75 within Canada, whereas a parcel that weighs 3 pounds can be $25. So the more you buy the cheaper the shipping gets on a per item basis. So, if you need supplies this may be the time to stock up at bargain prices.