[Hugh]

Hi Richard … I was very interested in your comments about the idea of the “perfect” stamp and the grading process. As I don’t collect US stamps some of the ideas you discussed, and acronyms you used, were new to me so, thanks to you, I did a little research this afternoon.

The notion of a perfect stamp, one with flawless centering, perforations, and gum,  seems to come mainly from the U.S. stamp trade, where numerical grading has become popular for certain high-value issues. The Professional Stamp Experts (PSE) system, introduced in the early 2000s, uses a 1–100 scale (with “100 Gem” being top grade) to rate centering, freshness, and condition.

The Philatelic Foundation (PF), on the other hand, and the American Philatelic Society (APS) primarily offer the more traditional expertization rather than grading. I see you’ve indicated that PF also does grading. Interesting. Their expertization certificates confirm authenticity and condition (whether a stamp is genuine, repaired, or regummed),

I’m told that grading is quite common in the U.S. for late-19th and early-20th century issues where small differences in centering can mean large price differences. However, outside that niche, where I and many other non-US collectors operate (especially in Canada and Europe), collectors usually rely on expertization certificates rather than numeric grading. It would seem that many philatelists are more interested in genuineness, postal use, and overall condition than in achieving a “perfect 100.” However, everyone collects their own way. There is no one right way 

The SMQ value mentioned in your post refers to the Stamp Market Quarterly price guide used by PSE. It lists market prices for graded stamps and can exceed Scott Catalogue values  but I understand that those prices mainly reflect a specialized market of high-grade collectors rather than the general hobby.

Your experience with regummed stamps was a good cautionary story. Sending items for grading orexpertization may be worthwhile when dealing with expensive material or suspected alterations, but the fees and shipping costs can outweigh the benefit for ordinary stamps.

For anyone else in the forum who may be new to the topic, a quick summary:

• PSE – grades and certifies mainly U.S. stamps (1–100 scale).
  
• PF – issues expert certificates confirming authenticity.
  
• APS – expertization only (no numeric grading).
  

I appreciated your post, I learned something which is always fun. Good luck with your poll.

Cheers, Hugh