[RICHARD]

Mail is being delivered again I waited a long time to have my Scott 231 cover delivered in this cover. All Though modern it has a mathematical perfect used stamp on it. Its a 2016 stamp so I don't even know the number. The one on the right. Do I destroy a nice Fancy cancel remove the stamp and send for grading to PSE?

[Janet MacD]

Mail is being delivered again I waited a long time to have my Scott 231 cover delivered in this cover. All Though modern it has a mathematical perfect used stamp on it. Its a 2016 stamp so I don't even know the number. The one on the right. Do I destroy a nice Fancy cancel remove the stamp and send for grading to PSE?

Richard, for those of us who don’t collect USA, could you explain why that stamp is perfect, please? 

I was not familiar with the USPS 250 slogan cancel - very nice!

[RICHARD]

The perfect stamp. The design was printed perfectly in the center of the paper and the perf around all edged are the exact measurements from the design at all four side's. No creases or ink problems. To find a stamp like this is like finding a need in a hay stack. Most have some issues with them. A lot of collectors are looking for the percept stamp. Its worth the time to send it to the PSE to be graded. They grade it out of 100 being the best or perfect in every way.. I have some graded in my collection. Its well worth the time to have it done. I've noticed the PSE is grading mostly U.S. and Canadian stamps. Its just a mind set knowing what condition your collection is in. One crease or hinge really reduces the value of the stamp. Its important when buying/ selling high costing stamps.
Graded stamps bring an SMQ value the higher the grade the higher the value even, higher then the Scott catalogues max price.
Some of the Experts don't agree with grading stamps. But they still want you to send them in to get a certificate on what actual type they are. An example I purchased 6 stamps from a auction house. They advertised them as original gum not hinged. they were lower in price But seamed to be in great condition. Even when I received them to me they looked great. So I thought maybe send them to PSE for grading. So I did. PSE called me on the phone to tell me they were all tampered with regummed touched up in some way. They could not give a grade on them and recommended the company refunded my money. They even contacted the auction house. I did get a refund but I lost money sending them in and grading them. So I recommend buying a graded stamp. Or have one you already own done one that you removed from a cover. Two companies grade stamps the PSE and the PF . I recommend PSE there a little cheaper and except credit cards were the PF only takes checks and is a little more expensive. I've done both. If you just want to know what type it is then send to APS. Good Luck

[RICHARD]

The perfect stamp.  The design was printed perfectly in the center of the paper and the perf around all edged are the exact measurements from the design at all four side's. No creases or ink problems. To find a stamp like this is like finding a need in a hay stack. Most have some issues with them. A lot of collectors are looking for the percept stamp. Its worth the time to send it to the PSE to be graded. They grade it out of 100 being the best or perfect in every way.. I have some graded in my collection. Its well worth the time to have it done. I've noticed the PSE is grading mostly U.S. and Canadian stamps. Its just a mind set knowing what condition your collection is in. One crease or hinge really reduces the value of the stamp. Its important when buying/ selling high costing stamps.
Graded stamps bring an SMQ value the higher the grade the higher the value even, higher then the Scott catalogues max price.
Some of the Experts don't agree with grading stamps. But they still want you to send them in to get a certificate on what actual type they are. An example I purchased 6 stamps from a auction house. They advertised them as original gum not hinged. they were lower in price But seamed to be in great condition. Even when I received them to me they looked great. So I thought maybe send them to PSE for grading. So I did. PSE called me on the phone to tell me they were all tampered with regummed touched up in some way. They could not give a grade on them and recommended the company refunded my money. They even contacted the auction house. I did get a refund but I lost money sending them in and grading them. So I recommend buying a graded stamp. Or have one you already own done one that you removed from a cover.  Two companies grade stamps the PSE  and  the PF . I recommend PSE there a little cheaper and except credit cards were the PF only takes checks and is a little more expensive. I've done both. If you just want to know what type it is then send to APS. Good Luck

Just Keep this in mind, The dealer or person selling a stamp is 100% responsible for what they write down on the condition of the stamp or cover.  If its requested you must give a full refund. The APS,PSE PF and all the rest of the Philatelic companies take great pride in there services. They can remove all Services Privilege's from the company or person if they are not selling  the proper piece of philatelic material like they have advertised.

[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