Recently, I was speaking with a customer who asked why the White Plains Sheet (U.S. Scott# 630) was so expensive. Well not only is it the first U.S. souvenir sheet, but also a philatelic item that separates a serious U.S. stamp collector from the casual collector. I often look for that sheet when evaluating a collection to see if it is present, the manner in which it’s protected, and the condition it was collected in. This does not exactly answer why it is expensive… the answer being demand. The sheet is quite popular and fills a big space in early U.S. stamps.

The customer did not have the sheet, but was clearly interested in filling that space in his book. At the time there were hinged and mint never hinged (MNH) sheets for sale, with the hinged sheet selling for close to $125 and the MNH about $225 (both after discount). They were in good shape on the front and although the hinged one cost less, he was considering the MNH sheet at a higher price. The centering was better and we discussed why I considered it a more prudent purchase. Yes, it’s $100 more, but I informed him that this would be better for his collection in the long run. We went over how dealers look for this in a collection, and while it not only shows that the collector sought after better items, the dealer will also look to see how nice that specific sheet is. If it’s MNH, the chances are that additional stamps will be in good or even MNH condition.

From a dealer’s perspective, if the stamps are in better condition, you may offer more for the collection. As a collector you may have paid a bit more for the collection in order to secure higher quality stamps and would like to receive the most for it when it’s time to sell. Over time, better quality stamps will hold their value more than lower quality stamps. There are always lower quality stamps for sale at bargain prices, but seeking out a nice one can be more difficult.

Early on in my collecting I had less spending money and would buy the blemished / thinned stamp, now that I have more discretionary funds I am re-buying the same stamps to better my collection, and selling off the faulty ones, which has been a hit or miss online.

If you get one thing out of this, it’s to buy the highest quality you can. And if you can’t afford a quality stamp, wait! Work on a new country or topic and buy the cheap stamps you’ll need for that new adventure and continue to save for that gem to add to your collection.

Oh, and what did the collector buy? Of course it was the MNH white plains sheet! You might be thinking: I went through all this to get a higher sale? At the time I had no sheets for sale… this was a purchase from the dealer next to me.