Always Read the 'Small Print' on Ebay

Hope this winning bidder looked at the terms.....$5.00 Handling for EACH
auction won!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2938575759

My first complain would be the description as "F-XF"! Then he describes
it as poor centering! Would this stamp be classed "Good" at best or am I
missing something?
Then there is the $5 handling charge-- EACH AUCTION, then he admonishes to
bid accordingly. I'd bid.. not at all with those sort of material and terms.
I wonder how many repeat buyers he gets.
I can picture that the $5 handling charge would ensure delivery to the
buyer in an envelope with a 37c stamp on it (probably not even a commemorative
either). Since the buyer is also in NY I wouldn't doubt he'll insist on the
state sales tax be included as well.

Dave
Use commemorative stamps on ALL your mail.
Introduce the hobby of collecting stamps to someone.
Above all, enjoy your hobby regardless of what you collect!

On 07 Jul 2003 19:52:05 GMT, unity (DBoyd001) found
these unused words floating about:

Hope this winning bidder looked at the terms.....$5.00 Handling for EACH
auction won!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2938575759

My first complain would be the description as "F-XF"! Then he describes
it as poor centering! Would this stamp be classed "Good" at best or am I
missing something?
Then there is the $5 handling charge-- EACH AUCTION, then he admonishes to
bid accordingly. I'd bid.. not at all with those sort of material and terms.
I wonder how many repeat buyers he gets.
I can picture that the $5 handling charge would ensure delivery to the
buyer in an envelope with a 37c stamp on it (probably not even a commemorative
either). Since the buyer is also in NY I wouldn't doubt he'll insist on the
state sales tax be included as well.

The ones I love are those who have to have cashier's checks or USPS
Money Orders for small items ... G

Then there's the UK group that prices in £, demands PayPay in US$ at
their 'exchange rate'. Ehhh, that probably equals PP's surcharges.

But an alternate, bidding is in US$, but payemt is in £, no US$ checks
or CC, except PP, and that's recalculated on a 'double' exchange. They
send a payment request for £, after 'converting' the bid US$ and then
you get to pay PP's conversion 'fee' back to £ too! Yipes !!!

On 07 Jul 2003 19:52:05 GMT, unity (DBoyd001) found
these unused words floating about:

Hope this winning bidder looked at the terms.....$5.00 Handling for EACH
auction won!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2938575759

My first complain would be the description as "F-XF"! Then he describes
it as poor centering! Would this stamp be classed "Good" at best or am I
missing something?
Then there is the $5 handling charge-- EACH AUCTION, then he admonishes to
bid accordingly. I'd bid.. not at all with those sort of material and terms.
I wonder how many repeat buyers he gets.
I can picture that the $5 handling charge would ensure delivery to the
buyer in an envelope with a 37c stamp on it (probably not even a commemorative
either). Since the buyer is also in NY I wouldn't doubt he'll insist on the
state sales tax be included as well.


I think this guy subscribes to the improved SCOTT Grading System.

I think it runs: F, VF, XVF, XF, VXF, NS, S, VS, XS, VXS. BSEG

evidenced by:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2938573939

From: J. A. Mc.
Newsgroups: rec.collecting.stamps.discuss
Date: Mon, 07 Jul 2003 15:35:57 -0700
Subject: Always Read the 'Small Print' on Ebay

On 07 Jul 2003 19:52:05 GMT, unity (DBoyd001) found
these unused words floating about:

Hope this winning bidder looked at the terms.....$5.00 Handling for EACH
auction won!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2938575759

My first complain would be the description as "F-XF"! Then he describes
it as poor centering! Would this stamp be classed "Good" at best or am I
missing something?
Then there is the $5 handling charge-- EACH AUCTION, then he admonishes to
bid accordingly. I'd bid.. not at all with those sort of material and terms.
I wonder how many repeat buyers he gets.
I can picture that the $5 handling charge would ensure delivery to the
buyer in an envelope with a 37c stamp on it (probably not even a
commemorative
either). Since the buyer is also in NY I wouldn't doubt he'll insist on the
state sales tax be included as well.


I think this guy subscribes to the improved SCOTT Grading System.

I think it runs: F, VF, XVF, XF, VXF, NS, S, VS, XS, VXS. BSEG

What happened to VG -- which always struck me as being dumb in the extreme.
What is "Very Good" about a stamp that has perfs cutting into the design? Of
course, yesterday at the movie theatre I ordered a "small" Coke and got it
in a cut the size of the Titanic. Speaking of movies, I expect most of you
would get a kick out of what Susan and I saw, A Mighty Wind. It's a
wonderful parody of the short and wonderful period of folk music, and has
some decent music, too. Many laughs and chuckles, much nostalgia.

Oh, and by the way, about that stamp on eBay: isn't that a revenue cancel? I
don't think anyone has mentioned that. Or am I wrong?

Bob

evidenced by:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2938573939

On Mon, 7 Jul 2003 18:07:12 -0400, "Doug Spade"
wrote:


"Tracy Barber" wrote in message
...


snip

Jumping from F to XF is a REAL red
light. It goes F - VF - XF. It can never be F and XF at the same
time. :^)


While I don't condone it (and don't agree with it), I've seen some stamps
being sold by well-known names in the industry described as "Ave-XF" with
the "justification" being that it was extremely well-centered on three
sides, with perfs cutting well into the design on the fourth side. Then
again, I've also seen stamps described as F-VF that I would consider
outstandingly (although admittedly with narrow margins) well-centered.

Some issues are only what you describe in scenario 1. I surely
wouldn't consider it XF though. Maybe VF.

A stamp can border on 2 grade levels but cannot skip a grade level,
like your Avg / XF example. Is it averagely XF - which has to be an
oxymoron - or XF average? It doesn't make any sense. Sounds like
someone wants to build up a description for it.

The 2nd scenario lends itself to the margin issue. XF stamps usually
have a "decent" margin, unles they were all close cropped stamps and
didn't have much space between them when printed. That's an issue by
issue check, not a blanket statement. That's why the drop in
condition to VF. A nice example to keep, for sure!

Tracy Barber

On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 15:20:33 -0700, J. A. Mc.
wrote:

On 07 Jul 2003 19:52:05 GMT, unity (DBoyd001) found
these unused words floating about:

Hope this winning bidder looked at the terms.....$5.00 Handling for EACH
auction won!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2938575759

My first complain would be the description as "F-XF"! Then he describes
it as poor centering! Would this stamp be classed "Good" at best or am I
missing something?
Then there is the $5 handling charge-- EACH AUCTION, then he admonishes to
bid accordingly. I'd bid.. not at all with those sort of material and terms.
I wonder how many repeat buyers he gets.
I can picture that the $5 handling charge would ensure delivery to the
buyer in an envelope with a 37c stamp on it (probably not even a commemorative
either). Since the buyer is also in NY I wouldn't doubt he'll insist on the
state sales tax be included as well.

The ones I love are those who have to have cashier's checks or USPS
Money Orders for small items ... G

Then there's the UK group that prices in £, demands PayPay in US$ at
their 'exchange rate'. Ehhh, that probably equals PP's surcharges.

But an alternate, bidding is in US$, but payemt is in £, no US$ checks
or CC, except PP, and that's recalculated on a 'double' exchange. They
send a payment request for £, after 'converting' the bid US$ and then
you get to pay PP's conversion 'fee' back to £ too! Yipes !!!

That's one of the reasons I'm hesitant on using a "PayPal" service.
Nothing wrong with the service, but the costs incurred between
listing, final fee and conversion are far more than 1 hobbyist selling
duplication / unwanted items can stand!

One can up the minimum bid, but may not sell the item. One can state
that there may be a PayPal conversion charge, but eBay may yank your
item. Blah, blah, blah!

Keeping it simple, all cash, checks and M.O. have been on the onus of
the buyer.



Tracy Barber

On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 15:35:57 -0700, J. A. Mc.
wrote:

On 07 Jul 2003 19:52:05 GMT, unity (DBoyd001) found
these unused words floating about:

Hope this winning bidder looked at the terms.....$5.00 Handling for EACH
auction won!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2938575759

My first complain would be the description as "F-XF"! Then he describes
it as poor centering! Would this stamp be classed "Good" at best or am I
missing something?
Then there is the $5 handling charge-- EACH AUCTION, then he admonishes to
bid accordingly. I'd bid.. not at all with those sort of material and terms.
I wonder how many repeat buyers he gets.
I can picture that the $5 handling charge would ensure delivery to the
buyer in an envelope with a 37c stamp on it (probably not even a commemorative
either). Since the buyer is also in NY I wouldn't doubt he'll insist on the
state sales tax be included as well.


I think this guy subscribes to the improved SCOTT Grading System.

I think it runs: F, VF, XVF, XF, VXF, NS, S, VS, XS, VXS. BSEG

What's "S" - Sicko? :^P

NS must be Nutso.

VXS must be Very Extremely Sick.

I've been putting together auctions for a local dealer for over 3
years now and we've not gone past XF, although the material was indeed
"Extra Fine". To me, that's the top of the food chain. No better
than that, unless it just rolled off the printing press, was dried and
not handled by ham-fisted postal workers.

But, noticing your Big "sick" Evil Grin, we'll let you slide this
time! :^P

Tracy Barber

Oh, and by the way, about that stamp on eBay: isn't that a revenue cancel? I
don't think anyone has mentioned that. Or am I wrong?

Aha! Lessee... which stamp, Bob? The entire box or what?

This one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2938575759

Bob

On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 02:00:22 GMT, Bob Ingraham
wrote:


Oh, and by the way, about that stamp on eBay: isn't that a revenue cancel? I
don't think anyone has mentioned that. Or am I wrong?

Aha! Lessee... which stamp, Bob? The entire box or what?

This one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2938575759

Thanks for the correction! :^P

That set usually has far better margins than that - ie: $1 Cattle in
Storm. I've seen many of this set for my friend's auction and they're
usually far better than this.

If the centering were up a smidgeon, this would be a VERY NICE stamp.

It looks like a registration cancel. I do not believe it was used as
a revenue. Revenues were still in use at the time and the U.S. didn't
mix up regular stamps / revenues as much as say Belgium did.

(They most certainly did! I have several Leopold regular postage
stamps with Effets et Commerce cancels.)

A $1 and .37 postage for this stamp would be a steal for a nice space
filler.

For $6, considering most of it is shipping, I wouldn't do it.

Tracy Barber

On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 01:29:40 GMT, (Tracy
Barber) found these unused words floating about:

On Mon, 7 Jul 2003 18:07:12 -0400, "Doug Spade"
wrote:


"Tracy Barber" wrote in message
...


snip

Jumping from F to XF is a REAL red
light. It goes F - VF - XF. It can never be F and XF at the same
time. :^)


While I don't condone it (and don't agree with it), I've seen some stamps
being sold by well-known names in the industry described as "Ave-XF" with
the "justification" being that it was extremely well-centered on three
sides, with perfs cutting well into the design on the fourth side. Then
again, I've also seen stamps described as F-VF that I would consider
outstandingly (although admittedly with narrow margins) well-centered.

Some issues are only what you describe in scenario 1. I surely
wouldn't consider it XF though. Maybe VF.

A stamp can border on 2 grade levels but cannot skip a grade level,
like your Avg / XF example. Is it averagely XF - which has to be an
oxymoron - or XF average? It doesn't make any sense. Sounds like
someone wants to build up a description for it.

The 2nd scenario lends itself to the margin issue. XF stamps usually
have a "decent" margin, unles they were all close cropped stamps and
didn't have much space between them when printed. That's an issue by
issue check, not a blanket statement. That's why the drop in
condition to VF. A nice example to keep, for sure!

Tracy Barber

Frankly I'd love to see a 'dual' grade ... letters A, F, VF, S for
physical condition, then a "-1" to "-5" for centering.

E.G.: A sound stamp with clean full perfs, no efects, but slightly off
center ... VF-3
-or- a stamp with small faults but perfect centering ... A-5