Is XF-Superb really worth all that?

Greetings, I know it's been kicked around before but awhile back I listed a set of Farley Imperf line pairs plus other Farley's for $25.00. So far no takers. Today I'm cruising the 165th No Reserve Auction and there's a set listed as XF-Superb with 21 bids sitting at $174.49. Is it really worth all that? Cheers, Mark

Comments

  • 8 Comments sorted by Votes Date Added
  • It's worth what one of the two highest bidders is willing to pay. :)
  • edited February 2020 0 LikesVote Down
    Well I might as well add my two cents. First - Steve is a full time dealer. He started doing shows in the Syracuse area in the late 80's. He was in the right place at the right time and rode the wave of pricing up and down - getting his name known in all the right places, He has a large stock of US and isn't afraid to use SMQ so he has snagged some of the high rollers. You have to if this is how you make your living..

    I really don't notice any difference in the quality of material assuming yours is "fresh" - some obviously isn't. Note he calls his XF-SUPERB. He has learned to sell the "sizzle" - not the "steak" - a very important sales concept.

    Here's an idea - if your set is fresh with no damage sell it as one lot - call it VF or XF - seriously compare your centering to his to make that determination. If yours is fresh - use the word "fresh". Auction it as one lot. I wouldn't recommend starting it at 1 cent like he did - maybe 19.95 or 29.95. Sell the rest of the undamaged, fresh stamps as another lot. Start it at 4.95. Lose any stamps that are damaged or below par so the customer will only receive stamps they can be proud of.

    Can't hurt - you may not get the same results as you won't be selling in a "featured" auction - but you can't eat inventory. When I was starting out a fellow dealer told me that what you take home from a show are called "mistakes":- not sure I agree but it;s an arguable point,


  • Thank you Carol, Appreciate the solid advice. Mark
  • "but you can't eat inventory"

    That is true, but it is also true that you didn't steal your inventory so that someone could steal it from you, meaning don't just give it away for the sake of getting rid of it. Sell it at a fair price.
  • Agreed, I was, thinking of those occasional purchases I have made in error. You know, paying $20 at a show for something you thought was worth a couple of hundred only to discover it was only worth a couple ! I have done that before and rather than holdout to get your money back I just admit to myself I screwed up and let it go,

    Another example is in a time of falling values or changing collector interest. Think Zepps dropping from $10K to $2K - the longer you held onto them the more you lost. The same thing is happening with pre WWII classic cars right now. There is no point in continuing to advertise a car that was worth (and you paid) $100K for if they are now selling for $65K. You paid the rihht price point but it has shifted downward.

    Hope this makes sense - is is late at night / early morning,
  • Of course. There are always exceptions, but exceptions should not be the norm.
  • And if Steve's set is XF-S, I'll eat my Zepp. He's not selling sizzle; he's selling BS.
  • There is good sizzle and bad sizzle - I agree with you - it looks pretty typical FVF to me - I no longer list centering - too subjective.. That's why I told the OP I didn't see any difference between his set and the one with 21 bids..
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