Don't be afraid to pay full catalog value

By Henry Gitner and Rick Miller

Collectors should not be afraid to pay full Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers values or more when something truly scarce and rarely offered comes up for sale.

Only you know what you can afford and what you can’t. But don’t let a catalog value arbitrarily stand in your way if it is something that you need and can afford.

Here is an example to illustrate what we mean. Recently a 13¢ red and dark blue President John F. Kennedy and Jet Plane aerogram entire error variety missing the blue ink (Scott UC39b) sold at auction for $1,500 against a Scott U.S. Specialized catalog value of $500 (in italics) and a United Postal Stationery Society Catalog of the 20th and 21st Century Stamped Envelopes and Wrappers of the United States value of $400. The aerogram was issued May 29, 1967.

The time to buy something that you want and need is when you see it. Our advice is to pay up and get it. It might not come your way again any time soon.

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