"SG 136 for sale on Ebay. The kangaroo tail is completely out of the map, and the critter's dark "ground" area seems too low and also out of map. Is this misalignment of colors something that diminishes the value of the stamp? Or is it even a sign of a fake stamp? I have a number of roo/maps and all seem to be well centered -- maybe I have just been lucky?
Thanks,
Eric"
Robert, the stamp is selling for $45 US dollars. Here is reverse of stamp, showing correct watermark. The seller did not have the option to show a larger image of the stamp.
Appreciate your input.
Cheers,
Eric
Hi Eric
The back looks alright, no signs of damage or alterations; I don't want to be pedantic but do you think a better front image can be obtained. $45 is quite cheap for this stamp when one normally cannot obtain that stamp for less than $250 (without the variety).
So a front scan in the same manner as the reverse will suffice.
To give you an idea of the value of the normal 10 shilling grey roo with a pink background is around $700 - $850 unused (up to $1,000 in superb mint unhinged condition); $500 - $550 mint lightly hinged and $275 - $300 for fine used condition.
If anyone wants to purchase the stamp one can take the risk and buy it or get more info on the stamp before purchasing it. US$45 is nearly AU$60.
It would be a very nice addition in anyone's collection, and I know I'm like an overprotective mother, when buying from eBay be very careful.
Robert, I purchased the stamp for $45. If there is anything that captures anyone's eye regarding the stamps authenticity, or not, it would be appreciated. I know these stamps are often faked. The seller (Ebay) had a good reputation and a large number of sales, but I know that often doesn't cut the mustard. The SG and Scott catalogue I use don't have the detail that would be helpful, so I am at the point of buying an ACSC in the near future.
Thanks!
Eric
Can you show the back the same size Eric, so far I cannot find anything suspicious. It is well centered, I'm soon going to post grading the Kangaroo and map, you might find helpful.
Rob
And a picture of the back. The C & A watermark shows up pretty clearly.
Look forward to your grading of the Kangaroo Maps. I have the first series through 5sh, and many of the rest. Mostly used alas.
Eric
I do not believe that this is the Misplaced Kangaroo variety. To qualify for this category at least 2mm of the Kangaroo must be outside the outline of the map. Your Roo would appear to be ½ to 1mm outside.
Do not know where you get your information from but I have never heard of great numbers of these being faked and I have been collecting Roos for a long time. Can you quote a credible source please.
Regards
Frank
Frank, thanks for the information on the Misplaced Kangaroo variety -- story of my life, 1mm short.
As for possible fake Roos, when I mentioned about 6 months ago in this forum that I was about to collect Roos I was told by someone that I should be careful because I would be "stepping into a minefield" of questionable stamps. Perhaps I was too young and impressionable back then and should not have taken that at face value.
Only been collecting Australia for six months, so I have a lot to learn. If there is not a lot of fakery going on with Roos I am glad to hear it, as I have more spaces and varieties I am looking for.
Cheers,
Eric
Thanks Eric, is that mark above a hinge remnant or age? Though Frank is correct, it should be understood that any design out of alignment is known as a variety, so even though your stamp is not the type of variety that will be written into a catalogue (2mm) it is still a variety as the kangaroo is centered to the right with the tail outside the map.
The stamp itself is scarce.
Eric, we had some discussion recently about quality of scans for close-up inspection of fine details (it might still be up under something like "Autoscan vs Photoscan". Ningpo (Clive) showed some examples with higher resolution.
Might be worthwhile to post one as high a dpi as you can, maybe with a closeup of the end of the tail, to get more feedback. When I enlarged your scan on my screen it looked suspiciously darker just outside of the border - almost like two round dots were added. But it doesn't bleed through to the gum side, so maybe just a perceptual thing on my part.
The top section Rob1956 asked about looks like some kind of stain/damage from a liquid spill - same shape visible front and back. Was that described by the seller? when seen "live" did it give you any concern?
I'm not asking to cause you any aggro - just that I have found when I've been listing my U.S. stamps lately I see the scans and sometimes notice all kinds of "defects" I couldn't see with the naked eye and feel compelled to go back and change the descriptions.
Anyway, it is a nice stamp and a great addition to anyone's collection of Australia!
Cheers, Dave.
Robert and Dave,
Used my trusty USB microscope to enlarge the end of the tail. To me, it appears that there is no sign of any additions to the tail. But it looks like the grey ink may have bled just a bit at the top end of the tail. Also, looking at other tails on other stamps, it does seem a bit straighter and less rounded than those (?). What do you think?
And yes the top corner of the stamp on the backside shows a discoloration or stain. I thought it was a thin at first, but thickness of the paper seems same. The scan that the seller used on ebay also showed this. The front of the stamp is not affected, otherwise it would have been a concern.
Appreciate the comments very much! Adds to the experience of the collecting, even if it would prove one of my stamps to be a dud!
Cheers!
Eric
Wow Eric, that's some CSI-level detail! Can't see anyone able to add those little fingerprint-like swirls to the end of the tail, so I think you're safe on that count!
Personally, unless I was an investor who cared only about resale value and profitability, I think if the face of the stamp is nice to look at - as yours is - little stains, etc on the gum side are almost worthy of being ignored on Used stamps (Mint would be another matter).
If you ever feel pressure from SoR members or others to decide it's a dud, feel free to send it to me. I don't mind helping you out, but you would have to pay the postage...
More good luck in your collecting!
Cheers, Dave.
"Robert and Dave,
Used my trusty USB microscope to enlarge the end of the tail. To me, it appears that there is no sign of any additions to the tail. But it looks like the grey ink may have bled just a bit at the top end of the tail. Also, looking at other tails on other stamps, it does seem a bit straighter and less rounded than those (?). What do you think?
And yes the top corner of the stamp on the backside shows a discoloration or stain. I thought it was a thin at first, but thickness of the paper seems same. The scan that the seller used on ebay also showed this. The front of the stamp is not affected, otherwise it would have been a concern.
Appreciate the comments very much! Adds to the experience of the collecting, even if it would prove one of my stamps to be a dud!
Cheers!
Eric"
SG 136 for sale on Ebay. The kangaroo tail is completely out of the map, and the critter's dark "ground" area seems too low and also out of map. Is this misalignment of colors something that diminishes the value of the stamp? Or is it even a sign of a fake stamp? I have a number of roo/maps and all seem to be well centered -- maybe I have just been lucky?
Thanks,
Eric
re: Roo tail out of map?
"SG 136 for sale on Ebay. The kangaroo tail is completely out of the map, and the critter's dark "ground" area seems too low and also out of map. Is this misalignment of colors something that diminishes the value of the stamp? Or is it even a sign of a fake stamp? I have a number of roo/maps and all seem to be well centered -- maybe I have just been lucky?
Thanks,
Eric"
re: Roo tail out of map?
Robert, the stamp is selling for $45 US dollars. Here is reverse of stamp, showing correct watermark. The seller did not have the option to show a larger image of the stamp.
Appreciate your input.
Cheers,
Eric
re: Roo tail out of map?
Hi Eric
The back looks alright, no signs of damage or alterations; I don't want to be pedantic but do you think a better front image can be obtained. $45 is quite cheap for this stamp when one normally cannot obtain that stamp for less than $250 (without the variety).
So a front scan in the same manner as the reverse will suffice.
To give you an idea of the value of the normal 10 shilling grey roo with a pink background is around $700 - $850 unused (up to $1,000 in superb mint unhinged condition); $500 - $550 mint lightly hinged and $275 - $300 for fine used condition.
If anyone wants to purchase the stamp one can take the risk and buy it or get more info on the stamp before purchasing it. US$45 is nearly AU$60.
It would be a very nice addition in anyone's collection, and I know I'm like an overprotective mother, when buying from eBay be very careful.
re: Roo tail out of map?
Robert, I purchased the stamp for $45. If there is anything that captures anyone's eye regarding the stamps authenticity, or not, it would be appreciated. I know these stamps are often faked. The seller (Ebay) had a good reputation and a large number of sales, but I know that often doesn't cut the mustard. The SG and Scott catalogue I use don't have the detail that would be helpful, so I am at the point of buying an ACSC in the near future.
Thanks!
Eric
re: Roo tail out of map?
Can you show the back the same size Eric, so far I cannot find anything suspicious. It is well centered, I'm soon going to post grading the Kangaroo and map, you might find helpful.
Rob
re: Roo tail out of map?
And a picture of the back. The C & A watermark shows up pretty clearly.
Look forward to your grading of the Kangaroo Maps. I have the first series through 5sh, and many of the rest. Mostly used alas.
Eric
re: Roo tail out of map?
I do not believe that this is the Misplaced Kangaroo variety. To qualify for this category at least 2mm of the Kangaroo must be outside the outline of the map. Your Roo would appear to be ½ to 1mm outside.
Do not know where you get your information from but I have never heard of great numbers of these being faked and I have been collecting Roos for a long time. Can you quote a credible source please.
Regards
Frank
re: Roo tail out of map?
Frank, thanks for the information on the Misplaced Kangaroo variety -- story of my life, 1mm short.
As for possible fake Roos, when I mentioned about 6 months ago in this forum that I was about to collect Roos I was told by someone that I should be careful because I would be "stepping into a minefield" of questionable stamps. Perhaps I was too young and impressionable back then and should not have taken that at face value.
Only been collecting Australia for six months, so I have a lot to learn. If there is not a lot of fakery going on with Roos I am glad to hear it, as I have more spaces and varieties I am looking for.
Cheers,
Eric
re: Roo tail out of map?
Thanks Eric, is that mark above a hinge remnant or age? Though Frank is correct, it should be understood that any design out of alignment is known as a variety, so even though your stamp is not the type of variety that will be written into a catalogue (2mm) it is still a variety as the kangaroo is centered to the right with the tail outside the map.
The stamp itself is scarce.
re: Roo tail out of map?
Eric, we had some discussion recently about quality of scans for close-up inspection of fine details (it might still be up under something like "Autoscan vs Photoscan". Ningpo (Clive) showed some examples with higher resolution.
Might be worthwhile to post one as high a dpi as you can, maybe with a closeup of the end of the tail, to get more feedback. When I enlarged your scan on my screen it looked suspiciously darker just outside of the border - almost like two round dots were added. But it doesn't bleed through to the gum side, so maybe just a perceptual thing on my part.
The top section Rob1956 asked about looks like some kind of stain/damage from a liquid spill - same shape visible front and back. Was that described by the seller? when seen "live" did it give you any concern?
I'm not asking to cause you any aggro - just that I have found when I've been listing my U.S. stamps lately I see the scans and sometimes notice all kinds of "defects" I couldn't see with the naked eye and feel compelled to go back and change the descriptions.
Anyway, it is a nice stamp and a great addition to anyone's collection of Australia!
Cheers, Dave.
re: Roo tail out of map?
Robert and Dave,
Used my trusty USB microscope to enlarge the end of the tail. To me, it appears that there is no sign of any additions to the tail. But it looks like the grey ink may have bled just a bit at the top end of the tail. Also, looking at other tails on other stamps, it does seem a bit straighter and less rounded than those (?). What do you think?
And yes the top corner of the stamp on the backside shows a discoloration or stain. I thought it was a thin at first, but thickness of the paper seems same. The scan that the seller used on ebay also showed this. The front of the stamp is not affected, otherwise it would have been a concern.
Appreciate the comments very much! Adds to the experience of the collecting, even if it would prove one of my stamps to be a dud!
Cheers!
Eric
re: Roo tail out of map?
Wow Eric, that's some CSI-level detail! Can't see anyone able to add those little fingerprint-like swirls to the end of the tail, so I think you're safe on that count!
Personally, unless I was an investor who cared only about resale value and profitability, I think if the face of the stamp is nice to look at - as yours is - little stains, etc on the gum side are almost worthy of being ignored on Used stamps (Mint would be another matter).
If you ever feel pressure from SoR members or others to decide it's a dud, feel free to send it to me. I don't mind helping you out, but you would have to pay the postage...
More good luck in your collecting!
Cheers, Dave.
re: Roo tail out of map?
"Robert and Dave,
Used my trusty USB microscope to enlarge the end of the tail. To me, it appears that there is no sign of any additions to the tail. But it looks like the grey ink may have bled just a bit at the top end of the tail. Also, looking at other tails on other stamps, it does seem a bit straighter and less rounded than those (?). What do you think?
And yes the top corner of the stamp on the backside shows a discoloration or stain. I thought it was a thin at first, but thickness of the paper seems same. The scan that the seller used on ebay also showed this. The front of the stamp is not affected, otherwise it would have been a concern.
Appreciate the comments very much! Adds to the experience of the collecting, even if it would prove one of my stamps to be a dud!
Cheers!
Eric"