One thing...if you are planning to buy the 2014 stamp yearbook, note that the single stamps are chopped and the perforations are damaged. The sheets are all right. Except for the Circus sheet, all the stamps that they included with the book will be used by me for postage.
Oh so nice. I collect circus on stamps. If anyone ever gets hold of an extra one some how, please let me know. I'd love to have one.
Actually I could use two of them. My daughter collects US stamps. I know she would love one too.
I know it's hardly likely that they will come up. But just thought I'd mention it anyhow.
Suzanne
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"Stamp collectors don't go crazy, they just become unhinged."
I just received my imperf press sheet of the circus souvenir sheet. The sheets are die cut around the edge, but the stamps are imperf. One of these is good enough for me - no way am I going to spend the money on the annual folder just to get those perfs. But, I'm not a huge USA collector so completeness isn't super high on my agenda.
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"Just one more small collection, hun, really! LoL "
Linn's reports that the press sheets have sold out.
Let's see how this fares. Dealers pushing single sheets from the press sheets since most won't be able to get regular sheet? If that happens, let's see where the market drives this one.
Interesting that it may be that the easiest, and least costly means of obtaining this sheet is be by getting a first day cover. This is similar to United Nations Scott #38. Most used sheets on the market are soaked from first day covers.
USPS stated that the press sheets sold out before their release date. That's why I'm thinking that the imperf variety will be the one more readily available and sold by dealers. This will be interesting to follow to see what happens with the regular sheet and the press sheets. If dealers break down the press sheets to sell singles, a complete press sheet might become quite rare.
So... USPS reports that 10,000 press sheets of the Circus SS w/o die cuts were sold. That means that with 12 SS per press sheet 120,000 SS potentially exist of the w/o die cut version. I assume that the USPS did not sell 120,000 year books. So the SS with die cuts will be much scarcer. Now we have to wait for the USPS to report the sales figures.
But those wanting the circus sheet will more than likely have to settle for the more available sheet without the die cuts. That is what may drive the price up on those.
It is interesting looking through the 2014 Yearbook. Here is the Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 - Intro and Circus S/S not available anywhere else
Chapter 2 - Collectible stamps
Chapter 3 - Mail-use stamps
Chapter 4 - High Value Mail-use stamps
Chapter 5 - Photo Credits
Chapter 6 - Acknowledgments
Interesting that they don't even expect Commemoratives to be used in the mails any more. They just call them "Collectible stamps" to differentiate them from "Mail-use" stamps. Even more puzzling is why Harvey Milk would be a Collectible stamps but Ralph Ellison would be a Mail-use stamp.
It was good to see some definitives included for once - including the latest flag stamps. There is also a chapter (4) that includes the Global International, Priority, and Express mail stamps.
The Yearbook comes with the stamps for Chapters 1 and 2. You can separately purchase a packet of stamps for Chapter 3 and a different packet for Chapter 4. It's an interesting concept, but until USPS can figure out how to provide singles and blocks from booklet panes without cutting off the perfs, I don't think there will be much serious consideration.
Lars
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"Expanding your knowledge faster than your collection can save you a few bucks."
I found the information on Scott's listing the Circus souvenir sheet. It is from the April 27, 2015 issue of "Linn's".
The die cut sheet (the sheet from the 2014 USPS Stamp Yearbook) is footnoted.
Imperf souvenir sheet = Scott #4905b (MNH value = $4.00)
Imperf 50 cent stamp = Scott #4905c (MNH value = $1.00)
Imperf $1 stamp = Scott #4905d (MNH value = $2.00)
Imperf souvenir sheet missing gold error = Scott #4905e (no value indicated in the article)
Note that the imperf sheet is valued with the white press sheet margin surrounding the die cutting.
The missing gold error sheet was found in one press sheet of 12 souvenir sheets by Mystic Stamp Company.