Canadian Stamp Auctions

27 June, 2007 - Eastern Auctions Ltd.

This mail sale came only four days after Eastern’s outstanding public auction held in Halifax on June 23rd. We found the sale focused less on Canada’s early stamps and more on modern issues. Nevertheless, there were some very nice early examples such as these:

1¢ Large Queen

Lot 623 Scott 23 Catalogue $1,200 Realized $725

While this copy of the 1¢ Large Queen had no gum, it definitely rated high marks for its excellent perforations and near perfect centering.

1¢ Small Queen

Lot 647 Scott 35 Catalogue $40 Realized $80

We suspect that 30 years ago, these 1¢ Small Queens were probably a dime a dozen, but today any well centered stamps from this set in VF NH condition are actively pursued by bidders. The above price of two times catalogue is not uncommon. In 2002, a copy sold for $797. .

1¢ Admiral – Jumbo

Lot 721 Scott 105 Catalogue $15 Realized $31

What a deal! What a bargain! This 1¢ stamp from the Admiral set with its huge borders is such a standout. It was described as VF NH JUMBO. Eastern put an estimate of $50 on it, which we thought was conservative, and some lucky collector picked it up for only 60% of its estimate. Our hat is off to you. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it encourages bidders to keep pursuing stamps as special as this with high hopes. Sometimes you can beat the pack and be a winner!

Untagged Stamps

Lot 894 Scott 732 TI Catalogue $90 Realized $70

This beautiful cougar stamp is a favorite of ours as it is so well designed. This copy is missing its tagging. As we have mentioned previously, the collecting of untagged stamps is is relatively new and was a feature of Unitrade’s most recent catalogue.The price realized above, which is 78 % of catalogue, is stronger than most other recent realizations.

Modern imperforates

Lot 940 Scott 1683a Catalogue $600 Realized $310

Our modern Canadian imperforates seem to be in the doldrums. Realizations at 50% of catalogue are not uncommon. The supply seems plentiful. Let’s see how they did in this sale:

Year of the Pig

Lot 3863 Scott 2001var Estimate $750 Realized $300

Lot 564 Scott 2201var Estimate $2,000 Realized $1,005

This “Year of the Pig” stamp, with the missing gold inscriptions, is getting off to a rough start. Issued in January, 2007, it is presently not clear how many exist. As a result, the price has been bouncing all over the place from a low of $250 to a high of $675.

Perforation Varieties of Modern Definitive Sets

Lot 1268 Scott 1180c (set of 4 pl. blocks) Catalogue $150 Realized $105

If ever there was an area of collecting with positive short and long-term prospects, it must surely be the perforation varieties of Canada’s modern definitive sets. This is generally recognized in the Scott and Unitrade catalogue prices and we see it at most auctions. But in this sale, the rare perforation varieties went for bargain prices. We wish we could a snap them up ourselves, because long-term, they will be very much sought after. Besides their value potential, they represent an area of collecting that is available to all collectors, so long as they pay attention to Canada Post’s information on new issues and changes in printers, etc. Here are some of the results from the plate block section of the sale:

Press Sheets

Eastern offered a large number of stamp press sheets. We had a look at the prices realized and found that, for the moment, the demand is definitely soft. We really can’t tell what the future will hold for these press sheets. Not many were issued, so the question is, are collectors going to hang on to them and will they prove to be scarce someday? For the moment, there seems to be only a modest amount of demand. Here are some examples from the sale:

Remember that the Jubilees, issued in 1897 were selling for not much more than face value in the 1930s. Today they are bringing in record prices. Who knows if this will be the same story for these press sheets? While the present demand is low, so are the numbers of these sheets that were issued. The present values are low, but the long term prospects could be a lot brighter. Let’s check back on this in 2037.

For more details of the sale, please click on the highlights button:

Eastern’s next sale will be held on August 15, 2007