What's in store in Sacramento
Three Rumsey auctions lined up for Great American Stamp Show Aug. 25-28
Later this month, the American Philatelic Society is co-hosting (together with the American Topical Association and the American First Day Cover Society) its annual stampfest/shindig/jamboree, this time at California’s state capital.
No fewer than 67 dealers, auction firms and cachet-makers are taking a booth. The USPS and U.N. post office will have their customary presence; about 800 frames’ worth of competitive and non-competitive exhibits are there to peruse; special exhibits including original “duck stamp” artwork and an Inverted Jenny will be on display; and the four days will be jam-packed with society meetings, presentations and lectures. Oh, and to top it all off, the USPS will hold a first-day ceremony on Thursday (8/25) for its latest stamp issue: five different pony cars.
If you haven’t made your travel plans or booked your spot at one of the celebratory dinners yet, you may be running out of time, as things are filling up.
But even if you’re not planning to attend in person—and with Covid still raging and air travel still a mess, who could really blame you?—it will still be easy to participate in one of the most exciting aspects of the show: auctions. There are three scheduled to happen during GASS this year, all run by Schuyler Rumsey and all with live, online bidding.
It’s actually one big, four-day sale of about 2,000 U.S. and worldwide lots, and two more specialized sales on the side, both of better U.S. stamps and covers.
I expect to devote at least three further posts to these auctions: two looking at highlights from different sections, and one looking at the wealth of background data offered by StampAuctionNetwork to help bidders make informed calls about which lots to pursue and how aggressively to pursue them.
There’s going to be a lot to like in these sales and I look forward to diving in and analyzing some of the prospects. Many of the stamps being offered rank number 1 in their respective SAN census, while others rate very favorably in comparison to similar stamps offered within the past year. Serious collectors will want to know how best to approach what I call “power philately”—not necessarily having the biggest wallet, but gaining the savviest insights into how a particular stamp stacks up to the competition, and being equipped to decide accordingly on the right bidding level. Rumsey’s GASS sales are going to provide an excellent proving ground—even if you don’t intend to bid, they will provide a terrific opportunity to observe and learn about the market.
Til tomorrow,
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