Does anyone collect Artist Proof ?
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Artist Proof is a stamp proof card that is signed by engrave artist.
Collecting Artist Proof is very difficult due to limited quantities & high very prices.
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Postal production forwarded the Artist Proof to the government.
Later, they were sold to the public & around the world.

Some said that very few people collecting Artist Proof.

Photo #1 - French Polynesia 1955 stamp.
Photo #2 - Stamp Proof.
Photo #3 - Artist Proof.

This stamp won an award as Best Design in Paris, the most prestigious award in Philately. The Designer was inspired by a girl when he was vacationing on Bora Bora island. Today, this stamp is the most famous stamp in the history of French Polynesia.

Acquiring this stamp is still possible, but acquiring Stamp Proof is almost impossible. There were only about 50 printed. It took us 26 years to acquired this rare item, but almost broke our bank account.

Acquiring Artist Proof is unthinkable. There are only 2 exist in the world. It took us half a century to track down this elusive item. We finally acquired this museum item, but paid a huge price. It was so expensive that you can buy several houses.

This stamp was re-issued in 2009 (last photo).
In conclusion, our club intend to donate these items to the postal museum in French Polynesia. These items are national treasure of French Polynesia & shall always belong to the islanders.

"Acquiring Stamp Proof is almost impossible"
Link (https)

Joulie, thank you for the link. We didn't know this rare stamp proof was in Delcampe before, we're surprised & amazed. We wonder if the Seller knew how rare this item is.

We purchased this item at an enormous price from a private organization in Paris. It was very difficult to obtain since only 50 exist. We purchased this item with two Certificates & a Certificate of Analysis.

The first Certificate identified the origin of this item. Examination was conducted to confirmed it's authenticity. Moreover, the history of ownership was disclosed & traceability confirmed.

The second Certificate identified the printing press of this item. An investigation was conducted with the postal offices & manufacturers. There were 50 printed. The postal record indicated this item as number 1 and the RS document confirmed it as (1/50).

The Certificate of Analysis identified the condition of this item. It was officially graded in GEM condition by three firms. Optical technology were utilized during the lengthy examination.

Today, our stamp proof is framed & displayed in Paris. It is a museum piece for the world to see.

Artist's Proofs of engraved stamps are mainly produced for collectors. For this reason, all aspects of their design & production such as choice of ink color, paper, die impression, embossed seals & artist's signature - contribute to producing a miniature piece of philatelic art that showcases the engraver's work.......Artist's Proofs are scarce & not listed in any catalogs, establishing a price is difficult. The same proof can sell for considerably different prices depending on "supply & demand"
In some cases, an Artist Proof can't be found anywhere. It's no longer available in the public, not even in the black market.
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Prices of Artist's Proofs varies depending on the topic, country & popularity. Prices range of $50 - $300 are common. However, some may goes above $1000. Artist Proofs are valuable with historic significant. These national treasure should belong to the museum in my opinion......Building a collection of Artist's Proofs requires hard work over a substantial period of time because of the limited numbers available. This may requires you to travel around the world like I did to search for a specific Artist Proof. You may need to look through dozens of private broker, dealer & auction house offerings for years before you find what you want. If you do, you will have a collection that is unlike most other stamp collections.

Last week, a chatroom guest asked me who collect Artist Proof ? That's a good question. I really don't know who collect them. There aren't enough data to estimate how many people collect Artist Proof. I think very few collect because I only known 3 people in the past 18 years that collect them. There are 60 million people collect stamps, but I think there are less than 800 people collect Artist Proof.
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There are many reasons why very few people collect Artist Proof. It's expensive to purchase Artist Proof. The price ranges between $50 - $300 & some are over $1000. Another reason is "quantity". Artist Proof has extremely low quantity (single digit). This makes extremely difficult to complete a collection. One more reason why few collect Artist Proof is "Unavailable". Some Artist Proof became extinct. These can't be found anywhere in the public or private, not even in the black market. This frustrated people who are willing to purchase at all cost. As you can see, it's very hard to complete an Artist Proof collection. Those who have Artist Proof collection are considered "Elite" in my opinion.
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In conclusion, I think it's easier to complete a stamp collection than Artist Proof collection. Selling stamp collections can be seen everyday, but most don't get sold. Selling Artist Proof collection comes only once in 5 years & are sold every time. It's common to see a fierce bidding war at the auction. The Artist Proof collections are usually sold at least 4 times of it's original value, way above the market price. I used to think only ultra rich Philatelists would buy the Artist Proof collection, but after seen the auctions, I'm beginning to think some of them are Business Investors.
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Photo - Artist Proof (Signature that is hand written personally by the Artist)

Is this ChatGPT talking after "make some PR arguments for buying artist proofs of stamps"? It doesn't seem very coherent, I'm afraid.

Collections are sold way above market price, aha. The price they are sold at _IS_ the market price, FYI.

To: cassander_thucelius,
1)...I'm a buyer, not a Seller. Wish I'm a Seller & would love to make $.
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2)...The Artist Proof Collection are sold way above the market price unfortunately.
If you don't believe, then you should visit the auction house & see with own your eyes,
The auction comes only once in 5 years. Wealthy Collectors/ Investors bid over Artist Proof Collection very aggressively. If you think you will bid base on market price, then you are in for a huge shock. Your bid will quickly surpassed and you might even be insulted. It's a painful lesson for many collectors.

I have monitored Artist Proof Collection for many years and I have never seen anyone bid & win with market price. It's like trying to bid Mona Lisa painting base on market price - Bidders will bid above market price without hesitation. Like I said before, the bidding is extremely aggressive when come auction for Artist Proof Collection. I don't recommend anyone bid at auction house for Artist Proof Collection. I, myself won't even dare to bid because I already know the consequences & pain.
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It's possible to buy one Artist Proof at market price, but it's impossible to buy the Artist Proof Collection at market price. This is the cold reality.
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Bye the way, Artist Proof is my field of study. I conduct this research for years & have interviewed Auctioneer & Bidders. I wrote this article based on my experience & all the interviews I conducted.