Professionalism in Philately

I want to share that I sometimes experience some issues with sellers primarily due to the quality of material not matching the advertised description. This is not a phenomenon unique to any single online venue- it's happened to me on basically every site I've purchased from over the past 15 years. While most of my purchases online go relatively well, unfortunately misdescribed material and/or critical omissions in the description happens fairly frequently. Most sellers are relaxed and professional when informed about it, though some do get defensive or simply ignore my email. If they get defensive or imply that I'm switching stamps or in some other way being dishonest, it's a sign to never trade with them again.

Sellers- please keep in mind some critical points when selling stamps:

1- To describe a stamp as MNH, the gum should be unblemished. Toning, foxing, rust stains, adhesions, ink transfer, etc should be shown in a scan or described as a matter of full disclosure. Issues that cannot be scanned such as thins, gum skips, gum loss, creases, bends, etc should likewise be described. Whether hinged or not, gum and paper flaws contribute greatly to the quality of a stamp and if the buyer can't see it, it's critical to describe it. Sellers often tell me they didn't see the gum flaws, yet description of a stamp as MNH requires viewing of the back of the stamp before sale, does it not? How then does one see the hinging state of the stamp and not the other critical elements of the gum’s condition?

2- If you sell a stamp as MNH, please hold the stamp up obliquely to outdoor light (preferably) or good incandescent light. Almost all instances of very light hinging or missing gum become very apparent when natural light is reflected off the gum.

3- If a mint stamp is in a mount that does not guarantee it's MNH (or possessing unblemished gum).

4- If a stamp isn't scanned but has short perfs, scuffs, stains, creases, bends, or other condition problems, these likewise should be part of the description. Stamps with these kinds of issues are usually worth less than sound stamps, and the only plausible reason to omit thes details about the stamps is to sell a stamp blindly for more than it's worth.

In the final analysis, if some aspect of a stamp which has not been scanned or can’t be seen in a scan would impact whether a collector would buy the stamp at a stamp show, then professionalism dictates those characteristics should be noted in the description when sold on the internet.

Thanks for the opportunity to vent and educate!

Ed

I agree wholeheartedly.....it is very easy for a seller, and this extends way beyond stamps, to wear rose-tinted spectacles...it has happened for 100's of years. This is why I try to protect my feedback rating almost to the point of obsession. If I ever have an unhappy buyer (even I am not perfect!) I would far rather end the transaction as friends than enemies! A refund or exchange should never be a problem to a seller that values their reputation.

A seller that arrogantly believes he is ALWAYS right wil not last long!

All the best

Agreed. We should always aim to be honest and open about anything that might not be obvious from the scan(s).

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Excellent points.