China Cinderella
Bud's Big BlueBud's Observations
BB’s crowd of collectors ordinarily need not worry about asset-class stamp market trends. We have a hobby, not a speculative investment portfolio. China is the exception.
While over the past decade or so CV for most stamps changed minimally, prices for China’s sky-rocketed. Some dealers say China sales have kept them in business while demand for the rest, except luxury stamps, declined. The Chinese now have more money than they used to, and fewer empty rice bowls. And they like collecting.
So, when’s the right time to fill BB’s blank China spaces? Today? Forty years ago? A hundred? Ten years from now?
The following Table traces the rapid inflation of Chinese stamp prices.
The following Table traces the rapid inflation of Chinese stamp prices.
Catalog Values ($s, used examples) for Selected BB China Spaces
Scott # / Year | 10 | 11 | 16 | 18 | 28 | 78 | 79 | total |
1911 | $0.36 | $0.36 | $0.12 | $0.12 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $1.20 |
1933 | 0.50 | 0.35 | 0.75 | 0.60 | 0.20 | 0.25 | 0.50 | 3.15 |
1970 | 1.75 | 2.00 | 1.35 | 0.75 | 0.40 | 0.60 | 3.50 | 10.35 |
1993 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 6.00 | 3.00 | 5.75 | 50.00 | 70.00 | 154.75 |
2011 | 30.00 | 40.00 | 32.50 | 25.00 | 30.00 | 250.00 | 375.00 | 782.50 |
2013 | 100.00 | 140.00 | 47.50 | 37.50 | 32.50 | 300.00 | 450.00 | 1107.50 |
2016 | 100.00 | 140.00 | 47.50 | 37.50 | 32.50 | 300.00 | 450.00 | 1107.50 |
2017 | 90.00 | 120.00 | 47.50 | 37.50 | 32.50 | 275.00 | 400.00 | 1002.50 |
Source: Scott catalogs
Depending on whether we’re retail shoppers or scavengers, speculators or compromisers, or just patient waiters, we require some plan of attack. Scavenging feeder albums worked for me but, in the 1970s, retail shopping would have been a better strategy. The recent slowdown in prices might suggest waiting a few years. But prices might boom rather than bust. Maybe it’s better to settle for damaged space fillers, or even fakes. My guess: old feeder albums are still the best shot at getting a bargain.
At some point I placed J25 on top of J7 so that the latter is not visible; that is now corrected.
Jim's Observations
I really like classical era Chinese stamp issues.* I recall, as a young collector, the Chinese "Junk" stamps; a window into an exotic world not known by a provincial Minnesota boy. Even now, this "sophisticated" world wise collector finds them in the top ten of all time best designs.
But if one wants to be successful evaluating the Chinese issues, better plan on using all of one's philatelic tools and skill.** Challenging, to say the least. It is true that Big Blue generally requires very little of the collector as long as the space "fits". No problem- this is a hobby after all. But if one would like to identify which stamp one has out of several possibilities, then the use of the magnifying glass for all the secret marks and the re-engraving, the watermark tray, and the perforation gauge is necessary.
* I am a member of the China Stamp Society
** And having a daughter-in-law who is a native speaker is helpful too. !
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