I would like to know if anyone has copies of the 6 Volumes "Encyclopedia of the Colors of United States Postage Stamps by R. W. White Covers the 1847 - 1918 issues, The standard work on the colors, papers and gum of US stamps." I know they are very expensive, but I would still like to know how much is too much to pay.
Welcome to the forums... haven't seen any offered recently but have used them in the past. Might Google it and see what pops...
Too rich for my blood... Most 'recovered' stamps show some color fading, depending on who did the recovery and the environmentals of the storage after removal. Mint stamps may or may not retain color for similar reasons. IF you need a color volume, you must have some early stamps whereby you need to have absolute color which MIGHT make them extremely valuable. In that case, the $500 is a small pittance for absolute knowledge, but I have read too many horror stories to try to do it myself. If I was to look at something that rare, I would go to one of the expertizing agencies for their opinion..
I haven't purchased a set as yet, but intend to eventually. The lowest prices I've seen have been on eBay. I-IV sold for $350.00 last month, and this is the current listing. They seem to show up in flurries, two or three times a year. http://www.ebay.com/itm/ENCYCLOPEDI...1554201&pid=100011&rk=2&rkt=5&sd=361550104376
You might advertise on Craigslist, too. You never know when someone inherits books and doesn't know their value, especially if they're not into collections of their own. Another reason for advertising on Craigslist is that someone might be willing to "loan" the book for a fee. Unless you were looking to purchase your own set to keep, of course. Then, just looking would not be enough.
