oh no! i couldn't believe my eyes. a slabbed stamp... http://stampwants-stamps.bidstart.com/Scott-332-Used-PSE-Graded-XF-90J-/9172471/a.html
Encapsulation, or "slabbing" or "capping", has been practiced for many years with coins, currency, and trading cards. However, it is a relatively new phenomenon with stamps. The purpose of encapsulation is to protect the item by placing it in a firm, clear, protective holder made of inert styrene plastic. Slabbing is not for every stamp or every stamp collector. A key consideration is that a stamp must be numerically graded as a part of being encapsulated and there is a considerable investment involved (typically $25 and up per item).
I personally hope the practice falls out of favor. Anyone can just buy those slabs. Recently I have seen quite a few on eBay selling them too. I personally don't care to see them nor would I purchase any. Just my thoughts on it.
A lot of pro collectors here must be millionaires already. It can not be real, is it? (talking about the prices of the stamps for sale on the page)
i'm right there with you jay. i don't own a single slabbed coin, and i won't own a slabbed stamp. i was just in total shock when i saw it.
You know whats funny about this? I seen stamps being offered for sale stapled inside those cardboard coin "flips"... I mean why? I would probably just fall out, it's certainly not hermetically sealed and probably cause more harm than good!? ~Jay
As soon as the Chinese figure out there's money to be made by counterfeiting them, they will. They have become pros at counterfeiting US coins and now are counterfeiting PCGS slabs, among others. Used to be that you could buy a slabbed coin to be sure it wasn't counterfeit... no more!
I have bought several slabbed coins either because the price was right or they were great coins. I have only left 2 slabbed though. I usually just break them out.
LoL, funny to see this thread, I just bought my first slabbed stamp this week. For most stamps it sure is overkill, but for rarities it isn't a bad idea to have some sort of authentication. I'm not confident enough in my own knowledge to avoid buying fakes and counterfeits.
there has to be a better way to provide authentication than to entomb in plastic. i don't know what the answer is, but i'm sure it's out there. you can't put a plastic tomb in an album.
Sure there is a better way, learn how to do it myself. When you're buying something off ebay, though, even if you're experienced it's difficult and no doubt slabs aren't foolproof evidence of authenticity either, but if you can pair up a reputable seller with a slabbed stamp and the price isn't significantly higher than the unslabbed version, then I'd say go with the slab.
i guess there lies the problem, for me anyway... i'm not willing to pay any premium for plastic. i know people always say there isn't a difference in price between slabbed and raw, but in reality there is. we saw it first in sports cards, next in coins, and i'm afraid stamps will be next. and i, for one, am not willing to pay the price for plastic.
The company that is selling the plastic, needs to make a living too...........lol I cant see paying extra money for a plastic slab. Can you imagine having a couple of thousand stamps encased in plastic??? You would have to add another room to the house to store them. lol
I remember having some thinner, hard plastic cases back when I was a kid collecting Pokemon cards. Those were the perfect thickness. Perhaps those would be a good option for safe-keeping?
One other thing that buying slabs give you an advantage over raw is something that's bugged me for a while too, but just for buying online. When I'm looking to buy a new stamp I like to try to get ones that are nicely centered. When I look at a dealer's inventory at their online shop, or even on Ebay, they sometimes will use a "stock" image which is a nicely centered stamp and when you order you get whatever one they pull out of their inventory which may or may not be as nicely centered as what you saw in the photo. Not all dealers are like that, but if you bought a slab you are at least very likely to be getting the stamp that you saw in the picture.
That's why you must read the whole listing AND ask lots of questions, especially if it's a high value. edit: spelling
Until the chinese start to fake them as well LOL any how Peter is a Heratic n should be burnt at the steak (with chips (fry's to you lot) n barbacue sauce LOL)
