Look for Canada 1974 year set

Canada — Many postal administrations produce specially packaged year sets for sale to collectors. The packages often include art, text and background material relating to the stamps.

The practice probably began as an easy way for a collector to get an example of every stamp issued during the year without buying them individually at the post office or by mail from the philatelic department of the postal administration.

But there are collectors who save these year sets intact. The aftermarket demand is kind of hit or miss. Some countries’ year sets are worth a lot more than the value of the individual stamps and some are not. For example, the United States 1968, 1969, and 1970 year sets are worth considerably more than the stamps themselves.

I recently saw a Canada Post 1974 year set with the original envelope it came in sell in an online auction. The opening bid was just 99¢, but multiple bidders chased it all the way up to more than $85.

The 2014 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue value of the mint stamps in the set was only $11.45. You could probably find most of these stamps in a Canadian dealer’s discount postage box for face value or less.

Scout around and see what you can find. I don’t know that I would pay $85 for this year set, but it would probably be a great buy at $50 or less.

A Linn’s editor did not find this week’s recommended stamps on ZillionsofStamps.com. 

Tip of the week
United States — In the Nov. 25, 2013, Stamp Market Tips column, I advised collectors to buy the $2 Jenny Invert pane of six. I think it is important that I should again encourage collectors to buy this pane at the face value of $12 from their local post offices or by mail from Stamp Fulfillment Services, the United States Postal Service’s mail-order division.

As every reader of Linn’s probably knows, 100 of these panes were intentionally produced with the Jenny aircraft flying right side up. So far relatively few of these have been discovered, with Linn’s reporting only 10 found to date.

At this rate, I believe that far fewer than the full 100 will ultimately turn up. Some might end up unrecognized in collections. If the issue doesn’t sell out, some will be destroyed by the Postal Service.

This is the ultimate lottery. If you don’t find the upright version, you can still use or sell the stamps for postage.

It would be a travesty if not all of these upright Jenny Invert souvenir sheets are found. Current buy prices for the souvenir sheet range upward from $25,000.

The only one I have seen advertised for sale was at $75,000, but that souvenir sheet was graded 95. Typically, they are not so well centered.

The true market price for the upright Jenny Invert will be somewhere between $25,000 and $75,000. — H.G.