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Stamp Collectors Against Dodgy Sellers
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Rogernorth is another seller who has been found to advertise common U.S. 1851-57 3-cent imperforate #11s (CV $10) as their high-premium color varieties #10s (orange brown, CV $100). He has refused to respond to e-mail inquiries asking for assurance of the stamp's identity.
After the winning bidder of the #11 shown at center (grid cancel) refused to complete the transaction upon being notified of the misrepresentation, rogernorth re-advertised the stamp as a #10, and sold it to another member.
This seller contacted SCADS on release of this article, saying that he does respond to emails, adding: "I am more than willing to entertain expert opinions about my lots and even to remove such lots, as long as the person contacting me first presents qualifications as being an expert on the subject."
Despite two polite requests to him, we never did hear back what constitutes "qualifications as being an expert". It is our view that those who have studied an issue in depth and can point sellers to the relevant publications (literature, websites, or their own findings) should qualify as expert enough for their opinions to be taken seriously by sellers.
The seller's most recent listings of mis-described #10s received no bids at all. However, when one of these lots was re-listed, the scan of the exact same stamp showed a distinct "color change," compared to that of the same stamp illustrated in the preceding unsold lot. The stamp, shown below in both of rogernorth's colors, is classic example of a plate 4 impression (faint left frame line) which confirms it as a #11.
As with stamplady99, in the month following the release of this article rogernorth did not list any #11s misdescribed as #10s. Stay tuned for more about rogernorth, though.
See this site for in-depth information on #10 and #11 identification.