At Face Value

# 741 GRAND CANYON Sheet of 50 2c MNH Stamps 1934.

That was the title of one of my recent sheets of stamps I listed on eBay. Did you get it? It's Scott's catalog #741 of our USPS sheet of 50 stamps from 1934, mint, never hinged, with a face value of 2-cents each. Since I start all my stamp auctions at face value, this auction was listed at $1.00. It ended selling for $11.02 plus S&H.

That got me thinking of face value. When we say we take something at face value, what do we mean?

The definition of face value has to do with the apparent/written value of something as opposed to its market value or real worth right now. Based on this definition, the face value of this sheet is $1.00 but its real value is $11.02.

So if I take YOU at face value, or you take MY SITUATION at face value, is it our way of reducing each other to the most objective, lowest common denominator without the added drama of our subjectivity? Is it in our best interest to see at face value instead of with our penchant for judgmental assessment? Or do we perhaps NEED to judge things in order to give them more worth than their face value?

I'll just let that hang there for awhile.....

In the meantime, I've been selling things on eBay like a mad woman (which I already mentioned a couple posts ago!). Today my 110th eBay auction sold and I've sold 13 books thus far on Amazon.com. What's left is mostly philatelic stuff from my years of collecting. I can't take it with me, so I'm selling it. I'm lucky it still holds value...not only its face value but more. The nice thing about stamps is that you know what price to start at (since you can use stamps even from 1934 at their face value!)...and assume it'll only go up, if the stamps are old and scarce. The scarcer the better!

In between the listing and selling is the packaging up and mailing, which I actually love. The whole process from beginning to end is so ME.

At face value, you can safely say I'm having fun! For what it's worth, I'm very grateful to have a way of adding nickels and dimes to the coffers for when the house sells. Nothing new to add on that end of things...not yet. Maybe once I'm finished with eBay, the house will stop holding its breath and will say "Come buy me...for what I'm worth!"

It's HERE!

After several consecutive days of rain and very cold weather, SPRING has finally hit us here in Atlanta!

So I have started to take walks again around the neighborhood and am seeing things again as though for the first time. For some reason, this past winter was a lot harder than usual...maybe for everyone around the country?

With camera in hand, I am enthralled by what happens at this time of the year. It's a sermon unfolding before our very eyes...that as surely as the night comes, it will pass and daylight will arrive. As surely as Winter's breath clutches us, Spring's freshness will release us and set us free.

Let's go fly a kite! This kite has been in this tree for years, weathered by everything that comes its way. I can't help but think it'd much rather be flying!!! I know I would...right this very minute!

On a house-selling note, activity has been very slim, but I've actually been glad because I'm working hard every day to get stuff listed and sold on eBay, Amazon.com, and Craigslist. So far so good, especially on eBay. Who knew that all those duplicate sheets of stamps I bought years ago would be sold now! Once everything is listed, and relisted (you get two times for the price of one, you know), I'll breathe easier and then will start paying attention to the house selling. Ultimately I am confident the timing will be perfect for all concerned!

In the meantime, I will NOT forget that SPRING IS HERE!