Stamp Investment Tip: Guatemala 1939 Air Officials (Scott #CO1-6)

In 1939, Guatemala overprinted 8,083 of its Central American Presidents sets of 1938, issuing its first Airmail Official set (Scott #CO1-6). Scott '11 prices the unused set at $ 6.60.

Aside from the fact that I favor all undervalued issues of Latin America, the Presidents set has obvious appeal throughout Central America. The inexpensiveness of this set is astounding, considering its minuscule printing quantity. Even given Guatemala's current economic conditions, it would still be cheap at five times its current catalog value. It is possible that it's been overlooked because it's an air official set, languishing, for now, in Back-of-Book obscurity.

With a population of about 14 million, Guatemala is a poor but developing country. Since the end of the Civil War in 1996, the country has witnessed a successful transition from authoritarian dictatorship to democracy, although major inequities in income still need to be addressed. In recent years the export sector has grown dynamically. Some of Guatemala's main products include fruits, vegetables, flowers, handicrafts, and textiles. The 1996 peace accords that ended the decades-long Civil War removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and tourism has become an increasing source of revenue. Annual GDP growth has averaged just under 5% over the last 5 years.

I have begun a new blog, "The Stamp Specialist", which will feature my buy prices for stamps which I am interested in purchasing. I've just posted a buy list for Guatemala, including the set and souvenir sheet recommended in this article. Viewing dealers' buy lists every now and then is an excellent way to keep current on the vagaries of the stamp market.

Those interested in becoming part of an international community of stamp collectors, dealers, and investors are welcome to join the "Stampselectors" group and organization pages at Facebook. These host lively discussions concerning stamp investment and practical aspects of collecting, and are excellent venues for those who wish to buy, sell, or trade stamps.

Stamp Investment Tip: Guatemala Inverted Quetzal Errors (Scott #22a, 23a, 25a)

In 1881, Guatemala issued an attractive set of stamps picturing its national bird, the Quetzal (Scott #21-25). Each stamp was printed in two colors, and as occasionally happens during the printing of multi-colored stamps, a few sheets went through the printing press upside-down, producing invert errors of the 2, 5, and 20 centavos denominations (Scott #22a, 23a, 25a). Quantities issued are not known, but in all probability, the stamps are extremely scarce to rare, with quantities remaining ranging from about 20-50 for #23a to a few hundred for each of #s 22a and 25a. For unused examples, Scott '11 values #22a at $400.-, #23a at $3,000.-, and #25a at $500.-.

Aside from the fact that I favor all undervalued issues of Latin America, the Quetzal Inverts also appeal to both the most affluent of Bird Topical collectors, and to Error collectors. The scarcest of the three (#23a) is rarer than an Inverted Jenny, the most famous American invert, yet may be had for less than 1% of the cost of its snobby cousin up north.

With a population of about 14 million, Guatemala is a poor but developing country. Since the end of the Civil War in 1996, the country has witnessed a successful transition from authoritarian dictatorship to democracy, although major inequities in income still need to be addressed. In recent years the export sector has grown dynamically. Some of Guatemala's main products include fruits, vegetables, flowers, handicrafts, and textiles. The 1996 peace accords that ended the decades-long Civil War removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and tourism has become an increasing source of revenue. Annual GDP growth has averaged just under 5% over the last 5 years.

I have begun a new blog, "The Stamp Specialist", featuring my buy lists for stamps which I wish to purchase, including some sets from Guatemala. I have not buy-listed the Inverted Quetzals, but would be happy to purchase any offered at reasonable prices and with certificates. Periodically viewing dealers' buy lists is an excellent way to remained informed about the state of the stamp market.

Those interested in joining a community of stamp investors are welcome to join the "StampSelectors" group on Facebook. The group provides a valuable forum for those who wish discuss this blog, as well as trade or communicate with stamp collectors, dealers, and investors from all over the world.

Stamp Investment Tip: Guatemala 1935-37 Overprinted Airmails

Between 1935 and 1937, Guatemala issued four scarce overprinted airmail sets which are becoming increasingly more difficult to find. These sets are listed along with their quantities issued and Scott '10 Catalog Values below:

• C32-46 1935-37 Green Quetzal Overprint (3,000;$57.30 )
• C47-69 1935-37 Green Quetzal Overprint ( (3,000; $70.20 )
• C70-79 1937 Blue Airplane Overprint ( 5,000; $35.10)
• C80-91 1937 Black Airplane Overprint (3,000; $43.50 )

It is likely that many of these air sets were used as postage and discarded. They are grossly undervalued, especially considering that there are many collectors of Latin American stamps who focus on the region as a whole. I strongly recommend purchasing them in either F-VF+ NH or LH condition.

With a population of about 14 million, Guatemala is a poor but developing country. Since the end of the Civil War in 1996, the country has witnessed a successful transition from authoritarian dictatorship to democracy, although major inequities in income still need to be addressed. GDP growth has accelerated gradually, and now stands at around 5%.

Those interested in joining a community of stamp collectors, investors and dealers are welcome to join the Facebook "Stampselectors" group, now numbering over 1,600 members.