Ostrava 1945, Grau and Investing
Peter Valdner (2024)
On this blog, there is the article about the six editions of Grau, explaining why today only the 4th to 6th editions are really useful for collectors, with the 6th one (in color) being the ideal choice. It makes it easy to identify fake overprints, saving collectors considerable sums of money.
Today, using a recent example, we will show what the book means in the field of investment. There is no doubt that the revolutionary overprints of 1945 are investment-grade stamps. Those that not long ago sold for just a few CZK are now fetching tens or even hundreds of CZK at auctions, with the rarer types even more than 1,000 CZK per piece. That’s appreciation in the thousands of percent.
Recently, on June 6, 2024, an auction closed for a lot of 11 “Moravská Ostrava” stamps.
The lot was described in accordance with the 2nd edition of Grau which—although outdated—is unfortunately still the most commonly used here, as it was the only edition available for a long time. In that 2nd edition, three types of the “Moravská Ostrava” overprint are listed, which makes the city seem relatively easy to obtain. That was reflected in the bids of most (10) interested parties, which stayed around 100 CZK per piece.
However, in the 4th to 6th editions of Grau this type is classified as “Slezská Ostrava” and ranks among the top localities, selling today at around 1,000 CZK per piece. The lot was sold well below value for 3,640 CZK—just over 330 CZK per piece. The competitors clearly did not have the updated Grau and thus missed the opportunity for a very favorable investment. The winner effectively saved 7,500 CZK, which happens to be the current price of the color Grau (300 EUR). In other words, practically an immediate return on investment.
The 4th edition of Grau is still considerably cheaper… If you are interested in either of the books, just contact me.
I join in congratulating the winner.
Sources: Internet and archives of the author
Contact:valdpete@yahoo.com
