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Terms of Sale, Payment, Postage, and Abbreviations
Terms of Sale
Payment Methods and Options
Postage & Shipping Information
Abbreviations, Quality, and Condition
Terms of Sale Top 
Prices are in U.S. dollars. See Payment Methods and Options. North Carolina residents please add 7% sales tax. Though prices are subject to change without notice, I will make every reasonable effort to honor the listed prices. Not responsible for typographical errors.

If I am not able to fill your order completely, you will receive a prompt refund check if you paid by check or money order. If you would prefer to receive credit for future orders, please advise, and I will gladly maintain a credit for you.

Authenticity & Your Satisfaction is Guaranteed. Unless specifically stated, you may return anything, within ten days of receipt, for exchange, credit, or full refund. My exclusive money-back lifetime guarantee assures to the purchaser every item is genuine and as described.

Approvals are Available. You may view virtually any item on approval. (This service is subject to credit approval and is not automatically available for all material, for all people, or to all destinations.) Your want list for any Scandinavian material is welcome. Most of my clients prefer to select their stamps via approvals -- it is my most popular service.

Please List Your Alternate Choices. Many items are one of a kind. To avoid disappointment, please include alternates with your order. Alternates will be sent only if something you have ordered is sold out.

Payment Plans are Available. If you wish to purchase any item (or selection) for which making payments would be more convenient, interest-free payments plans are often available (subject to credit approval).

If you need to make a return... For your protection, any returns should be sent by insured or registered mail, with full value declared. Whomever places an item in the mails remains responsible for it until it is successfully received by the addressee. I may send items by either normal mail or certified mail; I take the "sending risk" when I do so. However, if you are making a return, unless you have private stamp insurance, the only way you can protect yourself against loss in the mail is to use insured or registered mail. The method that I may have chosen to originally send the package (at my risk) is not relevant to how you should send a return. The choice, and "return risk", is yours.
Payment Methods and Options Top 
Checks, drafts, and money orders should be payable in U.S. Dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank and made out to Jay Smith & Associates. Checks drawn on non-U.S. banks often require several weeks to clear and may incur significant bank charges. International postal money orders are also accepted, however please be aware that, from some countries, they may take several weeks to reach me. I may, at my discretion, require time for personal checks to clear prior to shipping an order.

MasterCard Accepted   Visa Accepted  
Visa and MasterCard are welcome, but these are the only credit cards that I currently accept. Your credit card is not charged until your order is shipped. If I already have your current credit card information on file, I can process your purchase immediately upon you email, phone, fax, or postal mail instructions. If I do not yet have your credit card information, or the information that I do have is not or may not be current, you can supply your credit card information via my SECURE WEB SITE. Or you may supply it via phone, fax, or postal mail. Be sure to include the complete number, expiration date, and your name as it appears on the card. You will use the Jay Smith & Associates secure web server and your credit card bill will indicate that your purchase is from Jay Smith & Associates. I am a fully qualified Visa and MasterCard merchant and thus process your purchase directly. There are no fees for using your credit card and your order is sent immediately upon authorization. Your credit card is charged in U.S. Dollars; if your credit card statement is in a different currency, your credit card company does the currency conversion; their currency rates are usually the best that you can possibly get.

Alternatively, you may supply your credit card information by calling toll-free from US and Canada 1-800-447-8267 (outside US and Canada call 336-376-9991). You may send faxes to my 24-hour fax: 336-376-6750.

If only the expiration date has changed, you are welcome to email me with the new date. Please include the last four digits of your credit card number, but not the full number if you are using email.

Cash in U.S. Dollars and other currencies sent through the mail is done so at risk of the sender. I do not recommend sending cash through the mail, but sometimes it is a practical solution. I do suggest that you use Registered Mail. Additionally, do not use "greeting card" size (larger, taller) envelopes as postal workers generally know that such envelopes often contain cash. I can accept cash payment in U.S. & Canadian Dollars, Scandinavian currencies, and Euros. It is a good idea to let me know, by some other means, that you have sent cash, so that I may be on the lookout for it.

Merchandise credit in exchange for your duplicates or unneeded stamps and coverscan be a great way to add to your collection. If you have Scandinavian philatelic material, or even non-Scandinavian material, send what you have, with your asking price. Once an agreement is reached, you will receive merchandise credit which you may use in payment for any type of purchase. (I do not trade "item for item" or "value for value" as this is usually too complicated and time consuming.)

Full gum U.S. and Scandinavian postage can sometimes be accepted as payment (merchandise credit is given). In the case of U.S. postage, the percentage of face value paid depends upon the denominations and my current needs. U.S. postage must be sorted, packaged, and labeled by denomination. In the case of Scandinavian postage, the percentage of face value paid depends upon the specific countries and stamp issues involved.

Approvals are Available. You may view virtually any item on approval. (This service is subject to credit approval and is not automatically available for all material, for all people, or to all destinations.) Your want list for any Scandinavian material is welcome. Most of my clients prefer to select their stamps via approvals -- it is my most popular service.

Payment Plans are Available. If you wish to purchase any item (or approval selection) for which making payments would be more convenient, interest-free payments plans are usually available (subject to credit approval).

I Also Buy: I am interested in buying Scandinavian philatelic material including collections, single items, and accumulations. Rarities, covers, and "unusual" material are especially needed. When sending material, please use registered mail and include your asking price. Your offer will receive my personal attention. I also have many clients seeking non-Scandinavian stamps too -- if you have a non-Scandinavian collection which is no longer active, consider using its value to help build your Scandinavian collection.
Postage & Shipping Information Top 
Stamp & Cover orders totalling over $40.00, shipped within the U.S., are POSTPAID, unless otherwise stated. Stamps and covers are sent by first class mail. For postage costs on smaller orders, please see the table below.

Stamp & Cover shipped OUTSIDE the U.S. are subject to a postage and handling charge. There is always a postage and handling charge for stamp/cover (and all other items as well) orders sent outside the U.S. There is a minimum $3.00 charge, but the amount will vary by weight, size, value, and destination. Registered or Express Mail shipping is required to a few countries. Please note that as of May 2007, all surface mail services from the U.S. were discontinued. The only shipping options are some form of airmail or express serivce.

Book orders: Within the U.S. There is a $3.00 flat shipping fee per order for shipment by Media Mail (if the items qualify for Media Mail shipping), unless otherwise stated in the item description. An order may include any number of books to be shipped in the same package. Priority and Express Mail shipping are available at addtional cost. If you require insurance, the cost is additional.

Book orders: Outside the U.S. Shipping is additional. You may have the choice of receiving your books via Express Mail, Priority Mail or Air Letter Mail. To some destinations, we may require shipment via Express Mail, registered mail, and/or with insurance. Please advise of any special shipping or customs requirements when placing your order.

Book Ordering: Especially when placing your order by postal mail, please advise us of your shipping preferences; if you will be paying by check, you are welcome to call to inquire about specific shipping costs. (If you order via the website or email, you will receive a reply with the shipping options and costs.) Using your VISA or MasterCard greatly simplifies the process and speeds along your order.

Whenever possible, the shipping costs will be combined and reduced. For this reason, the easiest and most convenient and accurate method of payment is MasterCard or Visa.

Clients outside North America should include $10.00 for Registered Mail, if it is desired. I may have to require that Registered Mail or Express Mail be used for certain destinations.

The following are guidelines for estimating shipping costs:

Type of Order    From $       To $ Please Add
 
Stamp/Cover Orders:
To the U.S.:
$0.01 $10.00 $4.00
$10.01 $20.00 $3.00
$20.01 $40.00 $2.00
$40.01 -- Postpaid
 
Album Orders all all Please inquire.
 
Book Orders
To the U.S.:
(Not including "Specials".)
all all $3.00 flat fee
for Media Mail.
 
Book Orders To Canada:
Please specify your preference for fastest or most economical shipping method. Minimum $9.00,
but varies,
please inquire
 
Book Orders, Overseas:
Please specify your preference for fastest or most economical shipping method. Varies,
please inquire
Abbreviations, Quality, and Condition: Top 
Superb     Perfectly centered.
VF Very Fine (very well centered with almost equal margins; will please the most discriminating collector).
F-VF+ Fine to Very Fine Plus (middle range between VF and F-VF).
F-VF Fine to Very Fine (a middle range between Fine and VF with two opposite equal margins).
Fine+ Fine Plus (perforations well clear of the design; a middle range between F-VF and Fine).
Fine (perforations clear the design).
Ave Average (perforations touch or cut the design).
SD Slightly Damaged (a presentable copy, but may have a thin, crease, pulled perf, etc.).
NH, UM,
Never HingedNever Hinged
Never Hinged Original Gum, Unmounted, Postfrisk.
Mint, MM
Mint Hinged
Mint Hinged, Mounted Mint
Stamps are Mint with original gum, but are hinged. Generally this will also indicate that the stamps are Lightly Hinged (LH) unless otherwise mentioned.
LH Stamps are Mint Lightly Hinged with original gum.
OG Original Gum.
NG
Mint, No Gum
No Gum.
RG Regummed.
pp Pulled perforation.
Used
Used
In most general sense, means stamps are not mint, i.e. the stamps are canceled. Will generally mean stamps are postally used.
Postally Used
Postally UsedPostally Used
Stamps are genuinely Postally Used, thus are not canceled to order and not with first day cancels, etc.
Canceled
Canceled to Order
In most general sense, means stamps are not mint, i.e. the stamps are canceled. Specifically will mean that the stamps may be canceled to order, have first day cancels, or perhaps may be postally used but that cannot be determined positively.
fl, flr, fluor Fluorescent, sometimes also listed in catalogs as phosphorescent. Shows reaction under Ultraviolet (UV) light. The color of the reaction depends upon the chemicals used in or on the paper. For Scandinavian stamps, a LONG-WAVE UV light source is required. For stamps of other areas, including the U.S. a SHORT-WAVE UV light source is often required. See this article for more information.
nfl, nonfluor Non Fluorescent. No reaction under UV light.
yfl Yellow Fluorescent reaction under UV light.
wfl White Fluorescent reaction under UV light.
FDC First day cover.
Unaddressed In the context of First Day Covers: No address has been written or typed onto the FDC, thus it could not have been mailed. In some cases, an address may have been printed on the FDC at the same time the cachet was printed (if it has a cachet); in those cases, the address is considered to be part of the cachet and the FDC is not considered to be addressed.
Addressed In the context of First Day Covers: An address has been written, typed, or labeled onto the FDC, thus it may have been mailed. In some cases, an address may have been printed on the FDC at the same time the cachet was printed (if it has a cachet); in those cases, the address is considered to be part of the cachet and the FDC is not considered to be addressed.
Addressed Used In the context of First Day Covers: An address has been written, typed, or labeled onto the FDC, and there is postal evidence, such as postmarks or sorting machine marks, that the FDC actually passed through the mail.
Registered In the context of First Day Covers: The FDC has been sent through the mail via registered mail and thus usually bears a registered mail label and usually bears postal markings on the reverse. Covers having been sent in this manner often also have manuscript notations of delivery attempts by postal workers; these are not considered to be defects on registered mail FDCs. Of course the FDC must have been addressed to be sent by registered mail.
Covers will show signs of wear normal for passage through the mails.

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Jay Smith & Associates   P.O. Box 650   Snow Camp, NC 27349-0650   USA
Toll-Free Phone (US & Canada): 1-800-447-8267   Phone: 336-376-9991   Fax: 336-376-6750   Email: js@JaySmith.com

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