StampChat Archives

Archive:  May 2003

• Last updated:  20 March 2004

May 31, 2003 John@Magnolia Stamps

I don't know much about G.B. But I do have the black 20 on a sovenier sheet f.d.c. if you want or need it!Just tell me where to send it.

May 31, 2003 Prometheus

Roger Heath= Razor Cancels
I guess Razor Cancels must be a challenge
I looked at 400 used swiss post cards today
Not one was a razor dates from 1885- 1924
Broad range of dates and places all kinds of different
cancels but Razors -0

May 31, 2003 Roger Heath

Bad linkitis
Whatever John's got, it's catching. Everyone had better disinfect their computers, I think we have an electronic SARS. Machin perfs.Roger );>) going out to eat now.
 

May 31, 2003 21:40 Roger Heath

Machin perfs
Looks like they even had the different long perfs.

Roger

PS the previous post was Hawaii Standard Time.This is really tough to looko at computer time and add 3 hours on th e24 hour clock. Works weel before luch, after luunch, I need a nap!

May 31, 2003 2131 Prometheus

Question about DDR Material
are DDR First day covers from the early 70's worth 50 cents a piece, Some have the whole Sovenier Sheet with them
Like this THIS
I have no interest in them and have been offered up a few dozen all different

May 31, 2003 18:31:10 Roger Heath

Whooppss!!!
John - a little blue on this page never hurt anyone. LOL. I read the other day that the "Link o'Matic" adds the extra Http... Fun to see your attempts. But then again I probably couldn't get your rig away from the curb!

The other day there was a Machin discussion. I received this group today. My question is, are there any other denominations available? );>)

Roger


 

May 31, 2003 Magnolia Stamps

Thanks!apparently I'm to darn stupid to use the link o matic.So I'll just give up!I got it Ms=Mass.But I also have covers From Miss.same era that say Ms.

May 31, 2003 John

[link repaired; mod.]

May 31, 2003 21:00 jim Watson

John,
That cover is certainly a Massachusetts cover. MS was an abbreviation for Massachusetts which was used commonly at that time.
 

May 31, 2003 20:59:47 PDT Bill Seymour <billsey@dsl-only.net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

.Link

May 31, 2003 John

Bill......all I got was invalid page!

May 31, 2003 20:57:17 PDT Bill Seymour <billsey@dsl-only.net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

.Link

May 31, 2003 john

last time and I'll quit
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2929875824 this page

May 31, 2003 John

May 31, 2003 john

??????????????????????
try it again

May 31, 2003 John @ Magnolia Stamps

??????????????????????
Any thought on this cancelation is it Mississippi or Mass. this is one that I just won the other day....HELPPPPPPPPP

May 31, 2003 John @ Magnolia Stamps

Oooops I forgot
Some #39s also carried a Boston style Paid in a circle with 3 lines on top 3 lines on bottom all in a circle!If that makes since!

May 31, 2003 John @ Magnolia Stamps <Re:# 39>

John in Ms.

May 31, 2003 nomad55

July 4th
Wiz....back then, July 4th was not considered a holiday. I have a July 4th from 1861. Post offices operated normally .

July 4th regular cancellations occur up until the 1930's. A nice collection can be formed of those. After that, July 4th cancels tend to be philatelic and pictorial.

May 31, 2003 6:30PM Bill Weiss

USED #39
Richard's right, likely just a fake cancel. Briguy says it all, anything sold AS IS or Sale Final, especially from this guy is all you need to know.
Coverwis; I'm pretty sure mail processing was the same on Holidays back then. See if Richard knows anything different.

May 31, 2003 chas adrion

speed
Your raw speed was 1394922.6 bits per second
sounds good to me!

May 31, 2003 brian R (briguy)

Clark/reperf That seller and the private status of the auction should tell you all you need to know about that #39.

May 31, 2003 COVERWIZ

I wondered because it was the 4th of July, a Holiday.......

May 31, 2003 15:29 Roger Heath

Speed Test
Using the site Mauro linked to, I get the following:

Communications 1.6 megabits
Storage : 194.8 kilobytes
1MB file download = 5.3 sec (this is the one I like best for uploading folders via FTP) Must remember the days of 2.3kps.
Just for the record I am using hawaii.rr.com (Roadrunner Viacom Cable TV access) with a population density of about 200 per square mile.

Roger

May 31, 2003 5:00PM Bill Weiss

CLARK; that #39 is coming up to me as "Invalid", can you send an item number? BOB M.; I would say that any random yeardate cancel is just as rare or common as any other, whether during the Civil War or otherwise.

May 31, 2003 17:48 Jim Watson

Not unexpected: Communications 43.5 kilobits per second.
Rating Compared to all connection types worldwide, yours is poor.
So what do you expect of a POTS service? One of these years I'll upgrade but what I have sure beats the 14.4 kbps I had fro a number of years.

May 31, 2003 16:21:43 PDT Bill Seymour <billsey@dsl-only.net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

Speed Tests
I came in at 345.4 Kbps for this system down at the beach. I'll have to try again from home on Sunday evening...

May 31, 2003 Richard Frajola

Clark That #39 is not a perfed proof - just fake cancel near as I can tell from scan.

May 31, 2003 Bob Hohertz

Internet Speed
Ok - said I got 1 megabit per second from my cable connection - and rated it as "fantastic" - I like it, I know.....

May 31, 2003 1507 Clark (reperf)

Used 90 cent Washington #39
Oops! Try the "used" #39 or proof again

May 31, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Mauro
From aol at prime time (6pm eastern) on dialup, get 35.5 kb/s, rating POOR.

May 31, 2003 1504 Clark (reperf) <no_email@spam.com>

Used 90 cent Washington #39
Is this #39 used, unused or really a perforated proof? Opinions?

May 31, 2003 Mauro Mowszowicz

Internet speed
Hi, for all of you curious enough to test your internet conection speed, here you will find HERE a great site. It will be interesting if you guys share the test results ...
Regards to all from South America
Mauro

May 31, 2003 Knud-Erik

Hi folks - Here is a small greeting from Albufiera in Portugal.
Weather is fine - food is fine (got lobster toonight!) - the wine is fine - so life is´n that bad at all.
I will be back in a day or two so have a good time. :O)

K.E.

May 31, 2003 14:41 Dave ("philatarium")

Knud-Erik: Good to hear from you! Thanks for checking in during your trip. Hope you're both having a great time. (And thanks for your periodic posts on eBay to this board. I think they brought some people over here!) Continue having a safe trip.

Anne: We'll miss you until you get back. Have a safe trip. (The stamps will be waiting for you when you get back.)

-- Dave

May 31, 2003 Knud-Erik

Hi folks - Here is a small greeting from Albufiera in Portugal where I and my better half is on vacation.

Weather is fine - food is good and fairly cheap (I got lobster tonight!) - wine is realy good - so all in all - life is fine! *lol* - I hope you all are having a good time. :O)

I will be on line for a half an hour but will be back one of the next days.



K.E.

May 31, 2003 anne

Goodnight to all and to all sweet dreams of faster internet connections, an ebay that loads before the next Ice Age, and interesting write-ups on stamps and covers. Anne

May 31, 2003 02.33 Knud-Erik Andersen

Greeting!!
Hi folks - Here is a small greeting from Albufiera in Portugal where I and my better half is on vacation.

Weather is fine - food is good and fairly cheap (I got lobster tonight!) - wine is realy good - so all in all - life is fine! *lol* - I hope you all are having a good time. :O)

I will be on line for a half an hour but will be back one of the next days.



K.E.

May 31, 2003 14:16 COVERWIZ Bob M

Union Patriotic RI 7/4/64
Mr. Weiss Where July 4 postmarks common in 1864? Have this Pinkney Rhode Island soldier and encampment Union patriotic with Baltimore JUL 4 '64 cds that I would appreciate your comments on. Thank you in advance ( TIA)

May 31, 2003 21.55 BST Ed.B

Ed

May 31, 2003 John@Magnolia Stamps

John in Ms.

May 31, 2003 13:44:30 Roger Heath

Internet connections
862.08Kbps (107.76 KBps)
1145.7Kbps (144.4 KBps)
Hey! I just tested my line speed at two different site, I thought today was fast. I remember when I was on dialup and the speed was something like (1.8 KBps). Ever since I got cable, I've been more than pleased. Ebay really did have problems over th past couple of days, it just wasn't acknowledged. So what else is new?

Roger

May 31, 2003 1:27 pm Bob in WA

Bob

May 31, 2003 Brian R (briguy)

Too bad that the stamp isn't still on something like a folded letter. Knowing what was going on a the time, I'm pretty certain the posting it paid, wasn't filled with happy talk of sunny summer days! In retrospect, I'm even more pleased to have gotten this stamp. Not only is it a Charlottesvile cancel, which I needed, but one that occurred at the exact time the town was playing it's only major role in the war.
 

May 31, 2003 13:04:20 Roger Heath

Maybe, should I collect Swiss?
Brian -
I was trying to put together a story of 2 different stamps and some of the facts ran together. The point being certain stamps were issued for specific purposes and if that purpsoe isn't reflected in the cancel, one must assume something is wrong and does not have the stated value in the catalogue. Every Swiss catalogue I have states somthing like this, "Dangerous forgeries, especially of the 30centimes exist. Collectors are advised to ask for a guarantee when buying." I saw one offered by a South American dealer that had a partial cancel. It obviously was wrong because the town code was partially visible, it was a 1960's cancel. It was not withdrawn, the response was, we're having our our experts study it. The stamp was relisted.

Concerning the price of Swiss stamps - I have had lots of fun and I'm putting together a respectable collection of a few small areas. I went through the phase of filling each hole in my GB until I reached the point where each stamp remaining was $300 or more, but available in any auction. I felt I was trading hundred dollar bills for a small piece of paper, which later would be traded back again. I lost interest and have been slowly selling off the GB. (I'm up to 1873 );>))
Depending on your interest, Swiss collecting has much to offer. They have been the home of the UPU since its inception and quite often are at the forefront of new technology, i.e. chocolate smelling stamps, and embroidered stamps are among the most recent innovations. They have been a creative society where three languages are spoken, everyone lives 10 minutes from the great outdoors, and busiiness has always required efficient communication. The trains work too!

Here’s an item that arrived in yesterday’s mail. One of the original purposes of the device designed by Mr DeCoppet was to cancel “non-flat” items and have the cancel legible. There are many wrappers with razor cancels, but my new arrival is the first time I’ve seen a stamp stuck directly onto the paper and cancelled. All cancel devices in Switzerland were recut to include the number of its postal district. The aboveLuzern device is a modification of one first placed in service in 1909 (with question marks listed on my list), which finally reappeared in April 1919 (a cross-over of dates, where actual dates don’t jibe with dates on the list). The date on this paper fragment is 12 August, 1919, so I’ll be looking for more “bulk” items which may have this last iteration of a Luzern razor cancel. My latest razor cancel useage is this from May 28, 1938, but it is known used until November 1938. Even though this Luzern cancel has commonest rating of "1", and is listed used between 1919 and 1938, this American Express cover is the only date I have found after 1924. So useage must be scarcer than the list states. You don’t happen to have one in your dollar box do you?

Roger

May 31, 2003 John

io....Some times one of my friends from Starkville Ms.lets me ride in the plane while they do survey work for the gas co.I have no Idea what they are doing while up there but it's fun to fly around,I got stuck in N.M.back in 88 and flew home on southwest air,and got to see the big meteor crater from 20k+ ft....Oh boy big fun...
Later

May 31, 2003 John @ Magnolia Stamp http:// Still Trying to ride...
 

Well i'd better get gone from here the honey doooo list is waiting,I've already mowed the yard,now I must wash the ragtop,MonCher wants to drive it to work tonight!Not to mention going to the city to do the shopping and such..See Ya Later!

May 31, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Hmmm
Never thought to insure my stamp collection.
Have no idea how much its worth anyway.
Whenever I leave town I just throw it all in the safe.

john
As a geologist I get to see a lot of the country, however most of what I see is off road.
One day I'll relate my stories working as a truck driver's mate (not American connotation) for Schweppes.

May 31, 2003 John

Brian...I know what you mean!

May 31, 2003 John@ Magnolia Stamps

Here is another nifty lot from the guy in Fla,Please note the the #12 or the trimmed #30 and the other great bargains,this group is as bad as the other..http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=683&item=2931031280

May 31, 2003 Brian R

John-- I heard that from someone else too. I hope the unfortunate proir owner had the items well documented, always sad to hear about things like that. Recently, I took the step of having my insurance policy updated, to reflect the value of my collection. Fear and stamp collecting are two things that should not exist together. :o(

May 31, 2003 John @ Magnolia Stamps http://
 

John in Ms.(Not the fly by Poster)

May 31, 2003 John @ Magnolia Stamps

Have you heard that some one supposidly stole a whole book of confederates at the show in Biloxi in March....I guess they will show up on ebay in they have not already shown up!

May 31, 2003 John @ Magnolia Stamps http://
 

John in Ms.(Not the fly by Poster)

May 31, 2003 Brian R

BoB-- As usual, your writeupa are equally fascinating. :0)

May 31, 2003 Brian R

Roger-- I want to mention how nice your writeup about the first swiss airmail was. I don't collect Switzerland, but found it fascinating, nonetheless. I almost said to myself, maybe I should (collect swiss stamps), until I noted the prices on those auctions!

May 31, 2003 10:55 Roger Heath

Bangladesh
Bob -
What a wonderful article to read while drinking a cup of my favorite Kona coffee. Your writing style is wonderful. I wish I could express my points with such clarity.
Roger

May 31, 2003 10:27 Bjorn Munch (bjornmu)

I guess auctionpix doesn't allow access throught links from other sites (except eBay?), only direct access.
 

May 31, 2003 9:44 Bob in WA <rcl.wa@verizon.net>

Bob in WA
 

May 31, 2003 0938 Dan (ddaannv)

USA Philatelic catalog
Anybody know when USPS will publishe their next catalog? I have the Christmas holiday one, but they didn't list any low value (1,2,5 cent) stamps, and I'm running low on those.
Thanks,
Dan

May 31, 2003 09.25 Colin Judd UK (xzephyr) <thejudds@saltsvillage.freeserve.co.uk> http://mysite.freeserve.com/GB_Special_Issues/
 

Colin

May 31, 2003 09:14:49 Jim Whitford-Stark <jlwstark6@aol.com> http://www.iomoon.com
 

Paolo & Maarten
CYE's
Dennis in Wyoming
Glad you liked the stamps.

May 31, 2003 8:43 Dave ("philatarium")

Dave P: Taken care of. No prob.

May 31, 2003 Dave P

Apologies
I suppose I had to do it some time, must close the bold agghhhhhhhh

May 31, 2003 08.27 Dave P (orthorpteran)

Re the Coronation booklet you mentioned the other day, I have ordered a batch of them, and will use most for postage. It should give some overseas buyers a nice £1.00 stamp. I have done this over the last ten years or more, so those scarce phosphor band varieties may turn up in kiloware, as I don't just use them on philatelic mail.

May 31, 2003 08.00 Colin Judd UK (xzephyr) <thejudds@saltsvillage.freeserve.co.uk> http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_GB_Machins/
 

Colin

May 31, 2003 07.56 thejudds@saltsvillage.freeserve.co.uk <thejudds@saltsvillage.freeserve.co.uk> http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_stamps
 

Colin
 

May 31, 2003 7:40 Dave ("philatarium")

Marie: Very well said! Thank you.

Paolo: Yes, I have the ability to edit and/or delete posts. So far, the only thing I've done is to correct html commands or fix links.
 

May 31, 2003 7:08 am Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Of course, all these depend on my money situation at the time. I have also been known to buy small collections or accumulations just for a single stamp or particular cancellation.

May 31, 2003 6;45AM Bill Weiss

Lincoln's Eyes
To Jim; indeed, when looking at the two scans you provide, it is obvious that BOTH eyes look different. I had only ever noticed it before on his right eye (our left). My guess is that since the same plates were used for both the perf and imperf and the imperf was later, that the plate became worn in some areas, particularly in such a highly-detailed area as the eyes, thus tended to accumulate ink in these areas moreso than on the perfed. The eyes just look lighter in your scan, don't they? Anyway, the point is that comparing the eye(s) on a #315 to the perfed 5-cent can be one other possible crosscheck.

May 31, 2003 641am Marie Ewan <ewantribe@1st.net>

kind words
To the post about spelling or ametuers: A wise man once said that it was rude to pass judgement on others because they could not spell, or were just learning a trade and/or Hobby. My father, had a PHD in Philosopy, he could not spell worth a flip. I have a degree and can't spell worth a flip. My husband is a truck driver, guess what he can spell. I am not posting this to start an argument, but, in the intrest of keeping this board a good place to post. Until you or anyone walks in anothers shoes please don't clump a group of people together because you think they are beneath "U"
Up front I am sorry if I offended anyone with this response, it was just something that I felt I need to say.

May 31, 2003 05:50 AM Jim Lawler <jlawler@comteck.com>

Jim L.

May 31, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Currently one third of the hits for volcano on eBay are auctions by gscc for totally unrelated Navy ships covers which have cut and paste spam describing every naval action of WW2.
Material I'm sure every potential buyer reads with relish.
It wouldn't be so bad if the seller could actually learn some html and make the posts readable.

May 31, 2003 05:04 Jim Watson

Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is an airmail cover from Brunei to Scotland in 1931.
P.S.: I've also added a page to the Index of these daily postings for the Month of May. Only four months to go to complete the year.

May 31, 2003 Paolo B.

e.g. It's not long ago that in an Italian mail-auction catalogue (which shall remain unnamed) I thought to have spotted a couple of forgeries and one rare perforation variety described as 'imperforated at bottom'. This was a not infrequent 'vertical comb shift' with trimmed perfs at bottom.
Communication yealded silence. The invisible reply is just tangible by the fact that I don't get that auction catalogue anymore.
... :-) and yes, in fact because civilty includes any form of reply and not as an optional accessory. Sometimes, from somebody I can better interpret silence than a loud response (there's an idiomatic expression for this in Italian 'far l'indiano') :-)
Sorry for the inflation of subsequent posts, Paolo

May 31, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Contacting sellers about bad material / to tell or not to tell
In my opinion it would look funny, and even a useless waste of time because it will be likely un-answered and neglected, to write to a known stamp dealer/auctioneer (or even recognized expert) and tell him/her/them , e.g.:
1. to re-measure (or just check) the perfs gauge of the stamp, either because that is a banal fake or because it was conveniently assumed that was a rare perforation variety
2. a fiscal cancel is described as a postal cancel or vice-versa
3. a dark reddish brown stamp described as pale lilac rose
4. a 5 lire denomination of provisional government of Tuscany!

These are all elementary things!
Somebody should just know better. The truth is that somebody pretends 'not to know' and against that inane is any contact. Besides, you would even provide them your e-mail address to spam you with their online sales or else.
Paolo

May 31, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Civility
Dave (philatarium)

Since there's no log-in, and I like this because it's practical,
but anybody could post anything also under false names, I would suppose you can track the true source of any un-solicited (or even offending) posting and, eventually, delete it?

Paolo

 

May 31, 2003 Paolo B.

[here (my ebay 'me page') you can see what I collect, even though lately I had to give a cut to Holland later Issues).
In addition I collect Vatican City, San Marino and Suriname (pre-1965)... well more than collecting I had bought large collections in the past and I didn't really do much to improve it, if not a yet un-completetd study on the early overprints of Vatican City and different types of perforations.
I also collect French cancellations on Sardinian-Italian postage stamps]

Greetings, Paolo

 

May 31, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Jim (IO)

I received your kind e-mail. I, my wife and the two cats (Mrs. Loeki and Minima) would be honoured to guest you in our humble maison!

Sorry for my slowness in replying to e-mails also apologies to David B. and others.

As I wrote, I got a worm in the e-mail and had to do some checking. I am actually not sure if I got rid of it.
Just in case: do not open any attachment to any of my e-mail reply (if you're so lucky to get one :-) unless I say there is an attachment and describe its title and contents in the body of the e-mail (as I usually do).

Paolo

May 31, 2003 11:51 Jim Dire <jfdire@earthlink.net>

Jim
 

May 31, 2003 2345 Clark (reperf) <Spamless@spam.com>

it's possible to be wrong!
Fly By Post --

I know for sure the #315 is a fake. The person who made it was quite clear about its origin. This is not to say that if a little more trimming were done, it might not pass muster at the PSE. However, since the #315 was from a late printing of the 1902 5 cent Lincoln and very few sheets, it should be possible to closely match the color and paper characteristics of a used #315 to a known good unused multiple or sheet margin copy.

Long before eBay provided one stop shopping, stamp dealers could send stamps away by mail order to be "improved". I suppose that some dealers reserved these stamps for bargain minded customers. Old timers in the business will know who used to provide "services" of this kind and who may have converted the #304 to a "#315".

May 30, 2003 22:35 Lavar Taylor

This is one of the most interesting Hindenberg medallion covers I have found. The 10pf watermarked network solo franking is also quite rare, cataloging 140 euros. Now to sleep.

May 30, 2003 anne <abt1950@aol.com> http://stampgoddessesRus.com
 

Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of genuine bargains, genuine stamps, and the freedom to talk about the ones that aren't. Anne

May 30, 2003 John@Magnolia Stamps

I know what you mean..Good deals are hard to find.I had a fairly good amount of spanish material,that I gave away last year,one of the scout troops in Va.needed it.So I sent it to them,may I recamend Rich's Mail Bid Sales in Baltimore to you.2 weeks ago when I was up there he had several package deals on spain.a good bit of early material,for like 30.00 or less.of course I don't know one spanish stamp from another,I do remember sending a nice spain triangle to maarten...Is there something in particular that I should keep my eyes open for ,as I'm allways looking to help.

May 30, 2003 Roger Heath

I'm sorry I made a confusing error in my previous post:

The first stamp for sale and cancelled 28 Dec 1920 was a valid date for flights from Basel to Frankfurt between 14 Nov, 1920 and Jan 14, 1921. Sale of both the 30 and 50 centimes stamps was halted on Jan 24, 1921. No useages after this date is valid postal useage.

Roger

May 30, 2003 20:41:40 Roger Heath

Swiss Airmail #1
I finally dug out my old Helvetia Society reference pertaining to the first Swiss airmail. It was an overprinted 30 centimes Seated Helvetia. I'm always concerned when I see them offered for sale, because they are quite scarce withthe correct cancel.

The stamp was released on 28 Apr 1919 to coincide with the first Official air mail flight, which flew on 30 Apr.. These flights continued until 31 October, 1919 when winter weather stopped the year's flights. The last day of authorised use for this stamp was 31 Oct. It is estimated that 23,500 covers were flown in 1919, meaning there should be 23,500 of these stamps with the correct dates of flights. There were 2 million stamps overprinted!! There have been various reports through the years of the possibilities of what happened. Most were probably destroyed as ordered, or used for internal accounting. The stamps used internally were for such things as being cancelled to account for bulk mailings of newspapers. Theoretically these stamps never left the PO, so there are an unknown amount of used 50 cent propeller stamps floating around, possibly 1.8 million, which doesn't justify the high catalogue price. The jist of these comments is this. Scarcity is based on the stamps being used on cover on the air mail flights, not for PO accounting cancels.

Which brings us to these nice clean examples. First one cancelled 28 Dec 1920. Though these stamps were available to the public until Jan 24, 1921, when sales were stopped, the stamps were not authorized for any public use after the original 6 month trial making this probably a favor cancel.

Second - This must escaped from the internal accounting files of the PO. It wasn't valid after Oct 1919, and only theoretically available until March 1, 1923, when the first airmail series was produced for regular air mail service in Switzerland. It certainly wasn't valid for any postal use on 17 September 1923. These stamps were in effect only valid as "surcharges" for six months in 1919. One occasionally sees multiples with either single or multiple cancels, these are all from internal accounting sheets that should never have been removed from the PO. The was no public reason ever to use a block of four on cover, as only one was required per item.

I'm not an expert in the field, just a teacher, but it is possible for professional dealers to acquire some knowledge about their profession, or get on the phone and ask another fellow dealer. We seem to find on Ebay a multitude of stamp sellers who aren't even interested in "getting it right". BTW - I'm using these stamps as examples in my post because they are the only three currently up for sale on Ebay. Rare stamps just have a knack of showing up here for sale, don't they?

Roger






 

May 30, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

John - Oops, you were talking dealers and I refered to auction houses. Oh well, it's basically the same with trying to find dealers with any kind of interesting stock of Spanish material.

May 30, 2003 8:23 pm Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Dave - I don't think I've been involved in any personal attacks since the old G. Stephens days on ebay.

May 30, 2003 John @ Magnolia Stamps

John in Ms.

May 30, 2003 20:12 Dave ("philatarium")

John: I just cleaned up the links a little bit. Hope you didn't mind. They can get a bit tricky. Have a safe trip!

Richard: Not to worry. Everything you said was above board. (I am concerned about personal attacks, whether implicit or direct.)

-- Dave

May 30, 2003 John@Magnolia Stamps

If it was you that corrected my earlier post about the pile of junk,Thanks.

May 30, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Dave - I will respectfully comply.

May 30, 2003 7:59 pm Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

When you find a "better source" of buying stamps let us all know, huh? I've looked around and found forgeries on every internet auction site I've visited, including some of the top names in stamp auctions. There is no difference to me, you still have to have the knowledge of what you are looking at.

May 30, 2003 19:51 Dave (philatarium)

Civility
This board has remained quite civil up until now, but I'm concerned about it crossing the line.

Reasonable people can disagree about the issues discussed here, but I must really insist on a civil level of discussion no matter what.

This board relies on the self-restraint of each participant to disagree when they must in a respectful and civil manner, and I respectfully ask all participants to do so.

Thank you.

-- Dave

May 30, 2003 John @ Magonlia Stamps

Watch it I resemble that!

May 30, 2003 Prometheus

Thanks again Paolo
I have discovered a new phrase I really like
spedizioni in tutto il mondo

I didn't know ebay had other than the Ebay site.

Just filled 2 holes in my album thanks again

May 30, 2003 Fly by Night http:// I got the ticket !
 

Food for Thought!

May 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Not yet John, my Alpine mail should catch up with me on Monday.
Then off to England for two weeks.

May 30, 2003 6:51 pm Richard Ballhagen

fly by night - In my amateur philatelic opinion, and judging by what I see others say about those, if it can't be proven to be genuine, then you have to assume it's a fake. At least that's what I'd follow if I was looking to buy one.

May 30, 2003 Fly by Post http:// Give me a ticket for a aeroplane
 

and what if reperf is wrong about his so called fake 315.what if it's a good one!Would he not be P.O.'d tossing a 600 dollar stamp in the junk pile.Could it be that there was a line where the imperf sheets were cut.No because every 315 it a fake I forgot.But than again I also forgot all stamps are fakes and only certain collectors have the originals!

May 30, 2003 Magnolia Stamps

io, I thought that you just got back from there!Has my package caught up with you yet?

May 30, 2003 Magnolia Stamps http:// Take a ride on a stamp
 

John in Ms.

May 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

John
Sounds like a grand idea, unfortunately I'll be in NY packing for limey land.

May 30, 2003 5:40PM Bill Weiss

#314 & #320, etc
To Dennis R. That's news to me about glazed gum. No truth to it at all in my opinion. The best way to be certain is, as I said before, by the size of the margins. I do not agree that if the stamps were printed 2mm apart then it's OK to buy an imperf with 1mm margins! No way. You would need almost if not all of the 2mm on each side to be 100% certain. It would still be theoretically possible to get a huge corner freak jumbo copy of #300 and trim it big enough to sell as an imperf - like the copy of #315 shown earlier, but I personally would be very happy if my single had 2mm on each side.

May 30, 2003 Magnolia Syamps

John in Ms.

May 30, 2003 16:57 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

re: Cividini forgeries or remainders
Now that I see the stamps I can look them up. Back shortly.
 

May 30, 2003 4:46 pm Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

But you brought up something I've never thought of. Spain began bar cancelling remainders starting with the issues of 1854. Those officials were issued the same year (1854), but I've never seen them bar cancelled. I checked in the Edifil catalog and there is also no mention of bar cancels for them.

May 30, 2003 16:25 Dave (philatarium)

HTML fixes:
I think I got all the html fixes in. (Still not at my main computer yet, but was able to finesse things to do a bit of this remotely.)

Bill C.: Good suggestion. I'll see how much capability I have with this host to output the entries into a table. I do know from some past experiements that it's very sensitive about line and paragraph breaks, and adds lots of spaces at the end to account for that. I'll look into it.

Bob L.: Still working to make the fixes we discussed in order to do the upload, but it looks like the trip will not be necessary. Stay tuned!

May 30, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

Cividini forgeries or remainders
Richard of Spain, are those Spanish Officals that you linked to forgeries or just ordinary remainders.

David Benson

May 30, 2003 Prometheus

Paolo= Thanks
I really thank you for your effort on this and I didn't even know ebay had an Italy site. That was a neat place to look at.
What do you collect ?
 

May 30, 2003 16:00 Dennis Robertson <dennisrobertson@ezsweeps.com>

314 & 320 Glazed Gum
When purchasing my copies of Scott #'s 314 & 320 (yes I was crazy/stupid enough to purchase singles - the margins did appear larger than the mint 319 they were scanned with), I was told by the seller that a characteristic of these imperfs in mint condition is "glazed gum". Any truth to this? I could not find anything confirming this in my Scott's catalog.

Thanks for any info...
DWyomingMenace

May 30, 2003 dbenson@bigpond.net.au <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

Cinderellas
Just a comment about that crook that was mentioned yesterday selling copies and noting in small letters hidden in the wording that they were Cinderellas. This is one of ther main reasons why Ebay MUST employ someone with philatelic knowledge to weed out these types of sellers who are only selling rubbish disguised as rarities. It would be a waste of time complaing to Safeharbor as just a forme letter would come back saying they are a venue. It is because they allow PRIVATE sales and PRIVATE feedback that this is allowed to happen.

I will repeat this, slightly amended on Ebay Chat but presume it will get zapped.

David Benson

May 30, 2003 03.00 Dave P orthorpteran

Yet more GB stamps
As if there were not enough new issues for this year Royal Mail have announced that it will be changing all the "country" stamps - 16 in all. Apparently the current ones are not read very well by the aoutomatic sorters. The new versions will be of the current design but with white borders (ie of conventional appearance). I sometimes wonder if the stamp design and marketing department ever actually talk to the people who catually run the mail side. new versions are due in October. This means that a couple of the values which have recently seen a change in printing process will have a very short life, although the mint will be stocked up, on past experience some of the values will be very difficult to find genuinely commercially used.

May 30, 2003 Paolo B.

Consular (just a local typo) p;'llllllllgh
 

May 30, 2003 Paolo

Prometheus regarding your consula revenue stamps, I just posted this question on ebay Italy.
Best, Paolo

May 30, 2003 14:42 Bil http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

The reason the eBay chat is more stable is that each message is framed in an HTML table. Ending the table (usually) terminates things like bold and links. It still can be shattered, but the use of tables helps. Perhaps messages here can be automatically framed in tables.

May 30, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Hi all.
Richard B., Dave F : thank you for your consideration and kind words.

Prometheus thank you again for your kind offer. It's not in my collecting field. Very kind thought of yours.

I am sorry the revenues you linked can't be found in that version of Forbin catalogue I linked. Anyhow, please keep the link up as I am going to ask on eBay.it stamp furum (if you do not mind).
Paolo

 

May 30, 2003 Mike Spencer (selecto)

Oh, the graphics! Oh, the design! Oh, the engraver's art!

Who said collecting Modern US coils wasn't exciting?

May 30, 2003 13:57 Dave (philatarium)

Harmless but annoying html mistakes:
Well, wouldn't you know it, the one day when I have to be away from my computer in a major way, is the day when all the html snafus hit?!
: )

I'll take care of these as soon as I can get back to my regular computer, which has more of the tools that I need to take care of this.

In the meantime, press on!

-- Dave

May 30, 2003 13:52:46 PDT Bill Seymour <billsey@dsl-only.net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

Bob, this item is a stock book and I'd be afraid the corners would end up rounded if I shipped with any less protection than a padded envelope.

May 30, 2003 1:44 pm Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

On this list of philatelic experts, there are 2 different Cividini's mentioned, and one is referenced as possibly being the same as the forger, but it does not sound like anything conctrete.

May 30, 2003 Brian R

Thanks Jim-- I just spent about 10 minutes pondering "now, just what is he trying to convey?" I finally got it! A no brainer indeed. :o)

May 30, 2003 1:30PM Bill Weiss

Trimmed Imperfs
Of course Clark is correct in what he is saying. One other thing about #315, which is not widely known nor has ever been published before, so no-one can verify what I am saying here, but I have noticed in expertizing a goodly number of genuine #315s over the years that on genuine #315s, MOST of the time, Lincoln's right eye (our left looking down at the stamp) has a different kind of look to it (It looks "tired") then on the perforated stamp. I have never published this info (so this is a Stampchat scoop!) and likely never will only because this "look" is not a 100% way to identify it, so don't want to cause any expert to make a decision just based on that info. Anyone who owns a certified #315, especially in a mint pair or block, or with private perfs, take a look and see if you notice the "weak right eye" of old Abe.Now I am off for a few hours.

May 30, 2003 1:27 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Forgery Identification Site
 

May 30, 2003 Prometheus

BiLL Weiss- Coils
Thanks for the Information on my " Paste Up" Pairs of Coil stamps
As far as Fiddle away I only collect Stamps up to 1906 so these don't fit in My collection These coils and 26 other pairs were in an Album I bought at an estate auction I wanted the Early US and German states for My Book and
I hadn't even noticed the coils were in the book , Most had been folded over so you only saw one stamp thru the crystal mounts
Guess the previous owner wanted to be sure he Bought real stamps ,
They were a surprizing Bonus and before anyone emails me the pair of 491's have already found a new book to live in, a true collector bought those from me and believe me We both are Happy.

May 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Interesting, the "porn-177" virus seems to have evolved into the "W32/Sobig.b@MM" virus.
One wonders!!
 

May 30, 2003 stamphick

David

May 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Brian

Sorry, the devil made me do it.

A no- Brain R!!!

May 30, 2003 1255 Clark (reperf <no_spam@today.com>

Fake #314
Here is the largest fake 315 I have seen. It was created by a person who probably had access to thousands of used #304 over the years. It was clipped from a corner copy (the difference in the edges are apparent in the scan) to show the maximum size expected from a fake. However, there are so few used #315 examples that any offered on eBay without a sheet margin or a cert are 99.4% guaranteed to be fake.

I believe that the 314 under discussion is genuine. The margins appear to be large enough and single unused copies are common enough that there should be little question. For the technically minded, the margins should be about 1 mm or more on each side. THere are quantities of used fake #314 and #320, but their appearance easily gives them away. Questionable single copies generally have one margin which is too narrow or will have one or two straight edges differing in the type of cut from the other margins.

With regard to spacing, I believe that the spacing should be 2 mm. The 314 and 320 were issued before the star plates with the mixes 2 and 3 mm spacing well before the "A" plates with the spacing expanded to almost 3 mm.

Also, I was informed that PSE issued a cert for a questionable #534B (a type VII imperf) recently offered on eBay. I still believe it is fake. More on that topic at another time.

May 30, 2003 Noon Bob in WA

Bill -- I saved that pic of the block of 314's that someone posted, and magnified both it and the single, and it seemed that the single's margins did not extend into what would have been neighboring stamp designs, so THEORETICALLY it could have been trimmed from a jumbo 300 that would have been worth much more. I agree it is probably a genuine 314, but as you say, to be sure on a single, there should be enough margin somewhere to confirm it. And of course "used 315s" is a whole different ball game.

May 30, 2003 11:52 Bob in WA

Bob in WA

May 30, 2003 11:50AM Bill Weiss

Fake #314
OK folks, I admit I am somewhat puzzled by this "controversy" over this #314. My first question is...why does ANYONE think this a fake stamp? #314 is a very COMMON imperf stamp and the margins on this stamp look plenty big to me to suspect it being a cut-down #300 jumbo. In my experience #314 and #320 are RARELY faked, plus only a little common sense is needed in deciding whether a #314 or #320 (or #315 - which is OFTEN faked as a single stamp). All any collector needs to do to protect himself from buying fake #314/320 singles is buy a used PAIR of #300 for maybe 25-cents, and simply measure the distance between the stamp designs (probably 3mm I would guess), and forever after do not think of buying a #314 or 320 (or 315) single unless it has at least that much margin on the sides. Actually, #314s are normally also a different shade (more bluish-green) than #300, but the positive test is in the size of the margins, and this one being questioned looks fine to me.

May 30, 2003 11:39 am Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Bill - Are you familiar with an old time forger by the name of Cividini?

May 30, 2003 11:32 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Buyer short changing you
I agree with Colin. Ship the item and ask the buyer to mail you a buck and then forget about it. If you get the dollar, then great. If not, then write it off and be more specific in future listings.

May 30, 2003 11:29 Bill Claghorn http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Secondly, about this buyer, you could try to refuse the PayPal payment and ask the buyer to put in the correct amount. It is up to you, but, since the listing was vague and you did say at cost, it may be less hassle and grey hairs to just write off this one. A negative for a dollar is hardly worth loss of sleep. More info in the original listing prevents hard feelings later.

May 30, 2003 11.13 Colin Judd UK (xzephyr) <thejudds@saltsvillage.freeserve.co.uk> http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_stamps
 

Colin

May 30, 2003 11.08 Colin Judd UK (xzephyr) <thejudds@saltsvillage.freeserve.co.uk> http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_GB_Machins/
 

Colin

May 30, 2003 10:58:13 PDT Bill Seymour <billsey@dsl-only.net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

I have a buyer who sent me $1.00 less than quoted for an auction lot. The auction closed at $5.00, I quoted $1.84 in Media Mail postage plus $1.00 for the padded envelope and bubble wrap (my actual cost on the envelope is either $0.69 or $0.99 depending on the size I need to use) for a total of $7.84. He sent me a PayPal payment for $6.84. How would you handle it? Ship and chalk it up to goodwill? Ship and ask for $1.00 in return? Wait for the rest of the payment before shipping? Refund the $6.84 and cancel the transaction? Other suggestions?

May 30, 2003 Brain R

Must be my lucky day. All parts of Ebay are loading fine for me.

May 30, 2003 1840 BST Ed.B

Ed

May 30, 2003 10.37 Mark http://www.philatelicnetwork.com
 

Questionable item
Hi, I think this may have already been brought up, I know the seller has, but if this stamp catalogs at $12500 - why would someone be stupid enough to start it off at $0.01 ???? This Item

May 30, 2003 10:18 Roger Heath

Amazing, I just reported myself on Ebay Chat, trying to communicate the downloading problem. I said since Live World is on the ball is so effecient, it could report the download issue to Ebay, since there deosn't seem to be any other means of communication. I did also mention that Bill only needs to post the Yellow Boxes once per week, thus giving himself more time to work on stamps> );>) The post was deleted in less time than it takes an Ebay page to load. LOL
Roger

May 30, 2003 9:52 am Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Jim - That would probably explain it. I don't regularly empty my temp. files. Only when I start having problems trying to save .jpegs. I don't seem to be having any of the other problems that others are having, everything seems to work OK for me. I've already read the whole chat, visited my MY EBAY page, did my scheduled searches, etc.., without any problems. I wonder what's up?

May 30, 2003 09.45 Dave P (orthorpteran)

Load Time
Currently I cannot access any of the Ebay site, other than the chatboard (big deal!). Was this another inspired "improvement" during the weekly mantenance?

May 30, 2003 Roger Heath

Ebay Chat Board only loads down to a post made May-27-03 at 7:08:36 PDT. No bottom of Ebay page, this after numerous attempts. The page loading seems to be getting slowed down in attempts to load Ebay gifd from ebay pics. Who cares?
Roger

May 30, 2003 9:36 Roger Heath

Load Time
My Ebay problem started two days ago with "javascript" error messages appearing in the bottom of Netscape browser window, after I stopped the page from its slow load cycling. When hitting reload, the message appeared. Now, trying to load any Ebay page tokes minutes after looking at a blank grey screen the whole time.
The anomaly is that if I open IE 5.0 and paste the URL of any Ebay page, the page appears immediately such as I'm used to . They obviously have played games with the site code!! After clicking on the 314 link below which I forgot to time, I used the same window to via a bookmark to click to Ebay Chat, it took over 3 1/2 minutes, then page appeared complete. I think it's a site access issue. I was told once from HTML Board that when the grey window appears, one's home computer has not connected with Ebay. So maybe 70,000,000 registered users is maximum capacity for Ebay. );>)
Roger

May 30, 2003 Brain R (briguy)

Nomad55--The initial, quite lofty, goal was to collect ALL of the CSA postmarks. I realise, that's not going to happen, but I'm sure having fun trying. The Charlottesville I linked to isn't a particularly difficult mark (its a pretty good sized town, both then and now), it's just one I still needed. My big budget problem is how to get the town marks from areas that fell, to the union, early in the war. In such cases I'm stuck collecting the earlier Litho issues(expensive) or finding a good strike/manuscript on a stampless cover.

May 30, 2003 1705 BST EdB

Thanks, Ed

May 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Richard
Not necessarily, otherwise you would not see all the auctions that you looked at yesterday as having been looked at.
I think it depends on browser.
One way to test is to empty "windows temporary internet" files before you log onto network.
You can also turn your browers "history" to 0 days (I think).

May 30, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Jim - Does the cache empty itself at shut down? That was the first time I loaded it today, since turning my 'puter on this morning. It seemed OK to me.

May 30, 2003 7:57 am Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

I notice that the seller miniaustin007, he who has been selling items he don't own by stealing scans he didn't make, is now in NARU land.

May 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Richard
Once board is in cache its OK.
Took me three minutes just to load and get back from sign-in board.

May 30, 2003 nomad55

Brian...nice snag. Are you building a collection of Virginia town marks on CSA stamps? Virginia Postal History Society has a rather extensive list of what type of post mark (and when used), but you would have to sort out the Confederate period yourself.

May 30, 2003 7:49 am Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

What is the problem everyone is having with the ebay board? I just tried it, and sure enough it takes a bit longer for it to show up on the screen. But, instead of it loading little by little, it popped onto my screen, the whole board, all at one time. I'd also say, even though it took a bit longer to see something on the screen, that it took quite a bit less time for it to load the entire board.

May 30, 2003 7:43 am Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

dbenson - Actually, the item I emailed that seller about was one of their current listings of Spanish forgeries, also listed as "cinderellas". I'm going out on a limb here, but I'll take a guess and say that I won't be getting a response.

May 30, 2003 7:35 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

May 30, 2003 Brian R (briguy)

In this case, the info is Charlottesville, Va, on Jun 2, 1864. Now I can scratch
Charlottesville off of a still frighteningly long list. Even more disturbing, is I've nearly run out of big cities, and I'm left searching for a nearly unfathomable number of po-dunk little hamlets. It's beginning to become apparent, that I'm going to need Bob Hope type longevity, in order to complete this quest.

May 30, 2003 8:15AM Bill Weiss

Various
Good Morning...only have time for a quick post. First, what's this all about the fake #314? I would like to see that. Second, toPromethgeus, that coil you show appears to likely be OK and don't be so quick to want to fiddle such coils away. It isclearly a paste-up pair and while they are sometimes faked, they actually are usually a good indicator that the coil pair is genuine. Often, a plate number or partial imprint can be seen underneath if you dip in fluid and if a plate number can ADD to the value greatly. Paste-up pairs are actually rarer than line pairs and specialists know it, so they are generally worth a premium over plain pairs. Hope this helps.
Last, the guy I notified last night about the WS5 being incorrectly cataloged went ahead and sold it, but I agree with the fellow below who says we can't automatically assume wrongdoing without waiting to see if any response is received at all, but if not, I will be following up on this one for sure, and possibly outside of e-bay, but I can't say anymore for now. Will now be away until tonight but would like to SEE this fake #314. Can anyone help?

May 30, 2003 0635 Prometheus

coils and imperfs ?
Good Mornin' all
The ongoing discussions on the faked and forged coils and imperfs
caused me to look thru some stamps I had set aside for future unloading/sale
Remember please that i'm just a Hole filler type collector and hope that i put the right stamp in the right space with the goal of filling my book

Back to my coil question I have a bunch of pairs on a couple of them it seems that one stamp has been Glued on top of another and neither the perfs nor the Printing lines up correctly as seen HERE
Are these fake? Thanks in advance as I do not wish to Fake anyone out who might buy these from me one day.
I think these are US 411
 

May 30, 2003 0635 Prometheus

coils and imperfs ?
Good Mornin' all
The ongoing discussions on the faked and forged coils and imperfs
caused me to look thru some stamps I had set aside for future unloading/sale
Remember please that i'm just a Hole filler type collector and hope that i put the right stamp in the right space with the goal of filling my book

Back to my coil question I have a bunch of pairs on a couple of them it seems that one stamp has been Glued on top of another and neither the perfs nor the Printing lines up correctly as seen HERE
Are these fake? Thanks in advance as I do not wish to Fake anyone out who might buy these from me one day.
I think these are US 411
 

May 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Last should have been PITA, not "people eating tasty animals".

Dave F CYE.

Bob
Hope those guys stick with US stamps.

A couple of pointers to look out for with "modern" UK stamps.
High Value Early Elizabeth Castles - 2/6, 5/-, 10/-, £1
Scott lists 3 sets - 309-312, 371-374, 525-528.
There are in fact 5 sets with grossly disparate prices.
1955 Waterlow printing, Edwards Crown watermark, catalog £225 for all four mint never hinged.
1958 De La Rue printing catalog £550
1959 De La Rue printing, Multiple crown watermark, catalog £180
1963 Bradbury Wilkinson, £11
1967 Bradbury Wilkinson, no watermark, £10


 

May 30, 2003 15.03 (Dutch local time) Maarten Willems

I would have guessed what PITA means, but PETA?

May 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Sheesh,
what a PETA Paypal is.
It seems if your primary address is the US, you can only send items to the US.
There is no option on address to send item, other than the US.
You have to fill in all the relevant address details within "street address" then make up a US city, zip code and tell seller to ignore them.

May 30, 2003 5:15 am Jim Lawler

Jim L.

May 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Jimbo
Brampton is in (near) Carlisle, close to the Scottish border.

May 30, 2003 Jim Watson

So much for Freud!

May 30, 2003 03:57 Jim Wartson

Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is a picture postcard from Rhodesia to England in 1907. It was from an early tourist in deepest, darkest Africa!

May 30, 2003 you don't want to know anne <abt1950@aol.com>

Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of watermarks that you can see, stamps that don't make you go blind, and the rapid naru'ing of shady sellers. Anne

May 30, 2003 00:31 Dave ("philatarium")

Lavar (& others): Thanks for your post. I'll fix the link tomorrow. Unfortunately, I had some problems today with my computer, and am borrowing a friend's just to check on here for a minute.

Sorry for the outstanding repair.

But thanks to you all for your kind words.

-- Dave

May 30, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

China SYS invert CINDERELLA
Spain, the genuine stamp is recess printed, the scan appears flat, either litho or roto rooter. Doesn't need an expert to tell them, just feel the raised printing to tell the genuine. No idea if the buyer would know the difference but he will if he tried to sell it via a proper auction house where a genuine would bring over $ 10,000.

David Benson

May 30, 2003 11:56 pm Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Off now to hold my breath.

May 29, 2003 22:49 Lavar Taylor

Good evening/day to all. Today's featured item focuses on Germany. This item is a folded circular franked with a Germany 1/3 Groschen large shield stamp. It is postmarked Hamburg on Jan. 26, 1874, and is addressed to Linz, Austria. In Linz it was forwarded to some other town the name of which I can not decipher. The most interesting aspect of this item, however, is the circular itself which can be seen [warning:large file] here . It is a circular from Uhlmann & Co., agent for several different shipping lines, and shows sailing schedules for quite a few different ships. All written out long hand in ink. Now time to sleep.

May 29, 2003 9:49 pm Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Who is Cividini?
Has anyone ever heard of an old time forger named Cividini (not sure if that's the las or first name. Last, I would assume)?

May 29, 2003 9:46 pm Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Simply amazing! I don't know how many years THIS STAMP has been in my album, and something struck me odd about it today. The cancel is not a variety I've ever seen from Spain. Looking at it closer I now notice that all the "secret marks" for the issue are not there. It is also well too centered for this issue, which is notorious for being off-center badly. It is in fact a forgery. I guess you're never too far advanced to learn something about the items in your own collection, no matter how embarassing it is.

May 29, 2003 21:35 stamphick

David

May 29, 2003 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

May 29, 2003 Magnolia Stamps

John

May 29, 2003 21:08:50 Roger Heath

Ebay Code
I knew something was going on with Ebay when I pointed out wierd loading on my computer. It was suggested I clear my cache. That didn't effect the loading, which sometimes stopped midway through a page and indicated a "javascritp error". Well, presently Netscape 4.8 doesn't load any Ebay pages. HMMMMMM. I really like the look the location of icons, and the preferences I can make on Netscape. I guess I'll have to go and whine on the New Features Board using Internet Explorer!!!

Roger

May 29, 2003 9:02 Drive by Post http:// Get life People
 

Now here is where I get into deep s#*t with everyone!
Have any of you taken into consideration that the dealer may not know what the term of cinderella means.or that he may not know about selling items thru the big auction houses?And that he is taking one hell of a loss for his stupidity or ignorance.taking into consideration his high f.b. rating at 99.1 or better,it seems that some folks have nothing to do excepy moan about someone else,I think that you have to give the guy the benefit of doubt until you can prove other wise.Oh yeah and looking at the earlier mentioned #314 and comments about it being a fake or a cut down jumbo #300 was some of the stupidist crap that I have seem yet.Yes people all stamps are not Fake, And why is it that I only see one comment about the 35 million judgement against e-bay?

May 29, 2003 magnolia stamps

I looked at the cover that you mentioned,and where as I'm not as hypracritical as some of the other so called experts,I would venture to say that your assumption was correct,the stamp does not appear to belong on that cover,and was more than likely added later,Since most war dept.stamps were issued for use from washington city and not somewhere in Mo.

May 29, 2003 Paul Barsdell <paul.b@webone.com.au>

Since this Board was established, my list of sellers to avoid or at least treat with the utmost caution has increased at an exponential rate. I have also advised sellers fairly regularly of things wrong with their auctions. As with other posters, the response has been mixed. Most, however, have been at lower price levels (under $50) and don't seem to have been part of a pattern of misdescription or more blatant behaviour.

May 29, 2003 8:38 pm Richard Ballhagen

Cinderellas
...a PC way of getting around calling it a FORGERY, in my opinion. All the items I've looked at of theirs calls the "cinderellas".

May 29, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

Cinderella
Not a bad trick, write NY Cinderella in small letters, most probably a computer scanned item perforated, sell for $ 750 and pocket $ 749.50,

David Benson

May 29, 2003 20:18:50 Roger Heath

Programming Boards and Sites
I see the Ebay site is down.
David - They need someone who can fix a board, fix a site, and not have attitude. I'm going to send an email to Meg telling her of the wonders of this Board, and how the "programmer" listens to his public's wishes. Did I publicly say how much I appreciate your efforts here. It's like the old days when "pinks" were around and discussions covered every topic and we all thought Ebay was doing a great job. Still I would hate to see Ebay die in the stamps category, as my collecting would pretty much come to a halt again. Believe it or not, my collecting areas require a lot of money or a lot of time. Searching Ebay is time..........so you guess the rest. I have learned so much from the posters of "our extended group" I feel comfortable talking about creating an exhibit. That says a lot about the value of everyone here, it truely is a virtual club, much better than monthly meetings, because there is a satisfaction in asking a question, or participating in a dicussion that happens every day, rather than once a month for 3 hours. End of congratulations, and rant.

Thanks a million,

Roger

May 29, 2003 Jim W-S <jlwstark6@aol.com>

bob my time to hit BBC world news and then bed.
email address above posted for the morning.

May 29, 2003 Bob Hohertz

Think it's time for me to turn into a pumpkin anyway. G'night.

May 29, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

bob
Seems west coast version is more tolerant of APS!!

May 29, 2003 Bob Hohertz

Jim.. LOL - all I would have had to have done is look at the West coaster's auction format... Glad there aren't two of them, actually.

May 29, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

bob
They are one and the same.
Thank you google.
West coast seller is here
As it was, you only had to avoid one person and in both cases it was the right one.

May 29, 2003 Bob Hohertz

He can write "all bids are final" all he likes, but a bidder can retract if they really want to. And he can't file for non-paying bidder in 5 days - eBay won't let him send a warning until 7.

May 29, 2003 May 29, 2003 8:11 PM Anonymous

The name of the seller is supposedly
Mike Gaxia
Los Angeles
Phone (213) 704 - 0710


 

May 29, 2003 Bob Hohertz

Jim.. Yes, there is. I don't think they are one and the same. Wish I knew which one was at the St Louis show in March - I avoided his table and didn't even know who he was.......

May 29, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Bob
Correct me if my memory is failing me, but isn't there another seller with a very similar eBay ID in California?
Or is it the same person pulling similar subtefuges?

May 29, 2003 Bob Hohertz

Having seen a number of that seller's auctions, I suspect he knew what he was doing. He normally starts his things near or above catalog, and I'd think he would have started this one at least at $600 if he thought that was the correct catalog.

May 29, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Sorry Bob,
I just looked at the stamp and didn't read the text.
I imagine buyer did likewise.

However, it wouldn't make an "excellent addition to my collection".

It would look rather silly amongst pages of Victorian imperfs.

May 29, 2003 George K.

I have had a couple cases like this where the seller emailed me back a few days after the sale and said he had informed the buyer and adjusted the price.

May 29, 2003 Bob Hohertz

Jim - I don't understand your comment - without gum it would sell as used - even says so in Scott. Seller says no gum and quotes unused price.

May 29, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Bob
Vice verse??

May 29, 2003 Bob Hohertz

To Tell or Not to Tell
I wouldn't hold my breath until that seller does anything. Selling a used copy and quoting unused price....

May 29, 2003 6:25PM Bill Weiss

To Tell or Not To Tell
My thanks to you all, particularly Sheryll for directing me to that teriffic article, which I haven't read fully, but will ASAP. I am nearly done for the night, but want to tell you what happened with item #2930725461. I wrote estatelots1 a nice e-mail pointing out the various reasons why the stamp doesn't belong, and closed it with "I hope you will consider this friendly advice as I'm sure you really wouldn't want to cheat anyone". RESULT? He didn't answer and sold it anyway! Since he only got $13.50 (but nails the buyer for $3.85 for S,H&I, the buyer is only out $17.+ which isn't so bad - but now we know about estatelots1. BE CAREFUL!
Another one I'm working on is more serious where the seller misquoted the catalog value by a lot. He notes $850. when it's really only $250., and the high bidder is at $365., so this poor chap can really get burned. The seller hasn't answered and the sale closes in less than an hour. It is item #2930093172. Let's see what happens. Goodnight.

May 29, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

To tell or not to tell
No worries, Sheryll, I understand, (as long as you do not barrack for the Morons (I mean Maroons)when you get up north.

David Benson

May 29, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

To tell or not to tell
David M., I think they were too but that is now a common method of production. Just scan a stamp (or even from an auction catalogue), press buttons and voila, a sheet of identical clones ready to harvest the next sucker. It is the paper that is the problem, they look like they were made yesterday. Some of the Florida fakes are on gummed and some are ungummed. For some reason he had them printed on A4 size paper and made the sheet fit the paper. He is now selling them in blocks of 4 perforated but still advertising them as being on A4 paper.

Just for a laugh, this is his latest blurb,



THE FINEST AUTHENTIC REPRODUCTIONS OF GENUINE STAMPS IN PHILATELIC HISTORY. A NEW EXPRESSION OF ART AND BEAUTY. THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT ATDINVEST CAN DO FOR THE PHILATELIC COMMUNITY. ALWAYS GREAT VALUES FOR THE AVID COLLECTOR . THE GREATEST FORGERIES THAT HAVE EVER BEEN OFFERED.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extraordinary forgery to be used as reference material. THE FINAL SOURCE FOR TRUE FORGERIES.ALWAYS A MASTERPIECE ART-FORGERY FOR THE KNOWLEDGEABLE COLLECTOR.PRINTED IN EUROPEAN A4 PAPER.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THESE ARE PHILATELIC FORGERIES WITH NO POSTAL OR MONETARY VALUE.

And our friend Ebay allows them to be sold even thought they stipulate that forgeries and counterfeits are not allowed.
David Benson

May 29, 2003 5:56 Sheryll (sheryll*net) <sheryll2002@hotmail.com> http://www.sheryll.net/Forgeries/Forgeries_article.htm
 

May 29, 2003 17:44 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

May 29, 2003 dbenson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

To tell or not to tell
Bill, a few days ago I noticed a seler (who is known to Ebay Chatters) listing a lot of Hi Value Bermuda KGV all with fiscal cancels and he has mentioned catalogue value by converting Gibbons to US but does not mention that they are only worth a fraction if they have fiscal cancels. The last time I mentioned it to the seller he thanked me but kept on doing it. I know it will be a waste of time telling him but so far the bids have been low as they as the bidders know what the value is. If they sell for high amounts then I will contact the buyers.

David Benson

May 29, 2003 Bob Hohertz (rdhinstl)

Improvements a la eBay
Dave,
Made it back. Those pop-ups wouldn't quit - guess I was getting one for each post.

May 29, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

To tell or not to tell
Bill, by coincidence I just recieved an email from a buyer of a forged sheet (Florida Fake) thanking for me informing him about the details. He is now about to write about item in a specialised magazine and is grateful for the details that have been supplied by me and by Sherylls articles on the subject. The problem is that the slller is now listing the items as private sales but the buyers can be contacted if they leave feedback. This particular buyer left a neutral as he only realised that the sheet was manufactured by replicating a single unit and is useless for study purposes.

David Benson

May 29, 2003 16:39 Dave ("philatarium")

rdhinstl: Hope you've safely made it back here by now! : )

Paolo: I've got to tell you how beautiful that block of stamps is. It's almost enough to make me convert! -- Actually, because the image loaded kind of slowly, a little bit at a time, I continued to be stunned and amazed that row after row of those gems continued to appear in the image. (Sort of a philatelic striptease!)
Thanks for sharing.

NOIP: The intention behind the "fix" that unfortunately generated a unpleasant experience for some of you was to make the time load automatically in your post. For the time being, it's back to the drawingboard, and to the manual/voluntary method in the meantime. Sorry for the trouble that it caused.

-- Dave

May 29, 2003 3:33 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Paolo - Thanks for the kind comments. If I ever decide to choose Modena as a collecting field, you'll be the first one I pester.(;o)

May 29, 2003 3:31 pm Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Contacting sellers about bad material
I too use to do this quite frequently, and with mixed results. Everything from making new email buddies, to smug, sarcastic respoonses (pcheltenham). I rarely do it anymore, mostly because of time limitations. But, there is nothing wrong, in my opinion, with doing it in general. Like George says, you should do it in a most friendly and cheerfu lway, and not sound combative. Remember, you're trying to help them. Also, it helps if you can site any references that will help your case. I use to go to the point of sending the seller scans of a genuine stamp and his/her forgery, side-by-side, along with descriptive text pointing out the differences. But, like I said, I rarely do it anymore.

May 29, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

To tell or not to tell
Bill, do the right thing, inform the seller that the item has been tampered with and that the stamp does not belong. If the seller cancels the auction you may be helping a poor sucker who may bid and think he has a rarity. If the seller does not reply and it sells you can contact the buyer and inform them of your opinion. However both of these options are against Ebay's rules and either of them can complain and you may get a warning not to do it again. I have done it thousands of times and in about 5% the seller has cancelled and in 90% the buyers have thanked me and not paid or asked for a refund. I know a few complaints have gone to Ebay and do far no warning letters.

David Benson

May 29, 2003 1524 Prometheus

Thanks Paolo for the Link
Didn't find my Consolare there but found some others I culled out of the boxlot and am very happy
Are you sure you don't want that booklet I have no interest in it.
As it is too new/modern for me. My personal collection of stamps stops at 1906. I collect no BOB either Just Stamps.

May 29, 2003 15:09 pm George K

But I have had to watch exactly that happen HUNDREDS of times in the last year, because I generally identified pcheltenham's alterations within minutes of their posting. In his case, I knew contacting the seller would be pointless, and contacting the buyer could get me suspended or sued.

May 29, 2003 Poalo Bagaglia <bagaglia@wanadoo.nl>

Wrong e-mail address in the header of my previous. Correct one is above this writing. I am definitely not in good shape, in the last few days. I snitched another post from eBay chat (mine) and that was deleted immediately. Could be it's the first signs of belated, due to bad weather, Spring Craziness or that I am plain home sick!

Best, Paolo (off to sleep)

 

May 29, 2003 15:06:25 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Bill
In this case, where the seller has perfect feedback and professes to know nothing about stamps (except where to find the catalog value, I would advise them.
They may even thank you for the information.

May 29, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Canada 37d
One more try to add a link, Dave...

Canada 37d??

Otherwise, by all means feel free to do your editing magic. Thanks.

Dunc

May 29, 2003 3;00PM Bill Weiss <wrw1943@aol.com>

E-bay Item #2930725461
This posting is to ask fellow chatboard members for advice. If anyone who cares will take a look at this item they will see an obviously phoney item. The 12-cent stamp was simply added to the cover. There is no reason whatsoever for that stamp to be there.
Anyway, my question is simple; do stampchat folks advise in such cases that someone like me contact the seller and advise them of my suspicions, or do I simply shut up and move onto the next item? Do I advise anyone else - such as this chatboard? I don't want to spend my life pissing off sellers by telling them that their item(s) are bad - but they are! Anyone's thoughts welcome.

May 29, 2003 Paolo :-(

Prometheus
Sorry, correct link is this: http://www.revenue-collector.com/forbin/forbin.html
which should be here

Without slash at the end (I didn't add that in previous bad link)
Paolo

May 29, 2003 Maarten Willems

errors........ not any more
Dave - I got truckloads of 'error on page..' about an hour ago, but you seem to have fixed it. No problems.

 

May 29, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia <bagalia@wanadoo.nl> http://home.wanadoo.nl/bagaglia/
 

Many thanks for your kind offer, but I do not think I deserve to accept your extra generous offer.

Kindest regards, Paolo
 

May 29, 2003 14:25 Dave ('philatarium')

Jim:: Thanks very much, and thanks for bringing it to my attention in the first place.

Dunkin': Welcome! (Love that name, btw.) Feel free to copy that link you posted and try the "Link-O-Matic" (upper-right above). Use option "B", since you already have the "http://" as part of the link. See if that works for you. If not, I'm happy to edit your post to fix it.

-- Dave

May 29, 2003 14:11:48 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Dave
Seems to be OK now.
Last time I loaded from scratch, this time part cache.

May 29, 2003 14:09 Dave ("philatarium")

Errors in loading board?
All: Just read the posts on the eBay board about getting errors here. Just a couple of minutes ago, I fixed a "change" based on Jim's post below.

Will someone who was having problems with the errors let me know if it now seems ok? (For some reason, it doesn't generate those errors for me.)

Please let me know here, because, for some reason, Earthlink's email service seems to have gone down for a bit. (Are there problems throughout the internet today? Other boards seem to be loading slowly as well.)

Thanks!

-- Dave

May 29, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Re: Canadian 37d
Thanks Glenn!

E-mail is on its way to you.

I'll try again to post the link, otherwise you obviously were able to cut and paste it.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-5/210500/Canadian37d.JPG

Dunc

May 29, 2003 14:01 Dave ("philatarium")

Jim W-S: Just made a change to the likely culprit. Does it apprear fixed on your system? (It didn't register as an error on mine in the first place, unfortunately.)

TIA,

-- Dave

May 29, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

DaveAs board is loading it keeps giving message "error on page".
Still load though.

May 29, 2003 1:33 pm Bob in WA

Oops, "sets of 6 souvenir sheets..."

May 29, 2003 1:32 pm Bob in WA <rcl.wa@verizon.net>

Bob in WA

May 29, 2003 Glenn Archer <glenncarcher@hotmail.com>

correction to e-mail address
Was typing too fast, note correction above.

May 29, 2003 Glenn Archer <glencarcher@hotmail.com>

re: Canada 37d
Hello all, am a first-time contributor and thought I might like to comment on the stamp. Colour and cancel are perfectly consistent with period. Also the absence of a position dot at the lower left is consistent with a First Ottawa printing. I believe it is very likely a genuine 37d, and one of the better copies I have seen. Would suggest you submit to VGG Foundation for expertization, it is well worth your investment, can provide contact info if interested.

May 29, 2003 Prometheus

Reply to Richard B
It seems he wrote interesting names and addresses on most of them
And face it getting $10 for a ruined perfin on a postcard worth a quarter is decent
He also had lots of Pen/pencil canceled stamps on post cards
Mostly I'm sure addressed to cities shoppers were looking for
I'll show you some more early next week The ones written in felt tip marker were the funniest
I have notice a lot of people shopping for Postcards look for cities they/family are from those three cards earned him $16.00
If you could do that a few times a week it might pay off.

May 29, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Richard B. thank you for your kind comment!
That's in fact, like you said, just a block (half sheet, of 25).
I agreee Modena would have represented a very interesting field.
If in the future, you would like any info about it, please just ask (I will answer trying to use the best of my knowledge).

You know I like Spain Issues (early and less early), your delight & one of your specializations! Please, keep on your posts on Spain Classics, I like to read about it.

All the best
Paolo

May 29, 2003 Prometheus <prometheus@yada-yada.com>

Question for Paolo
Do these Consular have much value

Would you like this BOOKLET
If you do email me your address and I'll mail it to you. I have lots of stamps.

May 29, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Re: Canada #37d
Well hopefully this link works, first attempt at this...

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-5/210500/Canadian37d.JPG

I don't have any illusions of this stamp being any great prize even if it truly is Scott #37d, especially due to the terrible pulled perfs across the bottom.

The top perfs also measure 12 1/2 but don't photograph well due to the black postmark across the tips.

Whaddaya think?

Dunc

May 29, 2003 12:29:35 PDT Bill Seymour <billsey@dsl-only.net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

javascripting
Dave, looks like it's not going to work even if we got the javascript to 'take'. The script would then be embedded in each message, and the time would be recalculated during each screen refresh. In other words, it would always display the time you refreshed the page, not the time the message was posted. :-(

May 29, 2003 12 noon Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Prometheus - My first question would be, why would someone fake those? I can't see that adding common used stamps to , most probably, common postcards, would enhance the value.

May 29, 2003 nomad55

post cards
Looks like somebody at sometime in the past had a fun filled afternoon with a glue stick and a pile of cheap US.

What's harder to detect on first glance is where the stamp has been replaced on the card due to the original stamp having fallen off or been removed. I have found a few of these "after the purchase", where the cancellation juncture between the stamp and the card just does not line up properly. Thankfully, none of those cards had an especially scarce postmark.

May 29, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Sorry, this is the correct first link.
Paolo

May 29, 2003 Prometheus

Faked Postal History
Thought I would share with you all some Faked Vintage Postcards my Current Girlfriend bought me for Birthday present
While I'm no expert I could tell these stamps were never really on these cards,
She paid $10.00 for the torn perfin at the top
I have since tried to explain further what i really am looking for
Whole cancels
I went to the Antique store where she purchased these and found he has many more Bogus cards
He even was friendly enuf to ask what i was looking for/collecting and mentioned that he has many postcards not in his Shoppe and could Maybe find what i was looking for.
here are a few BOGUS
I gave him a list and when i go this weekend I Wonder how many of my Scarce Rare Cancels he might have.
I am in the process of building a website just for these type of items as i now Know of at least three local dealers who have faked material.

May 29, 2003 10:29 am Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Paolo - Your first link does not seem to work.

May 29, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Forged perforations
Inversely, kind of like transforming one of these light bistre into this or this, like it has actually been done.

In fact, the two stamps in the two auctions above are not "Italy 17" but, respectively, a common Sardinia 10c bistre and a printer's waste (light bistre with defective print) with an obvious fake embossing both given of fake perforation... achieving an enormous difference in quotation, in the order of about 1/10000.
Paolo

May 29, 2003 ROGER HEATH

Great!
);>)
Roger

May 29, 2003 1001 Prometheus <prometheus@yada-yada.com>

DUNCAN-Free web pics
Try Inkfrog .com they give free space for a small number of pics and their URLs are easy to copy and paste
I started out there and now use their pay services
They are Great in my opinion

I tried a few others that were free inkfrog worked best for me.
I'm sure others will share their choices too

May 29, 2003 9:59 (5:59 HST) Dave ("philatarium")

Roger: How's that?

May 29, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Canadian Scott #37d
Nomad, I don't have a copy of #37, but I did successfully get a good shot of the stamp perched on a perf gauge. That way I could get in real close and get just the one stamp so the only thing missing is a color comparison. But I think #37b, another variety, has a similar color which kinda narrows it down to the 12 1/2 perfs anyway.

Dunc

May 29, 2003 9:55 Dave ("philatarium")

Roger: Thanks for the info about the resolution. I changed mine to that setting to see what it would like that. Well, there's no reason that you should be having to scroll back and forth, so let me pull that input box a little bit. Although it should fit across anyone's screen, even at the lower resolutions, it probably doesn't take into account that most of us have a "favorites" window or some such thing open to the left of the browser portion of the window. ... I'll go into the workshop and see what I can do : )

May 29, 2003 9:55:30 Roger Heath

JR
NOIP - I must say that it's comforting to know that JR is filling the holes on the other Board. I looked at his ME page and I love the quote:

An Old Saying . . . .
"If you lose a bid on something
you want, remember there is
always another one just like it
down the road."

Maybe he knows something we don't!! LOL

Roger

May 29, 2003 9:45 Roger Heath

Screen Resolution - Mac
David -
I'm trying not ot be a trouble maker. );>), but when I have a 17" monitorI've always figured nothing shoul be out of view.
Here are the resolution choices suggested by Apple and resulting appearances.
800 x 600 85Hz - Appears like distorted Cinemascope without the appropriate corrective optics. Wide narrow distorted screen.
832 x 624 75Hz - My normal usage, everything perfect, legible, and anything on screen prints same size on paper. WYSIWYG
1024 x 768 74.9Hz - Makes everything on screen smaller. When the browser window is open the "Comments" window fits within full width of screen. The problem with this setting is everything on the screen is reduced in size. My guess is the 12pt font is reduced 9.5 point type making it too small to read comfortably.. Some web pages are impossible to read with this setting.
So I have no experience with PC other than 800x600 is completedly distorted which I assume is a Microsoft standard going back many years to isolate those of us using Macs. );>).
Roger (with no funny letters on this board)
BTW converting HST to PDT is too much for my little brain especiall around midnight when I'm posting the day before etc. I think I'm going to.......something!

May 29, 2003 nomad55

Duncan....you are definitely in the proper venue. Questions like this are very welcome here.

When you take your digital pics, can you put your "odd" stamp and a normal 37 side by side for comparison?

May 29, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Canadian Scott 37d
A newbie question...

I recently discovered a copy of Canadian Scott #37 that has perfs measuring 12 1/2, among a bunch of common stamps purchased 20 years ago.

Is it likely that this is 37d, since according to Scott that's the only variety perfed 12 1/2? Are there ways I can verify this to avoid submitting what may actually be a common stamp to be authenticated?

I've been struggling with a touchy digital camera but I think I can get a good macro shot of the stamp. Then is there a good free host for photos? I'm thinking particularly about Village Photos since they tie in nicely with e-Bay.

Am I using the proper venue for these questions, or is there another site where I can post questions like this?

By the way, "Duncan Doenitz" is the name I use when flying WWI flight sims online, which is about the extent of my computer experience.

Great site here! Thanks.

Dunc

 

May 29, 2003 Maarten Willems

philaterium Dave - I am.

May 29, 2003 9:30 Dave ("philatarium")

Jim W-S: How about "wishful thinking"?

May 29, 2003 8:16 Dave ("philatarium")

Bill S.: I'll admit, I've been a little chicken about trying the Javascript until I was sure that I had enough time and concentration to be able to both try it and pull it back out if necessary. I was out yesterday until later on, and thinking about türkisblau was pretty much the limit of my processing skills last night! I think today may the day to tackle the javascript.

Roger: Do you happen to know what your screen resolution is set at? (I'm afraid I'm no longer fluent in Apple (although it was once my native tongue), so I can't recall exactly how to direct you to find that out, although it's in about the same place as other software controls for volume, modems, date & time, etc.)

Maarten:/ Welcome! (Are you the triangle and palandrome Maarten of the other board?)

-- Dave

May 29, 2003 05:34:40 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Good day everyone.
Thankfully all of last weeks UK free BIN listings will scroll off today.
I wouldn't be so bad were it not for the fact that the same stamps get put up each time.
They rarely sell because they are grossly overpriced.
Opportunism or greed?

May 29, 2003 04:59 AM Jim Lawler <jlawler@comteck.com>

Always, looking for Indiana precancles, especially on cover.

May 29, 2003 04:52 Jim Watson

Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is an naval event cover from France to United States in 1935. The ship, the stamp, and the addressee all help make this an interesting cover.

May 29, 2003 Maarten Willems

Hello
I'm new here.
 

May 29, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Once and for all: I meant to write 'hypothesis' (...ipotesi) -- sorry for subsequent misspellings.
 

May 29, 2003 Good afternoon from NL Paolo Bagaglia

Knud-Erik Hi! For tomorrow: have a safe trip & nice holiday!
Paolo
 

May 29, 2003 01.18 Knud-Erik Andersen http://sudeten.bizland.com/Homepage.htm
 

May 29, 2003 01.18 Knud-Erik Andersen http://sudeten.bizland.com/Homepage.htm
 

May 29, 2003 21:13HST Roger Heath

Comments Window Size
Topic Name box = 4 1/2"
Your email address box 4":
Neither change width when I adjust the width of my browser window.

The "Your comments" box = 13" which is off the right side of my screen.

The width of the posted messages is 11 1/4" when my browser window is full screen width of 12". When I adjust the window the messages always reduce in width negating the need to scroll sideways to read messages. I only need to scroll sideways in the"Your Comments" box when writing messages.

One additional note. I have my browser set for Helvetica 12pt since I find that easiest to read. I have clicked in Preferences "Use my fonts overriding page specified fonts. Recetly I've been looking at many commercial British sites and maybe someone can answer me this. Why do so many sites use a very tiny font that is unreadable. It's not my glasses, it's too small for the screen resolution. Invariably they are links to other areas of the web site, I don't understand becasue there is always additional space that could have been used for a larger font. Times Roman in 6pt is absurd! Off the soap box, time to do dishes. );>)

Roger

May 29, 2003 11:51 David Y.

David

 

May 29, 2003 23:42 Lavar Taylor <lavartaylor@earthlink.net>

Good evening/day to all. Today's featured item of postal history focuses on Hong Kong and Nicaragua. This cover was mailed from Hong Kong on December 1, 1896. It is franked with a QV 30c grey green and a 20c on 30c yellow green. The franking pays the quadruple rate and registration fee, and the cover is addressed to Bluefields, Nicaragua, a very unusual destination. (Bluefields is on the eastern coast, part of the "Mosquito Coast" of Paul Theroux fame.) There is a circular registation marking on the front, along with a registration label added in the US. The reverse shows transit markings from San Francisco (12-29-96) and New Orleans (1-5-97), along with a receiving mark from Bluefields (2-7-97). Now to sleep.

May 29, 2003 23:29:05 PDT Bill Seymour <billsey@dsl-only.net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

Dave, have you had a chance to see what that snippet of embedded javascript does? I thought of at least one change that would make it nicer (stuffing the time into one of the existing variables), and one thing that it might do that wouldn't work out at all (if it is re-evaluated for each new message, they'd all always show the same date and time).

May 29, 2003 23:06 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

May 29, 2003 anne <abt1950@AOL.COM>

Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of razor chancels (no shaving cream please), color guides that work, and shady sellers not blocking bidders. Anne

May 28, 2003 22:38 Dave ('philatarium')

width of input screen
To all: Roger commented that in the last several days that he has had to scroll left to right in order to read the message he has input. (Roger, I'm assuming that you mean in the "Your Comments" screen?) Is this a problem for others?

First, you're not going crazy. The idea was to make the message input box a little wider, but we thought it should not be wider than anyone's screen. So let me know if it is, because it can be made a narrower. (So, yes, Roger, you're correct: it was a bit of fine tuning.

On a similar note: Anne & Jim W-S: Thanks for the input on the font size. It'll stay the way it is unless there's a revolt in the offing.

Thanks!

-- Dave

May 28, 2003 0115edt Prometheus <prometheus@yada-yada.com>

Razor Information
Roger = Thanks for the great lesson on Razor Cancels ,I had to Google Gillette Razor Blades to get the Total picture.
I have a few more like that Those three were handy , I'll scan them for you when i finish with my Argentina Pile,

And because this isn't getting that pile sorted BBL.

 

May 28, 2003 21:47 Roger Heath

Razor Cancels
The research started during the late 1970's with the recognition there were different designs, but no one knew why. It wasn't until two collectors went into the Swiss archivesin the late 1980's early 90's and started to piece together the logs and messages between the PO and Mr DeCoppet concerning his patent of 1889. He was a saleman and engineer/inventor, also an engineering instructor in a Lausanne Tech college. During the 1990's a small group started to collect use data of the different variations and they identified useages. Actually I forget when I got involved, because I only had a list from the Helvetia Society journal and went from there. Slowy but surely, I'm finding items from all over the world, upgrading and collecting. I think the only other collectors are in Switzerland, I've competed in Ebay auctions against one, but I think he deals in them more than he collects. I was going to write an exhibit for this August, but that has become impossible in April, so my goal is to exhibit next year, and make a web site that mirrors my exhibit. We'll see what other knowledgeable Swiss collectors think when it goes up!

Roger

PS: When I post my last few psots the message box opens wider than my screen requiring side scrolling to read my own message input. It didn't happen prior to today, fine tuning?

 

May 28, 2003 21:32 Dave ("philatarium")

Dirkoth: Welcome! And congratulations on just joining in! That's pretty much the best way to get started here! Please feel free to chime in anytime!

Bill Weiss: Thanks very much for sharing your unfortunate experience with us. (Sounds strange the way I've put it.) It does seem that when some sellers perceive a buyer as likely to return something as a consequence of holding the seller accountable for their descriptions, they block the buyer. It's a bit of a disgusting practice. And thanks for helping elicit a discussion on this topic.

May 28, 2003 21:23 Dave ("philatarium")

Razor cancels
Roger: I've always wanted to ask you, how did you discover this specialty. Is this a well-accepted specialty among Swiss collectors, or did you happen to stumble upon some examples and start from there?

May 28, 2003 21:16 Dave ("philatarium")

Türkisblau
Bill: Well, from my end, scanning that page from the color guide and have it be meaningful are beyond my imaging skills at this point. It's clear that with a little more time (like tomorrow) I might be able to make the scans look like what I see when I look at the page directly. So I'm glad you scanned your stamps instead!

To me, it looks like the bottom stamps are a light gray, so if they're definitely greener, I'd say those are the Türkisblau ones. As for the upper row, it looks to me like they are all slightly different shades of blue. The far left one, at least wiht my monitor, looks blue, just blue, or, in German, "blau". If the two on the right are both the same shade, then I would call them pale blue, or "hellblau".

Do you have some form of a Prussian blue ("preußischblau") or greenish blue ("grünlichblau"?) as an option?

May 28, 2003 21:17 Roger Heath

Razor cancels
Prometheus -
Yes, those are razor cancels, having received their name due to appearance of old fashioned Gillette razor blades. Glad you asked because yesterday I received a few different examples in the mail from Germany and Australia.
In this scan of four covers one sees a mini history of razor cancel design. The Chur cover to Germany dated 30.XII.00 is an example of the first razor design identified by the 12 fine lines above and below the date bridge. The Zürich Fahrpost cover has one of similar design, but smaller in diameter. The neat aspect of this cover is the unseen receiver on the reverse side (dated 5 days later). Receivers of this device are very rare, as I believe it was only used on mail returned to the office, as in this case. Though I still haven't a clue to the strange rate, unless it is directly tied to a special rate for the sender.
The 5 centime postal card has an example of both the old and the newest test design cancels. The Basel receiver is the old Swiss bridge style that had been manufactured by Güller for over 30 years. The razor cancels were a test of a new mechanism which provided clearer, more legible cancels. I only recently learned that the Basel Fil. B.B. cancel in the upper right is one of four devices manufactured by Güller to test the feasibility of mass producing the DeCoppet razor design. Four were made and tested in late 1902, and as we know the Swiss don't throw anything away, so it continued to be used.
The fourth item shows the last variation of razor cancels. In 1914 it was decided all cancels would have the postal district number included below the date bridge in Roman numerals I - XII. Even the, by now, old razor cancels in use were modified. Those included Basel, Bern, Chur, Geneve 2 versions, Neuchatel, and this one from Luzern. As you see it is not so clear as I'm starting to believe they were used in emergency situations and not maintained well. The last known use of a razor cancel is 1939 from Neuchatel, a forty year run.
Roger

May 28, 2003 21:08:11 PDT Bill Seymour <billsey@dsl-only.net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

Türkisblau
Actually, now that I look at the scan instead of the stamps, I'm leaning toward the one at the top left being Blue, lithographed on smooth, porous paper; the two at the upper right being Pale Blue, typographed on smooth paper; and the two at the bottom left being Turquoise Blue, typographed on rough paper. I have other examples that show the serrate roulettes and three of the four are a darker blue than any of these (Scott calls for Slate Blue). The fourth is the Turquoise Blue, which isn't mentioned in Michel used on the rouletted...

May 28, 2003 20:57:47 PDT Bill Seymour <billsey@dsl-only.net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

Türkisblau
OK, I think I've got it handled... Here are my examples of this issue. The bottom ones are much greener than the top ones. I'd say the top ones are the Pale Blue, and the bottom are Turquoise Blue. Though it's possible that the top ones are Blue and the bottom Turquoise Blue. If so, the top ones would be lithographed and the bottom typographed.

May 28, 2003 dirkoth

turkisblau?
wow... brand new to the board, and i might actually lend a clue to someone! Turkisblau SOUNDS Dutch... Turkis is Dutch for Turkey, and Blau is blue, of course (as in Delftbalu, the famous Dutch blue ceramics). I am only guessing here, but I would say that this word might indicate a color blue that Turkey was famous for, something that maybe shows up in their intricate tile work.. Don't they have a Blue Mosque in Turkey, famous the world over?

May 28, 2003 20:28 Dave ("philatarium")

Türkisblau 3
My mistake: "Hellblau" means "pale blue".

May 28, 2003 20:26 Dave ("philatarium")

Give me a few minutes to scan it in ...

-- Dave

May 28, 2003 8.13 Prometheus

David Y - old hinges
My album which was printed in 1906 has many stamps with PAPER Hinges

This is one I removed I had a better stamp to change out with There are also some that don't have the perfs just retangles of paper ( sorry none handy.

May 28, 2003 20:03 Dave ('philatarium')

[Ooh!] I just remembered, I have a Michel Farbenführer (ahem, color guide), and just checked it. I would call it darkish turqoise, aiming more towards the blue than the green.

I will attempt to scan this in a little while, but, as we all know, small gradations in color are hard to differentiate via computer. (But it'll be fun to do. I'll let you know when I get it posted.)

-- Dave

May 28, 2003 8.06 Mr. B. http://www.philatelicnetwork.com
 

Bookmark and off to bed.

Mark.

May 28, 2003 19:46:44 PDT Bill Seymour <billsey@dsl-only.net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

Jim, kind of makes you wonder what happened to the other 176 porn dialers?

May 28, 2003 7:34 David Y.

David see if this works!

May 28, 2003 Jim W-S http://www.iomoon.com
 

Oh boy,
seems I just got a virus in my filter called porndial-177.
Sounds interesting if nothing else.

May 28, 2003 7.20 Prometheus

Roger Heath= Razor Cancels
Are These Razor Cancels THREE ?
Why is that the Title = Razor?

May 28, 2003 18:40 Dennis Robertson

Feedback for Bill W.
It appears that the seller has already left positive feedback for you on the 16th of May, so you are probably safe. If you intend to sell anything on eBay, you may wish to block him from your auctions just so he can't win an item of yours just to leave nasty feedback in spite.

May 28, 2003 6:30PM Bill Weiss

Blocked Bidder
I wanted to wait until my work night was pretty much over to see how much feedback I got on this, and I first want to thank anyone who was good enough to give this some of their time. I deeply appreciate it.
When I first viewed this item I immediately only valued the 1M stamp as it is obvious that the other two, as well as the cover, are so badly damaged as to be practically valueless. The 1M has a Scott value of $300., so you can see that my winning bid was very fair at 1/3 Scott. There wasn't going to be much profit to be made.
What you kind folks can't see in the scan, and perhaps even the snide seller can't see, is that the 1M is creased - I honestly don't remember exactly where, but at one of the corners as I recall. The fact that none of you can see it proves a very good point which we can learn from - creases often can't be seen when viewing a stamp directly on! This is why you can't see it in the scan. To see creases on stamps on cover you must turn the cover at an angle against overhead light and look ACROSS the stamp, then creases become more obvious.
I might even have been willing to give this guy the benefit of doubt - OK, he can't see the crease - but for him to basically be a wise-ass in his response to my feedback, as well is in his e-mail to me when I inquired why he was blocking me, sort of clearly demonstrates what he's about, so my conclusion is, as stated in the feedback; BE CAREFUL! Now we will wait and see if he retaliates in the form of negative feedback to me, which will then really demonstrate his colors.
Thanks again to all who participated in this because it is gratifying for me to see folks who care, even though I am basically a stranger to you all (or most of you!).

May 28, 2003 18:08:28 PDT Bill Seymour <billsey@dsl-only.net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

Lack of Response from Seller
Bob, I had a similar thing happen to me, but in the end I was stiffed by the widow. :-( The seller offered a nice 1859 Argentina folded letter which I won for less than $100. I paid via PayPal, but the seller had the misfortune to work in one of the WTC towers. When I contacted the family (via phone call, since emails weren't being answered) the wife told me that they were distraught (understandably) and would get things sorted out in a few weeks. As the end of the 90 day window loomed, I contacted again, was told that although they didn't know enough to recognize the cover, they would send me a refund. After the 90 days had expired (well after, I waited another couple of months) I again called and was told 'deal with PayPal, we're not going to do anything for you'. Needless to say, PayPal has a 90 day timeout on complaints against sellers, so I was left out in the cold. :-(

May 28, 2003 17:57:57 PDT Bill Seymour <billsey@dsl-only.net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

The Michel catalog defines a certain variety of a Jugoslavian postage due stamp as türkisblau in color. Anyone know what Scott would call that?

May 28, 2003 1730 Michael Engel (joehill) <mengel44@aol.com>

Zeppelin Cover
Belated post on Zeppelin cover--there's a red blotch on the upper left corner over the "D"--almost looks like someone filled in a tear or defect with red ink. Re feedback: it's become useless. Everyone and his/her dog has 98% positive. No one wants to be a bad guy.

May 28, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Bid blocking

Another side to the story.
When I was putting up books on a weekly basis I had a bidder who would constantly ask to wait for next weeks books to finish so they could save on S&H.
Not an inconsiderate request considering books start at around $3.00 S&H.
This started in early november and continued through the month.
I go to NY at christmas so my last lot was put up two weeks before the end of the semester, approximately the begining of December.
At a few days before christmas I sent a somewhat sarcastic letter suggesting that buyer might want to wait till after New Year to pay.
By New Year still no reply or money.
Bidder was blocked, since it was too late to leave negative feedback.
Bidder has since been Naru'd.

May 28, 2003 George Kopecky

For those of you who are too newbie, or too old and have a failing memory, schuylerac later morphed into pcheltenham.

May 28, 2003 17:00 George Kopecky

:-)

May 28, 2003 4:24 pm Bob in WA

Roger -- Interesting story. I trust you told them that SURELY they have some acquaintance familiar with eBay (by now I assume everybody in the U.S. knows somebody who is registered on eBay) who could help get them squared away. I always try to allow for unusual circumstances in such cases. Once a seller died the same day he had sent me an email where to send payment. Eventually his valiant widow took care of things, but not before getting some impatient negs. A few other feedbacks, mine included, made the situation clear, however.

May 28, 2003 16.18 Roger Heath

Roger

 

May 28, 2003 Mike Spencer (selecto)

Here is an article which argues that feedback is fairly useless.

May 28, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

Bill, the seller states in his description,
" the 1RM (the more expensive one) is undamaged as seen in the enlarged scan ".
If it has any faults even if they show in the scan then the description is wrong and the item should have been accepted back without any hesitance.

David Benson
 

May 28, 2003 Anne

Anne

May 28, 2003 1522 Clark (reperf) <No@spam.com>

eBay Feedback
Bill, et al.

Ideally, eBay would remove negatives left by a seller in response to a negative feedback. The primary reasons for a negative feedback from a seller would be 1) non-payment -- a Non Paying Bidder (NPB) to eBay is more effective. 2) Some type of post sale fraud, like an unjustified charge back, return of item, but not the same item, etc. In the second case, blocking the bidder in the future is probably the only recourse.

If a negative is given, you can post a note with the feedback and with your feedback stating that the feedback is retaliatory. If the same seller gives you 3 or more negative feedbacks, eBay states that the feedback can be removed, but getting eBay to act is nearly impossible...

Check out former Power Seller

May 28, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

Bill, the seller should automatically leave a positive feedback as soon as payment is received. However it looks like you will be getting a negative, just put it down to an Ebay batle scar but because you left such an explicit negative you came off best.

David Benson

May 28, 2003 2:24 Bob in WA

Zepp faults
I took a look, and I think the short perfs at bottom center and left side are pretty obvious, but can't be sure of any other faults from the scan alone. If the faults are other than the perfs I'd say you are well justified in your complaint.

May 28, 2003 Brian R

I've heard others (sellers) state that items coming back with complaints about descriptions serve as their "red flag". I'm not trying to take sides here, just state the obvious, that all things are subjective. Perhaps the seller was simply trying to avoid situations that could turn into a negative feedback (too late). I note the seller hasn't left his feedback, as yet, for Bill W. Seems things are pretty much at the end point now, a negative, only for retaliation, would speak volumes about the sellers outlook/attitude.

May 28, 2003 dbenson@bigpond.net.au <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

Zeppelin cover
Bill, what was wrong with the 1mk. I presume you bought the cover just for that and if you were disappointed then of course you have the right to return it if there are any faults as it was described as OK,

David Benson

May 28, 2003 13:36:30 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Bill
As regards 2 and 4, torn stamps are not "slight damage", the olde "slightly pregnant" routine. Not so sure on the 1, seems to be somewhat defficient in perfs on the left side and a tear at "r" of Europa (?)
More to the point, why did he block you before you left feedback?
Was he expecting negative feedback?
As eBay scans go, it is pretty good, though could be better.
But again, you can't tell everything from a scan.

May 28, 2003 1:30 Dennis Robertson

Zepp. Cover
I do see what appears to be a small tear above the O in LUFTPOST, but I am looking for it since you mentioned that the stamp is indeed faulty. Since the description stated that it was undamaged, I would be inclined to think that it is just a shadow, a slight bend or something in the scan and not actually on the stamp itself.

May 28, 2003 1:15PM Bill Weiss <wrw1943@aol.com>

Blocked Bidder/Buyer
OK, here is a brief update. We left negative feedback for vermontphilatelic as follows "Item nisdescribed, result - blocked me from bidding again. BE CAREFUL." He responded "Refund issued, item not misdescribed and the scans don't get any better Billy" (as though this guy really knows me!). Anyway, would any of you who care enough about this go take a look at the item on e-bay and tell me if it is obvious that ALL 3 stamps are faulty - particularly since he specifically states in his description "While the 4RM & 2RM have slight damage...the 1RM (the more expensive one) is undamaged". It is e-bay item #2927718915. He sent me an e-mail saying "Your negative feedback noted and responded to. E-bay notified of inappropriate feedback simply due to you being placed on blocked bidder list which was clearly the right decision from my perspective". I guess since he claims the scan is so clear I should have ignored his description that the 1M was sound and had the ability to detect that it really was faulty! What great logic.
Bob H. is right about using another e-bay name as that is strictly prohibited and they say so when they tell you that your blocked. I think perhaps the best advice was that if a seller like this is going to block you for a legitimate return then it is obvious they are likely up to no good and want to eliminate folks who know too much from causing them non-sales due to returns. Just kind of sad though that e-bay allows such a seller to actually go on the offensive against you even though you did nothing wrong in making a legit return. As was pointed out below, perhaps it's actually a stroke of luck and will save lots of future problems with an apparently (dishonest?) unfair seller.
Please tell me what you think about the item in question. Thanks!

May 28, 2003 Noon-ThirtySix Dennis Robertson

Web Browser
Also, I forgot to mention the variety of language options for our international visitors. One click Babelfish or Google translation.

Plus, it has built in PopUp stopping capability...

May 28, 2003 Noon-ThirtyTwo Dennis Robertson

Bad Link
Here is the URL to the SlimBrowser Download site http://www.flashpeak.com/sbrowser/download.htm
SlimBrowser

I think I added an l to the end of the link in the last message.

Sorry...

May 28, 2003 Noon-Thirty Dennis Robertson <dennisrobertson@ezsweeps.com>

Dennis

a.k.a. DWyomingMenace

May 28, 2003 2010 BST Ed.B

Ed

May 28, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Prometheus the sender on Sneeky's cover was an Alberto; most likely family, if the covers came from the same archive.
Paolo

May 28, 2003 11.46 Prometheus

Mr. Paolo
Thank you for explaining the markings on my cover
I too had wondered why no stamps or Dues
Will add this to my collection of Unusual Covers

I didn't know that one country would accept the Free Franking from another
This Gentleman seemed to do a lot of work for Governments not bad for a former POW
adressee is same as POW Postcard Sneeky linked the other day, as were the argentina covers I shared with MAURO earlier.
 

May 28, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Re: Question for Mr. Paolo or Anyone with Info
Hi Prometheus

I looked at your cover. I can't understand why no postage due was charged (and why no adhesives are present).

Despite the lack of originating date cancels from Nairobi, Kenya, I would think the cover was sent free frank from Nairobi to Rome, to the ministry of foreign affairs. Then in Rome it got the
"MINISTERO DEGLI AFFARI ESTERI" (ministry of foreign affairs) oval marking, with the weapon of the Italian Republic at top, and it was put again in the mail to finish its travel to the recepient in Ferrara.

The mechanic commemorative (for the XXV ANNO SANTO = 25th Holy Year) cancel
"* ROMA * CENTRO - 31.1 / 1950"
since it is applied on cover front, attests the date of departure from Rome.
In the Ministery of foreign affairs was given a protocol number with the linear in violet:
"Sped. No....2... No. d'O....92".
I think that someone at the Rome PO applied by mistake the linear in black:
"TASSA A CARICO DEL DESTINATARIO" (postage to be paid by the receiver),
which anyway was not quantified in any Postage Due (e.g. the circular marking RR/POSTE/TS + adhesive postage dues).
In conclusion, since you tell me that there's a receiving postmark on reverse (applied in FERRARA), I would think that the circular marking in violet:
"COMMAND PAY OFFICE - NAIROBI -- POST / SECTION / P.O. Box ...",
with which I am not familiar at all,
was considered valid as a free frank sign...

Just an hypoteses.

Paolo



 

May 28, 2003 10:45 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

Dave P.. Perhaps you could just borrow a few minutes on a friends computer. Most will have IE 5.x or higher.

May 28, 2003 Mauro Mowszowicz

Prometheus
Nice Argentina lot, the "strange" cover you mentioned and linked is a Parcel Post with declared (and insured & Reg.) value.
Regards

Mauro

 

May 28, 2003 09.57 orthorpteran (Dave P)

Does anyone know how yahoo payments work? Despite giving various payment options a buyer has opted for one I didn't list. The big problem is that the payment link in th email gives me a "forbidden access" notice. It does say I may solve the problem by upgrading to IE 5.X, but I use 5.0 now, and in any case have no desire to change - last time it took me a month of Sundays to get a stable platform with my IPS.
So has anyone any experience of Yahoo payments (what is actually supposed to happen, bearing in mind I am in the UK and he has paid in US$), and how do I get out of this bind - the payment is in excess of $500.

May 28, 2003 Bill L.

Bob H. -- I didn't know that. I agree, just don't do business with the guy.

On the subject of shady sellers demanding certificates and then hiding behind the comment that they are entitled to a differing opinion, here is a lengthy quote from the 1936 Philatelic Frauds Fakes and Fakers
"Many collectors believe the wise crack 'An expert is onewho knows more and more about less and less". Shady dealers and incompetents use the term 'expert' as a term of derision. That is their alibi when trapped"

Also in appraising a collection that a wealthy but uneducated (philatelically) business man had formed, "Under practically every stamp there was a notation as to cost and source and there was little or nothing in the three volumes from important dealrs or even small dealers who knew stamps. At the conclusion the visitor was choleric. He was shown nearly a thousand counterfeits for all of which he had paid good money.

Regarding criminal code "The forging of stamps is a felony. THe postal laws and regulations of 1932, section 2324 "Whoever shall forge or counterfeit or knowingly utter or use a forger or counterfeit postage stamp or revenue stamp of any foreign government shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than 5 years"

"More severe penalties are provided in section 2323 realting to US stamps including counterfeiting or ALTERING postage stamps.

May 28, 2003 9.27 Prometheus

MAURO-Reply
Here are a few pieces from the box I bought
Whatiwanted there were a dozen like this all different hand made artsy
and its back

This really Strange Cover i guess all the CDS because the envelope has a wavy seam to open on.
a few of these
Lots of covers like These
and many more like THIS
and a bunch of loose stamps from 1873 the earliest I have found so far to about 1920
I'm still sorting and will show you the loose stamps after i get them on a sheet.
The Hunk of OS Overprints in the scan above is just one of many pieces like that.

May 28, 2003 Bob Hohertz

Blocked Bidders
Bill Longley.. I would not advise Bill Weiss to use a different ID to bid on the auction from the person who blocked him. That is a reportable offense, according to eBay, whether we like it or not. I would think if you or anybody else offered to bid for him nobody could prove or do anything - buy it in your own name and let Bill pay you for it.

May 28, 2003 08:52:30 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

brian
Nice one (gag)!!!!!!
Real quality stamp O' the day

May 28, 2003 8:49 am Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Bill W - You could always email the seller and ask them why they blocked you. But, if it were me and I got blocked because I simply returned an item, especially if they have a clearly stated return policy, then that seller is one I wouldn't want to continue sending my money to anyway. Eventually, the word will get around about the sellers practice of blocking bidders, without good reason, and they will start to lose sales I would think.

May 28, 2003 Brian R (briguy)

It'll make an exellent addition to your collection!

May 28, 2003 Bill L.

Bill W. From Ebay's help system "Before blocking a buyer, we recommend that you email him or her and clearly state why you will not accept bids or Buy It Now purchases from him or her in the future."

May 28, 2003 Bill Longley

Bill W. -- Ebay's rules does SUGGEST the blocker notify the blockee before doing so. If it is something you really want, use a different ebay name. You are allowed to have multiple ones. Alternatively, just have a friend bid for you.

Bill L.

May 28, 2003 16.30 BST Ed.B

Ed

May 28, 2003 08:28:30 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Ed
Several!!
However, since my wife is Armenian they wouldn't stand a chance in a cat fight!!

Bill
Ed is correct, eBay makes their own rules.
This one can be useful for dealing with deadbeat bidders.
However, you are correct, if a store refused service to a customers on the basis of color (for example), they would not only not stay in business very long, they would probably get hit with an horendous law suit.

May 28, 2003 16.20 BST Ed.B

Ed

May 28, 2003 16.17BST Ed.B

Ed

May 28, 2003 Mauro Mowszowicz <sales@urured.com>

Argentina?
Prometheus: Im interested in Argentina ... what do you got?
Regards

Mauro

May 28, 2003 8:00AM Bill Weiss <wrw1943@aol.com>

Blocked Bidder/Buyer List
Now I will quickly admit that I am new to e-bay buying but "old" to the "real" philatelic world, so today I want to post a brief story of something that just happened to me and ask fellow stampchat folks if anything similar has happened to them.
Two weeks ago I bought a Zeppelin cover from vermontphilatelics - who has a 100% feedback rating. The cover bore the full Chicago Flight German set of stamps and he described it that the two low value stamps were faulty but the key value 1M was sound. After receiving it I saw that all three stamps were faulty so retuned it. A few days later I was entering a bid on another lot he had up, and to my suprise, I was told that my bidding was blocked! To make a long story shorter, and after contacting e-bay about this, I was told that any seller can block the bidding of any bidder and does not need a reason to do so! The exact wording was "Think of it as your store. You can refuse service to anyone at anytime and do not owe an explaination". Now I wonder, if there are any lawyers listening, if this is really true?
Years ago there was a well-known incident in philately where a public auction firm attempted to stop a well-known collector/attorney from attending/bidding in his sale and the attorney showed up with police and was informed that he had no right to ban the man from attending/bidding without just cause. Now while I do not know if that story is true, I do find it a bit hard to believe that a seller can bar a bidder on the basis of a justified return.
Can anyone supply any enlightening thoughts??

May 28, 2003 07:47:00 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Sheesh,
in two weeks I have managed to accumulate 1082 spam mails in my filter and 491 which made it through to my overland site.
Do some people have nothing better to do?
I don't want to meet unattached women in my local area (Texas), I know most of them and I doubt if the emailer knows them anyway.
Likewise I have no great desire to increase the size of my breasts, buy viagra or subject my body to numerous other alterations.

May 28, 2003 7:36 am Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

The only think I see missing, which I think someone expressed concerns about, are the direct links for "leave feedback for seller, and buyer".

May 28, 2003 Bill Longley

Avoiding Ebay's swaztika rules
This ebay seller blacked out the offending swaztika. Interesting approach.

May 28, 2003 6.29 Prometheus

Question for Mr. Paolo or Anyone with Info
Mr. Paolo - Sneeky over at Stampoffers sent me here ,
Can you tell me anything about this entire envelope
ODDHas a back stamp of Ferrara Centro 1-2.50
If anyone has any interest/Knowledge in Argentina and would like to see some registered covers or blocks of stamps on pieces of covers just ask. Just purchased 10 kilos some are interesting (to me ) and some were art covered type of things.
Thanks Pro

May 28, 2003 Ralf Reinhold (buzones) http://postalhistory.int.tf
 

Looking for Spanish "bulk items"
Since free speech is allowed here, I'd like to post a permanent search-list (apart from my want-list shown on my about me page . Hope some of you can help me! :-))


For studying purposes I'm always looking for bigger quantities (also stripes, pairs and blocks; complete sheets or parts of them) of used Spanish difinitive stamps from the following issues:

1889/99 (PELÓN issue), Scott #255-270
1901/05 (CADETE issue), Scott #272-286
1909/20 (MEDALÓN issue), Scott #297-313, 315-317
1920 (CORREO AEREO issue), Scott #C1-C5
1922/30 (VAQUER I issue), Scott #331-344
1930 (VAQUER II issue), Scott #406-414
1931 (REPUBLICA Española ovp. issue), Scott #478-487, E12

(From the above issues also items with colonial overprint; e.g. Marruecos, Cabo Juby etc.)

I also need a complete sheet of the 25 Céntimos "Franco and La Mota castle" (Edifil #1024, Scott #761) - possibly as a loan. Also good scans of the above items would be helpful to me... For questions please mail me using the Email address given on my homepage. Thank you in advance! Bye


 

May 28, 2003 04:56:50 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Gód dæg eall.

Dave
I like the new board intro and the font size is about right.

george
I am of a mind as to "see what you can get away with before anyone figures out what you're doing".
A dealer on the north side of the westernmost city of Texas seems to have a similar philosophy.

May 28, 2003 04:27 AM jim_lawler <jlawler@comteck.com>

Jim L.

May 28, 2003 04:01 Jim Watson

Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is an airmail mourning cover from Libya to Sicily.

Bob in WA,
That is a pretty stamp!

May 28, 2003 3:30 Bob in WA <rcl.wa@verizon.net>

Bob in WA
 

May 28, 2003 1:03 AM (4:03 EST) anne <abt1950@stampgoddessesRus.com>

Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of finding missing stamps, successful exhibits, and the continued growth of this chat site.
Anne

May 28, 2003 Sneeky37

Knuden
Thank you for the info, already went to "google" and searched the EAC and it appeared that the 3d General Hospital was in Tunisia at that time( May 1944), passed along the info that i found and that Paolo supplied to the owner of the POW card.
Hope all is going well for you these days.

May 28, 2003 23:30:15 PDT Bill Seymour <billsey@dsl-only.net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

So, anyway... :-) Can someone help me fill in the holes for Bosnia & Herzegovia? I need that first overprint set plus Semis, Dues and Express (Scott 1N1-1N22, 1L43-1L45, 1LB1-1LB7, 1LE1-1LE2, 1LJ1-1LJ26 or Michel 1-29, P1-P26). Catalog is fairly low, except for the round dot type overprints on the imperf 'girl of Bosnia' issues and a couple of the semi-postals...

May 27, 2003 ANNE

Dave: Font size is fine with me--aging eyes and all that.

May 27, 2003 Brian R

Whoa! There's a sure sign of new board success, people are now leaving "Bookmarks"

May 27, 2003 07:33 PM Jim_Lawler

bookmark

May 27, 2003 George Kopecky

:-)

May 27, 2003 7:00 PM Mike Spencer (selecto)

Off-topic: eBay busted in patent suit here.

May 27, 2003 6:30PM Bill Weiss

Postage Overcharge
I am pleased to report that the fellow I spoke about earlier just e-mailed me that he was willing to lower his postage charges in the future. He is valleyamericana@charter.net and like I said, he was always an honest guy as far as I knew.

May 27, 2003 Brian R (briguy)

Dave F.-- Furhter congratulations, every time I log on to this site things look more professional and impressive. If Ebay had programmers half as efficient, I'd have to focus on stamps instead of whining! LOL

May 27, 2003 18:03 Dave ("philatarium")

Next Formatting Question
NOIP: I also have some flexibility about how the posts look. Is the text size too large, or about right? I sometimes forget that I have my screen resolution set pretty high (1400 x 1050), so all the text is a bit smaller for me than for most. I believe Richard's board is set one font size below the one for this board.

Any thoughts?

May 27, 2003 17:56 Dave ('philatarium')

Board Format
Hi, Paolo! Thanks for your input. I would love to take credit for this, but Mauro Mowszowicz deserves it. We found a way where he could develop some html code, I "compiled" it in FrontPage, pasted it into the "control panel" for this site, and crossed our fingers in hopes that it would work.

I originally tried to do the "CTRL+F" but had a problem with the code trying to execute the command, rather than just display it. But perhaps on my next adjustment to the board, I will try once again. (It's always likely that I may have been doing something wrong.)

In the same vein: Bill Seymour: I think I am about ready to try your more advanced technique. I've wanted to wait until I was at home (was gone over the holiday weekend) and could concentrate on the technique. Keep your fingers crossed.

NOIP: Hopefully putting the "time" field below the "comments" field will help. That way, you're looking at the time after you've completed the post. (At least it helped me.)

-- Dave

May 27, 2003 5:50PM Bill Weiss

The other day someone began a discussion, either here or on Richard's site about a seller charging $5.50 for postage/insurance for two very light Pacific Express covers. This posting clearly demonstrates what a small world this is. I came on this listing tonight while shopping and thought I recognized the guy from the "About Me" info, especially his home town. So I wrote him and sure enough, it's this guy I know for twenty years, so I talked to him about this too-high charge and am waiting for him to get back to me. I have always known him to be totally honest, so let's see what he says and I'll report back when he answers me.

May 27, 2003 5:45PM Bill Weiss

To George;
That's great news that the guy pulled the lot! And thanks as well for the post about the NY Friends.
To Brian R. All of your assumptions about #133 are correct. The only tough thing is separating #133s from #133a, which is strictly by color shade.

May 27, 2003 Good night! Paolo Bagaglia

Dave (Philatarium) I very much like the way you have updated this site (including "posting tips" and "posting tools").
One simple thing: couldn't the search function be abbreviated in Ctrl+F
Good continuation, Paolo
 

May 27, 2003 George Kopecky http://www.theswedishtiger.com/usstamps/
 

There is a great site (above) for general reference that will give you some of the major differences between classic stamp varieties, and has every one illustrated in gorgeous color too. It was put together by the Swedish Tiger last year. Anybody heard from him lately? Is he alright?

May 27, 2003 Brian R (briguy)

U.S. stamp identification question. I note that the #112 1c. pictorial was re-issued in 1880, as the #133. Catalog values for either issue are somewhat comparable. I'm guessing the #133 does not have a grill? I assume the re-issue was printed by American Bank note is thus on the yellowish "mottled" paper, and not the thin grey stock? Please correct any of these assumptions that are wrong.

May 27, 2003 George Kopecky

Let's assume your definition is correct, that the seller must know beforehand the the item is not what he represents it to be. That pretty much cooks our NY friends, because they are the ones who alter the stamps.

May 27, 2003 George Kopecky

He cancelled the sale after I informed him of the problemmatic #12. Good for him.

May 27, 2003 3:35PM Bill Weiss <wrw1943@aol.com>

FRAUD
Wow, thanks for all the comments about the "AS IS" disclaimer, particularly from those who obviously know what they are talking about. I was always told that to prove fraud one needed to show intent to commit it. To me, if a seller merely states that a stamp is mint, and then AFTER the sale it is found to be an altered or otherwise non-mint stamp, that does NOT constitute a fraudulent action on his part. Now, on the other hand, if he is told BEFORE the auction that the item(s) are not mint or are altered and he goes ahead and sells the lot anyway, now that's fraud. I did not know if this particular seller was using the "AS IS" words in his sale ad because I didn't take the time to read it. Now I know that he isn't. Someone warning him about the #12 really being a trimmed 5-cent 1857 type II thus negating the catalog value of that item in the lot goes a long way to proving (I guess) fraudulent intent if he's told before the sale goes off.Thanks again for the insights.

May 27, 2003 Mauro Mowszowicz <sales@urured.com>

Dave, it is working indeed!

May 27, 2003 Mauro Mowszowicz <sales@urured.com>

Dave, it is working indeed!

May 27, 2003 14:18 Jim Watson

Paolo,
Again, many thanks for your added information on the Rome-Turin cover. I've updated the page to tell more of the story.
 

May 27, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia <bagaglia@wanadoo.nl>

Nomad55 and Jimbo,

Thank you for your gentle comments.

Paolo
 

May 27, 2003 13:10 paladigm <plemon@paladigm.com>

As Is
I recently received an email from someone responding to my request for fraud info. My response to that email is timely for your discussion regarding the "as is" disclaimer. The body of my email follows:

"Since you are an attorney, I am confident that you know the difference between criminal and civil fraud. Unfortunately, there are a number of individuals that are selling on-line that do not understand the distinction. From a criminal perspective, merely stating that an item is sold "as is" does not in any way mitigate the fact that the seller knew that the item was not what was listed. The elements of criminal fraud (particularly intent) are present and have not been mitigated by that statement. However, in my view (although the courts seem to have varying perspectives) the statement that something is sold "as is" significantly alters the nature of the contractual relationship between buyer and seller, from a civil perspective. A buyer that purchases a lot sold "as is" has accepted the fact that the seller has completely "washed their hands" of the lot.

Rest assured that with the individuals we plan on pursuing there will be little doubt as to whether they have been involved in criminal fraud. I would not be concerned that you may have misdescribed a few lots in the past".
 

May 27, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Paolo
 

May 27, 2003 Brian R (briguy)

A Bucks Richmond
An added carrier handstamp on an otherwise genuine #12 cover
Some serious doubts I have over the legitamacy of a paid ten stampless I've got.

May 27, 2003 George

Thanks Dave. One of these days I have to learn how to do that.

May 27, 2003 12:02 Dave ('philatarium')

George: Hope you don't mind, but I fixed the links in your message so that they are clickable.

May 27, 2003 11:46 George

In my own opinion, for a highly experienced Power Seller to state I am selling you this stamp and it is mint, and it turns out to be an altered stamp, or used, that is ample demonstration of intent.

May 27, 2003 11.43 Knud-Erik Andersen http://sudeten.bizland.com/Homepage.htm
 

POW card
Sneeky - Hello Dan. I belive your POW card is from a hospital (3 Gen. Hosp. EAC) and the EAC stands for East Afica Command. The German Censor cancel 
was added in Vienna where mail from Italian POW's mail was censored. If you want to know more then take a "google" with "East Africa Command".
:O)

K.E.  
 

May 27, 2003 George

Yeah but Percy didn't put a lot of creativity into his, just a couple of smudges (I forgot to put together for you the graphic of the reconstructed cancelled four singles he made from the mint block of #13's)

May 27, 2003 11:01 Jim Watson

Paolo,
Thanks for your interesting additions to the story of the Rome-Turin cover. I've updated the page appropriately (at least I think I got it right for the important elements).

May 27, 2003 nomad55

Brian...actually, I'd pay a buck for that fake cancel just to have the stamp - that is if I needed a single. But since I've already got the 20 cent on cover, I will pass and let you have it for your collection of Confed bogus/altered stuff.

May 27, 2003 Brian R (briguy)

Since the topic of the day is cancelations, please let me reprise this one. Can anyone spot what the problem is? . Fake cxl's on the CSA #13 are really common (even Percy tried it) since the stamp can be bought $15-20 new, and catalogs at $400 used. A close second for fakes is the CSA #8. That stamp can be had new for about the same amount new and cataloges for $350 used. I seem to remember a story about one of Sperati's bigger goofs was the addition of fake NY cancels to the #8, although the prices for those productions come nowhere near his hand-drawn "art".

May 27, 2003 Bill Longley

Roger -- C30 is Valparaiso, Chile.

Bill

May 27, 2003 10:15AM Bill Weiss <wrw1943@aol.com>

To George;
I am about to go out for a few hours but wanted to give you a quick response. First of all, you MAY tell anyone of an opinion I give you, that's fine with me. It's totally up to you. Second, and while I'm not a lawyer, I believe that the seller would have NO legal liability despite his misdescriptions because he is stating that the lot is being sold "AS IS" and once he does that I'm pretty sure he's safe. Now if fraud can be proven, then I suppose a buyer might have a leg to stand on, but as I understand "fraud" one must show a clear INTENT to commit it, which the seller may be clever enough to circumvent by acting kind of stupid about everything. I've got to run. If there's anymore questions this afternoon, I'll reply tonight.

May 27, 2003 10:10 Roger Heath

I noticed this is 1870 GB Used Abroad "C30", buyer must have noticed through the dirty cancel. Who can ID C30 for me? Cat?

Roger


 

May 27, 2003 Mark Bardell http://www.philatelicnetwork.com
 

Paypal Proof
Hi Jim - as far as I understand it you need to have sent the package by an online, trackable method ( I.E. UPS, Fedex and some parts of the USPS - Priority ? ). If the seller cannot prove this then Paypal will refund the money to the buyer, providing that the seller has sufficient funds in their paypal account. If there is not enough money in there then it is possible to do a credit card chargeback. Hope this helps.

Mark.

May 27, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Mark
Can you remind me as to what you need for Paypal as per proof of sending item.

May 27, 2003 Ed.B

Ed

May 27, 2003 1645BST Ed.B

What a change from all the reanting and raving that has gone on for the last few weeks. Ed

May 27, 2003 8:42 George Kopecky <gkop80639@aol.com>

One more thing please. What is the liability of the seller for his claims concerning a lot like this? He says these stamps are all MINT (not even unused, which so would imply NG), and even gives some of the Scott #'s. Would a legitimate auction house make claims like that, for a grouping like this?

May 27, 2003 8:36 George Kopecky <gkop80639@aol.com>

I am going to contact roecy about the "#12" only, but since this is the first time, I have no idea what his reaction will be. (I won't quote you, just say this has been confirmed by others.)

May 27, 2003 Mark Bardell http://www.philatelicnetwork.com
 

Morning All !!

Back from wet, horrible, cold NJ to ....... wet, cold Maryland!

Mark.

May 27, 2003 8:01 am Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Paolo - Having seen some of the crap that seller sells, especially in Spanish stamps, I am embarrassed to say he is living in the same state as I.

May 27, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

monte
Here is SCADS you can link to others from there.

May 27, 2003 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

May 27, 2003 7:55AM Bill Weiss <wrw1943@aol.com>

Item #2931031280
George;
First of all, it is NOT possible for that stamp to be a #12 simply because it is a type II with reduced projections at top and bottom, therefore it must be either a #30 or 30A which has been cut down. I can't tell from the scans about the #38 being pen cancel cleaned, but let me say something in general about anyone bidding on such large mixed lots like this....ARE YOU CRAZY!!! (I don't mean you, George!). Even in the most honorable philatelic auctions there are larger mixed lots like this that will contain a percentage of altered items. Even in honorable auctions, such lots are not returnable. They are usually bid on, and won, by folks who take the time to personally view them, so they do not present a major problem in public auctions. When they can not be personally viewed, as on e-bay, and the scans are such that no one, not even an expert, can detect what may be wrong with them, such as in this lot, the liklyhood that MANY of the early "unused" stamps are really cleaned used copies, one must be insane to even attempt to bid on such a lot thinking they will get real value. A stamp such as the #67, if reallky unused, is very rare, otherwise it wouldn't catalog $21,000. with gum and $10,000. without. The chance of that stamp beibg truly unused are very low, and the same is true of many of the others. The worst-case senario would be that many of these "stamps" are really privately perforated proofs, in which case, they are virtually valueless. There is no way to tell from the scans if the perfs are OK, particularly since this seller cleverly shot the stamps at an angle so as to distort our view of the perfs! What needs to be done is to LOUDLY advise anyone who can think straight not to EVER bid on a lot like this unless they can completely trust the seller, and even then, there are bound to be some clunkers in the lot. Hope this helps.

May 27, 2003 7:27 Monte Hensley <amepsi@yahoo.com>

Monte
 

May 27, 2003 nomad55

Paolo....thanks for your commentary on the Italian air mail. Even though I do not collect Italian, I love reading your in-depth analyses.

May 27, 2003 06:40:50 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Paolo

At first, that sellers poor spelling and even worse stamps amused me.
However, it now seems that he has gotten sufficient bidders for his 1¢ rip-offs to get a red star and apparent believability from the uninformed community.
With selling prices like the ones you illustrated, no wonder he can put up hundreds of non-sellers.
It only takes a few high price rip-offs to pay for his expenses.

May 27, 2003 Paolo

Hi Jim W-S
you answered your own question.
Paolo

May 27, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Reprints, fakes and forgeries
1. = private reprint with fake perforations (Line 11½) -- ghost/fantasy denomination similar to Italy 1862;

2. = private reprint with fake perforations (Line 11½) -- 40c. denomination similar to Italy 1862;

3. = rather obvious forgery of Tuscany 1851, 9 crazie

4. = very obvious forgery of Tuscany 1851, 60c.

NOTE: The seller gives at least a full guarantee, though:
"THIS IS (NOT) SOLD AS IS ITEM.IT IS FULLY GUARANTEED TO BE AUTHENTIC OR YOUR MONEY BACK AND I WILL GIVE YOU 60 DAYS TO GIVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR THE CERTIFICATION."

However, I do not understand how a foreign (non US, like me) buyer can agree with this clausole:

"Refunds available upon proof of APS certification."

Fingers crossed for html.

 

May 27, 2003 06:10:30 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

So how do regums rate?
I would seem the gum could be removed again and then you are back to a mint no gum.

May 27, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Airmail Cover
Hi Jimbo, nice cover!
A small typo: "TORIMO" => TORINO (maybe you already corrected it)

Additional comments:
"In 1917 there was concern that the enemy [Austrians] would cut sea-mail communications between the mainland and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, so a special committee was appointed to organize experimental flights to Sardinia. The Pomilio aircraft company later approached this committee and persuaded them to authorize an experimental overland flight between Turin and Rome. The suggestion was favourably received, because it was considered likely to boost morale at a time when Italian arms had not been prospering against the Austrians. The special stamp for the flight was produced by overprinting the 25c. rose express letter stamp of 1903... (...)
It was the world's first air mail stamp and was put on sale on 15 May 1917 [only in Turin and Rome]. Special post boxes were installed at post offices of Turin and Rome. The pilot was Lieut. Mario de Bernardi; he flew a Pomilio P.C.I biplane. (...)
On the return journey the mail did not reach Turin by air, since the plane was forced by a gale to land on the beach at Lavagna, a few miles south east of Rapallo [region Liguria]. On 18 July 1967 a 40L. stamp was issued to commemorate the flight [Sass. #1053]. (...) - [pag. 143]
Proofs of the genuine white card used for the return journey Rome-Turin have been used to make up counterfeit cards. They can be identified because forgeries of the two marks just described [those used for the flight Turin - Rome, described at pp. 211 and 212] were used on them.
Genuine cards for the return journey were marked not with the cachet and simplified datestamp, but by one or two Güller airpost marks."

Not integrally, from the nice book of Roy A. Dehn, F.R.P.S.L. "Italian Stamps" pp. 143 and 214, W. Heinemann ltd, London, 1973. [...] = notes from me

Later I will write some more comments on your airmail cover (from Sassone, CEI and Bolaffi catalogues).

May 27, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Good day/night all!

Dave (Philatarium): thanks for your kind mention.
It is a while I don't see Jeff L. (Cableguy52) posting on eBay stamp board.
I take the chance to send him greetings, when he reads this!

Richard F. I looked through (only to about January 03) the Philatelists Board II yesterday night, after some time (sorry). Noticed an Austrian Levant "AR cover" to Naples (Italy). I do not have a clue about it, yet (but I am trying to study it): at page 37 (here) posted by David (by RCF).
Good continuation, Paolo

May 27, 2003 04:14 Jim Watson

Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is an airmail cover from Italy. It has the distinction of having the first offical airmail stamp!

May 27, 2003 Ralf Reinhold (buzones) http://postalhistory.int.tf
 

For Richard
Hi @ll! :-) Richard B. I've left a massage for you two days ago in your Spanish Stamp Chat! Just want to let you know this... Bye!

May 27, 2003 Knud-Erik Andersen http://sudeten.bizland.com/Homepage.htm
 

May 27, 2003 1:10 am (ouch) anne <abt1950@stampgoddessRus.com>

Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of watermarks on the 3rd Egyptian issue (they're forgeries if they don't have them--the 1 pi red seems to be especially abundant, at least in my collection), eyes that don't go blind looking for plate flaws on said issues, and the continued good health of this board. Anne

May 26, 2003 Now Chris house_of_hot_babes.com
 

Evening all.
I'm still working on the pile of stuff from ROMPEX.
I will mention the updated totals when I get everything cataloged.

Chris - still wishing Bill Steiner would get around to the last three years of India

May 26, 2003 17:50 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Forged cancels
David - I will tend to agree on that point.

May 26, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

forged cancels
Richard, I can see nothing wrong with collecting them and using them for various purposes, but the original question was how to value them and I go back to my original comment. A fraction of the value of an unused and no relevance to the value of a genuinely used.

David Benson

May 26, 2003 17:38 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Forged cancels
Actually, I can see a good use for acquiring even examples of genuine stamps with forged cancels. If, for exqmple, a stamp is one that has a history of being forged extensively, then even an example with a fake cancel can be useful as a reference item since it is a genuine example of the stamp. It is much the same for me and bar cancelled remainders. They are, in Spanish collecting, items of little importance. But for me they do represent genuine examples of stamps, whose details can be examined for the purpose of weeding out the forgeries.

May 26, 2003 Sneeky37

Paolo
Many Thanks for the help on the Post Card, it is appreciated

May 26, 2003 19:10 Dave ("philatarium")

More formatting to come on that last message.

May 26, 2003 19:01 Dave Frick ('philatarium') <dfrick@pacificanalytics.com>

Thanks also for technical support from Mauro Mowszowicz
(southernstamptrader, www.uruguaystamps.com), whose contributions include the Link-o-Matic (now in the new & improved version 1.1!), and Bill Seymour (billsey,
www.seymourfamily.com, who is trying to help me figure out how to the time automatically inserted in your post.

Thanks are also due to Knud-Erik Andersen (knuden,
sudeten.bizland.com/postal_history.htm) and to Paul Bischoff (sveiki!, www.lettonica.info, (and an amazing assortment of email addresses!)) for technical guidance and help.

Thanks also to all the regular posters and familiar faces, as well as to the newcomers and balcony-sitters, all of whom contribute significantly to the overall high level of discussion on here (in no particular order):

Anne (abt1950), Jake (Sneeky), George Kopecky (gkop80639), Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850), Michael Engel (joehill), Clark Frazier (reperf), Jim Lawler, Paul Barsdell (quokka999), Christo (waves_1), Marie (ewantribe), John (magnoliastamps), George Lipscomb(776), Tott43, Bob Hohertz (rdhinstl), Mike Spencer (selecto), Colin Judd (xzephyr), Chris (chknnnn), Dave P (orthorpteran), Ed Benson (ed845), Don East, Richard Wong (richwong), Richard Warren (sayasan), Bjorn Langoren (blangoren), Paladigm, Marius Wytenburg (stampmad), Bjorn Munch (bjornmu), Ken Michaelis (kmichael), Dan (ddaanv), David Moser (stamphick!), Ken Christiansen(kchrist), Chas Adrion (stjohnstamps), Brian Reeves (briguy), Nomad65, Dana Krueger (dkru), Monte Hensley (pavos), Rolf Reinhold, Mike K (django84), Coverwiz, Mark Bardell, Mick Cifelli (kathmoon), Guillaume van Turnhout (kiompie), Roger Wells, Bill Herbert(tycophil), Sheryll Oswald (sheryll*net), Mark (cobbie10), Kurt Schau (canadianphilatelics), Paul Wilson, Laura598, Bill Dempwolf(wrd3), Alan Payne (jherek99), Chewie*, Charles Williams (cwilliam), Phil (flip138), Jim Gaul, Nomad55, Burton Smith, Rosemary Jones (tulrose), Marge Homel (mabh) and others.

(Apologies offered all around for omissions, typos, etc. Please notify me and I'll fix it in this message.)

-- Dave


 

May 26, 2003 George

Thanks.

May 26, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

forged cancels
Paolo, I can't see why people even bother to use numbers when describing stamps, just as easy to say 1879 Umberto 30c. Brown, then everyone instantly knows exactly what stamp it is. Numbers are OK for verifying variations such as paper, shade, perforation, watermark, type variations etc. but not for basic identification.

David Benson
 

May 26, 2003 Paolo

David B. I totally agree regarding speaking in terms of catalogue numbers. You have yours, I have mine, everybody has his, nobody hasn't got one, all sooner or later screw up to write a #number so the paper castle falls.

May 26, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

forged cancels
Paolo, I like your comment, " foreign auction realisations " which to me sounds like they find it laughable that foreigners (non italians) would even contemplate paying any money for them.

May 26, 2003 Paolo

Hi Sneeky
sorry, I am not familiar with any of the markings on that POW free frank postcard (sent on 3 May 1941, from a certain Sgt. Pagliarini Alberto -- the prisoner -- to a Maria of his family living in Ferrara, region Emilia-Romagna). I can't see any receiving marking.


Paolo

-- RE-forged cancels
Sassone is a catalogue, with mistakes, but it is one of the catalogues I use. Roll your sleeves up, fork your glasses, if you use any, arm yourself of a pen and send them a corrective, enlightening letter with your opinion regarding valuation of Italy Kingdom postage stamps, in "no gum with false cancel" condition, backed by foreign auction results, in English. Skip on the regards. Then wait for their reply.
Maybe you can pop-up in the "thanks to" page (I didn't, my correction, regarding another much less debatable matter, that is about compositions, wasn't acknowledged)... or maybe the auction results will not correspond, or maybe they'll write you back just about the neglected regards, who knows? ~~~~~~

 

May 26, 2003 17:44 Dave ("philatarium")

Format question:
While we're at it:

Do you like the smaller font type associated with the input boxes? Keep it the new way? Go back to the old way?

TIA,

-- Dave

May 26, 2003 17:39 Dave ("philatarium")

OK to post again!
OK to post again. But we will try to make another change in a few minutes to get rid of the excess space at the bottom of the input sections.

It's always a work in process ...

May 26, 2003 17:33 Dave Frick ("philatarium")

Technical Alert!
I'm going to try to implement a change to the code that creates this document.

To save yourself from losing a post, it may be best to hold off on posting for a few minutes. (5-15 minutes)

I'll give an all clear when we're ready to go.

(Keep your fingers crossed!)

-- Dave

May 26, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

Please describe stamps
Just realised, it is an Italy, must be Heinz Sassone, therefore 1901 Victor Emanuele 5L.

David Benson

May 26, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

Please describe stamps
Is that Heinz Scott, Heinz Gibbons, Heinz Michel, Heinz Zumstein, Heinz Yvert et Tellier,

David Benson

May 26, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Something sold by Heinz??

May 26, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

Please describe stamps
What's a 57,

David Benson

May 26, 2003 435 PM Michael Engel (joehill) <mengel44@aol.com>

Thanks to those who answered my question--even if everyone did have a different answer!

May 26, 2003 Mike Spencer (selecto)

I suppose if one has the time and money to collect rotten apples, it might be of some interest, if appropriately quarantined.

May 26, 2003 Sneeky37

Vonbag
Hi Paolo, can you please give me a run down on this POW Paper

May 26, 2003 3:35 Dave Frick ('philatarium') <dfrick@pacificanalytics.com>

Welcome!
Bill Weiss: We all want to wish you a very warm welcome here! I have been following your posts on Richard Frajola's board as well, and we're all very appreciative of your participation both there and here.

Although not every thread here is focused on misrepresented lots and the like, it is very much a part of what we need to cover here.

If you didn't see much on that topic in past day or so, it may be that we had finally had the opportunity to get some of this out of our system, and were actually moving the discussion of philately in the positive direction again!

So, please very much make yourself at home here.

It's all about each of us becoming smarter philatelists, and your presence here would be an integral contribution to that goal.

-- Dave
 

May 26, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Hello Bill W. and welcome.
I look forward to read and learn from your posts.
Paolo
 

May 26, 2003 14:45 George Kopecky <gkop80639@aol.com> http://www.sheryll.net/Forgeries/Fraud/Forgeries_article_Fraud.htm
 

Your presence here is what we needed for a long time; someone who has the credentials to confirm or debunk our suspicions.

May 26, 2003 2.30 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

forged cancels
Joehill, it might make it easier for us foreigners if you described the stamp,instead of just using a Scott's catalog number. To me a forged cancel on a common unused stamp would make the stamp usefull only for reference purposes. It is awkward to give it a value but it would be much less than the normal unused.

David Benson who only uses Scott's for United States.

May 26, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Richard the same is happening in Italian philately, in more recent periods. Even for modern stamps of particular Issues (e.g. Rose Gronchi 205l. etc.). Regarding Italian States there is increasing interest for unused no gum.

Between brackets: one of the problems is that in Germany, it has been developed a regumming method for postwar Issues that can be dangerous.
I guess that collectors might settle for an 'unused no gum' in the case of most surface printed or recess printed Issues.

One remarkable inconvenience can arise for totally or partially embossed postage stamps Issues, due to the fact that the embossing was impressed after the gum was laid. The quality of the paper, in some post 1859 printings, can be such that it changes (it tends to wrinkle and it can be very difficult to get rid of the gum) when it is immersed in water. Hence, in these cases, a no gum often means a very badly preserved copy (the embossing has lost most of its detail).
For example, the Vaccari catalogue, unlike Sassone and Bolaffi, doesn't quote Sardinia 4th Issue unused w/o gum: the reason resides in the above.
This peculiarity of these printing was a wedding invitation for unscrupulous forgers, to flatten an embossing on a used stamp and print another one upside down or just leave it with no embossing (respectively rare and extremly rare or plain unknown, in used condition).

Paolo
 

May 26, 2003 2:30PM Bill Weiss/Weiss Auctions <wrw1943@aol.com>

Introduction
Both Richard Frajola, who invited by onto his discussion board and Dave Frick, who runs this one have encouraged me to participate. If you care to read my introduction of May 22 on Frajola's board, it will tell you all about me. I am interested in discussing fraudulent e-bay practices but in checking the last few days of this board I find very little of that type of discussion.
Aside from fraudulent practices, I am available for questions from anyone on any suject they believe I can help them with. I am a certified expert who has worked for PSE for a number of years. I can expertize most U.S. stamps and covers and am particularly knowledgeable on Civil War Patriotics, Fancy Cancellations, Private Coils (I did the pricing of that section in the Scott catalog) and many other U.S. areas. I will look forward to a friendly relationship with this Stampchat group.

May 26, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

I guess I feel lucky because in Spanish philately, having unused stamps without gum is still considered to be acceptible, at least with the early issues.

May 26, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Michael - I agree with Paolo, but I also may be a bit more harsh on items like that. I agree that they might be good for reference items, or spacefillers. Once someone puts a fake cancel on an otherwise undamaged, unused stamp, unless it can be reversed, then that stamp is in my mind, damaged. As for CV, I'd personally look at it as a percentage of the CV. Sort of like a stamp with a thin, crease, or other damage.

May 26, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

PS: another of the reasons was the explosion of the "never hinged mania" which tempted a regum or a fake cancel, also on commoner items.

The reason why some postage stamps increased in value as unused, was because a large part of the printing sold to collectors as remainders (in entire sheets, also of Italian States Issues) was given of fake cancellations.
This happened either in classic --( e.g. Prov. Gov. of Parma, Romagna, Roman States 2nd and 3rd Issues, Neapolitan Provinces)
and in modern period (All It. Kgd., Republic 1949 Roman Republic 100 l., 1950 55l. Radio-diffusion, etc.).

 

May 26, 2003 13:17 George

What I was hoping someone else would see is a faint numeral "3" to the left of Franklin's forehead on that 38, just about the type and size you might see in a CDS. I am going to write Mr. Roecy about that fake #12, which is the centerpiece of the lot, but wanted some backup confirmation on that #38 also.

May 26, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Michael,

generally speaking, all the postage stamps of Italian Kingdom (1861 - 1946) whose value is much higher for used than for unused are known with fake obliterations.

At this regard, the Sassone catalogue specifies that for the postage stamps with fake cancels or with cancels that can't be expertised, have to be valued like the mint hinged.

One of the reasons as to why this position was taken, was to protect the philatelic dealers, also after the flood of the river Arno in Florence in 1966.

I do not really agree with it in most cases, though, regarding the stamp you have, if it is the 5 lire of 1889 one and sound with fine centering, should be at least $10.00 worth (valid at least as reference material).


Paolo

 

May 26, 2003 12:30 PM Michael Engel ("Joehill") <mengel44@aol.com>

Philatelic question: A stamp catalogues $11 unused, $350 used--the cancellation is forged. Is it worth $11 or nothing at all? I refer in this case to Italy #57--which I have, and whose on-piece cancellation looks unreal to me--but there are certainly other examples. Any judgments?

May 26, 2003 0832 Clark (reperf) <reperf@attbi.com>

Questionable Items
George -- The #38, #71 and #121 appear to have traces of a pen cancel. Perhaps the digital photo is enhancing smudges or small amounts of dirt lodged on the face of the stamp. Some of the others (like the 12 cent Lincon #77) also appear to be affected. However there is a slight smudge visible on the 90 cent #39, a stamp that is actually quite rare used...

The problem with these lots, particularly ones with "unused" stamps is that they probably have no gum and other defects. See PROBLEMED SELLER posting. I have heard of other similar experiences although not quite that expensive.

Anyone care to guess why this lot was not consigned to a legitimate auction house? One can only assume the worst....
 

May 26, 2003 05:16 Jim Watson

Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is a cover from Salvador to Switzerland in 1923. Such elegant script! There is also an interesting Library of Congress link to Salvadoran history.

May 26, 2003 04:33 AM Jim Lawler <jlawler@comteck.com>

Jim L.

May 26, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Bob in WA

Nice to read from you also on this board!

I can't add anything to your interesting writing and pictures other than my sympathies for the difficulty in detecting stamps depicting a bridge from those catalogues and thanks for sharing your nice cover!

May 26, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

One additional short note on Sardinia 1855-63 4th Issue, 20c. cobalt shades:
the cobalts of plate 2 cannot be confused with the generally less scarce ones of plate 1 (from June 1855, cobalt, light cobalt, dark cobalt, milky cobalt, shiny milky cobalt, greenish cobalt) for various reasons. These include the type of paper (cobalts of plate 1: of excellent quality, 0.06-0.07mm thick and rather hard), the greasier ink and normally more clear print and, finally, the most obvious: when the date in the cancel, or postmarks in the support bearing the stamp (piece, cover, wrapper, fiscal document) is interpretable /intelligible.
For 20c. cobalts unused with original gum (all from rare to very rare), the gum type is also important to distinguish between plate 1 and 2... even though one may never get a mint one of these.

May 26, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

May 26, 2003 Paul Barsdell (quokka999) <paul.b@webone.com.au>

Paul

 

May 26, 2003 2 am Bob in WA <rcl.wa@verizon.net>

Bob in WA

May 26, 2003 1:55 Bob in WA

What the heck? All the posts said May 24, all the way down. When I made the last post, they all retroactively updated to the 25th or 26th! Weird!

May 26, 2003 1:53 Bob in WA

Why is the DATE still saying the 24th, when it is now the 26th? OK, I'll fill in the time and see if this works. Bob
 

May 26, 2003 Knud-Erik Andersen http://sudeten.bizland.com/Homepage.htm
 

May 26, 2003 1:04 am abt1950

Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of better weather (it's been dark and dank here all week), no more computer fraud, and no more philatelic fraud either. Anne

May 26, 2003 Lavar Taylor <lavartaylor@earthlink.net>

There is also a transit marking from the Chinese PO in Shanghai dated May 10, 1901. What seems really strange to me, however, is the Shanghai Local Post marking dated May 10. I don't understand why the card had to be routed via the Shanghai local post when the card was headed to Tsingtau, hundreds of kilometers to the north. Anyone have any ideas? The picture side of the card shows the Government House in Singapore and can be seen here . Now to sleep.

May 26, 2003 Sneeky37

May 25, 2003 Waves_1

Christo

May 25, 2003 21:17 Clark (reperf) <reperf@attbi.com>

Is eBay down?

May 25, 2003 20:48:00 Roger Heath

I just posted the voting results on the other Board.

Roger

May 25, 2003 20:27 George

I agree with you on the #12 on that roecy lot, but (anybody) take a close look also at the #38, and tell me if you can see anything just to the left of Franklin's forehead.

May 25, 2003 1114est Marie <Ewantribe@1st.net>

not sure
I am new you guys/gals get to pick one. I am still learining.

May 25, 2003 John

Good evening Gawg!

May 25, 2003 Magnolia Stamps http:// Wasting Time
 

no topic up yet.I think everyone is out partying or somthing like that!

May 25, 2003 Gawg

Gawg

May 25, 2003 Gawg

Gawg

May 25, 2003 10:58est Marie <ewantribe@1st.net>

hello
Okay hello to this board tonight also. Any topic up yet???

May 25, 2003 TOTT43 <tottenhome@aol.com>

this is stampoffers rowdies
come in sneeky

May 25, 2003 Gawg

Gawg

May 25, 2003 Gawg in beautiful Gawga

Gawg

May 25, 2003 John in Ms.

io..thanks I was begining to wonder!

May 25, 2003 dbenson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

Sleeping Andy
Bill Longley, got the scans of Andy but when I replied my email were rejected.

I replied,

Just resting his overworked brain for a few minutes,

He is beginning to show his age, must be getting close to 75


David Benson

May 25, 2003 18:05 Dave ("philatarium")

making links
Also note that the "Link-O-Matic" that Mauro created for us adds the "http://" to whatever you've typed or pasted in, so if you're pasting another link in, it is inserting an extra "http://". As long as you're aware of this, it's easy to just delete out (or backspace) the extra characters out.

Thanks again to Mauro for a nifty little piece of programming!

(It also inserts at the same time the command to open the link in a new window, which is a nice touch!)

-- Dave

May 25, 2003 18:00 Dave ("philatarium")

mystery repairs
Hi, all -- Turns out I've needed to be away from the board most of last night and today (and possibly tomorrow), but I have been checking in periodically just to make sure things are ok, and have fixed a couple of html errors and a couple of links.

So if it looks like something was wrong but now seems to be ok, it might have been me. (Although I didn't have anything to do with those "forbidden" errors earlier.)

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

-- Dave

May 25, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

john
Second attempt worked.
To view statement and auction at same time, click here.

May 25, 2003 john in ms.

one more time!

May 25, 2003 john in ms.

lets try again

May 25, 2003 Magnolia Stamps

Ok guys and gals chek out this one talk about some-one about to get up you know where,Mint #30 with the perfs cut off being sold as a 12 not to mention the reperfs..http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2931031280&category=683

May 25, 2003 john in ms http://jump on a stamp&take a ride
 

Your going to be upset about this but I had a bunch of those 1861 sardinia 20 cent blues,I asked about if anyone wanted them on the other board about a year ago and got nothing but alot of B.S.about them.so I gave them to a scout up in Va.of cours they did not have certs.I wish I had known they were worth that kind of money.Oooopps

May 25, 2003 Bob Hohertz (rdhinstl)

Howdy, Paolo! Hope you and your wife are doing well! Haven't been on a bicycle since Italy, myself, but no good reason for that.

May 25, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Was invited in Nijkerk today. Had a nice time with a most sweet, alas severely handicapped since birth, woman, who aims to live so much, she gave me a reason to keep on ...and she's also a master at playing chess...

Yesterday I guested a couple of delightful people, Nadja van Ittersum (succesfull artist, academic from the fine arts university of amsterdam, etc.) and Mr. B. Smith, I can call him my best friend here in Holland -- a Scottish origin Lyricist, a very fine, extremely friendly person!

He wrote the text of one of the song that competed in the "European song festival" show (his didn't win, though).

We had agreed a philatelic password to access my place, this was:

"Mr. Rowland's
Penny Black has turned green with envy!"
 

May 25, 2003 Mike Spencer (selecto)

A note on Modern US: One would think that an obsession with the backs of stamps would limit a collector to the classics. But, on no, even in 2003, one can collect both sides.

May 25, 2003 02.13 Colin Judd UK (xzephyr) <thejudds@saltsvillage.freeserve.co.uk> http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_GB_Machins/
 

Colin

May 25, 2003 Roger Heath

Colin - When I click on your Scottish links I get - forbidden. If I click in the same URL ,and reload, the images appear. They just don't appear the first time through a direct link.

Roger

May 25, 2003 01.31 thejudds@saltsvillage.freeserve.co.uk <thejudds@saltsvillage.freeserve.co.uk> http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_stamps
 

Colin

May 25, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia <bagaglia@wanadoo.nl>

To Bid
I bid

you bid

He, she, it bids

... we bid, you bid, they bid.

*You got the bargain of the day!*

:-) Paolo

May 25, 2003 1.16 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

Bangkok - Tsingtau
Lavar, it makes sense if it was the 10th. If it is the 18th. then it went Bangkok, HK, Shanghai, Tsingtau. No reason why it went to the Chinese PO as it should have been bagged in HK to go to German PO in Shanghai.

David Benson

May 25, 2003 John in Ms.

I found them on the other board.thanks

May 25, 2003 12.41 Colin Judd UK (xzephyr) <thejudds@saltsvillage.freeserve.co.uk> http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_Japan_stamps
 

Colin

May 25, 2003 12.37 thejudds@saltsvillage.freeserve.co.uk <thejudds@saltsvillage.freeserve.co.uk> http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_GB_Machins/
 

Colin

May 25, 2003 Now Chris You have no idea what website I am tempted to put here
 

xzephyr The Scottish stamps are fine, the other three give me the Forbidden page.

Chris - sounds like a Parfume name

May 25, 2003 Now Chris

xzephyr Those Scottish stamps are very nice. I will have to get those
when my GB collection gets up to the 2000's.
Actually I like a lot of the Millenium stamps. Not traditional, but still very nice.

Chris - have you seen the new US Nazi clock stamps?

May 25, 2003 12.34 Colin Judd UK (xzephyr) <thejudds@saltsvillage.freeserve.co.uk> http://mysite.freeserve.com/GB_Special_Issues/
 

Colin

May 25, 2003 Now Chris

sveiki! You probably know me by my eBay id, it started with "chk9".
The US version of the song contest is called "American Idol" and features
ugly people singing terrible songs. This does not seem to be an improvement
over the Greek competitor.

Chris - mteton knows his melons

May 25, 2003 11:38:30 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Dave
I guess it beats the name Bouldery Beach!!

No idea on your penny black.
Its a nice stamp.
If it were plate eleven I would have expected the five lowest bidders to go a lot higher.
Maybe a ridiculously high bid by Huggy which winner chased.

May 25, 2003 John in Ms.

when i tried to view the pictures too.

May 25, 2003 John in Ms./Magnolia Stamps http:// Jump on a stamp and take a ride.com
 

Ok.I think I know what you mean!

May 25, 2003 Knud-Erik Andersen http://sudeten.bizland.com/Homepage.htm
 

Colin - Not any more! :O)

K.E.  
 

May 25, 2003 Knud-Erik Andersen http://sudeten.bizland.com/Homepage.htm
 

Colin - I get "Forbidden - You don't have permission to access /users/zor250669.jpg on this server" when I try see your pictures!

K.E.  
 

May 25, 2003 11.21 Colin Judd UK (xzephyr) <thejudds@saltsvillage.freeserve.co.uk> http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_stamps
 

Colin
 

May 25, 2003 Dave P (orthorpteran)

Although it is nice when an auction realises more than expected, there is always a nagging doubt. Can some one look at
this Penny Black cover and tell me what I missed - or did I just get lucky, assuming I get paid of course. I just do not understand the bidding!

May 25, 2003 Dave P (orthorpteran)

So I got the wrong year for the Israeli - well I said I hadn't watched it for a while!

Jim W-S I take exception to your remark about Puppet on a String, I had the hots for Miss Shaw at the time, I am not sure if it was the fringe or the bare feet.

May 25, 2003 sveiki!

John Been busy with work. Straightening out some personal problems I've had in connection with work, my nerves have been rollercoasting the last ½ of a year. It seems everything is going to be fine now, the last bit still misses. I'm licking my wounds, but the heavy burdon has been removed.

How's that for an answer? {;o)

May 25, 2003 1800BST Ed B

Ed

May 25, 2003 sveiki! <mooh@milk.com>

Knud-Erik And I suddenly got the urge for dairy products. Let's see, I think we still have some milk in the fridge...

May 25, 2003 -00:01 sveiki! <sucker_for@boobies.com>

Jim That's funny to see. The song contests of the 70*s were frequented by the most known Eurovision performers.

Knud-Erik Did receive your mail, thanks. Will answer you when time allows. {:o)

May 25, 2003 Knud-Erik Andersen http://sudeten.bizland.com/Homepage.htm
 

John in Ms - My Mrs. is fine thank you - we are leaving for holyday in Portugal next friday. (By the way why does all this talk sudently reminds me of "The Madonna with the big boobies??) :O5

K.E.  
 

May 25, 2003 09:39:30 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Paul
I have to admit that some of the songs have been financially rewarding for some of the singers.
Here is listing of past winners.
Your Israeli transvestite was in 1998.

May 25, 2003 sveiki!

Jim It's a popular joke. {:o)

May 25, 2003 Bob Hohertz

Don, I'd delete it and forget it then. I use eSnipe and they DO need to know my password, but I'd only change it at their site. Which your e-mail said to do anyway, oddly enough. If there was a link in the e-mail to use, that's a dead giveaway.

May 25, 2003 sveiki!

Dave P The Israeli transvestite won the contest at least 4-5 years ago. Last year the winner was Maria (definitely NOT a transvestite), two years ago Estonia won, three years ago Denmark won and prior to them Sweden won the song contest.

May 25, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Paul
Lets face it the European song contest is a joke.
I still cringe when people mention it as it brings back traumatic memories of the British classic "Puppet on a string".

May 25, 2003 Don East

Bob, Thats what I thought when I read that email,my post below was my responce.I've never heard of them.

May 25, 2003 9:15 John in Ms./Magnolia Stamps

And to those I did not mention Good Morning to you too.

May 25, 2003 9:24 Lavar Taylor

D2 The Shanghai cancel is Aug. 18, after the Aug. 15 HK cancel.

May 25, 2003 09:20 PT Richard Wong

Rich Wong

May 25, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Bob
Auction stealer is a sniping site, they'd be hard pressed to perform a snipe for you if they didn't know your password.

May 25, 2003 9:19 Lavar Taylor <lavartaylor@earthlink.net>

Ed B Your "DP" overprint stands for "Daily Press". There are two types, one very common, other harder to find.

May 25, 2003 Bob Hohertz

Don, It all looks harmless enough until that part about logging into their site and giving them your password - NEVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT. Is AuctionStealer a company you use for bidding? Never heard of them.

May 25, 2003 9:03 Don East <doneast@mcn.org>

Hello all,nice new board.I have a question about a possible scam.This morning I recieved the following; CONFIRMATION: To verify the validity of this email, please visit our website and view either the System Status page or the News page.

Dear Don East (deast-lr),

In February of 2003, the Slammer Worm (virus) caused major problems for both large and small internet companies. During that time, we discovered an active attack against our system and informed our customers. We acted quickly and closed down the threat. This week, however, we learned that some eBay passwords were compromised.

Some of you received an email stating that your credit card information has been stolen. Rest assured, YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION HAS NOT been jeopardized as it is not part of our records. The only item that may have been compromised is your eBay password.

In response to the attack on our systems, we've performed a security audit. It determined that there are no current security holes and the last time any existed was approximately four months ago. We have taken additional steps to improve our existing security measures and performance. There are no security deficiencies that would put your information and our systems at risk.

To protect yourself CHANGE YOUR EBAY PASSWORD IMMEDIATELY and any other password that is the same as your eBay password. This is quick and easy.

Below are the steps required to change your eBay password:

-- Sign In to your eBay account with your current login username and password
-- Click on the My eBay link
-- Click on the Preferences tab
-- Click on the "Change my Password" link (You may need to login again)
-- Enter your new password, confirm your new password, and then submit the form
-- You will receive an email from eBay confirming your password change shortly

After you have changed your eBay password, login to our website and update your password within the Your Profile section. This will ensure that your bids are placed properly.

We will always do everything we can to protect our customers and the integrity of our corporation. Please contact us if you have any questions, and we will be happy to assist you.

Sincerely,

AuctionStealer Security Team
Have any of you readers ever heard of this?This is the first time I've gotten an email like this.I have heard that ebay will never send an email about passwords.

 

May 25, 2003 sveiki!

chris (?!) Hi! {:o) It's not a requirement to be half naked at the contest - but it helps. {:o) (As we say at work: Sillyness is not a requirement to work here, but it improves your situation)

The song contest has developed to be a TV viewers contest, people living in the contesting countries are able to vote by phone in five minutes after all the performers were on stage. Russia, Bosnia were the only countries with juries like in the old days.

The last ten years focus has changed from the tune, text itself to the mix of those two ingredients and how the artists performs on stage. Previously, contestants had to sing the lyrics in their national language. Now, they can choose between native language and English. Previously, all music had to be performed live (there was always a huge orchestra). Now, playback is standard, performers has to sing live, though.

May 25, 2003 08:53:30 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Pet peeve time.
Dealers who quote catalog value for a "fine" stamp when what they are selling would be better off in the garbage can. Particularly UK imperforates.

Misdescriptions of these stamps is by no means confined to US sellers and includes many UK sellers who should know better.

But, for US sellers without access to SG catalog (which seems to be most of them), this is how SG defines condition:

a)Impression: This should be clean and the surface free of any rubbing or unnatural blurring which would detract from the appearance.

b)Margins: This is perhaps the most difficult factor to evaluate. Stamps described as "fine", the standard adopted in this catalog for pricing purposes, should have margins of the recognized width, defined as approximately one half of the distance between two adjoining unsevered stamps. Stamps described as "very fine" or "superb" should have margings which are proportionately larger than those of a "fine" stamp. Examples with close margins should not, generally, be classified as "fine".

c)Cancellation: On a "fine" stamp this would be reasonably clear and not noticeably smudged. A stamp described as "superb" should have a neat cancellation, preferably centrally placed or to the right.

d)Appearance: Stamps, at the prices quoted, should always be without any tears, creases, bends or thins and should not be toned on either the front or back. Stamps with such defects are worth only a proportion of the catalogue price.

May 25, 2003 sveiki!

Eurovision Song Contest
OK, this is something I know a bit about. *hehe*

Last night the Turkish contestant won after an intense fight with the Belgian and Russian contestants whilst the votes where given.

My personal favorite was the Belgian song, folklore based meldodic tune and gibberish text (without real content). The Turkish tune for the first time was sung in the English language and the usual oriental flavor was spiced down appropriately to give a broad appeal. First place was fully deserved. The Russian tune was performed by the female duo T.A.T.U., which has performed two Top 10 hits (well, at least in Europe). They made headlines with their statements on bisexuality. The tune sucked, much worse than their current hits, most votes probably given by teens.

The show itself was arranged in a spectacular way, very much credit to the Latvian hosts and their Swedish co-hosts.

Yes, there are a lot of nice looking women singing more or less tacky, terrible songs. But, the female Latvian presenter of the show Maria is my all time favorite (she won the contest last year in Estonia). Her song was great last year, she's a very promising talent - if I ever get the chance to meet her IRL (In Real Life).... (Haven't forgotten "wrestling" tactics just yet). {;o)

May 25, 2003 Knud-Erik Andersen http://sudeten.bizland.com/Homepage.htm
 

It was more or less girls like this Greece girl who sang more less terrible songs. If anyone want to know more take a look here which are the official Eurovision Song Contest page.

K.E.  
 

May 25, 2003 1547 BST Ed B

Thanks, Ed

May 25, 2003 1543 Ed B

Ed

May 25, 2003 07.53 Dave P (orthorpteran)

The Eurovision Song Contest is not just about half naked women singing terrible songs, last year it was won by a transvestite Israeli singing a terrible song, and there is always the excitement of seeing if Norway get "Null Point".
But then again I haven't watched it since Abba won.

May 25, 2003 Now Chris

K. E. I'm a little confused. Is it required that they sing a terrible song,
or is it just that most happen to be terrible? Do they get to pick which half is naked?
This sounds very strange.

Chris - still likes Heavy Metal

May 25, 2003 Knud-Erik Andersen http://sudeten.bizland.com/Homepage.htm
 

Cris - I a saw a little of it - it's about 20 something countries in Europe each singing a terrible song mostly by half naked female singers! Turkey won this year.

Sorry for the bold! Sorry for the bold!
 

May 25, 2003 Knud-Erik Andersen http://sudeten.bizland.com/Homepage.htm
 

RATS!! Third try!

Sveiki - Hi Paul! Did you get my mail? :O)
Nice email adress you got lately! *lol*

K.E.  

Sorry for the bold! Sorry for the bold! Sorry for the bold! Sorry for the bold!

 

May 25, 2003 Chris

Hi KE I'm hearing dribs and drabs about the Eurovision Song Contest.
Did you watch it? It wasn't broadcast over here.

Chris - still wanting to see Kylie Minogue singing in Pig Latin

May 25, 2003 Knud-Erik Andersen http://sudeten.bizland.com/Homepage.htm
 

Sveiki! - Hi Paul. Did you get my email? :O) Nice email adress you got lately!! *lol*

K.E.  
 

May 25, 2003 Now Chris

Hi Paul Long time no see. How are you doing?

May 25, 2003 23:61 sveiki! <bunns_r_us@sitrightdown.com>

Nice feature.
Make that: *ehem*

May 25, 2003 sveiki! http://www.lettonica.info
 

Clearing my throat.
*menahim*

May 25, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Richard
It is an unfortunate circumstance, but almost all of the big topical sellers on eBay deal in illegals.
Seeing that in many (most) cases they are not cataloged (except by the UN) they can charge what they like and a gullible audience gets taken for worthless, but often pretty pieces of paper with serrated edges (in some cases).

May 25, 2003 3:53 Jim Watson

Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is a cover from Egypt to Germany in 1933. Take a peek at this letter home!

May 25, 2003 13:54 CET Paolo Bagaglia <bagaglia@wanadoo.nl>

Elections
Good day all
Roger (malolo) CYE plz.
Success with the votations.

As hoisted by petards
in whistling inflammation
I depart from the wizards
flying to safe location :-)








 

May 25, 2003 04:43 AM Jim Lawler <jlawler@comteck.com>

Jim L.

May 25, 2003 Richard Warren (sayasan) <rwarren99@yahoo.com>

That should be as above. Sorry, missed the @.

May 25, 2003 Richard Warren (sayasan) <rwarren99yahoo.com>

Paladigm - I'm in a bit of a hurry right now, but there's a listing on my website at

http://www.bilston73.freeserve.co.uk/ebay.htm

of sellers who have offered Myanmar illegals over the last year or two (without declaring them as illegals, obviously). All the Myanmar items offered by these people are denounced by the UPU and the govt. of Myanmar (further details on my site). It goes without saying that anyone offering illegals for one country will be offering them for several, but I can't keep track of all the illegals trading on Ebay, and don't have the interest, so I just track my chosen country. I can start passing on specific auctions of this kind if you like - let me know by email, as any response here may have scrolled off by the time I get back.

I have been emailing Long Beach Philatelics (lbphilatelics, if I recall right) who insists on describing this junk as "genuine" or "issued by Myanmar". No response, of course. Also, I've been pestering him because I believe he is under pressure from elsewhere for his illegals offerings on Ebay, or should I say Ebay is under pressure from elsewhere because of his activity.

So if you want to broaden the aspects of fraud to include unidentified or misdescribed illegals, I can help a bit.

Bye for now,
Richard

May 25, 2003 9.23 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

Bangkok to Tsingtau
Lavar, I am not sure of the locations of the foreign Post Offices but once I spent 3 weeks in Shanghai and asked where the foreign Post Offices where and was told that they were in the foreign settlements which is a distance from the Bund. The Chinese PO was in the centre of the city near the corner of Nanking Road and the Bund. The card most probably arrived at the Chinese PO before being sent onto Kong Kong for transhipment. No idea why as it would have been simpler to transfer it to the German PO in Shanghai. Just one of those philatelic quandaries that will never be answered.

David Benson

May 25, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

Bangkok to Tsingtau
Lavar, I gave my opinion on the Bangkok-Tsingtau card on Richard's page. It looks like it went Bangkok, Shanghai then HK before being sent north. Will wait for reply here. You are getting some nice inwards Kiautschou items (I remember the Niger).

David Benson

May 25, 2003 Knud-Erik Andersen http://sudeten.bizland.com/Homepage.htm
 

May 25, 2003 23:44 Lavar Taylor <lavartaylor@earthlink.net>

Siam is a difficult origination for mail sent to the German colonies. This is the first item I can recall seeing that was sent out of Siam to a German colony, although I have some mail going to Siam from German colonies. Many thanks to malolo for making it possible for me to obtain this little gem.

May 25, 2003 11:26 pm abt1950

Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of new home pages, impending actions (hooray!) and Addie's sewing machine. Anne

May 25, 2003 11:09 pm abt1950

I wonder what kind of sewing machine Addie is using. Anne

May 24, 2003 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

perfed fakes
roger, you know and I know but there are 6 million Ebayers out there that don't.

I think Bjorn got a very good idea and if Ebay ever listened to anyone that would be the perfect method to delete and fakes, forgeries or modern photo rotor rooter concoctions to a special category where the naive bidders wouldn't get fooled.

David Benson

May 24, 2003 22:39 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Bjorn - I bought a batch of forgeries, advertised as such, from that seller. They all turned out to be Winter forgeries. Most, if I remember right, were labeled "falsch" on the backs. Some of them are quite amusing, having been made in colors that don't exist in genuine stamps.

May 24, 2003 19:20:20 Roger Heath

1914 Swiss High Values
David -
I thought I show a couple of used Swiss high values to compare with Addie's creations. Here is an very clean example of the 10 franc cancelled two weeks prior to the listed first issue in Zumstein Specialized. I'm told not unusual! Then there are two versions of the 5 franc, 1914 on the left with the redrawn 1928 version on the right. This is Addie's. Can there be any doubt?

Roger


 

May 24, 2003 Bjorn Langoren <bjorn@langoren.com>

Modern forgeries
The german seller mohle has about 200 auctions any given time. These are mostly Peter Winter/House of stamps kind of stuff. They are listed in regular stamp categories. The description mentions that they are forgeries, but not what kind. A few of the auction titles says "falsch", but 99% of them don't.

When I wrote and asked about what kind of forgries they were, I received no answer.

I think all forgeries should be in their own category, and listing forgeries in regular categories should be a violation that would automatically get the auction pulled.

May 24, 2003 4.00 David Benson <dbenson@bigpond.net.au>

Swiss perfed. fakes
Addie was trying to sell the Swiss sheets at $6 for 8 sheets and no bidders, perfed. blocks of 4 are being offered at $ 6.99 and already have bids on them. That perf. machine will pay for itself by the end of the day.

David Benson

May 24, 2003 19:42 Paladigm <plemon@paladigm.com>

Fraudulent Auctions
Richard Frajola - regarding my name: I have debated whether it would be better for me to remain somewhat hidden as I may be known to some of the players involved in these scams. However, in the interest of full disclosure and to move forward in the most expeditious manner, my name is Patrick Lemon. I am a former FBI Special Agent. I handled the Philatelic Foundation fraud case during the mid 80's that resulted in the conviction and jailing of several dealers. Many of the individuals that your groups have identified as currently conducting fraud were involved in the PF case. However, they were not indicted in 80's for numerous reasons, although there was probably enough evidence to warrant indictment and arrest.

Regarding ebay involvement - yes it appears at this time that they are interested in helping. The extent of their help is yet to be determined but they have pledged full cooperation as has the APS and Federal law enforcement.

Regarding your comment about deluging me with every nickel and dime incident. I would prefer that as long as your emails have substance. For several years I have been having dialogue with authoritative groups such as the FBI, APS , US Attorney's Office, etc. and have attempted to paint a picture as to the level of fraudulent activity that is occurring as a result of on-line auctions. However, there has been very little interest on anyones part to pursue prosecution because the crimes tended to be local rather than national in scope. With George's help we are now convincing the important players just how prevalent the fraud activity has become. Consequently we are getting authoritative buy-in. So, keep your emails comming!

May 24, 2003 chris

iomoon I'm not sure how these glasses are going to work out at the range.
Last month (with the old prescription) I couldn't see well enough to stay
consistently on the paper with open sights at 100 yds. (Pathetic eh?)
Distance vision is now MUCH better. If the bifocals don't work, I'll try
the sun glasses which are only the distance prescription. If that fails,
I'll break down and buy a scope for it.

Chris - Winchester model 94 in .30-30 if you are wondering

May 24, 2003 18:3 Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

Roger and Chris
I gave up wearing bifocals.
Every time I went skeet shooting I would target in with long range and then when bird came out of house I would raise shotgun and be peering through my close-up lenses.
Needless to say, not many got hit.
I did get an award from the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Clay!! (NSPCC).

May 24, 2003 Roger Heath

HTML Errors
I've also discovered I talk louder when I don't have my glasses on. As you see below, I'm presently looking for my glasses. );>)

Roger

May 24, 2003 Roger Heath

Chris Join the club. I've a pair of bifocals - distance plus 30" focus on the bottom.

And another bifocals with 30" perfect for computer screen, and th ebottom about 18" for reading. It works quite well. I find myself looking up to determine which I have on. If the distance is out of focus, I have my close-up set on my face. )%>)

Roger

May 24, 2003 Chris

Getting older, dammit
Well, another step in old age here.
I got my first pair of bi-focals. They work better than the
monofocal lens for most things except driving and looking
at the computer screen. I have distance vision sun-glasses
for driving, but will have to get new occupational glasses.

Chris - at least I can read with my normal glasses again

May 24, 2003 18:07: Jim Whitford-Stark http://www.iomoon.com
 

It would seem that most of the blatant offenders of the system are outlined on the SCADS pages.
There appear to be many overpricers, those who haven't a clue and are simply misrepresenting what they sell, and those that appear to engage in occasional shilling.
Although these latter examples are reprehensible and stoopid, they are not really cause for going after sellers big-time.
In many cases a simple email to seller will bring dramatic results.

May 24, 2003 Richard Frajola

George & Paladigm (do you have a real name?) I hope that Dan from ebay will take some proactive action to clean up some of the fraud in ebay stamp category.

I hope that the task force will not be overwhelmed trying to deal with the vast number of mis-described lots and will look instead at the repeat fraudsters and their methods.

To that end I wouldn't suggest deluging paladigm or George with reports of garden variety mis-discriptions.

Just my penny's worth.

May 24, 2003 George

I have heard lots of chatter on this and other boards about frauds EVERYWHERE in stamps. Please send whatever you have to paladigm. Now's the time.

May 24, 2003 Roger Heath

Hawaii Standard Time 13:32:00
David - Actually he looks like he's doing a better job than the Swiss. LOL

Roger

 

May 24, 2003 16:13 Dave ("philatarium")