StampChat Archives

Archive:  August 16 - 31, 2003

• Last updated:  20 March 2004

August 31, 2003 David Benson

Bill, no nothing mentioned about handstamps on the back.

David Benson

August 31, 2003 nomad55

volcano alert
for Mr Moon:

here

August 31, 2003 Roger Heath

Then again there's high tech:
http://www.eie.gr/tpci/nanoapps/research04.html

August 31, 2003 Marius

Thanks Roger...I knew there was a site on that somewhere.

August 31, 2003 Roger Heath

Restoration
Marius -
This is the link you need, the Preservation and Care of Philatelic Materials Committee's Home Page :

http://www.stamps.org/CARE/pcpm.htm#TOC

NOIP -
I've discovered this weekend what a worm can do to one's business and the havoc it can create. Since late Friday night my ISP has been only operative intermitently. This means no email, no ability to do anything about images that don't show in auctions, etc, etc. One doesn't need worms in their own computer for a problem, just a computer one relies on. So it goes!

Roger

August 31, 2003 Chris canning-jars-rule.com
 

Oxy-clean redux
prometheus Now you've got me curious. I'll try some oxy-clean
on a couple of cheapo used stamps and see what happens.

Chris - science experiments am us

August 31, 2003 NOW Chris wolverhampton-rules.com
 

Foxed Cover
marius If that is an EKU, then I would not try
the oxy-clean on it. It might get it really too clean.

Chris - works a treat on underarm stains though

August 31, 2003 prometheus

Cleaning
Beware the OxyClean it ate up a couple I tried it on , Stamps that is. They became nice white paper. With fancy edges.
Although I did find Resolve Steam Carpet Cleaner , not the regular but Steamer did an excellent Job on some really stained, hinged, foxed kinda stamps. Brought them back to real nice looking
 

August 31, 2003 NOW Chris lava-lamps-am-us.com
 

Pergo and lava lamps
brian r Strangely enough, lava lamps are filled with salt water and wax.
They tweak the specific gravities to 1 part in a thousand to get the correct action.
The add perchloroethane to the wax to adjust its specific gravity. (Perq is used by
dry cleaners.) That may be what curled the Pergo, although it is pretty sensitive to
water too.

Chris - Two more carpet reducers to put in

August 31, 2003 Marius

Foxed Cover
Thanks to Bill and Chris for your replies. The cover has the EKU of that particular Brisbane postmark and needs to be in my Brisbane GPO exhibit. I will experiment with a couple of other disposable foxed items I have with an exposure to bleach fumes and see how I go.

August 31, 2003 Brian R

I know this from experience. :o(

August 31, 2003 now Chris <where kaitempi can't find me>

still more on used recent US
Anne I'm saving every used US stamp I get my hands on, but I am not saving them on
cover. If I get it, I soak it. I know some will see this as sacrilege, but it keeps my storage space
problem under some control. Some of the high values are already pretty valuable.

Chris - 100 points for recognizing the Eric Frank Russell literary reference in my email address

August 31, 2003 Now Chris hotphilatelicaction.com
 

Recent US not getting used
iomoon Most of the eBay sellers I deal with use various pieces of
old discount postage. I did get a very nice entire entire 10 stamps se-tennet block
on one package.

What does it mean for the future that there is all that mint sitting around. Will used become valuable?

Chris - making mitre cuts is a pain in the mass

August 31, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Anne
Yeugh!!!
Do they really make anchovy ice cream?
Strawberry cactus with jalapeno flavoring has just the right tart taste.
Clearly a wake-up call ice cream.

August 31, 2003 anne <abt1950 at a 2 vowel company>

Anne

August 31, 2003 NOW Chris oxygen.com
 

Marius' Cover
To quote Terry Pratchet, that cover is not only foxed, but wolved and badgered too.
I have an off the wall suggestion though. There is a type of bleach here called Oxy-clean
that does get things whiter without bleaching out colors. (I used it on a favorite shirt with
grody to the max underarm stains and the colors stayed and the stains went.) How valuable is
the cover? If it is only worth a few dollars, then maybe misting it with a solution of oxy-clean would
bleach it, but not lift the stamp or run the ink.

Chris - not a philatelic conservator, I soak stamps off 100 year old covers.

August 31, 2003 jim whitford-stark

More tired than I thought.
My site

August 31, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Yes, except for nice eBay sellers who put bats and reptiles on eBay buys and save the flags for the gas company.
Trying to put PWO link on my site but haven't a clue what link states, and am too tired at the moment.

August 31, 2003 NOW Chris mintchipstillrules.com
 

Recent US not being used
In going through the last few years of my US album, I've noticed something.
There are many stamps that were issued that never got postally used. Now I obsessively
save any stamps that come in the mail and I also buy kiloware and soak it. But it seems like
half of the stamps issued never show up on anything. Does this really mean that a large fraction of
the UPSP printing output is going to the MNH collector market?

Chris - mint chip ice cream rules, mint stamps drool.

August 31, 2003 Bill Weiss

Cover Cleaning
MARIUS; that foxing is really bad and I'm not sure even if a professional restorer could take it out. Perhaps Frajola will read this and know better than me. Even if they can, it's an expensive situation (probably $150/250.) and depending on who it is, up to over a year wait.

August 31, 2003 WON Chris mintchip.com
 

Mint Chip Ice Cream Rules!
Howdy all. Been sitting here working on my inventory and decided to
have some ice cream. Mint chip still rules.

Chris - installing Pergo is harder than it looks.

August 31, 2003 terence hines <terencehines@aol.com>

Terence Hines

August 31, 2003 Marius <stampmad@bigpond.net.au>

Boys and Girls I want to clean up THIS cover for an exhibit but not sure if it is too far gone. Any tips?
 

August 31, 2003 Roger Heath

I have no problem with his description, but I guess there might be a few British collectors who would take exception. It seems to imply they should support his sales. Us vs. them attitude. He didn't (doesn't) get it, eh?

Roger

August 31, 2003 Bill Weiss

Lotus
ANNE; Amen to that! I too do not care if they sell fakes if marked permanently, but I wonder if he's doing that? David only quoted (I assume) the changes he made in his overall description, but says nothing about marking them for what they are.

DAVID B; Does he state that he will mark them?

August 31, 2003 anne

puritans
I didn't think that shutting lotus's business down was the point. I thought it was getting him to mark them as fakes before he sold them. . .at least that's my purpose in all this. Who cares if he sells them as long as he sells them to people who know what they're getting and who can't resell them to unsuspecting buyers as (potentially) real. Just mark the things and be done with it!

August 31, 2003 prometheus

Brian R = Got it that time
Got it that time will post it Tuesday

August 31, 2003 Bill Weiss

JOKE
JOHN; You are right - it MUST be a joke! Now I wonder if anyone will bid? Unfortunately, it is exactly this kind of listing that makes eBay look stupid in the eyes of serious people - that there is no method in place to quickly stomp down on such asinine listings. Further, the guy is intimating in his description that it has a PSEC, which I would bet my life it doesn't.

August 31, 2003 David Benson

I would like to commend Lotus for his addition to his listings.

A group of stamp puritans mainly Americans/Australians strongly disagree with the selling of forged overprints and are trying to close me down for dealing in fakes and forgeries. If you bid on my stamps you are likely to receive mail from them urging you not to buy from me. If you agree with their ethics, please do not bid on my lots.

David Benson SP

August 31, 2003 prometheus

David Benson = reply
Those are the kind of lots I love to buy at the auctions I go to, the unwanted, Cheap ones.
Most of the Auctioneers that know my face always look my way for the basic bid at their auctions
Of course I end up with a lot of things I don't want but sometimes I find a gem.
 

August 31, 2003 Roger Heath

John - A true 5-star auction.

August 31, 2003 John@MagnoliaStamps

August 31, 2003 prometheus

Roger =
Just to make you green with envy at five in the morning am leaving my home to get to Webster a Giant Monday only Fleamarket in the middle of Fla outback, before the sun comes up.
With Flashlight in hand I will start scouring boxes of material for my prizes, which I will dutifully post on my return'
I also get to see my favorite post card dealer she always brings me a few boxes full (25 cents each) of cards no other hunters have gone thru yet.
Of course the last Big Holiday sale there all I ended up with is that 20 lbs of Argentina Covers and stamps I still haven't decided what to do with.
like this Interesting Different
Cover
 

August 31, 2003 prometheus <prometheus@1internetdrive.com >

Roger Razors + a question
Brian R = That box is full of school related stuff try the new above address

Roger = Send your address and I'll send you a couple of those Kristiania razors (above address)
also what Yacht club in hawaii do you belong to, Friday in my search for Old japanese cards that came up empty Noticed a batch of 1980's (or 70's) Postcards sent by tourist in japan to a Sailing club in Hawaii on those japan Lottery (?) type cards. and some PPC want me to make a note of who from or too, or not to bother.

August 31, 2003 David Benson

promo, about 4 years ago I saw an auction lot with about 10,000 of them, all with small town cancels, it was estimated at $100 and failed to attract a bidder. I looked through the 1st. box looking for extra territorials (used abroads) or military markings. All I saw was a couple of poor TPO's as it looked like it had been thoroughly picked over. Don't know what happened to it but most probably returned to vendor.

David Benson

August 31, 2003 Roger Heath

Razor cancels
prometheus -
Since you are continuing to tease with your explanations of ALLL the postcards you are going through, may I remind you I'm still waiting for the opportunity to buy examples of Norwegian razor cancels. Two would be nice, one earliest you have.);>), and a late one. I'll be lurking until then with my asbestos coat.

Roger

August 31, 2003 Brian R

prometheus Mail sent to your e-mail below, is bouncing back.

August 31, 2003 prometheus

D Benson
Only 1/4 anna used in India postal in my collection so Rare to me.
Was inside one of the covers I bought last week used as a stiffener so cost when divided by all the others less the one Item i sold = 1/2 us cent.
I often use items like this as stiffeners myself when shipping stamps.
I really prefer to enclose a card to same state/city/country
That the item I am shipping is going.
sometimes you get funny emails like I enjoyed the stamps But the old postcard was better.
 

August 31, 2003 David Benson

promo, re. the Indian Card, BA = Bachelor of Arts, the notation has been added later and detracts from the card which does not have not much value anyway.

David Benson

August 31, 2003 prometheus

BILL W = Thanks
Thanks for looking and responding on that stamp.
It would seem that the new stamp dealer guy(17) is hoping to buy a bunch of those lots, Hope he understands snipers.

August 31, 2003 prometheus <prometheus@yada-yada.com>

Brian R = a note
Hey send me your address at email above and I'll send you that booklet on Reperfing secrets I scanned it to disk . and find it amusing , also if you want those CSA facsimiles I'll post those too.

Been trying to Purge the Bogus Items from some of these albums.

August 31, 2003 Bill Weiss

Unique eBay Seller!
This guy with the colorful dialogue has been on ebay for awhile. I mentioned him some weeks ago, particularly for any Attorney to look at!
PROMO; In my opinion, the perfs on ALL 4 sides are genuine. The top is just trimmed with a scissors, as well as the right, left are damaged but all look OK.

RICHARD M; Yes, that Titanic postcard is a reproduction, but I can't help but wonder if the BIDDERS understand that at $45. An item like that should be worth no more than a few bucks only because a buyer can't afford the real one, but at $45. I am confused!

August 31, 2003 Brian R

You have to wonder, how helpful to his case it will be, telling everyone surfing ebay, that he's in the market for a cheap gun? LOL

August 31, 2003 prometheus

Brian r = Reply on B
He has been doing that for a little while on his auctions

Now my question and it has to do with one of that sellers items
THISONE

which side has the original perfs

warning to the lawyers on the board his descriptions are inflammatory.
To your profession anyway.

I do like some of his Fancy cancels and have a couple of lots I will watch for end result.

August 31, 2003 anne

And he's yelling too.

August 31, 2003 Brian R

descriptions
It has been often said, that the more detailed your decription is, the more likely the bids. Still, it would seem to help more, if all the elaboration, is actually about the item. Exhibit B LOL

August 31, 2003 anne

Hope everyone had good night and sweet dreams of computers that don't crash when you're about to make a post (mind did last night), a civil and healthy board, and Bolivian covers readily found. Anne

August 31, 2003 Roger Heath

Image host comparisons
Positive note -
This chart was posted on the HTML/images Board and answers questions about different image hosts. Thought I'd pass on the information.
http://auctionhelp.htmlfactory.us/hosts.htm

Roger

August 31, 2003 Richard Matta

fakes
Am I reading correctly that this is a mere reproduction of the original? Quite easy to miss.

August 31, 2003 prometheus

Left out the Scan of todays postal
In my haste to go to the Fleamarket this AM left outthe Scan of my India 1/4 Anna postal HERE
I am guessing that the DELY part of the cancel means delievery ?

August 31, 2003 Bill Weiss

eBay Spoof
Thanks everyone, we did as you suggested and just deleted it. It looks so damn "official", how the heck would someone know not to open it? Especially someone as dippy as me when it comes to anything online!

August 31, 2003 Richard Frajola

cancel
A real "seeing eye" can be seen here. I would be hard pressed to call that #114 a fancy cancel of any sort. All in the eye of the beholder I guess.

August 31, 2003 Chip G

Scam Validation Requests
Bill Weiss: ALL of the 'verification' requests - ebay, paypal, anyone - are scams designed to get you to give them your name and password or more. NEVER answer any of them. Period. Never.

If you have any doubts, forward them to "spoof@ebay.com" or "spoof@paypal.com" If they are real, they will tell you (and all of us are still waiting for that to happen!)

Chip

August 31, 2003 Roger Heath

Email
Bill-
Don't opeb it, all those need to go into your delete box immediately, like now and flush.

Roger

August 31, 2003 Roger Heath

Fancy cancel
Harford -
I think that's the only fancy cancel from Hawaii. The "shark's jaw" canceler was rotated around the state and used for one week at the PO nearest. They used it following any fatal shark attack, sort of a mini mourning cancel and the stamp image was always centered. The uniqueness of this stamp is the train, rather than a person, is the subject on the stamp. A double whammy.

Nice going. This why I also enjoy postal history, there's a story for every item, one just needs to research it out. );>)

Roger, feeling better this morning. Good 100% kona coffee, not the 10% junk. WOWeee

August 31, 2003 Lavar Taylor

Oops. That should be www.philatelie-gaertner.de

August 31, 2003 Bill Weiss

eBay Security Check
I just got a suspicious request, from eBay, under the guise of a security check, adking me to verify my registration info or be suspended from eBay.
Does anyone on this board know anything about such requests. Why would eBay suddenly out of the clear blue sky ask me to verify information? Any advice??

August 31, 2003 Lavar Taylor

RIchard B-- Go to www.philatelie-gaertner

August 31, 2003 Bill Weiss

Fakes
BRIAN R; Boy, you hit the nail right on the head with your remark about a nickel to $5.00. That's something most folks often don't consider in trying to figure out WHY cheaper stamps are faked and your comment explains it all!

August 31, 2003 Bill Weiss

#114 Fancy Cancel
I agree that the cancel is nothing special, just like a large hollow "O". The bidders, however, could be mistaking it for a much rarer "Seeing Eye" which looks kind of similar, but has the "eyeball" in the center and, I think, rays outside the edges, but this really looks nothing like the real "seeing-eye".

August 31, 2003 Richard M

Fancy cancel
Harford - Just a guess, but doesn't the cancel look a bit like the CBS "eye"? Could it be a Masonic?

August 31, 2003 Chip G

Collectables Market
Oh yeah, I had 2 centimes on that topic also - What the Internet (and Antiques Roadshow) has done is make knowledge and access to goods available to all who care to look. Back in "the old days" of 5 years ago, there was a multi-level supply chain - Pickers, flea markets, yard sales, county auctions, all fed material to the next tiers of dealers. These made items available on a local or regional level (except where a national specialized market may have existed). Buyers would have to travel to find items, and once they were found, they would have to decide to purchase based upon imperfect information. Additionally, as materials were dispursed geographically, comparison shopping, except for common classes of material, was impossible.

Now, anyone can make their items available to anyone. A buyer now has the opportunity to buy from anywhere much easier and can comparison shop. The dealers who could previously charge a premium for items due to imperfect buyer information, now have to deal with buyers coming in with ebay printouts of comperables. Likewise, the pickers and flea markets are having a harder time finding and obtaining good things cheaply, as these sellers both have better information about value and an outlet to sell the material directly.

The entire collectables market has changed and will not change back. As a rule, the best is now selling for more (as more potential buyers can find it) and the average or low end is now selling for less (as there is plenty of supply of these). Any dealer who does not adapt will be left in the dust.

Chip

August 31, 2003 Brian R

I commented about why fake a $3-$5 stamp? If I would have thought for a minute, I'd realise that its like turning a nickel into a five dollar bill, with just a few keystrokes. Of course, you also need to find, an oblivious newbie.

August 31, 2003 Chip G

Harford Tell your wife to buy the steaks and consider yourself lucky. I don't see anything in that cancel, other than the way it frames the train, to make me want to buy that stamp. However, it seems that you found two bidders, ready, willing, and able to make a run at it.

Faults Thins, reperfs, hidden tears, etc. are one of the things that drove me away from stamps to postal history. While a beautiful stamp may increase the eye appeal of a cover, I have to say that I am really not terribly bothered by small tears, short perfs, unobtrusive creases, etc. if the usage is good or if the cover has a story to tell (that's why we collect stamps, right? For the stories!

For example, the following faults do not bother me in the least:
3 cent Pink with a corner fault
cut in and UGLY cancel
How many stamp faults can we count on this one?
and finally - Wonderfully Ugly

Depends on your frame of reference, I guess.
Chip
 

August 31, 2003 Richard Matta

Dreamer of the day
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2948849689&category=675>Ouch!

August 31, 2003 Brian R

To what degree, a collector rates the importance of any fault, is a personal one. Bill L will take a reperf over a crease, I'll take a small thin over the reperf. We could battle for days, but as long as the item listing gets the faulty moniker, I'm happy.

August 31, 2003 8:43 AM Ken C <kchrist499@aol.com>

Fake Overprints
Hello all!
While reading the posts of the past two days, I recall someone mentioning that he/she could not find a genuine overprint of the US 648. I am wondering if that person or someone can tell me if this is genuine?

August 31, 2003 Harford Stamps

Rare cancellation?
Hi, I have a United States #114 on Ebay at the momment. The auction # is 2947585325. This stamp is poorly centered and has faults. The catalouge value for the stamp is $18.00. At the momment the stamp has been bid up to $51.00. It has a "fancy" cancel. Can anyone tell me if the cancel on this stamp is rare of where it is from? One of my favorite quotes: "A stamp with a fancy cancel is a well dressed stamp." Anyways thank you for any imformation you can supply on the cancel. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2947585325&category=675&rd=1

August 31, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Bill
I like that, "discount collectors".
I guess those people who are willing to put deformed material in their collections with a hope of one day selling it as the "crˆme de la crˆme"
 

August 31, 2003 Guillaume

Bill Weis: As a collector I absolutely despise thins, mint no gum and missing perfs. The discount for me, for scarce items, would be around 90-99 percent off cat value. Short perfs are less problematic.
Reperfs are totally worthless to me (same category as recent 'forgeries' and added overprints) even though they do look better. Just the idea of having something that is not authentic would bother me. I do not use preprinted stamp albums, so I do not care about filling spaces.

August 31, 2003 08.24 am Colin Judd UK http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_GB_Machins/
 

Colin

August 31, 2003 Guillaume

One big advantage brick and mortar sellers have over the internet is that you can view the merchandise in person (very important when you are dealing with rare items). Also, for heavy material (new catalogues, stock books etc) the cost of shipping can be prohibitive.
 

August 31, 2003 Bill Weiss

Reperfing
RICHARD B; that's what I was hoping to hear, how folks feel about the value of a RP versus a straight-forward fault, like a thin, tear, crease, whatever. While Bill L> may be correct in his technical definition, I believe that most collectors definately view a RP as a fault, and would downgrade a RP at the same discount as most any other fault. Understand, of course, that most collectors who will accept a fault(s) rather than the type of collector who will not accept ANY faults, will have a "rating" value in their minds. Many will rate a tiny thin much higher than, say, a tiny tear, etc. Being able to figure out the discounts collectors place on flaws is, to me, a real skill for dealers to figure out.

August 31, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Jim - Yeah, alllllotttt of Osage this and Osage that, here. One of the most well known is Osage Beach, which is a big tourist trap around the Lake of the Ozarks.

August 31, 2003 07:30 Jim Watson

Osage City
Richard B.,
I guess that figures as it was on the route from Jefferson City in Cole County to Osage County. It looks like there are a number of Osages in Missouri history. Nice tribe!

August 31, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

reperfing
I don't see reperfing, or perfing of a straight-edge as an "enhancement" at all. Nor do I see it as being fakery, except if the basic stamp identity is being altered. Reperfing, or perfing of a straight-edge stamp is smiply controlled, intentional damage. It may make a stamp appear better looking, but it does knock the collectability down several notches in my opinion. Even down to the point of being a spacefiller or reference copy.

August 31, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Prometheus - I too have sent some EKU's and LKU's to the list site. I now can claim but a handful, about 5 I think, as being ones I found. I've also found that some of the people in charge of the lists do not respond, so I don't know if what I have are current or not.

The internet and collectibles - As a collector, it has been a boon. All of my collecting interests have flourished because of it. The dealers that are "old school" and who refuse to go online are usually the ones complaining. It's the same basic story in sports cards as well. One big difference I find is that the sports card hobby is inhabited by a younger crowd of collectors and sellers who more readily accept the concept of internet trading. I don't think it has ruined any hobbies, it has just changed the way people do business within them.

August 31, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Lavar - I seem to get errors (I think) on that page. I don't see any links of any kind except an email addy.

Jim W - I had no idea where Osage City in MO was either, so I did some searching. In my Missouri roadmap, it is located about 7 miles east of Jefferson City. I can't any pop number but it looks rather small. The P.O., according to this Missouri P.O. page, operated from 1856-1962.

August 31, 2003 Bill Weiss

Reperfing
This is a rare Sunday when I will be home so may drop in a few times over the day.

BILL L; You say thata stamp that is reperfed on one side to scale is "more valuable" to you than one with other types of faults. Does this mean that you feel you are able to sell the RP for a higher price than a similar stamp with, say, a small tear? In my experience, a RP counts dollar-wise pretty much the same as any of the other faults mentioned, so that even though you are correct by definition, that an RP is a cosmetic enhancement, not a fault in the strict traditional sense.

August 31, 2003 prometheus

Todays Post Card 1915 India
found this in a box for 25 cents Simple Postal Card from one city in India to GUNTUR India
I liked the note " a card from a high caste schoolboy a friend of mine about 14 years old"
What would the B.A. mean after the recievers name?? any ideas.

Spain I often send the list Doanes Scans and oft times just the card itself if i get a nice email.
Am proud to say that 25 or thirty EKU or LKU are my finds.

POSTCARDS - There is a dealer that has a store 11 miles from my home he has 200,000 in the store I've seen them all,
he has 400,000 at home all pre 1920 once in a while he brings in a fresh box for me to look thru, He hates the Internet
My Question for anyone Do you often hear (as I do) That the internet RUINED the Collectible/antique market.
I know 10 or 15 Dealers who Hate the Web is this common every where or just among the Really Elderly Dealer types.
I have offered to (no charge but fees) put many Items out there for these folks
BUT they Really hate the WWW is this everywhere.
 

August 31, 2003 sveiki! <philaweb@yahoo.invalid (replace .invalid with .dk)>

Good Morning/Day/Afternoon/Evening!
duncan No risk that my family would give me something philatelic as present ~ trained them long time ago not to.

Jim How do you like my e-mail address? That's the anti-spambot version.

August 31, 2003 Jim Lawler <jlawler@comteck.com>

Dave
Thanks for putting up with all the ruckus here and trying to make your chat board a civil place.

Jim L.

August 31, 2003 05:26 Jim Watson

Peace, brethren! The world already has enough testosterone flowing. . .

August 31, 2003 12:06 lotus

Q&A
Duncan--Look I have nothing to hide, you ask me a question and I will give you an honest answer, I do not have a problem with that.

The only thing I will not do is name anyone, or give you information that might lead you to my suppliers, I have probably said too much anyway.

The swastika forgeries. I buy them in job lots, never quite knowing what I will get, sometimes I have to wait quite a while until I get the complete set, I have quite a few of the 1940 Centenary issue, but am still awaiting certain values before I will put them up for sale. The supplier I buy them from has told me a very convincing story of where they come from, and this does not indicate them being a modern forgery. I found out as much as I could about them before I put them up for sale, and it is as Jim WS has stated. The 1974 forgeries are crude, and they look as if the swastika was added seperately, these stamps appear to have all of those hallmarks. I do not have anymore information than that. I list them accordingly, I cannot guarantee they are 1974 forgeries because I would not know how to, but in my book they do have the same chracteristics as the 1974's. They are always M/M or U/M but I list them all as M/M as some have very light marks on the back, so if the customer gets an U/M copy he is pleased. I do not scan every copy over and over again being as they are all identical and you would not see any difference (plus my scanner is very poor, even colours come out very bad), if there are any with scuff marks or creases or any other fault then I destroy them and do not sell them on. I will only re-scan a copy if they are unusual, I had one once where half the swastika was missing, it looked really good. Now please tell me what I am doing wrong here with my listing of these stamps. By the way I have never ever had one returned to me from a customer, or a complaint about them. There does seem to be an abundance of them, but how many of the 1974 forgeries were made, I do not know. I can tell you this though, a very, very major dealer buys them from the same supplier, and has offered me money to stop selling them on e-bay in order that he can.

Now you know everything about the swastika forgeries that I do.

Next question

lotus

August 31, 2003 Bill Langs

reperfing
I do not see reperfing as a fault or flaw. I see it as a cosmetic enhancement. While a reperfed stamp does indeed affect a stamps value, I do not place reperfing in the same category as a tear, crease, thin, added margin, piece missing, ect. A stamp that is paper sound, well centered, and reperfed on one side to scale is more valuable to me than the same stamp, not reperfed, with one of the serious faults listed above.



 

August 31, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Historical Perspective:
Bigwoods of Jersey overprinted stocks of currently available British stamps with swastika and Jersey 1940.
Four complete sets and a few singles survive.
Last look, stamps catalogued from £500 to £600.
1974: crude forgeries of swastika overprint reported, value not listed.
2003: crude forgeries resembling 1974 forgeries, value: whatever those on eBay will pay for them.

August 31, 2003 Roger Heath

Innocent, NOT
Alec -
I know lotus' address was posted here, but I never saw it. I haven't a clue who the person is other than someone who lives in Surrey and doesn't feel guilty buying stamps on Ebay, then giving them to another whereupon miraculous changes happen, ie., rubber stamp overprints, which increases the value dramatically. I resent being told there's no harm, and reading lotus emphatically state, he doesn't make the overprints. Gees, all he needs do is go to the local rubber stamps shop and have some rubber stamps made to his specifications. But then again, maybe he just buys EVII and sells officials. It's nice to know ones supply will never dry up. );>)

I was almost on a jury once where the police had set up a street corner drug dealer. The case centered around the problem that even though the meeting was arranged by the dealer and the plant, it was the dealer's helper who handled the package. The dealer's whole defense was based upon his lack of knowledge of what was in the package, and that he hadn't seen what was in it, so how did he know it was drugs. All three of the culprits had served time for drug dealing, very lame excuse!

I'm obviously that for a reason. I personally get sick of people having full knowledge of an impropriety or illegal activity, then claiming innocence. I think they've been watching too much television, and think if you don't go to jail, you didn't do anything wrong.
Then too announce publicly that repeating the offense is the righteous course. They equate getting off with innocence. Barf! I'm off to bed, no need the drink.

Roger

August 31, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Never mind, I'm outta here

Too many people that want to stick their heads in the sand and pretend there's no problem, or don't think they have a part to play in fixing it.

I'm going fishing.

Duncan

..........>{{{{*>

August 31, 2003 Dunc

Where do you suggest we go, Alec?

I agree, this is a very nice place to discuss philately. It was also set up to counter censorship at eBay. Now you want to impose that exact same censorship?

Think about it. Jeez.

Dunc

August 31, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

the sordid tale

I was tracking lotus194 too, Dave P.

When I was active flying in cyber combat, flying WWI and then WWII planes in online aerial combat, I learned early that it was helpful to keep tabs on who the better pilots were. i literally wrote down what I learned about the best pilots.

Those habits carried over to stamp collecting. I've kept notes, as a matter of self defense, tracking renegades so I could avoid them when buying online. Right now that list contains 39 names, along with some notes about each person. Some are the same characters using more than one name. Lotus194 was on that list. You know the rest of the story.

When I recently got more active in stamp collecting, one of the first online stamp related sites I discovered was SCADS, where deceptive practices were displayed for everyone to see. It was shocking to see how brazenly the scammers operated, and disappointing to see how difficult it was to get anyone in a position of authority to react even after such a major pattern of abuse was exposed. It is very nice to see SCADS quickly overcome their temporary problems, in fact I just revisited them prior to the temporary loss of their site.

"Illegal" stamps are another sad chapter. This is very unpleasant stuff, but it is NOT created by those of us who are simply collectors. So Dave, don't feel bad about your part in this. You were looked upon as just another potential victim.

The old saying, "if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem" comes to mind. Its a dirty job but someone has to do it.

Duncan

August 31, 2003 Alec McGrattan (infla-alec)

Deleting Posts Assistance.
I strongly feel that the time has come for all here to start acting out our responsibility as ADULTS !
I know there will always be differing points of view and constructive discussions are fine. But with the recent "Battles" taken place here I am left wondering how many new collectors coming here will be put off collecting for life. Is that what we really want to see ?
I would appeal to all lets leave the "battles" out of here. If two do want to argue then please do it in private. I'm sure you all know each others e-mail.
Dave who is trying to moderate this site I'm sure can well do without having to read the same petty and dare I say malicious comments sometimes posted here.
I for one enjoy reading about others collecting interests and questions. Many of the topics discussed are not what I collect but none the less very interesting.
This post is not aimed at any one individual and is only my 2cents/2pence worth. !!!!

August 31, 2003 Dave P

overprints etc
lotus I am afraid you have me to blame, I made the first couple of posts last Monday, I did not realise that my whisper would cause a tornado.

Just to be clear, I was not objecting to you, or anyone else selling fakes, is none of my business. Likewise it is none of my business what people choose to collect, personally I restricted myself to contemporary postal forgeries, but if people wish to collect the works of the early master forgers, or use forgeries to fill a space, fine. What I did object to was your description. Since I found a before and after stamp in your purchases/sales it was clear that you knew they were recent forgeries, there could be no doubt, yet you let the element of doubt into your description. I try and believe the best of people, I will not accuse of dishonesty, just perhaps of being too clever for your own good. There is just one question to ask yourself, would all the bidders on your auctions have done so if they had known the fakes were produced the previous week? If you are honest the answer must be NO. Some would have done and are no doubt happy with their purchases, those are the same people who would have bought from you if you had described your stamps as modern forgeries. All I ask of any seller is that they descibe as accurately as their knowledge allows what they are selling. If you do that, then what you sell or who buys it is really none of my business. If you were to go a step further and mark them fake, then you would be promoted to one of the good guys in my book (not that that is something that should bother you!). I am sorry the discussion degenerated into name calling, it doesn't attract people to the board or to the hobby and is patently self-defeating.
DP

August 31, 2003 David Benson

Lotuus, when you state you did not make them, why do I think of Clinton and Lewinsky,

David Benson

August 31, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

the rules at eBay

lotus194 You've seen eBay's policies for listing stamps, right?

"eBay does not permit the sale of stamps that are fraudulent or improperly described. Sellers who knowingly fail to disclose information about the authenticity of a stamp, alterations to the stamp, or other information that might have a material impact on the stamp's value may be reported to the American Philatelic Society, and if deemed fraudulent may, at eBay's discretion be removed from the Web site. Sellers with a pattern of deceptive listing practices may be suspended from all eBay buying and selling activity."

Do you feel that you comply with these policies?

I also notice that when you list your stamps bearing the swastica overprints, you mention that they have characteristics of 1974 overprints. Do you mean to suggest that they may actually be vintage 1974 overprints?

And it appears have you use just one generic scan for each denomination for each value of those stamps. Here's how eBay explains what should be shown in scans...

"Include all relevant information that you know about the stamp, for example its origin, date of issue, and condition.

"Include a clear picture of the actual stamp that you are offering for sale.

"All information concerning any alterations that you believe may have been made to the stamp."

Are you being completely honest with your buyers?

Duncan

"I remember lying once myself. I was saying 'good dog, good dog' as I backed toward the gate."

August 31, 2003 08:06 lotus

Fakes
Capt John---When are you people going to stop accusing me of making fakes, I do not, and never have made a fake stamp in my life. I neither have the knowhow, the equipment or the inclination to make fake stamps.

I sell them yes, but I do not make them. Now please, can we move on. Even a nefarious character like me has to be beleived now and again.

lotus

August 31, 2003 07:54 lotus

Apology
Dave F---Many apologies, you do have a valid point about the post you removed. It deserves removing, I just got carried away in the heat of the moment, shame on me for even thinking such things, and as for the person with the dicky ticker I hope you are well on the road to recovery.

See, I'm not a bad person at all really, and as you get to know me better over the coming months/years you will see that.

I have to point out though in all fairness, the name calling really began before I even wrote on this board for the first time, even got a list of the people and who said what. Some of those things really hurt you know.

Anyway what I would now like to know is, why do you only pick out one or two of my statements and ridicule them, whilst not answering the important questions or suggestions I make? Is there really no way we can live alongside each other, you know, me disapearing into the distance, still selling my forgeries but with changes to my technique that you approve of, I'm sure in the long run it would work out better for us all (this was to everyone really).

Also I did ask you all a stamp related question that was also ignored, who are/is the GMS, I really am interested.

Mr Benson---Thought you might be pleased to know, had to sleep in the study last night because of you and your mates, stayed up too late and sipped to much malt because of this board, and know I'm in trouble with the boss. Off for a little run now to clear my head, its a lovely day here in Surrey, sun is shining and the birds are singing, anyone else up yet?

lotus

August 31, 2003 Duncan again

Well some of us troll. others fish with dynamite.

But John is right of course, its one of the hallmarks of those forged overprints.

DD

August 31, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Typos

I meant raspberry of course. Well actually I meant razzberry, but I'm trying to keep my trolling low key now.

Duncan

..........>{{{{*>

August 31, 2003 John@Magnolia Stamps

Capt.J.H.B..

August 31, 2003 Guillaume

Duncan: LOL!! Yes, more appropriate I think.

August 31, 2003 Dunc

Pie kill

Good time to repeat this...

Like this.

Black rasberry.

Dunc

August 31, 2003 Lavar Taylor

For a single lot of Bolivian covers, go here , go to search, and click on lot 51007. I just received their latest catalog and ordered some goodies. It appears that there is only 1 lot of Bolivia out of the 3600+ lots in the latest catalog.

August 30, 2003 Guillaume

Duncan: Yep, with a killer SON.
 

August 30, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Bad guys

So in the end the bad guy gets cancelled, right?

Duncan

"If we lose track of whose drink is whose, mine is the full one."

August 30, 2003 Guillaume

David: I hope your not-so-humble servant Q will find a way to make this conversation philatelic, lest we both go down in flames :-)

August 30, 2003 David Benson

Guillaume,

The names BENSON, DAVID BENSON

 

August 30, 2003 Guillaume

August 30, 2003 David Benson

Guilliame, this is fun,


The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Allan Quatermain, Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde, Captain Nemo (Prince Dakkar), The Invisible Man (Hawley Griffin) and Mina Murray (formerly Mina Harker), are pitted against the Devil Doctor who controls London's Limehouse. The Devil Doctor is clearly Fu Manchu, and the conflict is part of a larger battle between Fu Manchu and the first Professor Moriarty for control of London's underworld.


Just change the names and it reminds me of the current situation

David Benson, one of the League

you can see it is a Sunday Afternoon and I have plenty of spare time

August 30, 2003 Guillaume

David: Yes! And also the phrase "soon the whole world will know my name!". But I am not sure about the origin.

August 30, 2003 David Benson

try this,


http://www.pjfarmer.com/woldnewton/Fumanchu.htm

David Benson
 

August 30, 2003 David Benson

Guilliame, is this what you had in mind,

Fu Man Chu

David Benson
 

August 30, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

copies left?
I don't remember who came up with it, but I seem to recall a similar topic of discussion on the ebay board a while ago. If I remember right, an approximation of 5% was came up with as a survival rate for 19th c. stamps. But, like I said, I don't remember who came up with it, how it was deduced, or even if I am remembering it correctly. Maybe one of the regulars here can recall. As for me, I Gotta go lights out now.

August 30, 2003 Guillaume van Turnhout

Also, and I should not be saying this, I rather like Addie's interventions. His writing style reminds me of Fu Manchu :-)

 

August 30, 2003 stamp67

copies left?
I have what seems like a dumb question. What is the best way to find out how many of a certain stamp still exist. Take for instance my favorite stamp U.S. Scott #67. Only 200,000 of these were printed. I am sure that thousands of these were thrown away after use, destroyed from improper handling, I'm sure that natural factors such as floods, fires etc. have destroyed a few. How would I figure approx. how many are lurking out there? 200,000 was also the number printed of U.S. #373 why is this stamp really worth nothing compared to #67? Just wondering. Thank you!

August 30, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

postcards
Hmm, interesting. I was checking my latest Doane purchases against the lists on the doane cancel website, and find that my Meta, Mo. doane is dated 2 months later than the current LKU on the list. I have emailed the keeper of the Missouri list and let him know.

August 30, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

postcards
Jim - Nope, they're all quite clearly MO. and not Kansas. Is there an Osage City in KS as well?

August 30, 2003 8:12pm Sheryll <sheryll@sheryll.net> http://www.sheryll.net/
 

Hi all! I have managed to upload a reasonably up-to-date copy of scads.org onto the new server, and am now uploading my own site.

David F - Thank you for your kind words. I have fiddled with my "status" page so that those who are interested can keep up to date with my current doings, photos, etc whilst I am in Mexico and then the USA in the next 3 months. Unfortunately my funds do not extend to my being able to trip around, so I will not be able to catch up with hardly any of you in person.

I wish you well with the future of this board, and I thank you for providing it in the first place. I am a classic case of "burn out", so be warned that if things get too much for you, you too may seek a restful holiday over the border, and we could be sharing a Cervesa together..... 8-)

Sheryll

August 30, 2003 19:07 Jim Watson

Richard B.'s Postcards
Richard,
Just a question. Your Osage City, MO, caught my attention (an old, old family connection). Are you sure it wasn't Kansas?

August 30, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

postcard pickings
Roger - Yes, I'm envious of Prometheus as well. He seems to find places with hot and cold running postcards, but that's the price I pay for living in a vacuum (not literaly).

August 30, 2003 Jeff Lindstedt

Dave F..Sorry about the name-calling.

I still think lotus is a coward by not signing in by a name.
It is easy to hide behind a handle, and make comments.
He/she sounds as fake as it's personal philatelic preferences i.e. Hoping every person has a forgery in their album.
Sheeeeesh, get with reality i.e. REAL philatelists despise your kind.

August 30, 2003 Fred Williams <Caddis10@comcast.net>

Couldn't fine the remote control.

Dave F: if I wasn't serious I wouldn't be reading your ChatBoard. It's just that I sometimes get very tired of these type of name calling arguments that solve nothing, turn off prospective collectors, and generaly waste time.

Back to stamps. Wonderful idea.

August 30, 2003 Roger Heath

Postcard pickings
Richard -
I envy your opportunity to go throught the box. No pickings here at all. and Prometheus is just one great tease writing about all the PC's he goes through every week. I hope he will eventually start selling on Ebay, all starting at $.01, and of course with a complete description. I guarantee there is much more in describing a PC than a stamp, but most sellers just show a scan of the "picture".
Roger

August 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Dave
I'm glad your ability to translate French is lesser than your ability with Japanese.
Else my post would have disappeared a long time ago.
Due to the hour and content, I'm not sure that "lotus" is the same person as was the recipient of the original query as to the authenticity of his stamps.

Seeing as it does not appear on my resume.
I am a cockney Londoner, ex head prefect of an inner city school where the only way to keep peace was not with words,
transferred to a tiny town in west Texas where native comanches and apaches no longer seem to live, fulfilling my civic resposibilities as secretary of the local Sportmans Club.

And I still collect stamps, covers, etc.

August 30, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Postcards
I love shopping at antique malls! Our local one rarely yield anything and I know pretty much by heart every dealers box of postcards, but sometimes you get surprised.

Today, one of the longtime dealers had a new batch of postcards and I had a wonderful time looking through them. I managed to find:
1)A nice, non-typical hand cancel with a target killer from Greenfield, MO.
2)A cork killer from Woodbury (?), Ohio(?)
3)A Doane from Meta, Mo.
4)A handstamp with 4-bar killer in purple from Red Oak, MO.
5)Not 1, but 2 magenta RFD's from Osage City, MO.
6)A Doane from Osage City, MO.

Problem is, that now this dealers box is picked over again, and I gotta wait for the next batch to present itself.

All in all though, that's the most cards I've gotten from a single dealers box in a long time.

August 30, 2003 19:30 Dave F. (moderator)

Fred: If you're serious about stamps, please stick around. Although I was told to lighten up and not delete posts, if I don't, just what happened is what happens.

Thanks to those of you who are trying to discuss stamps. Please give it a go again ...

Now, I'm going to try to follow my own advice and not take the bait again.

August 30, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

A few stray bullets

This board Well done Dave. I agree with Marius and with Bill Weiss that since this board is in response to censorship at the eBay board, there will undoubtedly be some controversial encounters here. That does not diminish the value of this board. In fact it is enlightening to see a few of the characters as they really are. And Lotus, Dave is too nice to tell you, but you are a guest in his house. He owes you nothing.

Also, it looks like this board has had some tremendous success. Obviously the changing more lenient attitude toward free speech at eBay's site is a result of learning that they couldn't silence the truth. And of course progress is being made in dealing with the problem sellers as well. Sure there will be quibbling over the details, but there are some seriously blatant bad sellers who should be easily dealt with, and when that begins to happen consistently, a large part of the problem should be done with. Once problem sellers know they won't be allowed they will disappear from eBay. It is only the previous lenient attitude that has kept them coming back.

Which leads me to Fred Williams. Welcome!! Check your email, I'll steer you to some good eBay sellers. Things are not as bad as they seem, it's just that here we discuss the bad apples.

And to Harford Stamps, relax! I'm sure most of us, if we checked out your listings, saw that your listings were good. Bear in mind that it is good to think about the newbies to the hobby, you'll notice a lot of very influential and knowledgeable philatelists still take the time to come here and help the beginners. Check their listings and you will see that the best guys take the time to be very specific in their descriptions and it helps their sales.

To Clark, the reperf job you posted was outstanding. In your expert opinion, what gauge was the buckshot?

One last thought, meant for those who think that we are all smart enough to deal with the scoundrels and we should just ignore them. Try to picture this... your friends/relatives, knowing you are "into" stamps and eBay, decide to honor you with a gift, purchased on eBay. They proudly present you with some spectacular and expensive piece of junk from one of the baddies. now do you still honestly think their deceptive sales are no problem? (Be honest)

Duncan Doenitz

God bless you Dave.

August 30, 2003 Jim Griffith

Jim

August 30, 2003 Fred Williams <Caddis10@comcast.net>

See ya StampChat. I'll return when reason returns.


Have all you people gone totally mad?

This is a stamp chat board. Not a forum to debate the ills of the world. We have far better forums to discuss these issues. Now we have some supposed adult signing his/her name as Osama. Now that’s just plain bad taste in today’s world especially when we remember how many young men and women we’ve lost in the past two years.

If I want to listen this type of junk I’ll turn on the Jerry Springer Show.

Maybe I’ll check in once a week or so. When the subject matter returns to stamps, as it should be, I’ll start reading again. Even the reperf/fake overprint issues were better than this. Until that time, what started as a good idea has degraded into a name throwing forum ruled by a very few. Where’s the silent majority when you need them?

Now, let’s see. Where is that remote? Jerry Springer’s on somewhere.
 

August 30, 2003 19:06 Dave F. (moderator)

Lotus:

I am reposting your post temporarily, to explain why I removed it. It's not because I disagree with the message. There are a whole lot of messages I disagree with, and they stay on.

Here was your original post:

- - - - -

August 30, 2003 21:36 BST lotus
Malevolence
You really can be very nasty people to anyone who does not share your ethics can't you. Somehow Darwins theory completely missed you people when it came to evolution. Try to be a bit more understanding of your fellow man, all of this malevolence is really no good for your blood pressure, no wonder you are all having minor heart atacks and the like. Now its Saturday night, football is on TV in about an hour, my team won today, I have just opened a lovely bottle of malt, my stamps are still selling well, my customers are still very satisfied, so whats to get all worked up about.

By the way who is this addie, is he another bad boy like me.

You all have a nice weekend, I will have sweet dreams of forgeries galore, one in each of your collections (without you knowing), perhaps a couple that have never even been listed yet.

I'll have a copy of your book Harry (you should have explained what a BSc is to these twits, and I thought THEY were educated).

Happy Labour Day to all my friends accross the water, more ice please love!

lotus

- - - - - -

Here are the quotes that provoked me to remove your post:

... Somehow Darwins theory completely missed you people when it came to evolution ...
... no wonder you are all having minor heart atacks and the like ...
... I will have sweet dreams of forgeries galore, one in each of your collections (without you knowing) ...
... you should have explained what a BSc is to these twits, and I thought THEY were educated ...

Mocking (personally and generally), attacking (personally and generally), inciteful, with malicious intent.

That's why it went away. And that's why it will go away again.

Twice now I have treated you with far more respect than you have accorded to me or to the other participants of this board.

August 30, 2003 Roger Heath

Just so we're clear on the subject. I wrote below: "...Ft Lewis, where I happened to go through Basic training prior to Viet Nam,"....
Don't remember any Regiment, any Battalion, not even the Company number. It was not information that had any relevance to my success at getting out of Basic Training. Never even got out of the Company area except to the PX once a week for a haircut and 5 minutes to buy a candy bar with 200 other trainees, so BLO means nothing. Sorry! Now Viet Nam was really interesting, 525th MI Detachment, assigned to MACV Advisory Team 2, with the 2nd ARVN Division. Strange, even my military training as an intelligence analyst and interrogator fits in with discovering and evaluating some of the junk put up on Ebay. Fighting doesn't cut it, so no rah, rah, from me. I enjoy ferreting out the information and seeing what happens, keeps one's mind active in old age. Helps stop one from getting too grumpy, as well.

Roger

August 30, 2003 02:54 lotus

Freedom of Speech
Jim

I meant it not as an insult, and slight me if I gave that impression. I would never insult the USA and their citizens charter, but please, as a moderator you must remain fair but impartial surely, otherwise would not the First Amendment mean nothing but a bumper sticker?

Roger---still awaiting your answer.

lotus

August 30, 2003 Jim Griffith

Jim

August 30, 2003 02:34 lotus

Ft Lewis
Roger H---I do hope that was not bluff on your part, shame on you. At least expected some reference to your regiment, or at least pick me up on the deliberate mistake in my previous e-mail.

Are you a forgery or a fake?

lotus

August 30, 2003 Roger Heath

I suggest you save the Eddie VII and use them for decorative purposes, can't think of many people being interestedd in them.

Roger

August 30, 2003 02:23 lotus

Freedom of Speech
Roger

Not so, not so, whether you were a member of the 1st Btn Special Forces, the Ranger Btn, Airborne Btn or just a grunt, I can assure you in the NCO's mess it is still a subject very close to their hearts. After all you still require these guys to travel to foreign lands to spread the word, and believe.

By the way, what a great place and great people in Tacoma, they drink like men and fight like vikings, love em.

Really cant see me bringing up the subject of overprints on EDVII whilst downing a jug of Bud in the NCO'sd bar or the Irish Bar.

BLO mean anything to you? Located in Ft Lewis.

lotus

August 30, 2003 Roger Heath

Freedoms
As a British born naturalized US citizen, I feel it my place to instruct others in other countries of the world that there is also the freedom here to use a trash can., or turn off the TV, or go to bed before the 11 o'clock news.

If David wishes to remove any post, it's his decision. He can just close the Board if he wishes. So Lotus, drinking beers in Ft Lewis, where I happened to go through Basic training prior to Viet Nam, and pointedly discussing Freedoms of Speech with a few of your friends will probably find you driving home alone. It's a boring subject .

Roger

August 30, 2003 1804 Clark (reperf)

Practice Makes Perfect???
Oops? I guess this is the missing #430 corner.... I was blinded by the "wandering perfs"

August 30, 2003 Bill Weiss

Board Future
Good evening everyone. I am now back, and can see that the board had a trying day! I don't want to be long winded here, but I do wish to make a few points. I basically agree with Alison and Marius. Dave, you've done a great job here. I would be the last person to try to tell you what to do, but I've been around organized Philately a long time, and you are providing a GREAT service here, and as far as I'm concerned, I pray that you will continue it. So what that ocassionally we get into pissing contests here - that's the way life works. We can handle it. You can moderate it as you see fit but don't let it bother you. Your a great guy, doing a great job, providing an important service.....DON'T GIVE UP!!

August 30, 2003 01:45 GMT Dave Arthur

Colin
Hi Colin - sorry meant to mention in previous note - I got your email and suffice to say I have put it to good use - don't you just love cryptic clues,

August 30, 2003 01:47 lotus

Free Speech
Dave F (moderator) You removed one of my posts, yet it contained no profanities, insults or the like, just a plea to lay of innocent people who justly wanted to express an opinion (granted, not one that fell in line with your thinking).

As an American, a brother in arms, do we not fight shoulder to shoulder around the world to preserve that right, do you not also have an amendment that is supposed to preserve that right, or is there a clause that says "only if I agree with its content".

Very disapointed in you on this one, you are obviously a Republican.

It really does not strengthen your arm when directing people to this site, to only see the side of argument that suits you and your beliefs, shame on you.

Next time I am in Fort Lewis (Tacoma), probably in the next few months, I will use this whilst having a Bud or two with my mates as a subject for debate on the Freedom of Speech within the USA, and how it can be moderated to suit.

Is this another case of "Friendly Fire"?

lotus

 

August 30, 2003 17:48 Clark (reperf)

Practice Makes Perfect???
Now for a bit of humor? Presenting the reperf of the day: And you thought only expensive stamps are reperfed? Maybe, someone was practicing. Hope he or she gave up. Now about that corner copy of a #507 I was looking for ....

Regarding descriptions: As a potential bidder, I would prefer to see faults enumerated specifically. As to determining if attempts to "improve" stamps, failed or not, are considered to be faults or alterations, I would rather see them mentioned explicitly in the description. It is all too easy to not see a problem in a scan and then have to return the stamp. In that case everyone loses. My 7 cents...

August 30, 2003 01:40 GMT Dave Arthur

Daggers
Hi ... just got back from a party, so if my spelling isn't everything it should be .... well you know ...
Anyway .. for the first time in my stamp life I actually got into these before the rest of the world and managed to obtain a pair for £50 ($80) about 3 months ago.
Bit that isn't the nub of the tale .... There were two sets of these for sale by different sellers one of which I knew ... one was an open auction which finished today at £255ish. Before it completed I emailed the buyer (who said he was always looking for bargains on Ebay) ... that there was another set of these on offer for £195 Buy It Now, however I guess he didn't see it in time and has paid some £60 more than he needed to have done if only he had done an Ebay search on "dagger".
I don't believe that the business sheets these came from ever went on general sale, they were part of a batch that went only to the Philatelic Bureau and they ended up going to people on a standing order list, don't know anything about FDCs though so you may be lucky, I would assume this is possible but only if the FDC originated from the PB.

August 30, 2003 Roge Heath

Roger

August 30, 2003 Jim Meverden

Dave F
Dave, I have been lurking since the board started and greatly appreciate your efforts. I agree with Alison in that the vast majority of posts should not be removed and that you may be getting a little too involved. Theoretically, we are all adults and can manage on our own. I would ask that you not let human frailties get in the way of your hopes.

Jim

August 30, 2003 5:30 PM Michael Engel (joehill) <mengel44@aol.com>

Future of this board
Mr. Moderator--Don't feel bad. Frankly, I don't think there exists such a thing as a chat board that remains civil or sticks to the subject or fails to be seized by malcontents, perverts, and cranks, whether it's supervised or not. EVERYTHING on the web sounds like an AOL political chat board (one possibly interesting comment followed by hundreds of obscene references to liberals, conservatives, Bush, Clinton, etc.). In fact, the less vital the subject (philately, for example), the nastier the conflicts. Welcome to 21st century America, a society coming apart. Nice try, and your efforts are laudable, but I think you're trying the impossible. Let eBay handle it. You are apparently an intelligent person and you certainly must have better things to do.

August 30, 2003 prometheus

My nickel
I guess I should say a dime I just spent an hour composing a post to our moderator and then before I Clicked it I opened another window get caught up and find Allison, Roger and Others have said it all much better than a Newbie like I could.
Dave It is yours Do as you Will.

My only thoughts on the subject
1. I Have learned a lot here
2. I enjoy reading as many sides of any topic as i can
3. If you think a membership log or whatnot is necessary go ahead.
4. This is one of the ONLY Non commercial sites I have ever found
about stamps on the WWW
5. 60 years from now when my grandkids are beaming my stamps back to there home wondering what to do with all these Paper things, they will find lots of little notes from this board about them.

SPAIN - I have 3 or 4 pre 1900 Bolivian Cards some where give me the Weekend and I'll post them for you.


 

August 30, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Bolivian covers
Chip - I don't know either, but they are definitely higher in the heap than the single cover I got from ebay so far. At least those links can give me some sort of comparison if I see something similar in the future.

Mostly what I'm finding are printed wrappers, but was lucky to find one with an added adhesive.
Thanks a bunch for those links.

August 30, 2003 Chip G

Butch and Sundance in Bolivia
...Well, I guess you want Pre-Butch and Sundance Bolivian postal history

August 30, 2003 Chip G

Bolivia (in the days of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid)
Richard: I did a quick scan of some of the old Cherrystone Auctions Catalogs. Came up with a few Bolivian covers. Don't know if this is the top or the bottom of the heap.

April, 2003
November, 2002
July, 2002
January, 2002

A couple of them look surprisingly like the same description. If any auction house was to have Bolivia, I would expect them to.

Chip

August 30, 2003 Roger Heath

Seamless editing
David -
Beautiful job on the removal of unwanted posts. I just scrolled up YOUR Board and I can't tell what you removed. You're a pro.

My only laugh is the comment about not knowing the meaning of BSc. I'm rather proud of having mine in History of Art. It wasn't on the official list of possible honors, but the Department Head OK'd it. I think he was sympathetic to my lack of drawing ability. LOL I can tell junk when I see it, just can't make it better!

I don't mean this to be a show and tell of degrees, but from reading the Ebay Chat board and YOUR board over the past 4 years, I think I'm very lucky and privileged to "talk" with a group of people (the most academic oriented crowd outside of school) who really care and have the wit to express themselves in serious or humorous situations. I think many of the problems arise when a member of "the group" is confronted in their normal searching for philatelic items on Ebay with a listing where the seller is attempting to "be smart", through either contrived descriptions, or outright misrepresentations. Many listings appear to have the fingerprints of those who may, as students, have tried to plagarize a term paper from the internet, and even after being shown the website with the original information, still claim "incredible coincidence."

I'm glad Alison brought up the fact her work involves "hardened criminals". Most of them are usually upset they were caught, not that they did something considered unacceptable in our society.

Philately is a community that has standards and I believe the standards must be maintained, and mostof these problems have arisen because the benelevent government has always believed "everyone in the commnity is good". HELLOOOO!!!

So David, to help you feel better, keep this in mind. I'm convinced continued discussions on this Board has provided an extension of time giving Ebay time to face up to its responsibility. APS, the US national philatelic body is now involved, and maybe, just maybe in the background somewhere, legal stuff is happening. I think if Ebay had just pulled the plug on its Stamps Chat Board the same way it killed the Stamps Discussion Board, we wouldn't be discussing the future.It would be everyone for themselves, the con artist"s dream.

Roger


 

August 30, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Bolivian covers
Sorry for this repeat post from yesterday, but I feel it might have gotten lost amongst the hot coals.

Anyone ever deal in early Bolivian covers, not stampless but stamped covers pre-1900? I keep looking and looking but never see any. Are they: a)that scarce, that they just can't be found?, or b)that common, that nobody wants to bother listing them?

August 30, 2003 16:49 Dave F. (moderator)

I have copies of every posting that I've deleted, and I just went back and looked through it. A large part of them are just nonsense and gibberish postings. I think leaving those postings here makes it look the same as if no one takes care of a piece of property.

Others were personal attacks about the size of people's anatomy and/or bedroom performance and activities. One was of someone's address and telephone number. I moved a thread of political discussion to another board, recognizing that people took some effort and thought in their posts.

For whatever reason, I do feel a sense of stewardship for this endeavor. I can envision that over time, as this site gains awareness, that other people will join in, ask questions about stamps they have, auction lots they're considering bidding on, etc.

I think if the overall level of discussion is too nasty, then it won't be able to be that place. We should be able to invite people knowledgeable and interested in philately here and feel comfortable doing so. We shouldn't have to say, "Oh, make yourself at home, but please excuse the pile of ---- over in the corner there." I've been trying to keep the ---- picked up.

For that reason, I check this board first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and as many times during the day as my schedule allows (sometimes a challenge, especially since I travel).

I think that's why I seem to be sensitive about this.

On the other hand, I do think that we need to discuss the fraudulent activity as well. It's toxic stuff, but we probably need to figure out ways to not have it contaminate us and our interests in philately at the same time.

Finally, I've seen a number of philatelic discussion groups deteriorate into wars of words and they never recover. There is such potential here to do good that I think that's why I care, and why I've taken to referreeing when necessary.

August 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Dave F
I have to admit that I agree with Alison.
However,
To have you being the only knowledgeable person of a posters real ID is an onerous responsibility should a libelous situation arise.
It would seem that some people do not think, or are incapable of thinking, when they post to this board.
The solution would seem to be that you leave it open so that any comment is fair game.
Or to close it and thereby infer that the incoherent ramblings of illicit stamp purveyors get the same exposure as the "twits" trying to expose them.
The second alternative would be to require posters to absolutely identify themselves via an email address.
As Paul will probably state, the second is blowing in the wind.

August 30, 2003 00.28 lotus

Future of Board
Dave F---Please accept a sort of veiled thank you for removing my postal details from this board, you would have recieved a full thank you, but I think your actions were more to protect Mr Angry Benson rather than to protect me from the angry Surrey hordes. Even so, I feel no malice towards any of you, even Mr Angry. I am not an old man, nor a small man and neither are my two teenage sons. A couple of old geezers in anoraks, a pair of tweezers and a magnifying glass knocking on my door was never going to really trouble me.

Well Mr Benson a London lad, same as myself. Hackney was my stomping ground for many a year, born and bred, but I doubt you want to reminise with the likes of me do you?

Dave F---I offer to compromise and moderate my sales to fall in line with most of the wishes of you people (being more specific with my descriptions, stamping the rear of the stamps I know to be forgeries) and all I get is educated insults and a slating from the hangers on. You (well Mr angry to be precise) complain about me to every organisation in philately under the sun, mailing all of my customers both past and present telling them what a dishonest rogue I am and that they should shun me and cut my **** off. I am not going to shut up shop under any circumstances, but I would have very much liked to have fallen more in line with your wishes for regulation. Unfortunately many of your board posts would rather eat their heads than deal with the likes of me and my brethren. So to answer your question, what is my goal, mess with me and I will mess with you, after all if you close me down what else will I fill my spare hours with?

Dave F---Your last post on the future of this board really does sadden me. There is no doubt that your intentions when releasing this board was done with the best intention of protecting philately for this generation and generations after you, and although I am new to this board I have no doubt that you have done some sterling work that deserves a lot of credit. Despite what you think of me, I would not like to have played any part in the closing of this board, and I would love to be instrumental in changing the way you deal with issues. Try resolving future issues by contacting offenders first and apealing to them before you allow the Mr Bensons of this world to tar and feather them. I for one would have reacted more favourably if you had, and I'm sure there are many others who think the same.

I can tell you now how we can move forward, but it might mean compromise on all sides, and I do not think some of your members are ready for that.

I agree, this has got a bit silly now (although in a perverse way, a bit enjoyable, I don't get out much) and perhaps we should all try to draw it to a close. Elect a spokesman (or woman, sorry Anne) and let me know (apart from close down) what I need to do to live alongside of you people.

Finally, Mr Benson, a bit of advice "never, ever buy a dwarf with learning difficulties, because its not big and its not clever!"

Think I might have had one too many malts tonight

lotus

 

August 30, 2003 Marius <stampmad@bigpond.net.au>

I agree with Alison that more leeway should be given to controversial topics and the exceptions she has noted should be banned. I also support the abolition of anonymous posters.

August 30, 2003 16:11 Dave F. (moderator)

I will also temporarily rescind my comments asking about the future of the board. Let's just leave that topic alone for right now. It will only aggravate the current condition.

Thanks, Fred, for turning this towards the positive.

To those whom I owe emails, I will reply later.

Thanks.

August 30, 2003 sveiki!

Alison Please notice how many regulars have slipped back to the eBay Stamp Chat. There's hardly any posts on philately on this board anymore ~ mostly longwinded "discussions" about fakes etc.
Personally, I'm allergic to that topic ~ made me lose my interest for collecting all together (is reviving at the moment). To keep me in a good mood I skip all posts by people with fakes as their hobbyhorse. On real bad days (weekends) I tend to skim the board only twice ~ to see if anyone is posting something that's not about fakes.

August 30, 2003 Fred WIlliams <Caddis10@comcast.net>

There must be some good sellers out there - but where?
I lurk around chat boards but rarely contribute. Don’t have any great knowledge concerning stamps, covers, or things philatelic in general. I collected stamps as a child, missed the next 40 or so years, and began again after retirement. As a younger collector I remember looking through my price guide and wondering if I’d ever be able to own a set of mint Graf Zeppelins ($110.00). Did anyone ever really spend that much on 3 stamps? I remember the first time I spent $1 on a stamp. A 5-cent used Trans Mississippi. Bought it from my local stamp dealer and Boy Scout Master. What a gem of a stamp and a true treasure to a 12 year old.

Collections grew slowly in those years. No Internet, no ebay, just the friendly local stamp dealer, a few fellow collectors, and a really good approval service.

The early lessons I learned in stamp collecting were true then and remain true today. Collect what you enjoy. Buy the best you can afford. Enjoy every stamp you buy. Today I collect stamps because I like stamps. I don’t collect for value. I collect for my own interest and fun.

Now, if I didn’t have the solid basic background I do in stamps, stamp collectors, and stamp dealers I’d be pretty discouraged by what I read on chat boards. It seems that the vast majority of comments are negative concerning dealer/seller related subjects. I know there are sellers/dealers out there that need to spend time on a Mississippi Chain Gang. They should be exposed and this chat board does a pretty good job doing just that. The “stamp police” serve a much-needed purpose and should continue exposing fraud and sleazy sellers/dealers. However, there are a lot of good sellers and honest dealers out there. They should be given their time in the sun.

Know a good seller out there? Tell us. How about an honest dealer? Again, tell us. Share the good side of this great hobby with us. I would appreciate it and I’m sure there are other new collectors out there that would be very grateful for the knowledge.


 

August 30, 2003 16:04 Dave F. (moderator)

I have removed several of the provocative posts that have been made over the last several hours. If your post is among them, and you'd like to get your point across:

-- refrain from using profanity and its abbreviations
-- do not make either personal or sweeping attacks
-- do not accuse this board of being a brawl and then throw the first punch


My apologies to later visitors to this board who will find interrupted threads on here.

August 30, 2003 sveiki!

Dave F. I fully understand your reasoning. This board is becoming less and less enjoyable, so I fully understand if you want to close it all together.
I'm sure the brave and courageous people fighting fraud are fully capable of opening and running a chat board themselves ~ otherwise, they really wouldn't have anywhere to go, would they? And they can take their friends with them or stick to exchanging rude behaviour via e-mails.
Anyway, this chat board has been a learning experience for me. Some people are not able to handle freedom ~ that's probably why the same people want to impose the opposite to everyone else.
Just my cent on this...

August 30, 2003 Alison Ruttenberg

Future of the Board
Dave: After spending the last decade as a criminal attorney, and having to converse daily with the most vicious of felons, maybe I am a little bit too hardened. But, why do you take all this so personally? There is nothing particularly bad or outrageous going on this board, and even though people are taking advantage of the fact that it is easy to be rude and abrupt when posting to a board rather than having a conversation face to face, the overall effect of the board is helpful to philately and people who have something to learn. Please, just lighten up and let people just post on the board and have their conversations. I do not think that you should be removing posts, except if they are way too off topic, contain excessive profanity or links to pornography.

August 30, 2003 David Benson

Ed, coincidence, also saw that last week, it was difficult to follow but the DVD came with an extra DVD of the history of the riots. It would have been better if I had seen that first.

great Benson's think alike,

David Benson

August 30, 2003 2345 BST Ed.B

War and Peace
I watched Gangs of New York last night. I must say that nothing in that film (movie to you colonials) matches what goes on within stamp chat boards. I shall start wearing a tin hat in future when I visit.

August 30, 2003 15:21 Dave F. (moderator)

lotus: Your address remained on this board for less than 5 minutes, and you have me to thank for that.

I don't know what your goal is here, but thanks for the great job you've done.

August 30, 2003 David Benson

lotus, sorry my ancestry in Australia only dates back to 1949, before then it was London and in case you didn't know it is considered a great honor in Australia to trace your ancestry to convicts,

David Benson

August 30, 2003 15:20 Dave F. (moderator)

Future of board?
I'm so sorry I started this board, and that's exactly what people with ill-will toward the philatelic community want. They will attempt to poison this board and every other plausible location that tries to help identify scurrilous material. Unfortunately, many of you with good intentions are just helping them to do that.

My request to the people who want to be helpful: do not take the bait.

I have explained on several occasions that I've been working in the background with someone to develop something more robust. It is not ready yet.

I genuinely ask: should we just shut this down in the meantime? After the altercations that took place about a month ago, I figured out how to pull the plug on this board and put it on hold. It would take less than 30 minutes to do so.

I don't mean this as a threat. I genuinely want to know what people want to do.

Perhaps I was foolish to have attempted this in the first place. Perhaps a committee from EUSC should form to set something up. (I have suggested this before as well.) I suspect it will take longer to get it together, agree on what it should have, and get it going, than you might think.

I started this one in one day, after the worst of the deletions started hitting eBay, and I'm sorry that I just didn't have the foresight to anticipate that people would be so full of ill-will and ire, and that I'd have to anticipate that people would need to pass a background check before they should be authorized to post.

It's just all quite ridiculous. I'm stepping away for a while, so have at it.

August 30, 2003 Brian R

I'm glad to see your posts here, and please feel free to join in, whatever the topic of the day is. Welcome.

August 30, 2003 ?

Quiz
What do I know? To me repairs, re-backing, re-perforation and cancel alteration are forms of fakery and are NOT faults. Think they should be specified beyond using the word "faults" in any description. For future listings.

August 30, 2003 Harford Stamps

Mark
Thank you. I do take any input to heart. I have to admit this was my first mass listing of some of my duplicates. I thought that using the terms "spacefiller" and "faults" would cover the grounds and save time while listing 287 auctions. Next time I will take the advise and describe each fault better instead of generalizing them. I do try do be fair and start everything at 1 cent and mention faults. I have no desire to misrepresent anything as I know what it feels like as it has happened to me

August 30, 2003 David Benson

NOIP, just checked my dictionary,

FAULT, an imperfection,flaw


I doubt if Scott's had that in mind when they called reperfs. faults, they are reperfs. not faults. It does make the stamp faulty which is defined as defective or imperfect.

David Benson


 

August 30, 2003 3:00 Mark Bardell

Harford Stamps - Reperf stamp
Just wanted to say, thanks for coming to the board and not going off the deep end like someone else did earlier.

I think a lot of people here and on Ebay would have been happier if the lot had been listed:

A) without a catalog value as this is irrelevant for a reperfed stamp, and

B) Instead of just saying "fault", maybe putting "reperfed down right hand side, but still a good spacefiller".

Had I of been listing the stamp this is the way that I would have done it. I do applaud you for starting at $1 though.

Just my opinion ( and I've known to be wrong ! )

Mark ( cobbie10 )

August 30, 2003 David S.

Quiz
"imperforate"

August 30, 2003 David S.

If an inperforate stamp is perforated to resemble a more expensive stamp, that is fakery.

August 30, 2003 Harford Stamps

Quiz
A stamp with a removed pen cencel would be faulty used. You guys on this site are hard! I agree with you. All I wish to do is sell my duplicates cheap on Ebay to progress my collection and I think that I am very fair in my item descriptions. I am not trying to cheat anyone or misrepresent stamps like others that I have seen on ebay. I have been cheated many times myself buying stamps on Ebay. I am 100% honest with my listing and treat people how I like to be treated.

August 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Having just reread lotus' last posting I'm not sure even that is he.
Though at least he writes in English rather than American.
Despite the nasty trait of adding ice to, I presume, whisky (or whiskey).
Where is maarten?
 

August 30, 2003 ?

Quiz
Well, by Scott's logic a stamp with a pen cancel removed would be the same as a faulty unused????? Sounds like Scott's needs a new editor.

August 30, 2003 Alison Ruttenberg <Ruttenberg@msn.com>

Harry
Harry: I repeat my request from yesterday that you email me a scan or post a scan of your certificate.

August 30, 2003 David Benson

Jim, I had an email from Harry even though I never contacted him. It appears that he is genuine but my opinion of him has dropped. If as he states did obtain a certificate for one of the overprints I would like to see it and then my opinion might change.

David Benson

August 30, 2003 Harford Stamps

Quiz
I agree reperforation is "fakery". However this is how I recieved the stamp so that would make the stamp faulty. ANY alteration to a stamp is a crime and destroys what I would like to see preserved. Scott catalogue's definition for fault: "Faults include a missing piece, tear, clipped perforation, pin or other hole, surface scuff, thin, crease, toning, oxidation or other form of color changeling, or such man-made changes as REPERFORATIONS or the chemical removal of a cancellation". Reperforated is haw I recieved the stamp so in my book it is a fault!

August 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark, B.Sc. MA. Ph.D. FGSA, FGS, MRPSL, MPS, MGBCC, etc, etc.

Dang, ran out of space.
Dave F
Sorry to write it, but you really need to have a means of distinguishing posters to the board.
It really doesn't matter if no one else can identify them.
If Harry Layne posted previous comments, I wouldn't waste my time with his book.
If he didn't, I'd be looking to sue who did, if I were he.
If the real Harry Layne spells academic as acedemic, I don't think I'd want to read book anyway.
What the heck does Tat-ah nonses mean?
 

August 30, 2003 ?

Harford Quiz
Let me think. No, re-perforating is fakery, not a fault.

August 30, 2003 1:43 Harford Stamps <harfordstamps@comcast.net>

quiz
Hi all! I am the one who is selling the 291 reperf. Reperforation is considered a fault in the Scott catalogue. My item description states faults with the only fault being reperforation. I thought that it showed clearly in my scan and that it would not be such an issue. If you read my item descriptions they clearly state what condition the stamp is in. IE Spacefiller, Faults, Flaws etc. If one reads my about me page you will find clear definitions of what these terms mean. There is no shady selling or misrepresentation with my auctions as with others. Call a spade a spade. It was listed with faults and started at one cent. A reasonable stamp to picked up cheap for someones collection. No more no less.

August 30, 2003 David Benson

Dave P, presume it handstamped CANCELLED and fake postmark applied but would have to have a proper look to make sure. There appears to be some cleaning under the cancel and also a pen mark partly removed. Still laughing about the cut out but just a waste of listing fees.

David Benson

August 30, 2003 Richard Warren B.A. Hons (Cantab), Cert Ed.

Harry
David - you obviously need to have a B.Sc to qualify to participate in "intelligent chat".

August 30, 2003 Dave P

I think my nasty streak is showing. Would you trust someone who tried to sell this enough to bid on this?

August 30, 2003 Percy D.

Harry L.
Your note really compels me to run out and buy your book. I guess you just filled in any unkowns with fake covers and forged markings so it would be complete. Quite the postal historian "BS" and all.

August 30, 2003 David Benson

Jeff, " supposed to be for intelligent chat ", he is getting us mixed up with some other groups,

David Benson

August 30, 2003 Jeff Lindstedt

Harry..Your academic credentials have what to do with your post?
Looking for credibility?

August 30, 2003 David Benson

Bjorn, of course it is impossible as it would need hundreds of experts to handle it properly. Like I have said before it is an impossible task as 10's of thousands of lots are listed every day but could be handled if organised properly. From what I understand the original query goes to Ebay and then they forward it to the APS who then allocate 2 people to verify that it is a forgery. If both agree then it goes back to Ebay who informs the seller that the lot will be zapped but will be unzapped if he can prove it is OK. This does not include repairs, description errors, fake cancels on mint stamps, cleaned stamps, wrong ID's, badly damaged sold as perfect, off centered sold as well centered only blatant forgeries. What about my pet peeve, computer made fakes. To me looks like an impossible task although I would like to see it succeed.

David Benson

August 30, 2003 David Benson

Harry, thanks for your " help "in trying to clean up philately.
I am sorry if any of my colleagues contacted you for your help and advice and I doubt if any are interested in your publications.

David Benson
 

August 30, 2003 Jeff Lindstedt

Anne..Hello. I've been real busy lately, what with the students back (and getting ready for them).
Plus, my 9-year old son is now in Kantorie,"The Singing Boys of Rockford". Have to go up for rehearsals and all that stuff.
Believe me, he didn't get his singing voice from me.

How is the Egypt collection doing?

Dave P..You were close. The "Buckbee" collection is slowly moving forward. It is getting hard to find postcards or covers (still looking for a watermelon cover) that I don't already have.
I'm to the point where I am buying material based on the differences in printing. So it goes ...

August 30, 2003 19.57 Harry Layne BSc.

Re Forgeries.
I very seldom visit this site which is supposed to be for intelligent
chat etc, and not as some of you would believe, for slagging matches.
Those that have sent me messages should not waste your time in trying
to involve me with your problems, and acting as a bunch of self
appointed regulators. If I wish to buy forgeries and use them as space
fillers, then that is my business not yours. PLEASE no more messages as
they have not and will not be answered.....If you have a problem about
what is being sold on the net, its your problem not mine. Thanks for
taking the time to read this, but I must now get back to my writing
which I enjoy. By the way, I have a couple of excess copies of my book
" The Triangular Marks of Great Britain", if anyone is interested.
Kindest regards to you all, H.
 

August 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Dave
I actually liked Gibbons renumbering of the machin issues, though I wished they had been more consistent.
The separation into X and Y issues makes life easy.
However, beyond that it is havoc.
The index in the concise makes far more sense than the catalog numbering.
 

August 30, 2003 Dave P

Changes had to be made to the Gibbons catalogue series - too many new issues and too few collectors interested in them. I think Gibbons got themselves into a hole with the part 4 specialised. I suspect David Aggersberg knew that the arrangement of issues was not working, but is is an enormous upheaval to ditch a numbering system, and would probably make a whole new load of enemies without gaining many friends. It is a shame as the Victoria and 4 Kings specialised are IMO great catalogues. Perhaps the good and the great in Gibbons just do not understand (or want to understand) modern issues or the collectors of them. It has to be said that as a company, Stanley Gibbons are not the company that they were before all the ownership changes, stock-market float etc. Apart from some pretty disasterous ventures into phonecards and postcards they were again IMO involved in some pretty disreputable marketing of "philatelic collectables" and "stamps as investments". Things have improved and they do seem more collector friendly. I understand that they are going to restart public auctions having given them up for some years.

August 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Dave
Do you think that played any role in the retirement of David Aggersberg?

Obviously, Mayall's catalog is the one of choice for machin collectors.

BTW, the other day when the legality of overprints on expired postage was being discussed, I did a google search of UK postal law and came across one of the worst proofread pages I have ever seen on the web. Produced by the UK government, no less.
At the base of the page was a link to comment on the page.
Naturally I did, somewhat scathingly.
However, I got a very polite and apologetic reply saying that the suggested alterations had been made.

August 30, 2003 Dave P

As an aside, both the daggers, and the smilers are an illustration of how much less influence Gibbons has in modern GB. Many specialists in the decimal issues strongly dislike the numbering system, and the part 4 specialised cat. has many critics and is definately not the catalogue of choice of most of the specialist collectors and dealers.

August 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

dagger perfs
More.
Next issue of Deegam report indicates four sheets of the dagger perfs had then (June 2002) been discovered.
Stamp then selling at £50 per pair.

August 30, 2003 prometheus

thanks Dave
Scan saved and will search for those in that collection of Brit FDC's

August 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

dagger perfs
Dave
You just beat me to it.
Found an example in the Deegam Report courtesy of D.G.A. Myall.
Can see it here.

And what should I find when looking for it?
Nothing less than a letter from Harry Layne.

August 30, 2003 Dave P

Machin perfs
Have dug out a pic of the "dagger" perfs here.

The printing was of the 1st and 2nd class business self-adhesive sheets of 100 released 22 June 1998. Apparently all the dagger perf issue were cut into singles, the trade and pre-release customers who produced FDC's were not told of the difference, and it was not discovered until later. So basically the distribution was limited to Bureau customers who ordered the new stamp as a single (any multiples supplied were normal) and some FDC's.

August 30, 2003 Dave P

Machins
The perfs were (I think) shown in a Gibbons monthly, if I can find the issue I will post a scan. On a very small portion of the issue the die-cut perfs were done on the wrong machine. They were sold as normals and also used on some Bureau FDC's. The difference lies in the corner perfs, which are a completely different shape to the standard ones.

August 30, 2003 prometheus

Does anyone have a Better scan of the Daggers
I am having a hard time seeing the difference in that scan of the Dagger perfs compared to some ood machins I have here,
But I do know a local Junque shop that has a big bunch of FDC's from that period of British stamps,
would like to know what to look for.
I see no illustration of this in my scott's, and my Gibbons is a 1967 version.

August 30, 2003 Brian R

Bill Langs Welcome!

August 30, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Dave
Do you have a link to an image that shows the perfs close-up?
They aren't even listed in my 2001 concise.

August 30, 2003 Jim whitford-stark

Lets see, buy for 48p sell for £255 = big % gain.

August 30, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Hiya Bob, sorry i robably won't be making to the show this time. I haven't been in a very stampy mood lately. In fact, I'm mulling over the idea of downsizing my collection right now.

August 30, 2003 Dave P

Expensive Machins
If anybody is sitting on some self-adhesives or FDC's they bought from RM Philatelic Bureau they may want to check the perfs, they could be sitting on a nice profit, see
here! I will leave it to Jim to work out the percentage gain :)

August 30, 2003 Jim Lawler

Enjoy
your
Labor Day Weekend
 

August 30, 2003 prometheus

Stamp Quiz
I notice the seller of the quiz stamp notes faults = wrong perfs
Would you call that a Fault??
I guess I should not worry He is a APS member.
And are Not The Bay and APS gonna protect us
Guess I should join just to have the neat little logo thingy.
 

August 30, 2003 Bill Weiss

Various
Good Morning. I only have a few moments then must continue catalog-stuffing.

DAVID S., sorry, I do not have specialized knowledge about 389 coils. The best man for that would be Lewis Kaufmann, next Richard Champagne. You can probably find their addresses in advertising and if not let me know and I'll give them to you.

BRIAN R; Actually, it appears to me that the entire right perf margin is added. Note the small portion of paper at the top right, the scraped frame area about half way down and the totally different perf measurements as you noted.
Be back tonight.

August 30, 2003 Bob Hohertz

Hope Richard Ballhagen will make it in. Always good to say hello.

August 30, 2003 05:08 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is a folded letter from Argentina to France in 1870.

August 30, 2003 4:38 Mark Bardell

291 quiz....
Morning all....

Brian R - The stamp has around 16 holes on the right and 13-14 on the left.

As an aside, I never bid on anyone who has a feedback percentage of less than 99%.

Mark - off out for breakfast soon.

August 30, 2003 Bill Langs <wlangs@aol.com> http://www.wlangs.com
 

291 quiz
This 291 is obviously badly reperfed on the right Brian R.

August 30, 2003 02:44 Bjorn Munch

APS/eBay
I think it would be hard for them to cover, say, all of Europe without having peeople with some in-depth knowledge of each country. I've seen a number of questionable Norway items over the years (most selles have either pulled the item or added a warning), but most of these probably wouldn't be caught by someone without at least some experience and literature to help them. These include not-too-obvious fakes of #1 and #7, antedated cancels on WWII issued and fake early FDCs.
 

August 30, 2003 Lavar Taylor

(Who has come to the conclusion that there is only 1 intelligent thing that the winner of the gubernatorial race can do: Demand a recount!)

August 30, 2003 Brian R

quiz time!
Who can spot the problem with this item?

August 30, 2003 Brian R

sloppy!
Talk about leaving a job unfinished...
If someone would just reperf that last side, this thing would finally be centered!

August 30, 2003 23:29 Dave F. (moderator)

APS
Jeff L.: Welcome! How are the Burkees? (Did I remember that correctly?)

I don't think that anything that's unclear from a scan is going to get kicked out. But, as we've discussed on here a lot, there are a ton of things out there where a knowledgeable person can tell from a scan that it's bogus. I think it's these types of items, done systematically, by sellers whose intention is to defraud that they're going after. In the past, I don't think eBay had anyone that they felt they could trust to advise them on this.

I could cite lots of examples: stamps with overprints that just make no sense on those stamps, multiples of the same item (say, same plate position), the recent modern Trans-Mississippi reprint being offered as the original, taking an auction picture of an inverted Jenny and gluing it on top of another stamp and offering it as possibly legitimate, etc., etc., etc.

Unfortunately, I'm not making any of this up. These are all recent examples that even I know about, and I'm not even trying to stay current on it.

I think this is the kind of stuff they're trying to tackle first. This kind of stuff can be determined from a scan. If it's borderline, I doubt that anyone is going to say to pull it.

August 30, 2003 Roger Heath

Will the real winner please stand up?
Sorry, I got carried away.
Did you notice that the "set" was sold on 14 July, and the "overprints?" were sold on 6 June. Sure looks like the identical lot sold to two different buyers. Both happy campers!
This sold on May 31,
this sold June 22. Which buyer got the lot? Both happy campers!

Roger, stopping for the night.

August 29, 2003 rubber time stamp Roger Heath

I think I broke da neck! Too many "probably", "as is" , don't bid on this if you are going to be a problem to me.
Nice catalogue value though, (520,000), NOT!

Why messa round? Sell wholesale, no have da pepa cutta, nice set. Colonies?, overprints?, and ??.
This buyer thinks they are false.

The German PO must have had a hell of a time delivering these items, not an address to be seen. !

I can't wait for a button. If I'm not translating correctly, I apologize in advance and will never comment on a non-Swiss auction again, I'll even date stamp this post.

Roger


 

August 29, 2003 anne <sychophanticfollower at American puritan.com>

Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of no more fake overprints, healthy and hardy posters, and a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

August 29, 2003 Jeff Lindstedt

I would not even bid the penny.
Sellers, even in the description, are trying for the APS cachet on the lots.

August 29, 2003 Brian R

On the other hand, If even I can figure this out, the bidders are getting what they deserve. :o)

August 29, 2003 Roger Heath

I'm shaking my head!
Anyone wish to test the new refund policy of one of our favorites - "Refunds available upon proof of APS certification."

Stamp

I wonder if the quoted $1000 catalogue value is for MNH or MH. I'm sort of wondering if *** means - no back of stamp.

Roger, not trying to be argumentative, but give me a break.

August 29, 2003 Jeff Lindstedt <jncnal@earthlink.net>

APS
A little White Merlot talking,

I agree with David Benson about the experise level. It's kinda like yes, no, maybe. As a buyer of postal history, I've learned you must have references.
I suppose it's the same with stamps i.e. know the overprints, printings, cancels, etc.
Still, there may be a fine line.

No experitizing service can be perfect, but do we, as ebay users, ( as I think, most may be), want one organization to, maybe, determine what is legit?
If not by direct affirmation, but also by direct notification, bidders in the STAMP category should be supplied information about auctions that are suspect, along with sellers that fit into the same APS category.
If lots or sellers, are just eliminated (disappear), without explanation, the community will be non-the-wiser.

I hope the CSW and ebay will inform people, especially buyers, WHY the auction was terminated.
Otherwise, the same people may get sucked in again.

 

August 29, 2003 9:00 David Shumaker

It appears to me that the cancelation is disrupted where the device bridges the edge of the sample tin inside the cover, and this can be another way of authenticating this coil. This anomily is not noted on the PF web article. Am I off on this?

August 29, 2003 Jeff L. (by RCF)

APS
Bill W..The APS-ebay association could be fraught with problems.
If a seller has some "good" items, along with "bad" items, they won't ban the seller.
Also, if items are referred to the Stamp Community Watch, can they determine the "as is" question?

I have a problem with "However, some of the material should not. in our opinion, be removed based on what we could learn about it on the site".
Where else is the APS going to see the material?

 

August 29, 2003 19:10 Dave F. (moderator)

Bill W: Let me see if I get any response to my query if there are any APS SCW people who drop in here. Again, they may not even want that known, and, if so, I'll honor that.

But talk about missing the forest for the trees: I do have a link at the top of this page (thanks to the person who reminded me!). So, when people bring a questionable auction to this board, we should promptly direct them to report via the link above. (The way it works is that you see eBay's policy page, then, at the bottom of the page, there's a link that you click on that generates a complaint form right then and there.) I think this is the way we should handle this for now.

If I may vent for a moment, I do find it frustrating that eBay had no problem implementing a "report" button for the chat boards, but seems to be greatly reluctant to do so for its auctions. (I also note that they do have different formats for different categories of goods, so this could be limited to just the stamps category.)

August 29, 2003 Mark Bardel

Ebay Suspension
Dave A

Ebay will not suspend you unless you receive 3 NPB's from three DIFFERENT sellers, so no need to worry there.

Bookmark - off to bed.

Mark.

August 29, 2003 18:55 Dave F. (moderator)

David B: I suppose it's a matter of half a loaf being better than none. I certainly don't think that anyone expects that top-level APS experts will vet all stamp auctions on eBay. I think that as patterns of misrepresentation are identified, that APS will be able to provide some technical advice about the material. The final decision will rest with eBay.

For that reason, I also think that eBay recognizes that the problem is broader than just the US site. I don't think selling off a non-US site will provide any shelter, since eBay still has the final word across all their sites.

I certainly don't think that this can be taken care of immediately. In fact, if eBay had started taking action several years ago, when the clamor over these problems was already pretty high, then they wouldn't be dealing with such a serious problem today. But, if they don't do anything today, it only gets worse in the future. So, again, it seems like they've decided it's better to get started, even if they can't cover the entire waterfront, than to not start at all. I'm sure they know that their reputation in collectibles, and especially in philately, has been seriously tarnished, and that taking a passive approach in the past has only worsened the problem.

Perhaps it is because they see their "only a venue" liability shield weakening over time that they started taking proactive action. Perhaps it was the perceived damage to their reputation. Either way, at least they should be able to stop aiding and abetting some of the most egregious fraudulent activity in this field.

August 29, 2003 Bill Weiss

APS/eBAY
NOMAD; Oh, OK, now I remember who you really are!! I'm getting old, forgive me. Not much this sale in your areas but I'll send you the whole cover section anyway.

If I may make a suggestion?? I do not know if anyone from APS monitors this board. I have mentioned it to some of the APS folks I am friendly with but doubt if they monitor regularly.
Obviously, the information given out in today's AP was surely just a thumbnail sketch so, as we can quickly see, there will surely be lots of questions - which no-one here can accurately answer.
DAVE F; Do you suppose you could compose a list of the pertinent questions that our board members have about this relationship & how it will work beyond the scope of what Lamb's info provided? If so, I would then be happy to present it to APS in the form of a letter, unless Dave, it could be composed and sent via internet? Is this a worthwhile idea? What does anyone think??

I'll be back in about an hour - I need a break.

 

August 29, 2003 18:46 Dave F. (moderator)

Prometheus: I think it's good people, not the ones you mentioned (who I don't think are technically affiliated with the APS, although they may have personal memberships). I think it's people who are pretty knowledgable.

APS has no authority over anyone, even in the US, unless they are APS members. But I believe that eBay will take the APS word authoratively, instead of using the old line of, "gee, we don't know enough about stamps to know if this seller is misrepresenting material." APS serves as eBay's technical expert, I believe.

August 29, 2003 David Benson

prometheus, keep on looking, that one was probably unique,

David Benson, definitely over and out, the mob's in the car and yelling.

August 29, 2003 David Benson

Dave F, but is she on the SCW program, if she is she will be having a full time job. One of the problems is that they can only zap the ones that are listed on the US site. If they were listed on any other site it may be OK to list them. Getting complicated now, lucky I have to go out for about 5 hours.

David Benson

August 29, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Dang Marius, you beat me to that one.
You can't post links in your feedback.

August 29, 2003 prometheus

APS and the Bay
I wonder if their inhouse expert is part of the board or have some of the REAL knowledgeable folks been asked to help.
Or is it Goldeneye and JR who seem to almost answer questions on the collectible thread , or What Powersellers , or???

Now a trick question does anyone know if this enforement will be ebay wide or just US
Do you non US sellers get the same warning as you prepare to sell your stamps as the US sellers do, Could a seller just list at Ebay non US and not be subject to the star chamber?

D.Benson Thanks for the answer about that great Japanese card Bill W. sold went and looked at 1200 used from japan cards today none exactly the same.



 

August 29, 2003 nomad55

For Bill W.
You know, the usual - - the cover sections so I can peruse for expo material, MC's for my client, and other unusual itemsthat may strike my fancy.
Dave S.

August 29, 2003 Marius <stampmad@bigpond.net.au> http://www.boomspeed.com/stampmad/main_page.htm
 

Dave A. If you decide to give neg feedback to your mate, you will have to put in the url as the feedback won't take the html to support a link. It is the best way to go as it allows you to put forward the full story. Cop the negs on the chin and wear them with pride

August 29, 2003 18:33 Dave F. (moderator)

nomad: Thanks! Just checked over there and saw it.

David B.: I think some of the people are international. We saw "aps-xprt" over on the eBay board, and she is a Japan expert.

I just wish (perhaps, hope) that someone from that Stamp Community Watch actually reads this board, because most of the items discussed here are broad patterns of questionable auctions, not just individual lots.

In fact, if there is a SCW person who checks this board, please just privately email me to let me know. I will not identify you, but will just rest a little more comfortably knowing that this board may be doing some good.

August 29, 2003 David Benson

Bill, they can't but they can get a few that can each do Europe, British Commonwealth, South America and Asia. It shouldn't be too difficult as stams are easily grouped into 3 types whether are overprints or not. Definite forgery, Maybe forgery and Genuine. Onlt the 1st. should be zapped and the second can be given the benefit of the doubt as actual inspection would be impossible becuase of time constraints.

David Benson

August 29, 2003 Dunc

Dave A
When I said "If you get negative feedack from your bad seller, you can also respond there and again post a link to your web page", I wasn't explaining clearly what was meant.

When you receive feedback, there is an extra space right below that feedback, where you can respond. So if you get negative feedback, once again there's an opportunity for you to post a web site link where you can explain the situation.

eBay and APS

Bill W Thanks for the eBay/APS information. That's really good news and its nice to see it posted here, because a lot of y'all that gather here provided the push needed to get everybody off dead center.

Well done!

Duncan

August 29, 2003 David Benson

Bill, I did a rough tally on the US site and it appears that the US category is about 35% of all stamps listed, that leaves 65% in rest of the world.

David Benson

August 29, 2003 Bill Weiss

DAVID B; I don't know, but my guess is that it (hopefully) should be worldwide, although I can read your mind - where would they get all the "experts" to cover the whole world.

NOMAD; Sure, but you need to send me via email your mailing address and what type of material you are looking for (wrw43@rcn.com).

August 29, 2003 Bill Weiss

APS-eBay
DAVE F; Thanks!

DAVID B; Your right and the last part of that information stated that's what ebay is trying to develope - a way to allow anyone to quickly report what they believe to be fraudulent/misdescribed stamp sales, which in my view, would be a great thing. Agree?

August 29, 2003 nomad55

For Bill W.
I will copy your ebay/APS message and transfer over to the RF board.

Please send me your appropriate catalog pages.

August 29, 2003 David Benson

Bill, this is the important part of your comments,

eBay has set up a group of eBay users, which it calls the Stamp Community Watch, to flag listings it believes are problematic. If any two members of the SCW agree that a listing is a problem, it is referred to APS for review.

Are these STAMP COMMUNITY WATCH looking at worldwide material or just US. From what was intimated they were going to be US orientated and the US has worldwide material listed not just US.

David Benson

 

August 29, 2003 David Benson

Brian, it is not a BC problem, it is all overprints of any country. Most colonies used overprints as it was cheaper and quicker than making plates. All collectors should use common sense before buying any overprinted stamp that is worth more than one without the overprint but they don't and that is why the shysters can get away with it.

What is needed is a report buton to let Safeharbor know when one is spotted so it can be sent to the APS group that Bill alluded to,

David Benson

August 29, 2003 18:08 Dave (moderator)

First, I should proof my own work!

August 29, 2003 David Benson

Brian, there are very few British overprints and mostly they are the departmental which were faked from about the time they were originally issued. They have no relationship to British Commonweath overprints which can be divided into 2 types. British overprints made at the major printing works which are generally high quality and easily discernable and local overprints which are easily recognised by specialists because of the type that was used. They usually do not fool anyone as collectors should be wary that forgeries exist and presume that anything out of the ordinary is probably a forgery and is ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS except for reference purposes and that payment more than a few cents is wasting money. It is the habit of newer collectors trying to fill in spaces that has created a market for faked overprints. It would be better if they just left the blank spaces which has to be done anyway in GB as many of them cost over $1,000.

David Benson

August 29, 2003 18:06 Dave (moderator)

Bill W: Just got my copy the American Philatelist about 5 minutes ago and was thinking about putting the article up. Thanks for doing so.

Let me just quickly proofread it for you, perhaps see if I can reformat the text a little, and then will be happy to copy it over. (That way the html coding can transfer as well.)

I'll be back shortly to do all that.

August 29, 2003 Jim Griffith

Jim

August 29, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Now I understand where you are coming from.
If you bought 12 of lotus194's pieces of crap in separate auctions and refused to pay for them,
then I can see he can file a NPB for all 12 and, yes indeed, you can become NARU'd.
HOWEVER, and this may take some effort on your part, if you can justify that lotus194 was not selling you the items that he described as being kosher,
and you were made aware that the items that you might receive might not be kosher, then you have an several outlets.
The simplest is to give a negative for every feedback.

Not pretty and, besides giving you a neg in return, would look vindictive.

Use an agreed upon third party payment system.
I've never had to go this far so can't help you further.

August 29, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Report seller
Dave A, There's a link at the top of this chat board that will take you directly to eBay's links where you can report a bad eBay seller.

There may also be other links at the eBay page that will help you more. Now might be a good time to report lotus194, since I have been there a couple times to report him myself. Usually you then get a standard response from eBay, but the last two times those haven't been sent so it looks like they might be digging further into his actions.

I would think that it is important to let eBay know that he also tried to mislead you in your email exchange with him.

If you get negative feedack from your bad seller, you can also respond there and again post a link to your web page.

Catalogs that list varieties Here's an excellent one. I already bought this particular one, but the seller also has listed the same catalog along with a CD with the stamp images in color or once you're at this eBay site you can do a search. The 2002 Scott Specialized is over 800 pages thick, an excellent bargain.

Brookman lists some varieties that might not be in all catalogs (gum varieties mostly I think), and I search specialists' sales lists for others. Even that dweeb Jim G has a list at his site. Most large libraries have catalogs so you can see for yourself how extensive their coverage is.

Dave (mod) Thanks again for providing this site!!

Duncan D

"If there's any real justice, in their next life scammers will be reincarnated as gerbils in San Fransisco."

August 29, 2003 Paul Barsdell

Paul

August 29, 2003 Alison Ruttenberg

Lotus is Full of It
I just checked one of Lotus194's current listings, and he still says: "Copies of all the 4 values of overprint. Unfortunately the source of these stamps lead me to believe they are likely to be very good forgeries." Since he knows they are definately fake overprints, this is outright fraud by omission.

August 29, 2003 Brian R

Not that we're immune to the fakery. Personally, I need a good sc#648. When I went looking for one EXF+ used with a readable cancel, I found three. Two, were horridly done fakes, and this is a $3 stamp! Both had bids. :o(

August 29, 2003 Alison Ruttenberg

Non Paying Bidder Alert and Lotus
Dave Arthur: Do not worry, I am sure that you are kicked off only when you get NPB alert from three different sellers, not three total. In any case, you can appeal it. Be sure to download all the information from this board in the last few days and save it and all the links and images to show how he is applying the overprint himself, and then his email to you where he does not admit this and therefore, misled you. YOu will need to put all this information in your NPB appeal.

August 29, 2003 Bill Weiss

WHEW!! And I typed it all with my usual one-fingered skill! There's a hell of a lot of info there and some of it is really interesting. I'll let it all for other board members to consider and comment on.
 

August 29, 2003 01:30 GMT Dave Arthur

No, Jim:
I backed out of those, but I have bought a few from other sellers over the last three months or so.
Actually, I think I am in trouble for backing out as I "won" 12 of these items and Lotus is putting in a bidders non-payment request for each one and I think you are only allowed 3 of these and then you get kicked off the site. I may be wrong about this, but that's what I heard.

August 29, 2003 01:25 GMT Dave Arthur http://www.davesgame.com
 

Duncan:
What a brilliant idea - Glad tomorrow's a Saturday, I can give this some real thought. Revenge is sweet (can't remember the other half of this proverb)

August 29, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Sheesh,
My incisors must have been worth at least an Irish overprint on a "seahorse".
Er, Dave A, sorry if I am misreading you here but you bought stamps described by lotus194 as "forgeries".
Why are you putting them in your album as "genuine but require investigation".
They are blatent forgeries.
Why befuddle your kids?

August 29, 2003 David Benson

Dave, no need to go that far, just be selective and try to inspect first before buying. Once you know the typeface that was used, the ink, the impression it made to the paper, the type of cancels that normally are found on each of the overprints you will have no problem. It is the impersonal sale just by seeing a one dimensional scan that is bad for determining the good from the bad. GB departmentals are very interesting especially their usages if you can get a few covers and can lead to a very good specialised display if you want to go further.

David Benson

August 29, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Feedback
Dave Arthur Heck, if you've got a web site where you can post about that rogue, why not do this... leave the negative feedback and include a link to your site!

I'm just saying....

Dunc

August 29, 2003 01:05 GMT Dave Arthur

David:
Yes, I am afraid you are right, I have already decided to forget overprints. Even if I am buying from a dealer I know well, I will never be convinced he knows enough to guarantee they are genuine and I don't want an album full of fakes. As I don't sell on Ebay, those I have I will keep, but I have marked the pages as "bought as genuine but require investigation", so that whoever gets my collection after my demise will at least know and the blank spaces I have can remain blank.

August 29, 2003 01:00 GMT Dave Arthur

Your Site (again)
Jim: A more pleasant topic. I can't stop lookng at your site now. Tell me (as a complete novice in US stamps).Is there a plate block for each of the John Hopkins (Sc2194-94f)? By that I guess I am asking if they are all sheet stamps - if so I will be paying out for just "Great American" definitives from now to the grave.

I have heard of a catalogue printed in the US called "Brookmans" which I believe catalogues all the varieties in great detail (true??), but Google doesn't throw up any information about it at all.

Nearly time for some shut eye .........................

August 29, 2003 David Benson

Dave, it is because of scum like Lotus and Addie that makes it difficult for the honest seller to sell overprinted stamps on Ebay. Examples are GB Officials which before Ebay had about a 5% chance of being genuine but on Ebay a less than 1% chance. All other overprinted stamps are suspect as Ebay has been flooded with them for years even before Addie and his handstamps arrived. He ruined the sale of genuine SPECIMEN overprints as he handstamped thousands of them using the wrong type on the wrong stamps but because of the naivety of the buyers managed to sell some of them at high prices.
It has even been difficult to sell genuine proofs because of the likeness to some of Addies imperf. computer rotophotowhatever prints.

It will not help if they are listed under the country, Cinderella or fake as someone searching will soon find them. It is a matter of being very careful what you bid on.

David Benson

August 29, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Dave Arthur
Nope.
As a fellow atheist.
If you bid on an item, first thing you do is steal the image for your own computer.
Do not bid on items that say they are like stamps appearing in image.
As bruce found out, stamps appearing in image did not ever appear since seller did not own them.
Seller expected to obtain stamps, but for some reason, never obtained them.
Our British forgery friend found out to his cost that people can save images of what people buy, and what they sell a few weeks later in a slightly different condition.

Changed by the toothfairy, or whatever.

(Dang, I got all my teeth knocked out in a car crash, and tooth fairy never appeared. I was looking forward to her buddy the stamp fairy with the West Indies overprints, but she never appeared).

 

August 29, 2003 00:45 GMT Dave Arthur

Dave: I did think about giving a negative and just eating what he gave me, (life's too short to rely on Ebay to do anything), however, what I decided to do yesterday was to put their information into a "rogues gallery" on my web site. I know that this won't get them the full glare of publicity, but I have had comments back from quite a few people who have checked out my web site in the past, and if I can save just one person from making the same mistake, then it's worth it. It also makes me feel like I did something.

August 29, 2003 davestm <davestm@rochester.rr.com>

Delivery Confirmation
I ship single stamps, small plate blocks, etc. in #000 bubble envelopes.
They go first class rate, usually one ounce + 12 cents non-standard envelope surcharge. I wave my delivery confirmation sticker at the postal clerk, she/he adds an additional 55 cents, and off it goes. Never a problem. I've even gotten a few thru with insurance as well, but the way I interpret the regs, it can't be done. Motto- you never know unless you try.

August 29, 2003 Jim Griffith

Jim

August 29, 2003 David Benson

Dave, a predicament, but in that case it would have been worth a negative feedback on yours (even though you did not deserve it) and given him one which he deserved. It may have also been possible to get yours reversed if you can prove to Ebay that it was a retaliatory strike. That is the only one to get the crooks off Ebay.

There are many people on Ebay who are trying to make it a safe place but it is taking a long time but eventually the good guys will win and the likes of Lotus and Addie will be banished back under their rocks when they crawled from.

David Benson

August 29, 2003 00.25 GMT Dave Arthur

Jim: Thanks ... I must admit, I never really thought about the amount of fakes (never thought about them at all) on Ebay until I started on this board yesterday. It's quite scary. I wonder about the immorality of it all. I had a to-do recently with a guy (a Brit don't worry) who was offering a job lot of items and as I collect almost anything GB and I actually enjoy sorting, it appeared to be good value for money, however when he sent it, virtually nothing that was in his associated pictures were in the package. When I wrote back to him (very politely) to ask him if this was pack 1 of 2, he basically told me that tough that was it and that there was nothing I could do about it as he had posted and I had received a package. (oh ... and if I posted negative feedback, he would do the same to me!)He informed me that that receipt of a package is all both Ebay and PayPal care about. He also said if I didn't want them, why didn't I just resell them on Ebay using his photographs. How does he live with himself?
I thank God (even as an atheist) that I have better morals than him (or her). The package is in the bin. It's not the money, am I one of the few people on Ebay with principles (or is it my pride that I can be so easily suckered and yet have no real recourse). No, I know that is not true, it's just that "one bad apple" ruins all the good work of the many genuine sellers that I have come across.

Sorry been acheing to get that off my chest for ages. No more long complaining posts I promise.

August 29, 2003 Jim Griffith

Jim

August 29, 2003 Brian R

Together, these would seem to make, excellect stamp carriers. Should also, stop the arguments with the PO workers, about tracking standard envelopes.

August 29, 2003 Dave Arthur

Was there any comeback? What was the essence of the article (is it online?)

August 29, 2003 Jim Griffith

Jim

August 29, 2003 23.57 GMT Dave Arthur

US Fake ? You tell me!
I don't claim any credit for this one as I found it on another board, but I know how interested you guys are in exposing this type of usage of Ebay. so check out no 2931364399 as the picture to me (an inexperienced eye I admit) looks like it is one stamp stuck on top of a picture. PS it went for $100 and is an "as is" sale.

August 29, 2003 15:53 Dave (moderator)

Bill C: That was it! Simply clearing out the Temporary Items took care of it. (I didn't disable the resizing, because I knew it had worked successfully in the past with it enabled.) I did take a look at the temp folder, and it did about 12,000 items in it, so I suppose I was pushing it a bit.

Do you have any thoughts about the other question, with the yellow background fill-in? (Although I can live with that. The file-saving issue was becoming a bit of a problem.)

August 29, 2003 15:46 Dave (moderator)

Bill C: Thanks for all the info. (I have a success rate of maybe 50% in querying the Windows KB. Sometimes I just can't use the keywords they're looking for.) -- I'm taking all those steps now, and will let you know the outcome. Many thanks.

August 29, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

David B
As Paul said, I think someone screwed with my iomoon sign-in.
Normally if I put up something too raunchy (as if I would do such a thing), I'll get a warning from ebay.
This time nothing.
eBay customer help knew about as much about computers as I forgot 20 years ago.
Suggested that I write to my old friend Claire.
Which has been done.
Somebody (probably same person) also screwed the recording on extreme-tracker by nulling out the recordings for last sunday.
Seeing as I have a long weekend I may search through my "hit" files and see who has been screwing with my system.

August 29, 2003 Jim Griffith

Jim

August 29, 2003 Jim Griffith

Jim

August 29, 2003 15:27 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

BMP and JPG saving
Dave

What I explained to you is explained in Microsoft Knowledgebase Article 810978 called Internet Explorer Saves Images As Bitmaps (.bmp Files)

August 29, 2003 15:20 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Image copyright question
Jim Griffith

In Explorer, you right click on the image and select Properties.
Click on the Summary tab.
Click the button called Advanced.
Then you will see the copyright.
 

August 29, 2003 ?

dave

previous post is not my post

problem with no signin - anyone can imitate anyone else

can create havoc on a chat board

[moderator's note: posting removed]

forgot to mention if you print your own labels to save on the dc, you must be sure not to tape the barcode on the bottom

otherwise scanning will be a mess

i personally use a large glue stick - find that easier than tape

however, some of the bubble envelopes do not take glue well

one has to test and see what is most optimal

for those who do not want to wait on postal line - you can use online postage and just hand the shipments to the post office

problem is customers do not like if you do not use stamps

cannot win all the time

and yes - my @ss is big from sitting at this keyboard all day :-)

August 29, 2003 15:16 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

BMP and JPG saving
Dave

In Multimedia you also should uncheck Use Smart Image Dithering and you also would be better off with Enable Image Toolbar unchecked.

August 29, 2003 sveiki!

Wow - what a scoop!
Have you noticed how fresh and white the stamp paper is compared to the cover? Would love to do a UV test on that baby... This baby...

August 29, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

August 29, 2003 15:12 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

BMP and JPG saving
Dave

THere are two things going on here. FIrst you MUST turn off resizing. Go to menu Tools:Internet Options:Advanced and in the middle of the page under Multimedia, uncheck Enable Automatic Image Resizing.

Next you have to flush. Every once in a while it is necessary to flush. Again in the menu Tools:Internet Options in the first tab General, in the middle of the page under Temporary Internet Files press the middle button which is Delete Files... You will then have to close all explorer windows and it is best to reboot. You will then ba able to get the JPG images.

What is happening is that every time Explorer shows an image, it puts the file in the cache so it will not have to download it again the next time it sees it. Explorer never flushes the cache and eventally it fills up.

August 29, 2003 Jim Griffith

Jim

August 29, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

August 29, 2003 22.57 GMT Dave Arthur

Picture Saving
Dave (mod): I think the problem with the picture saving is in my experience, if the picture in question is a .BMP it will assume you want to save as the same and therefore doesn't offer alternatives, however if the source picture is a .JPB or .GIF it will offer those and .BMP. If I remember correctly .BMP is Microsoft's convention from way back before .GIF and .JPG were widely used and therefore they assume you will always want to use this and default to it.

August 29, 2003 Dunc

Saving images
Dave Sometimes IE allows me to save photos as jpegs, and sometimes not. Usually refreshing the screen will make it possible. Otherwise I just copy and paste to MS Paint and save it again from there. Hope that helps.

Duncan D

August 29, 2003 14:49 Dave (moderator)

2 Internet Explorer questions
(1) Why do I no longer have the option to save an image as anything but in .bmp format? I used to be able to save in .jpg and/or .gif. I am referring to the situation when browsing where you can right-click on an image to "Save picture as ...". I can provide more details if necessary. (Using IE 6.0.2800 & Windows XP Pro)

(2) Ever since some site I visited yesterday (wish I remember which one), the background color of the top 2 fill-in boxes above ("Your Name" & "Your E-Mail Address") is now yellow, rather than white. I've rebooted, etc., and nothing seems to work. Same thing happens on Richard's site as well. Any ideas?

August 29, 2003 14:48 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Triangle Airmail
Maarten

I just thought that THIS is a cool airmail cover<.a>.

August 29, 2003 22:40 GMT Dave Arthur <dave@davesgame.com> http://www.davesgame.com
 

album.dweeb.org.
Jim: I am impressed, just been taking a look at your site, as I have recently invested a fair sum (in my terms!) on starting a collection of US definitives inc, plates, strips etc ... and I was looking for a way to "albumise" them. Your pages make my efforts very amateurish and I am ashamed of them now, you have sent me into a total rethink mode. Another of my problems is finding a "specialist" catlaogue that will allow me to identify the varieties... Can anybody suggest one? Although I am based in the UK, I guess I would be able to obtain anything you suggest through Amazon or somesuch like ... I know I won;t be able to obtain it locally (long story - poor outlets).

Dave

August 29, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

'nother perpetual offender

Lotus194 is small taters, its easy to spot his forgeries.

This guy on the other hand scares me.

If his offerings are the actual product rather than scans of actual stamps, they look much more believable. How familiar are y'all with this seller's goods?

It is especially troublesome to see these listed within the actual stamp categories and with actual stamp values too, although I don't see how they would belong with the Cinderellas either since if they are not real, they are forgeries since they duplicate actual stamps.

I thought these "as is" sales were taboo now too.

PS: Jim G I always "consider the source" when you write, as you mentioned. Actually of course I really enjoy reading your posts, very entertaining. I bet even you can hardly wait to hear what you're gonna say next.

;)

Dunc

August 29, 2003 David Benson

Jim, what's the drill on IO postings on Ebay, have you been banned or is it just another Ebay stuff-up,

David Benson

August 29, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

August 29, 2003 Mark Bardell

Knud-Erik
Welcome back - sorry to hear the news, but glad you are on the road to recovery and back amongs such a caring bunch of old farts - I mean, stamp collectors :o)

Mark.

August 29, 2003 13:40 Dave (moderator)

?: Your idea about the bubble-wrap in the envelope is a great one. That's got to be cheaper than buying small boxes. I knew someone would have figured out a smart way to do this!

Please stick around and continue to contribute.

And I'm hoping that I can continue to nag people into a consistently higher level of civility. This board achieves that some of the time, but not as much as it should.

If it did, I think we would have even more knowledgable, helpful people checking in and joining in. That's my goal.

August 29, 2003 ?

My Error
Alison wrote:

"Certified mail IS accepted by PayPal because PayPal will accept ANY tracking that can be proved on line delivery to the confirmed address of the buyer. You can receive online tracking, and therefore proof of delivery to the confirmed address of: Express Mail, Certified Mail, Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation and Registered mail to a US address."

my error - you are correct regarding certified mail - used to be no online tracking of certified mail

register mail packages still require dc - registered envelopes may not need it - see usps postage calculation site

i never mention anything about a 37 cents mailing - just first class mailing - not all first class mailings are 37 cents

Gary & Dave

you need to select package (not envelope) on first screen to get the dc on first class mailing

yes - there is a silly rule that the envelope must be 3/4 inch thick for dc - however still cheaper than $3.85 priority

we fill envelope with bubbles to get 3/4 inch thickness

if you follow my previous link to download usps software - dc is 13 cents for first class/media and free for priority

Dave

i understand you problem and will not post anymore unless i see misinformation

no intention here of getting into cat fights

good luck on a nice board

August 29, 2003 Bob H.

K-E - take care of yourself - live to stamp another day.

August 29, 2003 13:22 Dave (moderator)

Vic: Welcome back! Glad to see you up and around. Hope your recuperation is going well.

And I thought that was going to be the extent of the post until I saw Knud-Erik's:

Knud-Erik:Very sorry to hear the news, but very glad to know that you're doing better now. Take it easy, and just read the nice posts, while skipping over the annoying ones!

My best to you both.

August 29, 2003 David Benson

Knud, sorry to hear that, you have missed some interesting days but it may have been best if you hadn't read them anyway, might have upset you and you needed the rest.

David Benson

August 29, 2003 13.13 Knud-Erik Andersen

August 29, 2003 Dunc

Hi Jim G

Trolling, are we?

Duncan D

August 29, 2003 Gary

I'm outtta here!!! Have a great weekend everbody and those of us lucky enough to be off Monday...fire up the BBQ,lounge around the pool, lift 'em 12 ozs at at a time, but stay off the highways!

August 29, 2003 12:54 Dave (moderator)

delivery confirmation
That's what I thought, that you couldn't purchase delivery confirmation for a straightforward simple envelope. (That, of course, would be too helpful!)

It seems like the PayPal requirement is actually reasonable if what you're shipping is something that has to be shipped like "merchandise", which means basically anything that won't fit into "straightforward simple envelope". I looked into this a few months ago, when I thought about ramping up to sell on eBay. (Plans got interrupted by a new but long-sought-after consulting client!)

I was coming to this idea at that time: what about finding small, flat (but > 3/4 inch) inexpensive boxes and shipping stamps that way. Delivery confirmation would be cheap and trackable using the online service. Although it might raise costs by a total of, say, $1 (hopefully less, if boxes bought in quantity), for items above a seller's self-insurance threshold of pain, it seems like it would comply with both the USPS and PayPal requirements, without having to take the step up to Priority Mail. Thoughts? Any wholesale sources of boxes? (I live in the Los Angeles area, and, if I had pursued this plan, was confident that I could scout around and find them locally at a good price.)

August 29, 2003 Gary

Delivery Conf.
OKk everybody....just returned from the PO (it is a contract PO, not the real thing) and was told that you can get a delivery conf. on any 1st class package, but not on a standard or business size envelope. That makes it crystal clear right? I posed the 3/4" question and was met with a blank stare! Guess if your PO accepts it, then it works. The plot thickens.....

August 29, 2003 Mark

USPS
Gary

LOL @ the Brooklyn Bridge - I had one for the London Bridge until it mysteriously disappeared ;)

I've looked at that small print again and again and I still can't make head nor tail of it. I am assuming that the envlope HAS to measure 3/4 inch at one point which I guess could be done with lots off stuffing.

I'll carry on shipping the way I have been for now - if someone does a chargeback against me I may well rethink my strategies, even to using pre-printed postage, which would upset a lot of collectors.

I do stipulate that I will not be responsible for overseas mail, unless the person pays for registration. But again, I've only had a couple apparently go missing, so no great losses there yet.

Mark.

August 29, 2003 Gary

You are right. I totally missed that. I never was one to read the fine print...guess that's why I have this useless title to something called the Brooklyn Bridge.

August 29, 2003 gary

I hear you! Impractical is an understatement. We ship 300+ per week and if you don't jump through the PayPal hoops, it is all for nought. Registration is tracked as far as I know. Had a problem with one that went astray for 2 months...what a headache, but it finally turned up (had been sitting in a CA PO for 6+ weeks!). I have never used the delivery conf., but it is on the USPS page I listed below, so I assume (boy I hate to use that word when the govt is involved!) you can. I am leaning toward the same thing as you do, just $50 and up for confirmation.

August 29, 2003 Alison Ruttenberg

? is WRONG WRONG WRONG
? Anonymous: You are Wrong, and I am a licensed attorney of 15 years so I do know what I am talking about. Post offices will NOT accept a regular 10 size envelope sent first class at the 37c cent rate with delivery confirmation. Certified mail IS accepted by PayPal because PayPal will accept ANY tracking that can be proved on line delivery to the confirmed address of the buyer. You can receive online tracking, and therefore proof of delivery to the confirmed address of: Express Mail, Certified Mail, Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation and Registered mail to a US address. I do not know what you mean by the county courts do not have "jurisdiction," you are clearly misinformed. County Courts have subject matter jurisdiction for all claims of $10,000 or less. And, county courts have personal jurisdiction over an out of state defendant who commits a tort within the state. By definition, a tort occurs in the state of Colorado if the harm caused by the wrongful act is in the state of Colorado. If a buyer wrongfully does a PayPal chargeback then the harm caused to me occurs in the state of Colorado. I have successfully sued people who lived in Arkansas over ebay transaction in Colorado court.

August 29, 2003 Mark Bardell

USPS Delivery Confirmation
Gary

It says the following under that page so not sure if normal letters are covered :

Applies only to envelopes measuring 3/4" thick at thickest point or boxes.

Very misleading if you ask me.
 

August 29, 2003 Mark Bardell

USPS Delivery Confirmation
I've just tried a sample postage quote for a first class letter, weighing 2oz and it didn't give me the option of delivery confirmation, whereas it did when I chose Priority. Therefore I assume Alison is correct.

Mark.

August 29, 2003 David Benson

Peter, I had a closer look at the SS stamps and apart from the ridiculous mistakes there are still a couple of worthwhile stamps, at least 1 anyway, the 2 Cents on 5c. Blue which looks OK but is cat. as used instead of mint which is much lower. He also doesn't mention condition but agreed a fairly uselss lot of stamps. If he had just plonked them all on a stockcard without catalogue value or number it would at least be more legal and possibly maight sell without a problem.

I think it would be a waste a time trying to educate the seller as he spends a lot of time to list them like that even without discerning watermarks and overprint types,

David Benson

August 29, 2003 gary

Duncan is a weenie? Sheesh...I'll have to rethink my opinion of him now!

August 29, 2003 Dave P

Fleeced?
David B/Peter
Well one zero feedback bidder has taken the bait on the Straights Settlement lot - unless he is one of the "good guys". That seller is actually quite ludicrous. He apparently has no idea of condition nor of fiscal cancels. His "Me" page has a rediculous story about a strip of 1d blacks and a blue. He is however altruistic and intends to publish an on-line catalogue to help people identify their stamps, God help us. To laugh or to cry?

August 29, 2003 12.18 pm Colin Judd UK http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_GB_Machins/
 

Colin

August 29, 2003 Mark Bardell

Paypal
Gary

The only proof Paypal will accept is if they can track the package on line and I'm not sure if Registered mail has this capability.

I tend to use delivery confirmation / insurance on anything over $100, anything under that I will bite the bullet if it gets "lost" in the mail. I've only had two shipments go this way in all the time I've been selling.

Unfortunately Paypal leans very much towards the buyer unless the seller follows their Protection Policy to the letter. If you're sending out 20 - 30 envelopes a day it is impractical to get delivery confirmation on every one of them.

 

August 29, 2003 Peter Spencer

David,

You are correct, but even one newbie burn is one too many. I didn't pick on the seller's other lot which is being bid on by someone with a high feedback rating, implying he knows what he is getting.

At least the newbie who was bidding on the same seller's incredible St. Vincent lot, with its obviously perfed "imperf", has retracted.

Any beginner with GBP 50 to 100 in his jeans to spend deserves the minute fraction of my life it took to post the previous "I picked up a rock and look what I found" message.

Best wishes,

Peter Spencer

August 29, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

August 29, 2003 12:08 Dave (moderator)

various topics (in no particular order)
Rob Faux: Thanks for your comments. I'm glad you overcame any hesitation to post and did so. I'll comment more fully in a subsequent post.

Sheryll: So glad you could drop by! We are all concerned about you, are keeping our fingers crossed for you, and send you our best wishes for everything relating to your transition. It sounds like Mexico will be a welcome respite! Just curious: what part will you be in? (I ask since I live just about a 2-hour drive from one of the borders. Some parts I'm familiar with, some parts not.)

delivery confirmation: I thought that Delivery Confirmation was not possible on first class mail unless it was sent priority. Has that changed recently? If so, then using the online registration service is a pretty good option. But I thought it was not allowable on straightforward first class mail.

Mr/Ms ?: A request: would you at least identify yourself privately to me? You can get my email address above. I won't "out" you. You obviously have helpful knowledge to share, but sometimes your delivery is abrupt and caustic. To be that rough in tone and anonymous puts some of us on edge. Either you understand that and are doing it on purpose for reasons I don't understand, or have no idea that your posts come across that way. Either way, if you would identify yourself to me privately and perhaps explain why you choose to come across this way would greatly lower my anxiety level. Thank you.

August 29, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

In Defense of Trolling

Best thing about trolling is, it works.

So now in this most recent incident instead of an anonymous seller hiding behind private feedback, we have his input here for everyone to see. Everyone from previous clients to potential buyers to anyone from eBay who chooses to look in, to possibly law enforcement officials can see and judge for themselves who this guy is.

I like for example, this response from lotus194, his bizarre explanation of the source(s) of his forged overprints:

"...one of these sources deals in very good FDC forgeries, not the cheap ones either. That I find immoral, being as they are being sold as genuine, remember you heard it here first!"

So lotus194 I'm sure eBay would be impressed that your forged overprints may be just the tip of the iceberg. I wonder if that knowledge would influence their decisions about how to react to your sales practices? Local law enforcement officials might also be interested, since now people know who you are and where you live. Hopefully you and your co conspirator (lets call him Beavis) sleep well, I for one look forward to your visits here and its important to be sharp when meeting your public.

Tight lines,

Duncan "the weenie" Doenitz ...>{{{{*>

"I WOULD'VE gone easy on you if only you had approached me in a more civil manner and apologized, but NOW I won't." [Duncan stamps feet and storms out of the room]

August 29, 2003 David Benson

Peter, he shouldn't fool many people, he has made a lot of mistakes all through all of his listings. The bidders aren't that gullible,

David Benson

August 29, 2003 Victor Horadam <horadam1@airmail.net>

Peter: That's why I stopped collecting coins in earnest about 20 years ago - I was getting fleeced by dealers over condition/grade (before slabbing became popular). It made me a 'smarter' collector overall.

August 29, 2003 David Benson

Bill, well done with the Japan Card. Impossible item to value because of the specialist nature and the demand. I presume the result was the combination of various factors but the main one was the English language cancel from a small PO which was confined for overseas mail. The extra dividend of extra stamps, underpaid markings and application of US Dues made it into a got to have item by some Japanese specialists,

David Benson

August 29, 2003 Peter Spencer

Newbie Fleecing
It appears that this seller is another suppurating pustule on the body philatelic:
Straights Settlements Stamps Cat £1837 Item number: 2947566069
What are the odds that his SG #49 with a catalog value of GBP 325 has a Crown CA watermark? He doesn't even know how to use a scanner properly, yet dares to price every "unchecked" watermark variety as the more expensive.

August 29, 2003 gary

The only problem I have with UPS is they don't aaccept US stamps as payment! Gotta use all this postage up somehow! You touched on a valid point with the confirmed address though. Probably less than 50% of my PayPal business is done to a confirmed address. I never gave it a second thought until you pointed that out! As far as international registered, PayPal does not accept that as proof, but is domestic registered acceptable as proof of delivery? It don't know how they could say it is not.

August 29, 2003 Bill Weiss

Ebay - APS Relationship
The current issue of the American Philatelist contains a reasonably good explaination how the new reationship with ebay works. As I am busy stuffing our next auction catalogs I am hoping some other kind board member can find it (it is under Bob Lamb's writings) and post it here. If notr, perhaps tonight I will take the time to get it on here. It's worth reading.

August 29, 2003 10:43 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

PayPal
Gary

One problem with UPS is that they often are informal about getting the actual signature.

August 29, 2003 10:27 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

PayPal
Gary

One alternative to the post office is UPS ground. The rates are similar to Priority Mail, You can print your own labels on line, You can pay On Line, and a UPS driver will pick up the mailing. My son does this often. You also have on line tracking.

August 29, 2003 gary

Bill Kind of confirmed my suspicions, I will have to up the postage 50c and send everything with confirmation. I ship 300+ a week and spend too much time in the PO as it is. Also I live in a Florida tourist town which makes the PO unapproachable during winter months. You would think there would be a better way :-((

August 29, 2003 ?

Re: PayPal International
Dave P - you are correct

since paypal only accepts dc and does not accept certifed or register mail as proof - no way to confirm delivery on international mail

one should not take paypal for large international transactions and should offer instead to pay the bidpay fees for buyers on such transactions - on large transactions costs about the same as paypal

problem with bidpay is the dollar limit and only for auction transactions

August 29, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Latest postcard
HERE is my latest postcard purchase. It's an X-mas card dated Dec. 25, 1911, sent from Frankenstein, Missouri. Cancel is a Doane. It's not in the best shape, but it's the novelty factor that counts to me. When I bought it at a local antique store, one of the locals ther told me that it is the only ton in America named Frankenstein! Is it true, anyone? He also told me that during the 20th (or 25th?) anniversary of the movie Young Frankenstein the town was renamed Young Frankenstein and featured a bunch of skydiving Frankensteins. Would be neat to find a cover cancelled from Young Frankenstein, MO now!

August 29, 2003 Dave P

Paypal chargebacks
The comments and suggestions are fine for a US domestic sale. For sellers outside USA there appears to be no way to protect oneself, even if I ship domestically within the UK there is no protection, although at least with confirmation of delivery I could sue - if the amount was large enough to make it worth while, for foreign sales it is just a case of waving the money goodbye. This is not just a Paypal problem though, it is a problem for anyone taking a direct credit card payment without a signature, the merchant service agreement makes it clear that there are additional risks in non face-to-face sales, not that it helps!

August 29, 2003 ?

Re: Alison Ruttenberg Post
"Also, you cannot get delivery confirmation without also sending the item priority mail."

wrong

"This is more expensive that sending it certified, which also gives online tracking and satisfies PayPal."

wrong - dc cheaper than certified - also certified does not satisfies paypal

"Also, if I got a $1000 chargeback from a cheap bidder who refused to pay for a safer delivery method, and he understood that the shipment was at his own risk (email exchange in writing to that effect), and if he then did a chargeback for nondelivery, I would sue him in county court for fraud. When the Sheriff showed up with the summons and complaint, he might get an attitude adjustment."

wrong - no jurisdiction in county court
 

August 29, 2003 09:56 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

PayPal
Gary

Paypal requires two essential things for Seller Protection. You must send to the Confirmed Address and you must use Electronic Delivery Confirmation. Thus you must use the USPS priority mail or delivery confirmation for first class mail. You could also use UPS or FedEx. If you want to insure first class mail you must state "Merchandise" or "Thirs Class Mail Enclosed".

August 29, 2003 Rob Faux <rfaux"at"thefauxden"dot"net>

moderating
Dave (moderator)
I don't think I'll ever run a discussion board - and I am glad good people like Dave are willing to put up with the frustrations, difficulties and abuse. But, I'm sorry that he has to as well.

I really don't understand why otherwise helpful posts have to include a statement to bait or criticize. I also don't know why some individuals seek out posts from persons who are 'troll-like' in the chat room. Is this hobby really so small that we must have shallow controversy to break the monotony?

There is room for respectful differences of opinion - but why must we push the boundaries just to make life miserable for the person who took the time to set up a forum, maintain it, etc etc. He didn't HAVE to do this, DOESN'T have to provide this - then we treat him like he deserves no respect? I don't understand this and never will.

This post is not stamp related, and I've thought FOUR times before posting. While there isn't a great deal of nasty stuff near the top of the board right now, I've noticed enough in the last two weeks that my frequency of visits has decreased. I want Dave to know that his work IS appreciated, but I also want him to feel he has freedom to stop when it gets to be too much. It's HIS hobby too..... hobby's are for enjoyment.

End of rant, sorry to digress. Dave, I will have no quibbles if you must delete because it is provocative.

August 29, 2003 Alison Ruttenberg

PayPal Chargebacks
Gary: In my opinion, a dealer who sends out a $1000 lot without any tracking is a complete idiot. Also, you cannot get delivery confirmation without also sending the item priority mail. This is more expensive that sending it certified, which also gives online tracking and satisfies PayPal. If a customer refuses to purchase any insurance or tracking for big ticket items, I usually just pick up the cost of certified mailing myself. Also, if I got a $1000 chargeback from a cheap bidder who refused to pay for a safer delivery method, and he understood that the shipment was at his own risk (email exchange in writing to that effect), and if he then did a chargeback for nondelivery, I would sue him in county court for fraud. When the Sheriff showed up with the summons and complaint, he might get an attitude adjustment.

August 29, 2003 gary

Lotus How about a response to YOUR customers comment (Dave Arthur) about your "possible forgeries"? Funny you chose not to respond to him, since he has a "smoking gun" of your explanation of these "overprints", which coincidentally is not exactly what you said here on how you came into possesion of them, now is it? I echo Duncans statement 100%, you would not of changed if they begged you to. Your just upset somebody pee'd in your sandbox.

August 29, 2003 ?

Re: PayPal
download usps software - shipping assistant

can print delivery confirmation label beforehand

will be free dc for priority mail and 42 cents off first class/media mail

link - http://www.windowbook.com/ppp/ppp2.htm

if do not have mailing insurance try www.u-pic.com

grab quickly before they delete this post

August 29, 2003 prometheus

Brian = Mounting
One of the places I stop has a box of discontinued mounts Cheep
want me to make a note on what he has got.
I'm going for some supplies Tuesday, I think come Crystal mounts in box among others.

August 29, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Bolivian covers
Anyone ever deal in early Bolivian covers, not stampless but stamped covers pre-1900? I keep looking and looking but never see any. Are they: a)that scarce, that they just can't be found?, or b)that common, that nobody wants to bother listing them?

August 29, 2003 anne

BTW, I feel your pain. When I first started collecting again, the cost of basic supplies hit like a ton of lead.

August 29, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

PayPal chargebacks
Gary it sounds like you need a way to compare notes with other sellers. One volunteer could receive email from other sellers who have had chargebacks to see if there is a pattern among certain buyers, and those contributing to the information would go on an emailing list.

If no one else is willing to do it, I certainly would, but I've never even sold anything via eBay so obviously someone else might be a better choice.

Anyway then you would know if any specific buyers need special attention when goods are shipped to them. Good communication is the answer (that's why this site is so valuable too).

lotus194 What a crock. Saying that you would've cleaned up your act if approached differently is childish. You and you alone are responsible for your actions and you can rationalize all you want but ultimately... aaaah forget it. Now go clean your room.

Duncan

"Ma, the dog ate my homework and someone has been overprinting my stamps again."



 

August 29, 2003 Jim Whitford-stark

Oh no, forgot today was free listing day in the UK.
Tons of cromalin proofs and Ecuador volcanoes.

August 29, 2003 gary

Seems that the customer has all the rights and the seller has no recourse. Any ideas on how many chargebbacks a customer can make before a red-flag goes up? How about how many complaints a seller has before PayPal suspends the account? Have posed these same questions to PayPal to no avail. My thoughts was delivery confirmation on every lot (which would raise postage rates 55c and would give me the pleasure of spending half my life in the PO as each one has to stamped individually), "self-insure" under $50 and put delivery confirmation over $50? Any thoughts would be appreciated as it looks like it will be time to update shipping policies!

August 29, 2003 prometheus

Japan Card Question
Is it for the rare Town mark OR the overall combination??
Enquiring minds want to know.
I see hundreds of used japan (early)cards where do I find a good reference for the CDS.

August 29, 2003 Brian R

Addie Give it up already will ya? You need to learn the defination of satire. The only thing that this board doesn't already know, about your "secret printing process", is if the nameplate reads Cannon or HP.

August 29, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Shucks, didn't even have a volcano on it.

August 29, 2003 Chip G

Bill Weiss is Humbled
Mark this day in your calendars. It may never happen again. [grin].
Congrats on your sale. You still planning to send it Global Priority uninsured?

Chip

August 29, 2003 nomad55

Bill W....congrats on a nice sale!

August 29, 2003 7:34 Dave (moderator)

Japan card
Bill W:Just got sniped by Gary's post below! Congrats on the Japan card. I've gotta admit, I was a little worried when you were offered $1200 to pull it, but I was part of the crowd that said keep the auction running. Glad that that turned out to be sound advice.

For others, here's the auction under discussion:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=689&item=2947259845

August 29, 2003 Bill Weiss

Japan Postal
WOW!! I am humbled by the price this item brought and I learned a LOT in the process. My thanks to David B., Dave F. and Chip G. for their opinions and good advice. David B. - you were wrong about the Japanese not being into sniping...take a look.

August 29, 2003 gary

Congrats on the Japan card which sold for $3383!!!! The snipers worked it over VERY WELL!

August 29, 2003 Paul Barsdell

Paul

August 29, 2003 ATDINVEST

GOOD MORNING TO ALL
Hi everyone and back,many of you were worry about me,thank you,my dear friend Benson wrote an email to my daughter with concern,it was appreciated.This week-end Japan and Spain all classic will have my blessing.
P.S- Dear Brian my "secret printing process technology",as you stated has'nt leaked,don't worry was created by me and no body knows.Addie.

August 29, 2003 1300 BST Ed.B

eBay Stamp Chat Board
Board works OK now after I had to delete then reinstate my bookmark then do a reboot.

August 29, 2003 04:29 Jim Watson

eBay Stamp Chat Board
Ed.B,
Someone appears to be playing with the code on the eBay Stamp chat board. Just reload from a bookmark.

August 29, 2003 sveiki!

eBay Stamps Chat Board
Ed.B Works fine for me... but one of the eBay ID's surely looks weird (Lee from Florida).

August 29, 2003 04:23 Jim Watson

Could it be the proximity of Mars? I don't think there's a full moon. . . .

August 29, 2003 1220..BST Ed.B

Ebay stamp chat board
Looks like it has expired or at least been broken.

August 29, 2003 Mauro Mowszowicz

Back online
Hello to all, just back (a few days ago) from a US/CA expedition. Trying to catch up with the last posts at the board have found some interesting interesting post regarding "new" overprints over "old" gb stamps (im avoiding words like FAKE, SCAM etc. What really amuses me is the LOTUS post and let me quote "I wrote the first description without any real thought or intent" maybe i just do not understand english so well but Mr Lotus, you bought stamps, faked the overprints and listed them on eBay as genuine stamps, isnt that quite a thought and an intent to "take-money-out-of-people-in-a-not-so-legitimate-way"?

Regards to all (David F. i will reply to your las eMail today)
Mauro

August 29, 2003 01:17 lotus

Fakes
Morning all, never got to read the final postings last night, had to get an early night (must have been all of the excitement over the last 24 hours). A special thanks to Mr Benson for posting my name and address on the board, although what he hopes this might achieve god only knows, perhaps some irrate buyer might come around and give me a jolly good seing to. Will keep you up to date on that one, keep your eyes on www.bashedupcriminals.com. Do I now have to lose sleep?

Can I at this point thank you all for an amusing couple of days, I do not often get to debate with such educated persons as yourselves on such emotive issues. So who won?

Well that might be the subject of another debate. I certainly feel more enlightened and richer for your comments and arguments, especially Mr Benson (he really is a hoot).

First the good news. I am now going to smarten up my descriptions, my intention was never ever to rip off my customers with a series of cleverly worded phrases. The truth of the matter was, I wrote the first description without any real thought or intent, and I was then just too lazy to change it for every stamp I sold. If someone had returned one of my stamps with a complaint that they felt it was not described accurately, I would have changed the descriptions there and then, no problem. So watch out for my new descriptions, I think you will be pleased.

Self Rightious 1 Criminal Forgers 0

Having overprints made to order. Despite your very clever detective work, you are still way off the mark on who makes these and how they are made (mind you I cannot tell you that, even under torture, as I do not know). Bit of a clue though, they come from more than one source. By the way, one of these sources deals in very good FDC forgeries, not the cheap ones either. That I find immoral, being as they are being sold on as genuine, remember you heard it here first! Anyway I am not going to enlighten you how one or more of the stamps I bought turned up as one of my overprints, but I am still going to protest my innocence in the matter. The only thing I am guilty of is stupidity and gullibility (is that how you spell it?). Heres one to get you thinking though, why would I buy jubilee issues to forge one week, yet the week before I was selling them myself on e-bay. If you go through my sales you will see that I have sold quite a few jubilee issues and sets in good condition both EDVII & QV, whilst at the same time selling forged overprints. More detective work required here I think. Anyway, no, there is no way I will be using the stamps I buy from e-bay to supply to someone to make overprints anymore, either intentionally or unintentionally.

Self Rightious 2 Criminal Forgers 0

Privatising my feedback. Done, back to normal. Realised I am not dealing with ameutuers here, grossly underestimated you there, you can gain access to my sales and buys whenever you want in other ways, interfere with my customers etc at will. You really are doing extremely well arent you.

Self Rightious 3 Criminal Forgers 0

Using Mr Harry Laynes name without consent in my nefarious activities. Sorry not guilty. Mr Layne is one of my satisfied customers long standing. I only wish I could send you just a sample of the e-mails I have been receiving from both past customers and people I have had no dealings with, who think you lot go about your business in the wrong manner, but still support your ideology. You have a lot of untapped support out there, if only you could see past your own self importance and use it.

Self Rightious 3 Criminal Forger 1

Stop selling my rubbish on e-bay. Sorry.

Self Rightious 3 Criminal Forger 2

Stamp the rear of my stamps with the word "FAKE". Unfortunately, before Mr Benson named me and released my address without my consent, and contacted my customers in order to spoil my sales, I was going to abide by your wishes (I even found a little place in Farnham last night in the yellow pages that make rubber stamps). Being as I am a very shallow, dishonest, nefarious and vindicative rogue, I now no longer wish to, sorry.

Self Rightious 3 Criminal Forger 3

I make that a draw.

Anyway I have certainly learnt some valuable lessons throughout this affair, and I feel richer for it. Now I know you will not want to hear this but here goes anyway. Had you contacted me direct, told me that you did not agree with the way I carried out my business, and gave me advice how to clean my act up, I cannot think of any of your requests (apart from close myself down) I would not and could not have complied with. You wouldnt have even had to say please! Try it next time, there are a lot less nefarious characters out there than you think!

lotus

PS.Please excuse the spelling mistakes, my old printing press does not have a spellchecker.

August 29, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

August 28, 2003 David P

Just a passing thought, lotus's overprints are done with a super secret process, Addie appears on the board with uncanny timing, he couldn't be the mysterious printer could he ... no that would be too unreal ... wouldn't it?

August 28, 2003 anne

Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of tempests in teapots, appertifs in the Conservatory (with a beer chaser), and SCADS speedy return to cyberspace. Anne

August 28, 2003 Dana Krueger

Dana

August 28, 2003 Roger Heath

SCADS
Hi Sheryll -
You'd better get your web site up and running, another 10 meg of images to upload. They'll go on the "homey din't do it" page.
I've been thinking while reading this whole Board, "is a British addie, an arddie?" I can't believe the behavioral patterns and reactions that appear when people get caught doing something they know is wrong. Morality IS alive and well, else there would be no discussion trying to skip around the accusations. "I'm filling a need", "from a well known expert", "my unknowledgeable friend", etc. I'm glad there are people who have the inclination and time to follow through on some of these accusations. My hat's off to you!!!

Roger
 

August 28, 2003 Brian R

Maybe, I'm just cheap.

August 28, 2003 David Benson

Sheryll, enjoy yourself in Mexico, good food, good beer (but don't drink the water),

David

August 28, 2003 David Benson

Dana, look at the note under s.g. 30,
Deep Blue stamps wmk. Crown CA. perf. 14 or 12 are fiscals from which the overprint THREE PENCE-REVENUE or REVENUE has been fraudently removed.

David Benson
 

August 28, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Cutting mounts
I bought a small mini-paper cutter (measures about 4" x 8") from Office Depot. It looks pretty similar to the Showgard mount cutter without the little measuring device. I simply mark on the scale all the "typical" sizes I use, so no need to cut with the stamp in it. But, for slicing Showgards lengthwise I use a large paper cutter, which gets tricky trying to cut it straight down the middle.

August 28, 2003 21:05 Dana Krueger <dkrueger at kfl.com> http://kfl.com/images/index.html
 

Regards, Dana (another sycophantic follower)

August 28, 2003 09.09 Colin Judd UK http://mysite.freeserve.com/GB_Special_Issues/
 

Colin (UK insomniac at 5 am!)

August 28, 2003 9:06pm PDT Sheryll

David B - It is cold and miserable up here, and I am wearing ugg-boots and Canberra clothes!!! Never mind, as next week I will be off to hot and sweaty Mexico for a holiday.

August 28, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

What?? No brawl???

[Duncan shuffles into the conservatory, muttering under his breath and stubbornly still dragging a pool cue]

Scotts Album Wizard CD's OK, I picked up one of those Album Maker CD's, hoping to see how the pros do it. Since the CD's were on sale, about $10 reduced from more like $50, I figured there might be something there. One CD has US stamp images, with a sort of cyber watermark on each stamp (Amos Press). Interest in that lasted about ten minutes. I thought I'd take a look at #320, it doesn't seem to be on the CD. The album pages looked too limited in options to be of much value.

[Duncan lifts a pinkie while chugging a Miller beer]

Cutting stamp mounts At the risk of starting a major riot by reopening the perpetual pro and con argument over stamp mounts, always an explosive subject, how do y'all cut these mounts? I'm talking Showgard. Scissors just don't "cut it".

[Duncan elbows Jim G, proud of his clever pun, spilling much of a second can of Miller beer. Duncan knows Jim likes his mounts pre cut and Dunc is spoiling for a fight]

I even used a metal yardstick and razor blade with a plastic cutting board, that worked pretty good I guess but its tedious. So then I decided to try this paper cutter. You know, like the kindergarten teacher uses for cutting colored paper. Spooky Ol Carol is a teacher so I've got this cutting board for helping her prepare school projects, and I use it for cutting home made stamp album pages... and wow, it works great! Well, I gotta go, 12 ounces in, 12 ounces out if you get my drift.

[Crushes beer can on forehead]

Duncan

August 28, 2003 David Benson

Sheryll, hope you are enjoying the semi tropics. We have hit Spring here this week although our buddies in the South are still in the middle of Winter.

David Benson

August 28, 2003 dbenson@bigpond.net.au

Bill, I see it is in the 900's and slowly rising. Looks like my guestimate of $ 750 is out. Hope it get's the $1200 you were offered and it looks like it will although the Japanese aren't into sniping these days,

David Benson

August 28, 2003 8:33pm PDT Sheryll <sheryll2002@hotmail.com> http://www.sheryll.net (currently down)
 

www.scads.org webhost changes
Hi all,

Just dropping in to say thanks for your concern, and that I can still be reached on my Hotmail address in the interim. I am sorting out the change of webhosts for www.scads.org and www.sheryll.net to dreamhost.com, and hope to have it done in the next few days.

Thanks all for your support of SCADS in the meantime.

August 28, 2003 Bill Weiss

DAVE F; Shucks, your board is calm tonight compared to Frajola's!

August 28, 2003 David Benson

Jim, to paraphrase Karl or was it Groucho,

Work is the curse of the stamping class,

David Benson

August 28, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Dang, I have to retire, work takes up too much valuable time.
Haven't had the chance to view any auctions today, chatboards far more interesting.
Maybe that's why eBay has tried to kill them.
If you are passing on useful information, you're not bidding.
Not making eBay more money for its coffers.

August 28, 2003 Brian R

However, I'll be quiet now. :o)

August 28, 2003 Brian R

career assistance
BTW-- If the competion gets too tough in stamp "art", may I suggest quality reproductions of birth certificates, drivers licenses, and social security forms. I just saw an article, about how many people are questing for such genuine items, but are comming up short. Lots of customers out there looking to fill that space on their albumwallet. Sounds like a primed market for you. Why, with all the experience you have, in negotiable government issues, you'll be a big player in no time. You'll be able to continue to perform your "service" to the community, and NO ebay fees.

August 28, 2003 19:33 Dave (moderator)

I don't want this to turn into a barroom brawl again.

Please, everybody, take a deep breath, think before you post, and ask yourself, "will this post advance the discussion forward?"

We actually got through today's discussion pretty well, and I was hoping for a calm evening.

Let's repair to the conservatory for a sherry. : )

August 28, 2003 Brian R

BUT, at least, the toner/ink/handstamp/copypaper salesman is delighted. :o)

August 28, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Calling that art is insulting to actual artists.

August 28, 2003 Marius

Addie baby! Missed you. You have just said "my art". Correct me if I am wrong but I thought that you said that your forgeries were made by master forgers of years past.

August 28, 2003 Bill Weiss

HE'S BACK!!!!
HE'S BACK!!!!!!!!!!!

August 28, 2003 ATDINVEST

Message to BRIAN R.
Mr.Brian who said that anyone stop me from selling my art?
Besides there is no men in earth that could fill my shoes;many surprises are on the way in the next few days my "friend".ATD

August 28, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

August 28, 2003 Tom Lowe

Thanks for the Responses!
Thank you to all the fine folks who responded to my posts last night.

What is happening with SCADs, Sheryllnet and my own storage site www.postalartifacts.com is that I had convinced Sheryll to use my web host Chesnet Web Solutions to host those sites. It was a great deal and the sites worked very well. But the company apparently went belly up a few days ago because nothing has opened for three days now. Their home page is www.cwshost.com.

I found them on www.bizient.com, an offshoot of Philip Kaplan's well-known fc.com. (You'll have to Google for Philip Kaplan, as his site's name is patently obscene.) He also runs www.internalmemos.com, so you can find his shtick that way if need be.

Kaplan trashes companies of all sizes going belly up as a profitable public service. But he promoted a bunch of hosting sites and I picked Chesnet out of the line. But--as Sveiki said often happens--they turned out to be rank. In fact, in the end I was left with the impression that the whole thing was done by just one guy on a part time basis. When it worked, it was great. But it didn't always work. And now it's dead. I figure I lost over $2000 in sales over the past 6 months due to their outages. Went hungry all summer until I finally figured out what was up, i.e. that it was not the economy, Stupid, but that it was my stupid webhost. Nothing like being Stupid for six months! Put my scans over on my ISP webspace and good bids are coming in once more--and right away, I might add.

Paul Barsdell - I think Sheryll dropped her Hotmail email several months ago. Told me she was going to. Thanks for trying though!

Sveiki! - thank you so much Paul for that tip on Netcraft. Will keep it in my tech support bookmarks. You sure do know a lot about solving web problems--my compliments! Am still using the Adaware, which you recommended. My friends all use it too!

BTW I checked Netcraft for cwshost.com and though found by Netcraft, they currently show no uptime stats. I take that to mean they are down and out for good. Me, I'd rather be 'up and in'. <8^)

Jimbo - thanks for the response. I would tend to agree that the French marking is a type of international receiving transit.

We'll hear from Sheryll soon enough. I have a feeling she hasn't been online much lately. Said she was getting out of stamps, but I think she'll be back in a big way later. In addition to the other issues she has going, I think she just got burned out on stamps. Philately was an escape for her.

I note eBay has made an effort in the ethics dept. and also that this chat page is much better than the old one. No more KGB buttons, etc.
With that in mind, I might have to come out of "stamp retirement" and start buying and selling them again. Am still operating in the safe haven of picture postcards.

Gotta go!

August 28, 2003 Chris Street <chris@microsoft.com>

Ed.B.:

It's fairly obvious that the "Harry Layne" posting below was actually lotus, or one of his buddies, appropriating the name of a respectable philatelist. You can stick any name you want in your posts, you know; it's an anonymous board.

August 28, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

August 28, 2003 anne

and a Sychophantic Follower who can't spell!

August 28, 2003 Philistine: I assume everyone knows who it is by now. BJIC Jim W-S.

Nick, I might bid on your auctions just to obtain a sample of your fair.
Obviously I wouldn't do it under my regular ID cos I'm pretty certain it would be blocked from bidding.
You have now gotten yourself into the situation where you don't know which bids are going to be real and paid for.
Good luck with your future endeavours.
This is not a threat.
To quote a very old saying, "he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword".

August 28, 2003 anne <stampgoddess14@aol.com>

What I want to know is---am I an American Stamp Puritan or a Syncophantic Follower?

August 28, 2003 17:27 Dave (moderator)

I don't know of any website that permits the publication of an individual's contact information in a public post, so I've removed that information from the post below.

August 28, 2003 0100 Ed.B

Re.Harry Layne
If the Harry Layne who posted earlier on the board is the same one that I am aware of he is a regular feature contibuter to Gibbons Stamp Monthly. If Colin reads this in the morning he may be able to tell you more about him.

August 28, 2003 David Benson

Jim, we have been mentioned in dispatches, change to U KNOW WHO ME page,

I have just been insulted, American Stamp Puritan, bah humbug, nothing Puritan about me.

Unfortunately I have been forced to privatise my feedback as of today (27/08/03) for the reasons set out below. I have attracted the attention of a group of American stamp puritans and their sycophantic followers, who see it as their role in life to close down any traders who sell anything that does not conform to their high quality ethics. They have appointed themselves as some type of unofficial watchdog over what we sell or buy (so god help you if you are dealing in anything with a pulled perf). They have been analysing my past sales through my positive feedback, and jumping to conclusions that have very little basis in fact. I know I should feel privileged that they spent their whole Bank Holiday Monday investigating me and making fun of my spelling mistakes, whilst the rest of us were enjoying normal Bank Holiday activities with our families and friends (sad people), but funnily enough, no. I am refusing to bow down to these self rightous fools and cease trading, but in the same vein, will not readily supply them with the tools they require to continue their childish campaign. So until they "get a life" or move on to champion another really useful cause (might I suggest equal rights for Gay Whales!) I intend to remain with private feedback. For any genuine buyer I will give you access to all of my past feedback immediately upon request, as I have nothing to hide, and up until today was quite proud to display my feedback ratings.

Nick

 

August 28, 2003 Philistine: Jim Whitford-Stark

Pussycat no speak with forked tongue.
So I live in Apache and Comanche Territory and watch too many movies.

Dealers will eyeball a collection at auction in minutes or less.
If Vicky and Ed 7 are beset with forgeries, forget it in terms of making money.
Item will go to eBay seller wanting to expand on Nick's profits.
At a low price.

August 28, 2003 00.41 GMT David Arthur

Brian,
We went "decimal" ("p" instead of "d" on all stamps) in 1971, so any stamps issued prior to that date (except the £1 as quoted previously) are postally invalid and therefore it is not illegal to forge them as you are not defrauding the UK Government.
The reaon we went decimal - why to help businesses make more profit of course (always round up never round down - probably the only reason we will eventually gointo the Euro as well) and it is easier for our kids to count to 10 and 100 instead of 12 and 240.

August 28, 2003 David Benson

Dave, It is unwise for anyone to offer suggestions whether to continue but I think the seller has learnt his lesson the hard way. Selling by private sales will limit his sales as most bidders are reluctant to bid on philatelic private sales.

We always used to value fake overprints as absolute zero or as one wise philatelist said minus zero as it places a negative on other material in the collection which is hard to determine if genuine or false. You will find that most reputable dealers will sell you fake overprints for a few pence each.


It is better to leave them out of your collection than have fake overprints used for space fillers.

David Benson

August 28, 2003 David Benson

Jim, sorry, didn't show, this may be better,
Name: N Izzard
Tel: [removed by moderator]
Address: [removed by moderator]
[removed by moderator]

Can't guarantee 100% it is him but same name, same initials, same village,

David Benson

August 28, 2003 David Benson

Jim, too easy,

http://www.italysoft.com/utility/telephone-directories/united-kingdom.html

David Benson
 

August 28, 2003 00:30 GMT Dave Arthur <dave@davesgame.com> http://www.davesgame.com
 

Jim: I just meant anybody who hadn't bought from lotus or who were experts in the field (probably both the same as only "inexperts" like me would fall for it I guess). Anyway, I have made my decision not to follow through, I have written a polite email to him (now I have calmed down) and explained that I whilst I am happy to buy "real" forgeries (like the 24p Machin that was created to defraud the Royal Mail not collectors) I have no wish to purchase what amounts to "Cinderellas". Actually if he were to label them as such then all this furore would not occur .... but then again he probably wouldn't get the prices he wanted.

Duncan: Thanks for your comments, actually I only bid for the QV and EVII overprints as I have no interest in GVI so if you follow this one through let me know - just out of interest you understand.
Dave

August 28, 2003 Brian R

Dang! The prior post is from me TO Ed B......

August 28, 2003 Ed B.

Just wondering what event, would prompt the Royal Mail, to undergo such an all encompassing choice as demonitization.

August 28, 2003 David Benson

Jim AKA Philistine from David AKA Pussycat, a little birdie told me the name is Nick Izzard. shouldn't be difficult to check the Surrey White pages,


David Benson
 

August 28, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Having participated in well over 1,500 eBay auctions, many devoted to GB stamps,
obtaining the identity of lotus194 would be a walk in the park. (And others, such as that pussycat D.Benson, know far more).
Why bother with the secretive feedback deal?

Why Harry Layne, who I have no desire to communicate with other than by this message, would want to buy a stamp described as a forgery and pay out a large amount more than what he paid for it to obtain a cert saying it is not a forgery is beyond me.
Harry, please send me your stamps and I will certify them for you.
For a few dollars extra I'll even get a notary public to guarentee my signature.
No extra fee for scanning cert and linking to web.

Dave Arnold
Whom would you regard as a neutral?
You can try Michael Astley, whom it seems, "has a delightful turn of phrase when he finds a really outlandish forgery".

August 28, 2003 Bill Weiss

Fake #315
While I hate to take away from this Lotus guy's topic - no, wait, I'll say a few words later - I did want to note that aside from the fact that the seller is offering a fake #315, he's brand new with "O" feedbacks AND he's chosen the name of an honorable stamp firm "superiorstampco"! Last, he's from Canada, from whence it may be easier to bilk those dumb US collectors!

LOTIS; If I understand you correctly you are upset at the attitude shown by some on this board in their zest to condem you? So, in other words, if we talk NICE to you, will you put the word "FAKE" on the back of each one you create or have created?? If so, let me be the first to say PPPLLLEEEAAASSSEEE!!!!!!!!!!

August 28, 2003 Dave Arthur <dave@davesgame.com>

sveiki!: I don't even understand your comment!
Do you mean that experts are nerds? As I am not an expert .. this topic has just saved me fom paying just under $150 for 1c worth of paper. So thank you all.

August 28, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

to Dave Arthur

Well I'm not a neutral in this GB overprint saga, but I can tell you this... I've taken a look at a partial sample of lotus194's offerings lately, looking at purchases and sales to see if ther is a pattern of abuse.

The oldest purchase I found was dated June 30 2003, for a dozen GB stamps. By looking at just a partial sample of lotus194's sales, four of those twelve stamps have shown up with overprints added.

Recent purchases are also showing up with overprints, so there has been a pattern of similar purchases and sales, and they are scattered throughout his purchases during that period of about two months.

You asked him how to identify the forgeries. If you examine his offerings, you will see that the same small defects show up repeatedly when the same overprint is examined. For example, look at the shape of the letter "Y" in his swastica overprints and you will find that they all have the same odd distorted letter. I'd suggest that there is one source and one printing device for each differently worded ooverprint. Very low tech actually, and there is of course no reason to expect a "real" overprint to appear in such a group.

Duncan D

"The inverted and double overprints and overprints with portions missing have me stumped at this point, but I'm working on it."

August 28, 2003 sveiki!

A "discussion" like the one going on right now always makes me think: "A perfect way of dividing collectors from nerds". An ordinary person would have been lost a long time ago...

Don't even want to consider using any of my energy on reading stuff like that.

August 28, 2003 1530 prometheus <prometheus@yada-yada.com>

Free Offer for Lotus 194
see scan FORYOU
Email me your ship to address (email above) and I'll send this hand stamp
I will not share your address with anyone else.

I have lots of Stamps I need to use up and will use PlateBlocks or Plate number singles if you'd like.
 

August 28, 2003 Dave Arthur <dave@davesgame.com>

Lotus re Forgeries
A couple of comments to the board in general (not a reply to Harry? as he doesn't want one).
1. If I understand the thread, Lotus has said he makes them himself (or at least has them made for him) - so I don't understand how one can be genuine but if Harry says so - good for him.
2. Does Harry really exist as a collector or as a mate of Lotus who is suddenly afraid his buyers who read this board will not follow through with the purchase.
I make no judgment ... just co-incindental (weird) timing maybe. By the way - if I have got the wrong idea regarding 1. above, can a neutral please advise me as I have decisions to make.

August 28, 2003 Harry L

PS - I also bought a $1,000 bill for $10 that is also genuine.

August 28, 2003 Alison Ruttenberg

Lotus forgeries
Harry: Unless you post a scan of your "certificate" so we can see it and who gave the opinion, do not expect most of us to believe you.

August 28, 2003 23.11 Harry Layne <harry.layne61@virgin.net>

Lotus Re Forgeries ?????????
I have read a lot of arguments about the overprints being offered, so
may I be allowed to add my two-penny worth. I purchased a so-called
forgery from our friend LOTUS a couple of months ago and have now
obtained a certificate stating that the item is genuine. Its
catalogued about a couple of grand. Thats all I wanted to say.
Please dont send any replies as they will not be answered as I have no
wish to start a conversation or an argument about the item concerned.
You pay your money and you take your chance, thats all there is to it.

August 28, 2003 2245 BST Ed.B

Fake or not
Brian R : Apart from a QEII £1 value any GB stamps which are pre decimal (£.s.d) have no monetary value and can not be used postally. In other words you can write, print or do anything else with them. It is not against the law. Selling them as something what they are not is a different matter.

August 28, 2003 Dave Arthur <dave@davesgame.com>

GB Overprints
I am afraid it's not as simple as that, I have been reading the posts on this episode now and I agree with Colin. Anybody who takes over my collection on my demise is unlikely to know that I bought forgeries as all I wanted to do was fill a few empty spaces.
Secondly, I am not an expert in the Victorian or Edwardian field, but I am an optimist, and I hoped that maybe amongst some of these that were "possibly" forgeries might turn out to be real, but now that hope is dashed.

August 28, 2003 Alan Buckley <alanbuckley51@aol.com>

Gentlemen, calm down. We all have different fields of expertise and we all can spot a fake when we see it. It is up to the individual to decide to bid or not. I am aware that there are bidders who would be taken in but they are few and far between. The best policy is to advertise our wares as openly and as honestly as possible - BUT as the old saying goes LET THE BUYER BEWARE!!

August 28, 2003 Dave Arthur <dave@davesgame.com> http://davesgame.com
 

GB Overprints
Hi Lotus ....... I am one of your buyers .... I have come in late, so would you just clarify for me .... are you saying that you have taken ordinary issues and added the overprint yourself. The reason I ask is that I emailed you at the beginning of the cycle to ask you how to determine whether what I was buying was a forgery and your response was "As for telling forgeries from the real thing. Apart from some of them are horrible and look nothing like the lettering in the catalogues, the only way I know is the lettering on a genuine shows through on the reverse of the stamp, though not always. Some forgeries are so good that all of the normal tests are not conclusive.

Sorry I cannot be of more help, but I am not an expert either. I buy them as lots, neither as genuine or forgeries, but sell them all as possible forgeries (safer that way)."

Now I am to understand that you are such an expert you can create your own? Why did you not tell me this when I asked you about them?

Dave
 

August 28, 2003 John Forsyth

Here we go again. A"315" plus if you pay by paypal you get to give them an extra fee.
Abe Lincolndefiledagain

August 28, 2003 Dave P

GB overprints
Lotus I am the one who inadvertently started this off. If you are changing the listings as you say, and are marking the fakes, then I will applaud you, and thank you. I don't particularly like the idea of more modern fakes of these issues, but that is a personal view and you choose to differ. I do think that this is a further justification of the board. Incidentally, the reason it was discussed here is that many posters here have had absolutely no joy when they have politely emailed sellers directly, you may have reacted differently, in which case apologies. That is absolutely my last word on the matter, except to say, can anyone explain the logic of a fake of a rarity selling for more than a fake of something less highly catalogued?

August 28, 2003 lotus

Fakes
You really do want to vet the people allowed in your exclusive group. Mr Benson really is not the most gifted in the negotiation and diplomacy department.

I offer to comply with your wishes with my descriptions and marking the stamps for the good of the hobby, he wants to put me in prison and send a linch mob around my house. This would be after he has sent poison messages to all of my customers, and persuaded e-bay to kick me out.

Guess this is where we all came in then!

lotus

August 28, 2003 Brian R

However, as another poster pointed out, the way your descriptions are written, is certainly a violation of US mail fraud laws. You might want to keep that in mind, if any of your lots, are headed to the states.

August 28, 2003 01.18 pm Colin Judd UK http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_GB_Machins/
 

Colin (just a UK collector and seller)

August 28, 2003 David Benson

LOtus, can I have your permission to contact all your past buyers and runners up to ask them to come here to read your comments. I hope you didn't give your home address to any of them, wouldn't like to start a witchhunt with a horde of angry customers heading for Surrey.

David Benson

August 28, 2003 David Benson

Lotus, I am not looking for any arguments, just like to wish you well in your future endeavours and hope they allow you to take you rubber stamps and inkpad into your cell with you,

David Benson

August 28, 2003 12:59 lotus194

Fakes
Jim Griffith---In principle I have no problems carrying out your wishes, and if you look at the 4 listings I have just posted on e-bay you will see I have now removed the word "probably" for "is" and "are".

I am also willing to get a rubber stamp made saying "FAKE" to be administered on the rear of all the stamps I know to be forgeries.

I do not wish to harm the hobby of stamp collecting in any way, and all someone had to do was ask, suggest, guide or advise, instead of the tack of a pack of hounds after a fox, lets rip him to bits and then sing each others praises for evermore.

I do not react very well to threats, and the more your friends throw educated, well worded, clever insults at me the more likely I am to dig my heels in and go against your wishes.

You would like to see me change my method of selling and supplying, I would like to see you all get your nose out of my business and cease attempting to close me down, please let me know if we have somewhere to go with this.

David B--You might be surprised to know that you and your friends, and your method of going about business are not as popular over here as you might imagine. I was made aware of your comments about me by several well wishers almost immediately you made them. You see I too have friends in low places. You might want to comment on this posting, being as you seem to be the one who most wants to make a fight of it!

lotus

August 28, 2003 hobbes9324 (M Morkin) <hobbes9324@aol.com>

forgery sales
Just another thought - Whenever I see a seller selling misdescribed items, whether condition, misidentified, or unmarked forgeries, I add them to my file of buyers to pass on. I don't really care if they are dishonest, stupid, or incompetant. I do know that I don't need to do business with them. I'm up to about 40 sellers now, some you would expect and some you might not. But life is too short to let bottomfeeders ruin the enjoyment of my hobby......

August 28, 2003 David Benson

Lotus,

I find it strange that you found your way to this page. To me it seems that someone must have mentioned to you that there was a discussion about your home made overprints.

I presume I have your OK if I send Ebay Safeharbor a note about your comments as they might find them interesting,

David Benson

August 28, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

August 28, 2003 prometheus

addendum to my latest KIA
Corporal Wilson died in the attack on the german front lines
"The front-line elements of the division left the line of departure at 5.30 a m., September 26, following closely the rolling barrage when it moved from the hostile front line. A heavy fog lay in the valley of La Baunthe Ruisseau. A smoke screen had been thrown out to cover the advance of the leading elements of the division and to blind the enemy. Both fog and smoke hindered, to some extent, the rapid advance of our troops. In some instances, gaps had not been completely cut by our artillery fire in the enemy wire; this, together with enemy heavy machine-gun fire, checked to some extent the progress of the advance elements of the division. In spite of the obstacles encountered, however, the enemy’s defensive system was penetrated "

August 28, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Don't Feed the Trolls

Of course there must be fairies. My daughter's nickname is Pixie and right now I consider myself a fat and happy troll.

Duncan >{{{*>

"Uuuurp! Oh excuse me, I didn't mean to get that on ya."

August 28, 2003 prometheus

More from my new pile
Wish someone hadn't told this guy Mail was free He might have left the imperf 3 center intact
HERE

Here is my latest addition to service marks from Military mail DECEASED_VERFIED

August 28, 2003 gary

I am sure since lotus has gone ahead and made his FB private, you can always pull up the FB he leaves if someone was interested in letting the "customers" know what they are buying, but to be fair, they are very,very good forgeries....hummm..choke.....

August 28, 2003 Chip G

Blustering and Chest Pounding
Both sides - to your respective corners!

Back in my youth, I had an auction catalog picture of an inverted Jenny in the space in my album. I knew it wasn't real. The quality would not have fooled anyone who really looked into thinking it was really genuine. However, most of the fakes coming to the market today are close enough to fool the casual collector (of which there are millions) or the heirs of these collectors.

Let us assume that the buyers of these fakes DO know that they are not real, just want to fill a space, and have no intention of defrauding anyone else. However, the average life expectancy of a collector, based upon the average age I see when wandering around stamp shows and club meetings is not that many years, we also have to assume that these items will be passed on to the market. Remember, we are today passing around pieces of paper that were printed 150+ years ago. We should assume that any collected stamp today will have at least that potential life. An ink mark on the back may keep one of the 15 or so collectors in the future from making a mistake. This is good for everyone.

A number of years ago, a group that made forged Dali lithographs was uncovered. Since then, the entire market for Dali lithographs has been tainted. The same thing happened with Man Ray photographs, sports autographs, and a bunch of other collectable areas. Once the public loses confidence that their money is being spent wisely, they pick some other are to spend it.

Lotus194: Whether you, your mate, or the overprint fairy (I can't believe I actually said that) made these items, you can make it better for everyone, including yourself as a collector, by not contributing to a possible loss of confidence in the stamp market/hobby. If you were to mark the items "FAKE", you would move to the honorable side and completely take the wind out of the sails of your detractors - They would be left speechless.

This is the last from me on this. You may now resume your bickering.
Chip
 

August 28, 2003 anne

Anne

August 28, 2003 Dave P

Forged overprints
lotus194 I am careful not to descend to name calling, I have deliberately not accused you of doing anything illegal. Your auctions are however dishonest. You know these items are modern reproductions, so why the weasel words in the description. For example if you correctly described this lot as "a copy my mate made last week" do you perhaps fear that it might sell less easily? As for arrogance, that is your trait, that and bluster and self justification. And, just for their record, they are not "very very good fakes", they are poor copies (even the overprint colour has been wrong) foisted on a gullible public. Legal or illegal, your auctions do break Ebay's rules. Your responses remind me very much of those of another favourite of the board.

August 28, 2003 Brian R

the stamp fairy?
John C. ROTFLMAO! Given the right issue, I'll pull out my perfectly good teeth, for a visit from the fairy that worked your block!...LOL

August 28, 2003 09:58 lotus194

Fakes
Gary/Duncan

Gary--Just what we need in this debate about this time, a cleverly worded insult, that will do the trick, guess I will pack up shop now and retire gracefully, and its all thanks to you!

Duncan--Sorry, I think you misunderstood. I am not denying the stamps I bought were later offered by me for sale with an overprint. What I am saying is that my supplier of overprints used my purchased stamps, thinking he had my approval (just a misunderstanding that is now sorted). I was lazy and used the relist to sell some of these stamps, instead of re-writing the whole thing out again, and I lacked your keen eye in spotting one of the stamps I had bought previously being used as an overprint. To prove the point, you will see that some of my stamps are actually listed as definate forgeries and not probables. Please no postings calling me a liar, I am not trying to prove innocence, and do not really care if you believe me or not, just trying to put the record straight. Another point I think you are also missing, you people and your threats and insults do not scare me in the least, neither do I feel compelled to give you information so you can judge me. I am not looking for forgivenes. Although if you people stood for what you say you stand for, you would offer advice and guidance first, then if all else fails, use the tools at your disposal to close down nefarious characters like me, not the other way around.

Get the feeling I am not going to be one of your so called successes, yet I could easily have been. Try a different approach next time, you never know.

Lets talk again

lotus

August 28, 2003 John Cunningham

Forged Overprints
Duncan What an epiphany! I now know why everytime I lost a tooth as a child I woke up the next morning with a Shanghai Overprint on my pillow. The wrong Fairy was working my block! lol

John C

August 28, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Self righteous - sure, if I don't believe myself, who can I believe?
Pompous - sure, particularly when I'm wearing my robes of office.
Overeducated - depends on how you define the curve.
Twit - hmmm, this would seem to be the antithesis of overeducated, but I'll agree to it.

How come all of these overprints seem to end up on the "correct" stamp?
Why not put, or have someone else put, the swastikas on Vicky or the Board of Ed on Edward VIII?

I must admit I am intrigued to find out why Surrey can only be lived in if you have a large income from stamp sales.

 

August 28, 2003 9:31 Mark B

lotus194
I'm sure that while you're stamping the fronts of the stamps with their "brand new overprints", you will have no problem in turning them over ( once they are dry of course ) and stamping the word "fake" on the reverse. You can buy rubber handstamp sets from any Staples store - hold on - you probably already know that.

August 28, 2003 Brian R

I'm still waiting to hear your reasons for this, and why it is you won't mark the items "fake". According to you, they're only for people to fill an album space, such collectors don't care about the back. As the best of us, people skill wise, has pointed out, all of the complaints would end, with the addition of four simple letters : F-A-K-E.

August 28, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

lotus194 and forged overprints

Lotus194...

Since you buy normal stamps and they mysteriously acquire overprints in your possession I would say the burden of proof now rests with you to explain how that happens. But I guess if I believed in the Overprint Fairy I would be reluctant to say so too.

Duncan

"Not that there's anything wrong with that."

August 28, 2003 11:30 EST gary

fakes
lotus194 I was beginning to wonder if there was indeed anyone out there who has any people skills whatsoever, and knows of other proven methods to give advice and guidance on reputable selling methodology without resorting to insults, name calling, threats and inuendos. You obviously stand alone amongst the group of self rightious, over-educated, pompous twits who post here.

Kudos on YOUR people skills, I am in awe to be in the presence of such an obviously well mannered, astute person such as yourself. It is quite humbling. Such a pity these folks are only trying to help the hobby, why you on the other hand, take extreme pride in selling homemade overprints that will, at some point in there lives, be attempted to be sold as originals. What would the hobby do without your tremendous ethics? Dare I say, it would be a better place without you? I guess I just did!
 

August 28, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Over thickness

My daughter received this in the mail in 1995. At the time I had no idea why the postage was due. The envelope contained jewelry, a ring. The mailman just delivered it on the honor system and we paid him later.

Duncan

"No its not another Viagra post."

August 28, 2003 08:16 lotus194

Fakes
Chip G

I was beginning to wonder if there was indeed anyone out there who has any people skills whatsoever, and knows of other proven methods to give advice and guidance on reputable selling methodology without resorting to insults, name calling, threats and inuendos. You obviously stand alone amongst the group of self rightious, over-educated, pompous twits who post here.

Firstly I am not, and have never been a dealer. I sell stamps in order to subsidise my own collection. I am also not a "kitchen table" forger of stamps, despite what your friends believe they have uncovered. I was as surprised (and very embarrased) as anyone when I was confronted with a stamp I was selling turned out to be one I had purchased earlier, and I have now dealt with that issue.

If I thought for one minute that what I was doing was illegal (instead of the "crime against philately" I have been accused of), I would never have embarked on this course of sales in the first place. I am not a "nefarious character" (well I might be, what the hell does it mean anyway?), and would not willingly cheat any of my customers (please no explanations on what "to cheat" means to you people).

Had you been the initial contact in this affair, with your unique and friendly approach I would have listened to what you had to say, and I do not see any reason at all why I would have objected to having "FAKE" printed on the back of the stamps. Furthermore, if my wording seemed to mislead in any way, I could have changed that also.

Unfortunately you were not, and I will not be bullied by a bunch of twits who are so full of self importance and arrogance into doing anything. If in the future I decide to mark my stamps "FAKE", and be more specific on the source of my material, you can take full credit, for giving me constructive advice instead of threats and name calling.

Do I take it David B is not going to give me any dealer contacts?

lotus194
 

August 28, 2003 Brian R

thank you
As for those of you that spent some quality time uncovering fraud, thank you. I'm positive, that history will treat you better, that someone who spent such time creating it.

August 28, 2003 Brian R

Lotus Others have observed, that you are now hiding your offerings, behind private auctions. Since your so willing to post, about your admitedly illegal acts, I'd love to hear what reason you justify the private status with.

August 28, 2003 prometheus

Jim W = Thanks for the info
Will watch for others in that vein.

Classes have started again see you all later in the day 12 credit hours to go.
 

August 28, 2003 06:42 Jim Watson

Todays Postcards your choice of types
Prometheus,
Fun items. I always notice the Dry Farming Congress items. Ohter dry farming congresses were held and there are other slogan cancels for them. For some reason or other, they aren't nearly as many as there are for the Denver event. New papa Matt will have to help you on the unidentified Ohio town.

August 28, 2003 6.38pm PT Paul Barsdell

Paul

August 28, 2003 Chip G

Fakes
Lotus194: No one one this board begrudge you anything you earn from your activities if you just mark the stamps on the back "FAKE." As you "believe" the stamps to be fake, just mark them. You will save some future collector (your future customers) from over spending when purchasing one of these items on the resale market (and therefore leaving them more money to spend with you) as well as the heirs of your customers, who will look the stamps up in a catalog, think that they have a valuable collection, only to be both disapointed at the outcome when someone tells them that they are fake, and hostile at the stamp community that must have swindled their loved one.

Four simple letter - that is the difference between a reputable and shady dealer.

Chip

August 28, 2003 prometheus

David B = Thanks for info
Thanks for the info on that Florida CDS from Traansvaal
One of the local brick and mortar type dealers was trying to sell me some odds and ends yesterday when I stopped for supplies.
He pointed that one out as a Harder to find (it was clear and and good strike) I am leary of this dealer for other reasons.
What he does that really drives me crazy is he has thousands of covers you pick out what you want and come back in a week and he will have them priced.
As a spur of the moment shopper I don't aquire much from his stuff.

August 28, 2003 Bill Weiss

64a COVER
Good morning everyone. I am happy to tell you that there are apparently still some honest sellers on ebay! Last night I mentioned that I had contacted the seller of the laughable "pigeon blood pink" cover. Well, overnight he sent me a nice email acknowledging that he was just "taking a longshot" in listing it that way and that he was taking it down and would relist it properly. He thanked me for the info. He is Terry Martin and thanks to Brian R. who said he thought the guy was honest, and he certainly appears to be. It's good to get the "happy ending" here once in a while!

August 28, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

lotus194
I am quite capable of believing that you do not have the abilities to manufacture the forgeries which you sell.
Lets face it, the only reason that you sell them is that they make more money than unoverprinted stamps.
It would seem that the move to Surry was propelled by a desire to live "beyond the fringe".

August 28, 2003 prometheus

Duncan D = a mention
Your comment on the life span of WW1 Pilots was neat and maybe you have ESP
The Sgt who sent the package from le mans to Port of louisville
Kentucky Ended up in Artillery but his first Military address was an Aero Squadron Training Center He must of WASHED out of flight training and ended up in the Artillery.

August 28, 2003 prometheus

Todays Postcards your choice of types
1. World Fair St. Louis Slogan to New Orleans 1904

2. ? Ohio to Del Roy Ohio 1914 PERFIN

3. Denver Colorado to Ohio 1915 Interesting Slogan for an up coming Expo DRYFARMING

August 28, 2003 05.22 lotus194

Forged Overprints
Just a quick note to my friends across the water.

Dave P, David B, Duncan D, Jim W-S, George K, Jim G, Ed.B, Colin J, Mike B and Steve R.

Many thanks for your interest in my auctions, any group of people who would give up a Bank Holiday to play amatur detectives instead of enjoying the time with family and friends, at least deserve some type of acknowledgement from the "bad bloke".

By the way, you are all fairly off the mark when you suggest I personally could turn out forgeries as good as the ones I sell (I would probably spell them wrong!), but I'm not here to enlighten you on how and where they are made, I'm sure you could figure out the truth given time.

The reason I am writing to you all is to put a couple of your points right, and to ask a question myself.

Ed.B---My customers are not "FOOLS", they are people who wish to fill holes in their collections with replicas of stamps they might not ever be able to get hold of or afford.

Colin J---I am not from Surrey, but thanks to dealing in stamps, I can now afford to live here.

Steve R---Good estimate but quite a bit on the low side, do not forget my private sales and other outlets, you would be surprised if you knew who bought from me in quantity.

David B---You mentioned where I might be able to get hold of stock in greater quantity at a better price, if you let me know some dealers who would do business with me, I would be prepared to sell some overprints to you at a very competitive price in return, anyway let me know.

Lets talk again.

lotus194


 

August 28, 2003 sveiki!

Web Hosting
Tom There can be hundreds of reasons as why a webhost suddenly doesn't respond. One reason of course is they're pathetic amateurs not knowing what they're doing ~ low prices, too-good-to-be-true size of webspace, no service, awfull uptime stats. But, what does the customer know when files just work when customer looks at them.

It could also be that someone is bombarding a certain website/webserver/webhost since they don't like the content of a certain website ~ a "denial of service" attack. Perhaps someone has a chip on their shoulder when it comes to the SCADS website, who knows?

If you would like to know more about the uptime/downtime stats of your webhost ~ submit their URL here and check on a daily basis. {:o)

August 28, 2003 04:12 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Tom,
Thanks for your input. I wish I could get a hi-res scan, however, the scan is from the internet, not from my collection :-(. I depend on what I can see on the scan without reference to the cover itself.

August 28, 2003 Jan Nackaerts http://www.filkomstamps.com
 

Web hosting
Hi Tom,

Check out http://www.easyspace.com/ I'm working with them since 1996 and had no problems whatever since then. Also pricing is very competive and a lot of choices are available.

August 28, 2003 Tom Lowe

Austria Cover
Jimbo, for Type I look for a clear break in BOTH LOOPS near the base where each loop returns to the head. Once you have discovered and seen one Type I then the rest are easy thereafter as you will know what to look for. The central line common to both loops does not have a break in either type, it's in the outer lines returning. Sometimes these are impossible if cancel is heavy. Yours should be discernable.

Tom

Gotta go, too much work to do.

August 28, 2003 Tom Lowe

Austria cover
Hi Jimbo,

Gorgeous combo you have there! I could probably figure out the French handstamp if you made a high-rez scan of it at 300 dpi. It's too small to read.

Tom

August 28, 2003 Tom Lowe

Bellyup SCADs web host
Here is the offending company (Chesnet Web Solutions):

http://www.cwshost.net/

I had 1 GB storage and 2 GB/month bandwidth there for $100/year. Trouble was, if more than a couple dozen people viewed my lots at one time, the site was overloaded and went into DOS mode.

This played havoc with relists where I'd have 100 or so lots closing at once. No one could see anything.

Now that I have figured it all out, these guys have cost me $50-$100 per week for the past 6 months or so. Multiply that out and see what you get in terms of my losses.

Moral of story is that for someone like me who needs 1 GB storage and wants to run 500 relisted postcards every Sunday plus 80 more during the week, a truly professional web host must be found. But are there any? Am not sure--have not found one in 4+ years of trying.

The web storage field is wide open, someone competent could really make a killing on this.

May have to finally buy my own server, I guess.

 

August 28, 2003 03:24 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is a cover from Austria to France in 1859. Take a look at this oldie but goodie!
 

August 28, 2003 Tom Lowe

SCADs web pages not opening
I think SCADs is on the same belly-up outfit, as its pages won't open either.

Tom

P.S. Greetings to all!

August 28, 2003 Tom Lowe

Thanks!

Tom

August 28, 2003 Jan Nackaerts http://www.filkomstamps.com
 

Spoof "Account Verification"
On the subject of the Spoof "Account Verification" emails. I'm receiving them at least 10 to 15 times/week. So I changed by eBay email address, hoping to get rid of them and all other spam. Within 24 hours of changing my email , the Spoofs already used my new eBay address ! (I'm using this address only for eBay and it's not mentionned on any website). For my it's a mystery how they found me new address ? Inside info ?
 

August 28, 2003 2:43 am Bob in WA

At Safeway a while back they had square greeting cards with two different envelopes available, a square one that just fit and took the surcharge, or a larger rectangular one that would go for simple first class! All is moot if it's above an ounce, then it's just the normal 2-oz rate. These are interesting items for rate collectors, and non contrived ones are not common. Those returned invitations would have been worth saving.

August 28, 2003 David P

Size surcharges
Interseting reading about the US regulations. A good few years ago Royal Mail announced the same thing, envelopes between certain minimum and maximum dimensions were "Post Office Preferred" ("POP"), anything non-POP was to be surcharged.. A great deal of time and money was spent on publicity, they even got envelope manufacturers to put a "POP" mark on those that qualified, there were TV and press adverts, leaflets etc. No implementation date was formally announced, it was delayed and delayed, and eventually the idea just faded away. God knows how much RM spent on yet another aborted plan.
Apologies to anyone who thought my heading was a follow up to the Viagra posts :)

August 28, 2003 anne <abt1950 at time-warner>

Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of no more assembly required, light bedtime reading, and good work done by members of the board in trying to save ebay from itself. Anne

August 28, 2003 11.27 pm Colin Judd UK http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_GB_Machins/
 

Colin

August 27, 2003 Brian R

Going to stick to US issues from now on :o(

August 27, 2003 Now Chris blender-frog.com
 

Nar
Evening all. I haven't been around much lately.
Just got back from the monthly stamp club meeting.
The program was a very interesting video on the early
history of airmail flights within the US.

Still working on my inventory, only 14 more albums left to go.

Chris - will post the total when I am done.

August 27, 2003 David Benson

Promo, Florida is the name of a PO in Transvaal,

David Benson

August 27, 2003 Bill Weiss

Stupid POD Rules
BOB H; I think the rules, as is tyoical with the POD, are only enforced as the mood strikes them! We got nailed for the 12c about a month ago for the first time ever. I sent someone a folded letter and for whatever the reason I stuck it in a 6x9" envelope. Next day it was back in our box marked 12c due and when I asked why the clerk told me!

Last post of the night for me.....where's Anne and sweet dreams?

August 27, 2003 Bob H.

Bill, I knew why, just wondered a bit if the part about thickness was correctly applied very often. I've never seen it before, and I know I've mailed Christmas cards that were in round envelopes and things like that, not even thinking about the size and shape rules, and never had a problem doing it. I think our daughter who is getting married next month did get a few of her odd-sized wedding invitations back for the extra twelve cents, though - but not all of them.

August 27, 2003 Brian R

prometheous Stamp was once on cover, with some US issues, that paid forwarding. The US PO struck the foriegn issues too.

August 27, 2003 Brian R

PrometheusCredit due the poster that helped me with this same question some months back....