Evening/morning/afternoon. Sorry to have been so antisocial lately. Lack of time unfortunately. by the time things calm down enough to hit the net, it's after my bedtime. So I either stay up to late or don't do the board(s) justice.

I share everyone's trepidation about Isabel. During Floyd, my front yard turned into a lake and we had 2 feet of water in the basement within 20 minutes. My husband's pet Corvette didn't survive, since the garage is downhill from the street. The thought of going through all that again is not pleasant. And we were lucky--aside from the car (which my husband was planning to sell anyway and was insured), most of what we lost was junk. But the cleanup was a pain. The power of even 2 feet of water to destroy is immense--everything except the washer & dryer ended up at the foot of the stairs.

Bill W: Thanks for the update on the APS/ebay link. I'll be interested in reading the minutes when they're posted and in seeing Bob Lamb here.

Does anyone know anything about the new ebay Groups? They seem to be like the kind Yahoo runs and there are several of philatelic interest.

Reperfs
Duncan, yeah, I know that method. It's commonly referred to as the "Ken Srail" method. But it's no good without either a scanner or a reference copy, which aren't always available. My "in person" skills suck, so I need to learn this stuff.
 

1863 eh?
Bill W In that case, I will sheepishly withdraw, my indignation.

Scrambled Words
It is amazing how easy to read those scrambled words are. I wonder if those for whom English is not their first language find them as easy.

a more serious philatelic post
Why does the cancel on this stamp trouble me so? I should be ecstatic, the EKU for that issue, has just been shoved back about nine months!!

Terence Sorry, it was just a blurb, which I saw posted elasewhere. I saved it because I thought it might be something that Io would appreciate. ;o)

Scrambled words.
Brian,

Do you happen to recall where you saw the study on the scrambled words? As a cognitive neuroscientist, I find this result fascinating and I'd love to read the original paper!

September 15, 2003 Brian R

Jim G & Bill W I say yes up to a point. That test will weed out the crudest of reperfs everytime. My problem is the more professional jobs. Some time ago, I posted a scan of a US #119 that had been reperfed to the point, where there were NO margins left at all. While that kind of makes it obvious, that some thing wrong had happened, I couldn't tell just which side it was, the deed had been done to.

Io/Jim I saw this posted elsewhere and my thoughts flashed to you.

Acocdrnig to an elgnsih unviesitry sutdy the oredr of letetrs in a wrod dosen't mttaer, the olny thnig thta's iopmrantt is that the frsit and lsat ltteer of eevry wrod is in the corerct ptoision. The rset can be jmbueld and one is stlil able to raed the txet wiohtut dclftfuiiy

September 15, 2003 Bill Weiss

Reperfs
JIM; Great question - let's see what folks say!

September 15, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Reperfs
A&S, I was once told of using a "ruler test" to identify reperf'ed stamps. The holes on a reperf'ed side are often curved, so using a ruler (edge of a Post-it, whatever) can reveal a lack of straightness, and therefore a possible reperf'ed issue. Can anyone confirm that this is true, allowing for lone holes out of whack due to bent/misaligned pins?
 

Jim

September 15, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

David
Didn't think of that possibility.
One on eBay at the moment.
Margins are too large for trimmed perfs.
May go for it, seeing as it's very cheap.
Though image is pretty awful, being part of a collection of 10 stamps.
That should make purveyors of modern forgeries very happy.

September 15, 2003 David Benson

Jim, in other words, not forgeries but printers waste,

David B.

September 15, 2003 David Benson

Jim, s.g. usually uses the word doubtful if it pertains to material which left the printing works via the back door or in someones pocket or briefcase,

David B.

September 15, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Paolo
1873 marks the change over to large colored corner letters on surface printed lower values.
I could have picked any number of years, 1870, 1875 etc.

David B
When I see that SG indicates that the 5f, 1944 black of Manchukuo in imperf condition is "of doubtful status" that it is probably a forgery?
Or someone trimmed the perfs?

September 15, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

I must log off (with FOUR recorded questions pending...). You will think, where and what are the first and the second? The first was about a BRIDGE stamp (unanswered); the second was about a statement on Italian expertiseres. I remember everything and store, for further (eventually assisted) evaluation,
Paolo

September 15, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

The "so much" in valuation was by no means referred to previous posts, of course. It's just for the largest part out of my collecting field ( which doesn't necessarily coincide with my interest field).
Why 1873 and not 1870? Something happened beyond the channel???
Paolo

September 15, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

And while I am at it, Jim W-S Thanks. Not that I value so much ANY Lombardy - Venetia cover, though.
Paolo

September 15, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

David B

Possible because of a Boer War collection coming up for auction at Argyll Etkin in November.

and while I'm at it, Paolo, there is also an auction of Lombardy-Venetia covers at Corinphila in early november.
50 Euros for "two full colour luxury catalogues".

September 15, 2003 Richard Frajola

Bill W Oscar Salzer was an amazing individual. I think everything that he bought from you at AMERIPEX was purchased to give as GIFTS to fellow collectors. He "collected" and dealt in Old Master drawings. Gave away all of his art (Fresno Art Museum) and virtually all of his covers.

September 15, 2003 Bill Weiss

Specialization
CHRISTO; Even though you are now likely asleep, I wanted to comment on the "narrowing down" of your interests. On one hand, to become a specialist in a narrow area of collecting is wonderful and you soon become far more knowledgeable than most dealers resulting in the ability to find true "bargains" because you now can recognize them quickly. I have always been a specialist collector and it's lots of fun. On the other hand, there is something also to be said for simply buying whatever appeals to you! There was once a collector named Oscar Salzer (Richard F. knew him well). He lived I believe, well into his 90s. Loved to collect US covers. His only criteria was simply this....IT HAD TO BE PRETTY. That's it. It could be a Valentine, a fancy cancel, a colorful combo, etc., anything was open game so long as it was pretty. I met him once, at the 1986 International Exhibition in Chicago (AMERIPEX), where he came to my booth. He was a pleasure to watch going through our cover stock. As I recall, he found a few items to buy. Anyway, the point is not to deprive yourself of something that you like simply because it doesn't fit into a narrow specialty area. Life's too short.

September 15, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

David, that's not what the ACLU said, but I was reporting the argument of the judges. In questioning the defendants (state of California), the judges basically said "wait a minute, didn't you just say several months ago that you had to replace the punch ballots because they're inaccurate? You don't get to change your minds now".
 

As for what the ACLU said, there are only a handful of counties which haven't yet switched to touchscreen, and, as it turns out, those districts are heavily minority. I'm in Santa Clara County, one of them, and we've got a significant Asian population. Punch cards are proven to have a higher failure rate (votes being thrown out through some or no fault of the voter) than touch screen votes. So the ACLU said "you're only throwing out votes in heavy minority districts, that's not fair", and the courts said "yep". If *every* county still used punch cards, the Feds would have had to say "Bush vs. Gore says it's legal" (failure rate would be uniform for all demographics). Since only six (or whatever) still use punch cards, the Feds said "Bush vs. Gore says it's illegal, wait until March when it's uniform again".
 

Jim

September 15, 2003 David Benson

Christo, hard to put a value on it as it is only of use to a Napoleon III collector and they would consider to be just unusual late usage.

David B.

September 15, 2003 stamphick <stamphick@dospalos.org>

CA Recall
Jim G.. Actually the argument of the ACLU is that if the punch cards are used it would disenfranchise voters of color, the assumption being that citizens of color could not vote properly but white citizens could. BAH.

David

September 15, 2003 Christo van Zyl

David I take your point re narrowing down my interests (Richard F has suggested that as well). But sometime it is hard to ignore nice covers, even if they might only remain curiosities.
Goodnight to all, the red wine is making me a bit drowsy here - am falling asleep whilst reading the book "The River" by Edward Hooper on the origin and source of Aids/HIV. I am only on page 483, probaly have another 400 plus to go! Trying to do a chapter a night.

September 15, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Christo v.Z. no idea regarding your last question. I am just a beginner with France, I found no helpful notes in Yvert&Tellier Specialized France and Cérèrs but I know (or can get to know) a lot on all Italian Area. Therefore, I would value your item as a curiosity, in the order of 50 euro's.
A&S So, which was that rate? ("I presume" is not valid as an answer).
Paolo
 

September 15, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

David

True, but after having seen Gavin Fryer's collection at the Royal this summer, I'm glad I concentrated.
I can't afford items with multiple penny blacks on them.

September 15, 2003 David Benson

Jim, but if you didn't have Ebay to acquire material you would still be back where you were. Ebay has allowed you to hone your collecting to a smaller area,

David B.

September 15, 2003 David Benson

Christo, had a run of queries this week on the Boer War, first someone asked me about the Boer POW in Trichinopoly, India and now Pietersburg.


David B.

September 15, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

David
Amen to that!!
I started collecting GB to the whole of Europe, that didn't last very long.
Now down to pre-1873 GB to Italy.

September 15, 2003 David Benson

Christo, thanks, luckily information can be gleaned from books and the web without having biased educational systems. I already advised him to get a copy of Gibbons which has a lot of info on the issues.

re. the late French cover, I have never seen any of the earlies used as late and it looks 100% OK to me. I presume the rate is right for a registered article. The problem is what do you want to do with it, form a collection of interesting covers, cancels, late usages, etc. France is a huge, complex, philatelic country and you should have some aim in mind when acquiring covers,

David B.
 

September 15, 2003 Christo van Zyl

Christo's French Cover
D2 and Paolo, Thanks for the info to date. So I guess the next question has to be: "Was it a good buy?"

September 15, 2003 Christo van Zyl

Pietersburg Stamps
Hi David (D2)
I will be the first one to acknowledge that I probably know even less than you re South Africa's checquered history (especially the period of the Republics, and the Anglo Boer War). I have a copy of the South African Colour Catalogue, from which I will copy freely. Please forward to your buyer if you think it is helpful! With respect to our biased history classes, I coul perhaps only say that in the past (i.e. the Apartheid Era) it was completely biased toward the European (and eventually the Afrikaner Nationalistic history). I think that very few white people in South Africa knows the history of the black population, and these days they are trying to teach a more balanced account of the real South African History. I don't even think I was taught much of the late 1800 early 19th century Boer history - sometimes it is only the real fervent supporters of the old Republics who know these facts! Anyway, here follows the copy:

With the inevitible occupation of Pretoria by the British (June 1900) in sight, President Kruger and his government withdrew to the northeast of the country (i.e. South Africa). Post Ofiices in areas not occupoied by the British continued to function but when stocks of stamps became exhausted it became necessary to improvise with the printing of the short lived issue from the press of "De Zoutpansberg Wachter" newspaper at Pietersburg. The stamps were authorised by the State Secretary and remained in use in some towns to early May 1901. Pietersburg was taken by British Forces on April 9th. The 1d value was on sale for about three weeks in March, the remaining issued on April 3rd appear to have been exhausted in about a week. Genuinely used examples are very rare but speculatively cancelled ones exist in fair numbers and are rated the same as unused copies. The issued stamps are initialled by the Controller J T de V Smit. All values exist without signature and these are believed to originate from remainders aboandoned by the Boers when Pietersburg was evacuated.

Three types exist

Type I Long "P" in "POSTZEGEL" and large "1901"

Type II Large "P" in "POSTZEGEL" and small "1901"

Type III Small "P" in "POSTZEGEL" and small "1901"

Each value printed separately in sheets of 24 (6 x 4), of which the first two horizontal rows were Type I, the third row was Type II, and the fourth row was Type III. All printed in black ink on coloured paper. All stamps imperforate.

Values printed:

1/2d black on green

1d black on red

2d black on orange

4d black on blue

6d black on green

1shil black on yellow

Controller's initials can be in black or red (red valued slightly cheaper - probably about 10%).

Numbers printed:

1/2d 4 800

1d 20 400

2d 7 200

4d 3 600

6d 2 400

1 shill 2 400

An unknown number of the 1/2d, 1d and 2d were later issued perforated, but their total is apparently incorporated in the numbers given above.
Interestingly the catalogue only provides cat values for MH stamps. Nothing for genuinely used stamps.
Hope this helps.
 

September 15, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Christo v.Z.
I would like to know if you think that that is the correct rate (or multiples of it, eventually multipling the flat rate only, keeping registry fixed) for domestic registered mail (55c.) in that period.

Paolo

September 15, 2003 David Benson

Christo, had an unusual email yesterday when I sold a Pietersberg, Transvaal issue. It was from a collector in Pietersburg and he asked me if I knew the history of the Pietersburg stamps as he didn't know about them. I simply replied what I knew from Gibbons and that Pietersburg was the temporary capital after the British had occupied Johannesburg and President Kruger and the cabinet fled to Pietersburg to continue the campaign. I also mentioned that the OFS government also went to Pietersburg. He told me that it is not taught in schools there and that the history of that period is biased.

David Benson

September 15, 2003 David Benson

Christo, unusual usage, looks OK to me and doesn't look contrived or philatelic, more likely found an uncancelled Napoleon 30c. and decided to use it. Can't help you whether they were demonitized or not but presume they should have been.

David B.

September 15, 2003 David Benson

Mariano, thanks, the term in English is " handstamp ".

Bill, usually local Postage Due handstamps are not considered to be regularly issued stamps unless they had the authority of the Head Post Offie not the local issuing office.

David Benson

September 15, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Found the right link, now! My searching mistake!
If I am able and/or feel like, I will comment in a while.
(put on your flak jaket, Mr. Jones) -- Paolo

September 15, 2003 Lavar Taylor

st finished a quick read of the Ninth Circuit's opinion which postpones the special election until March. They took the Supreme Court's opinion in Bush v. Gore and rammed it down the California Secretary of State's throat. While I am not very happy about postponing the election (even if the postponement gives me more time to campaign), it appears to me that the Ninth Circuit got it right, unless the Supreme Court now decides that it was wrong in Bush v. Gore. [Imagine the controversy that would stir up, the Supremes changing their position in a case where most people think that a delay in the election works to the benefit of a Democratic governor. My prediction is that the Supremes will duck this one.]

I have not read the District Court's opinion by Stephen Wilson (I have appeared in front of him a number of times, so I know him fairly well), but it appears from the Ninth Circuit's opinion that it was Judge Wilson who did some pretty creative judging in reaching the conclusion that the election should not be postponed. For example, on his own, he raised a defense to the lawsuit that the defendants never raised themselves, namely "laches". Laches means that you waited too long to file suit, even though there is no formal statute of limitations that prevents the suit from being filed when it was filed. It appears from the Ninth Circuit's opinion that Judge Wilson said that the plaintiff's failure to anticipate that the recall election would go forward and to file a suit prior to the certification of the election by the Secretary of State constituted "laches." If the Ninth Circuit accurately characterized Judge Wilson's ruling, Judge Wilson was wrong, both in ruling the way he did and in raising a defense for the defendants that the defendants themselves never raised.

Keep in mind that the Ninth Circuit has not been kind to me. I have had about 9 (I stopped counting after awhile) adverse rulings from them in my cases over the years, only 1 favorable ruling, and one "tie". I also have 4 more cases pending before them now.
 

September 15, 2003 Christo van Zyl

Evening to all. Tonight my turn to show a cover (albeit with a question attached).

I won this cover tonight.

What actually attracted me was some of the markings on the cover, but the clincher for me was the 30 c brown laureated Napoleon (1863 - 1871 issue) in conjunction with a Mouchon stamp( 1900 plus issue). The CDS are dated 1903. So a minimum of 32 year old stamp with a current issue for that time.

Questions. Is this a philatecally (sorry Jim W-S) contrived cover? Were the Napoleons demonitized after being replaced by the next stamp issues. Or have I got myself a not too shabby item here?

Regards, Christo
 

September 15, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

The following is the only Siegel catalogue I found with a google (now working) search: http://www.siegelpigeons.com/catalog.html
For some strange reason, the following link
"http://www.compactivism.com/Siegel_US_1869_Postal_Issues_Auction_Catalog_2677.html"
keeps being re-directed on this
"http://search-desc.ebay.com/search/search.dll?srchdesc=y&query=Siegel+catalog+&MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&ht=1&SortProperty=MetaEndSort"
I didn't have a nice experience with Mr. Seagull and he, or them, KNOW why, anyways.
Paolo

 

September 15, 2003 Richard Frajola

"T" overprints
Bill S I believe that those were also extensively forged (or overprinted by favor). They exist from many French Colonies and are generally held in low regard.

September 15, 2003 Mariano Ribas <segell@yahoo.es>

about algerian postage due
In french Yvert there is postage due stamp like the one you wrote,it says it was provisionaly issued at Oran by means of a cachet a main.
It is quite scarce according to catalogue.

September 15, 2003 David Benson

Bill, I have seen the stamp but know nothing about it's history, must have been a local provisional overprint. It is not listed in Gibbons either.

Leave it out of your printed pages (but if you ever get the stamp, redo your page).

David Benson

September 15, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

BTW, for those of you who care about such things, the new Siegel catalog is online. The new Shreves catalog is supposed to be online later this week.
 

Jim

September 15, 2003 12:22 PDT Bill Seymour <billsey@dsl-only,net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

Algeria postage due...
Yvert shows a postage due stamp for Algeria from 1918, a due from France with an overprint reading "chiffre taxe / à percevoir". I can't find it in Scott, and don't have either Michel or SG for Algeria. Can anyone shed a little light on what this one was? Should I include it in my pages? (Yvert shows a fairly high price)

September 15, 2003 David Benson

Paolo, thanks for the info, have printed it out for future reference,

David B.

September 15, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Brian, philatelist, porn star, bodybuilder, your guess is as good as mine. The argument was basically as follows: "California decided in the wake of the Florida election to replace all punch card ballots before the March election. If teh state has decided that these ballots are prone to error, it would disenfranchise voters to make them use punch cards in the recall, so the recall should be delayed until March when this won't be an issue". Makes sense to me.
 

Jim

September 15, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Truly amazing!!
Reuters news of 15 minutes ago said Outer Banks residents were wondering if they should evacuate!!!
Are they nuts?

Mark
If its over 20 feet above sea-level you should be OK.
(at least from drowning)

September 15, 2003 Brian R

thoughts from the grassy knoll
Jim G Do you suppose the hidden agenda of the 9th circuit, was to foil the possiblity, of California getting a philatelist governor?

Somehow, ebay is behind all of this.........

September 15, 2003 Mark Bardell

Jim

I'm about 25 miles north of the Harbour here and quite a bit above sea level, so hopefully no problems there. This will be a good test for my new house that I should be moving into at the end of October. If it can stand up to this, then it should be a good place to live !

Mark.

September 15, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Mark

I hope you are well above sea-level over there in Baltimore.
I think I saw one forecast that Hurricane Isabel might go up Chesapeake Bay.
You might want to do a google search for the Providence storm of 1938.
On the other hand, you might not.

September 15, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Duncan, rest assured that anything I say will have my name clearly attached to it. If you're not willing to stand behind your words, you're not worth listening to. So if it didn't have my name, it wasn't from me.
 

We've got our own hurricane blowing here - a federal court just ruled to delay the recall vote.
 

Jim

September 15, 2003 Mark

Hurricane Isabel
Jim

That's the easy part ! LOL. Wondering about Tornadoes, strong winds etc. ..

We'll see what path it takes I guess.

Time to stock up on water and bread !

Mark.

September 15, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Now that I can actually see the links, I can see some of the problems.

Brian
Yes that does get your membership for the "dang it" club.

Dave A
I see that the last auction listed by theswedishtiger was in July of this year. Roger and Tina are both charming.

Mark
Lots of rain.

September 15, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Tommy Ato & Grant W.
personally, for what it is worthed and for what I think to have understood, I do not see any 'far from truth' statement in your recent posts. I do not openly agree with it, but I am free to sympathize with it. Bringing up what one thinks can be offensive, especially if it even vaguely reflects a real situation.
Though, indiscriminate generalizations and name calling when written down will obviously always be unacceptable, by many, if not by most in the immediate or in the future.
Paolo

September 15, 2003 prometheus

Duncan
Oh.......... That explains a lot.
 

September 15, 2003 Brian R

a nod to the good guys
We spend so much time here, holding the sneaky types under the light, that I thought it would be nice to display a good seller. Here is someone who heeded some very good advice. I'm not tooting my own horn, I wasn't the whoever, that e-mailed them. Sometimes I get so weary, of contacting the sellers about these, that I just ignore them.

The items are three great examples of CSA "altered plate" stamps, if anyone remembers the extensive posts about them, from a couple of months back.

September 15, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

David B. FYI:

The double circle date stamp type
"* TUNISI * POSTE ITALIANE"
was brought into use on 14 July 1861; Italy Kingdom Postal Administration had started effectively from 17 March 1861, still using the previous CDS with "POSTE SARDE" (*) until July. It was impressed with blue ink.
The blue ink was used until 1 November 1861, when it was substituted by black ink (e.g. the cancel on your 40c. of the 4th Issue of Sardinia).
The usage of this CDS as canceller of adhesive postage stamps continued until 5 May 1866, when the numerale a punti (dotted numeral, the correct term is in Italian) "235" was introduced for that purpose.
(*)= The last day of usage of the preceding double circle DS
"* TUNISI * POSTE SARDE"
is 1 July 1861.

Paolo
(bibl. Zanaria-Serra "Historical Postal Catalogue, etc.")


 

September 15, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

APS and eBay

Thanks Bill W for the updates on the APS/eBay relationship.

Looking forward to seeing the results of their meeting and posting some questions, especially regarding fakes and forgeries. It was a little surprising the other day to receive one of those standard "only a venue" responses from eBay, it seems like when issues reach the APS they are resolved in a sensible manner but other issues are shot down without reaching the APS, killed by someone with no philatelic awareness.

Better days ahead!

PS: To whoever posted the link to the wind-up fire breathing nun... funny as heck, and at a family gathering yesterday I mentioned the darned thing and was dumbfounded to learn that my sister had actually bought one of the goofy things!! Small world.

Jim G Did YOU post that link? I think ESP might have been involved.

Duncan

"We don't belong to any organized religion. We're Lutherans."

September 15, 2003 prometheus

a link for those that ain't got it
Beautiful and engrossing place
THESITE

I've had this in my favorites for Long time.

September 15, 2003 prometheus

Hurricane
looks like the Carolinas are going to get hit.
Mark -B
Thansk for stating your opinion about that lasr lot , they looked OK to me , Not that I know very much.

September 15, 2003 6:55 Mark Bardell

seller buster
Personally, I see nothing wrong with that last lot you posted. See, this is the problem, lots you may find to be incorrect, may be ok in someone elses eyes, so what's the point of posting them. ?

Also, if you are so proud of your 100% feedback, then why not let us know who you are ? Or do you have some auctions that WE may not like the look of ?

Mark ( wondering what Hurricane Isabel is going to bring )

September 15, 2003 Bill Weiss

VARIOUS
SELLER-BUSTER; Once again I commend you in that your examination procedures for checking your stamps are the exact ones I use for expertising for PSE/APS, but I still say that to have your postings here respected you need to identify yourself properly otherwise many who look here will ignore you.

APS-eBay RELATIONSHIP - I urge anyone who reads this board to scroll back to Friday or Saturday's postings to find the one I did on this subject which was an update about this subject. I will advise this board if and when the seminar minutes are available.

September 15, 2003 prometheus

NOIP -re: SWEDISH TIGER SITE
IF YOU WANT TO SEE SOME great looking stamps that is one
monster site.
Stamps you wonder what they should look like are THERE
to look at.

Seller Buster, Bill W., Anyone = Any Bad example you can share I would love to look at and learn too.
I am actively seeking to tap the 100,000 Years of Stamp Collecting
That lurks/looks here.Reads, Posts , Explains , some as just Odds Givers, you know
The 9 out of 10 of these are fake posts.
And to those that oppose those kind of post sorry ,
Want me to share all the FAKES in postal markings I
wasted my money on. As a Buyer for myself I want to know what's real and what's not.

WTF=Redux
IF there is anyone now who thinks that was Not Marketing ,
I am ready with my rebuttal.

September 15, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Country names, denomination of origin
The last Italian adhesive postage stamp without country denomination was Issued on January 1863 in Kgd. of Italy period (Sardinia type, 15 c. , lithographed frame in various shades of blue --- a few of which are very rare, such as the dark grey blue, or slate -- and embossed effigy). It stood for the new internal (domestic) flat rate, reduced from 20c. to 15c. for the whole territory of the Kgd. (in fact, before there had been differencies, e.g. for Tuscany and Sicily, where the flat rate for letters was 10c., whilst in the rest of the Kgd. it was 20c.).

In Italic field, adhesive postage stamps w/o country name were yet to be Issued for the region Veneto and the Province of Mantua by the Austro-Hungarian Post Office (Issues of 1864-65 with value in Soldi, printed by combined typography and embossing).

The first adhesive postage stamp of Italy Kgd. on which the country name appears (and on which the wording "ITALIANO" is legible for the first time in absolute chronological order) was Issued on February 1863 (15c. lithographed in blue, which was prepared to save time and costs of printing in respect of the preceding 15c. -- there are two main types and as many as eight different types of postal forgeries, one lithographed and seven recess printed).
Paolo

September 15, 2003 seller buster http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2950072761&category=676
 

From now on I will only post one auction a day. Here is the rip off of the day: Ebay #2950072761 If this guy paid $1,600 for these five stamps then something is wrong in his head! He only wants to sell them to you with a starting bid of $850.00!

September 15, 2003 04:40 AM Jim Lawler <jlawler@comteck.com>

Jim L.

September 15, 2003 seller buster

Bill Wiess
Bill - I do not intend to fill this board with every fault or misidentification I find. I just intend to expose some auctions that I believe are outright fraud or scams to take peoples hard earned money. I do not email any of these sellers or buyers as I am a seller and do not want to lose my business by being reported to Ebay for interfering with auctions. I do not give my name as I will not use this board as an advertisement for my own stamps. I will say that my feedback rating is high and at 100% with no negatives or neutrals ! I credit this to the fact that I take time to properly identify each item. I list over 400 stamps per month so I think that I have a good track record. Procedures that should be followed proceeding the listing a stamp: Properly identify the issue by Scott #. 2. Check the stamp in watermark fluid for faults. 3. Check the stamp under high magnification. 3. Hold the stamp to a bright light. 4. Hold the stamp under a U.V. lamp. These are just some of the things I do before listing a stamp. If everyone took the time to check there stamps before selling we would all be a lot happier! As I said I list over 400 stamps a month along with working a full time job and two small children at home so If I have the time to check every stamp I know the other sellers are also capable of doing the same.
 

September 15, 2003 04:31 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is a registered cover from Niue to Costa Rica in 1926. You don't take that trip often!

September 15, 2003 Dave P

Country Names If the UK had to put its name on its stamps there would be a practical problem. "Great Britain" excludes Northern Ireland whilst the correct title of "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" would not only take up the whole of the stamp but would also include the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, where the stamps are not valid. A similar problem exists in "Paid" postmarks. Under UPU regulations when applied to international mail these should include the country name. To overcome this problem some machines in Belfast used "Northern Ireland" paid dies for a while, although later reverting to the normal Great Britain. Strictly speaking neither were correct.

I am curious as to why brendylicious is offended by a mention here of his/her auction. I would have thought any seller confident of their auction would welcome any publicity.

DP

September 14, 2003 Bren <Brendylicious@aol.com>

Stamps
I see that theres a link to one of my auctions here.

???

Somebody needs a life. =)
Pobresito.

September 14, 2003 Bill Weiss

Seller Buster
This will be my first and last comments for this evening, then off to bed! Seller-buster has been corect on every assertation he has made, so as a fellow expert, I admire his knowledge, but as a serious board member, I agree that unless he identifies himself, he won't get too many congratulations from others. By the way, if I wanted to fill up this board reporting on it every eBay lot I find that is misdescribed, there wouldn't be room for many other posts! Chris C's remarks about the Australian items he found misdescribed and the percentage he stated he finds misdescribed agrees with my findings too. Probably 50% of the US stamps on eBay are in some way misdescribed. Seller-buster, there is no glory in simply telling this board when you find something misdescribed. Why not send the seller an email and tell him what you think? If no response from seller, you might consider telling the buyer what you think, even though that may constitute auction interference if the seller finds out and wants to take the time to press the issue with eBay.

BRIAN R; It was me who posted about the eBay-APS seminar minutes, so if you scroll back to either Friday or Saturdays board postings, it's all there. I will report to this board when I am told the minutes are available.

September 14, 2003 02:05 BST Dave Arthur

Tommy Ato
I agree Dave (F) with your comments.
Since joining this board about two weeks ago, I have seen a number of similar posts from people like TA and I can't really understand what they get out of making such comments. If he thinks the majority of the board users are so arrogant and has no time for what they say - why does he waste his time here - there are plenty of "weeny" boards that will accept his gutter language and it will allow the philatelists who want the help of the sane contributors to do so without being offended.
PS I don't get offended by his language - I just think it's pathetic that he has to stoop to it - but I am sure there are those that are
Anyway - had my say for the evening I'm off to bed.

September 14, 2003 Brian R

reperfing booklet
prometeus My wife just came to me, and said "this came for you yesterday." "I thought you said reperfing stamps was bad?" "Why are you ordering phamplets on it?" LOL

There are some Chicago area collectors that'll get quite a kick out of it (myself included). Thank you.

September 14, 2003 01:50 BST Dave Arthur

UPU and French
Bjorn
I don't know how long, I would estimate since the second stamp issuing country came along. But you are correct. The reason is that GB was the first country to issue postage stamps and to ensure that there was no chance of foreign country stamps being used in the UK (and Ireland as it was at that time), it was agreed by the originating members of the UPU that this would be the case.

September 14, 2003 01:45 BST Dave Arthur

Swedish Tiger
Well what a small world,
When I first joined Ebay over 3 years ago I used to buy a fair amount from "Swedish Tiger" - sorry can't remember their names now but I believe they were a husband and wife team - they used to operate from a "warehouse" in East End of London I think, then about 18 months (2 years - time flies?) ago they disappeared off Ebay. I guess they must have moved to the US (if I remember they were US citizens anyway). I have looked for them in the recent past, but I don't use EBay.com (very much) being a UK user and never thought of trying them there anyway.
My memories of dealing with them are all good so if Seller Buster is using them as a reference, I'm certainly happy to take what he says at face value.

September 14, 2003 seller buster

an extra fine example of #101 is also show on that web page if you click "F Grills"

September 14, 2003 seller buster

as far as proof on what I say. Here is a link to check what the real #64 and #7 look like: www.theswedishtiger.com/usstamps/

September 14, 2003 seller buster

I am qualified to judge U.S. 19th century issues. I am a seller on ebay who does not wish to disclose my name because I do not come to this site to sell my own stamps. I come here to expose fraud, etc. On the #101; it is up to the buyer to judge what he or she thinks. However as scarce as the issue is it is not extra fine!

September 14, 2003 prometheus

Jim W-S
Takes the cake is listed by" Bakersdee"

Only one I looked at I too like Cake.

A nice white batter cake with Fudge frosting UMMMMMMMM cake.........

September 14, 2003 Bill Dempwolf

Links
Jim the links seller buster provided below are:

Takes the cake

HA HA HA

Bag

Not a 64

Not a 7

XF?

Cleaned pen ccl

Bill

September 14, 2003 14:57 Bjorn Munch

UPU and French
Yes, French is the official language of the UPU, which of course stands for Union Postal Universelle. A couple of years ago I received a parcel from Denmark which I had to pick up at the post office. The parts the receiver needed to read and fill out (including where I should sign) was in French only.
 

Isn't there also a rule that all stamps (execpt the UK) must have the country name written in Latin letters? That's why you see RUSSIJA, NIPPON, HELLAS etc. If so, how long has this been in effect?
 

September 14, 2003 Brian R

dang it!
Well, it was bound to happen, sooner or later. Please consider this my official application to the "dang it" club

September 14, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Busted Seller

This would seem to be a case of "the pot calling the kettle black".
Seeing as I can't read the links and you seem to think you are one of them,
please identify yourself and indicate why you think "seller buster" is incorrect.
Though I must admit, responding to hahaha might be difficult.
As is, this auction takes the cake.
Personally, I am fond of cake, particularly Black Forest Cake.
 

September 14, 2003 David Shumaker

Seller Buster
Still, the $5.50 for shipping those eleven 20th century stamps was pretty funny.

September 14, 2003 3:24p.m c.d.t. John@MagnoliaStamps

SellerBuster
I don't know who or what it is,But he was correct on the 2 #65s even the one with removed pen cancel,But on the 101 centering on those was poor to start with so to find one with 4 margins may qualify it as xf.Its really up to the buyer to make that determination,not some moron trying to be a smart a**,and interfering in other peoples affairs.

September 14, 2003 3:24p.m c.d.t. John@MagnoliaStamps

SallerBuster
I don't know who or what it is,But he was correct on the 2 #65s even the one with removed pen cancel,But on the 101 centering on those was poor to start with so to find one with 4 margins may qualify it as xf.Its really up to the buyer to make that determination,not some moron trying to be a smart a**,and interfering in other peoples affairs.

September 14, 2003 David Benson

Dape P, It dated back to the original decisions made in the 1880's. and is mainly ignored now but countries like Japan which use their own alphabet have to use internationally understood instructional markings and French is the recognised UPU language.

David B.

September 14, 2003 Dave P

Japan
David B Thank you, I did wonder. Judging by returned mail from other countries in same period seems to be one of those rules often honoured by omission.

DP

September 14, 2003 David Benson

Dave P, UPU regulations,

David Benson

September 14, 2003 Busted Seller

Seller Buster
Who is this idiot Seller Buster, he is damaging the reputation of reputable dealers without the burden of proof, just his doubtful opinion.

If you are brave enough to comment on this board, then be man/woman enough to use your name!

September 14, 2003 seller buster

philatelic - sorry typing too fast

September 14, 2003 Dave P

A Japanese question
As I understand the Japanese use English postmarks on overseas mail. I have got a couple of items from the 1970's from the UK to Japan and returned for different reasons. In each case the Tokyo post office has used an explanatory stamp in French. Was/is there some convention about this, or just a peculiarity of the Japanese?

DP

September 14, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

seller buster
I'm sure you are doing a great job.
However, I can't read your links, courtesy of eBay programming.
If you would like to write out the names of the sellers and what you perceive as a mistake, it would be appreciated.
A link plus hahaha is totally meaningless to me.

September 14, 2003 Jim Meverden

Stamp Question
Brian,

April 15, 1925 was the first day of a 1.5 cent per two ounce third class single piece rate. It was probably not philatelic, but bisects were not legal at that time either. It is an interesting cover for some kind of exhibit.

September 14, 2003 seller buster

bisect
Yes there was a business rate of 1 1/2c in 1925, hence the Scott #553 1 1/2c Harding stamp. I don't think that this is a philatic creation. My father told me of his family "cutting" stamps in half to use for half rates in the 1920's.

September 14, 2003 seller buster http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2951250929&category=683
 

And this auction takes the cake!

September 14, 2003 seller buster http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2950429381&category=683
 

see Ebay item in link. HA HA HA!

September 14, 2003 Brian R

stamp question
I think its very doubtful that this item is a philatelic creation. It appears to be a genuine attempt to post a bisect. Was there some genuine business rate of 1 1/2 cent, for a letter, back then? Was a bisect even legal then, or is this simply something, that the post office missed?

September 14, 2003 seller buster http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2950922727&category=675
 

"BAG JUST PICK UP NEVER LOOK AT AS IS JUST THE WAY I PICK THIS UP AT A YARD SALE ALL U.S. SEE PHOTO" -Who is this guy trying to fool? JUNK!!!!!

September 14, 2003 David Benson

Paolo, thanks, it is from the interim period after the Sardinian PO had been taken over by the Italian PO. Still using Sardinian stamps but a new cancel without SARDO POST. Will be placed under Italian Post Office not Sardinian Post Office. She is getting her entry ready to enter in NZ in November and that will make a nice addition (if anyone would recognize the rarity of it).

David B.

September 14, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

I'm afraid you may be wasting your time.
When people want to hide their inappropriate comments behind pseudonyms.
Waiting to hear from Lea Tass, Col Rabbi, Bea Troot, Bro Colly etc.

September 14, 2003 Chris Ceremuga

Bill Dempwolf - Polish stamps
Scan too small - too low resolution - to make any comment.

September 14, 2003 10:36 Dave F.

Tommy A: I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to please stop using the crude language you're using. Whether you use ***s or not, we know what you mean, and it's not appropriate here. You can express your displeasure using less offensive words.

On the other hand, how about saying something positive? So far, your comments have been so consistently negative that now, when I read the board, as soon as I see your name, I know I'm going to read something negative.

September 14, 2003 Dan (ddaannv)

PayPal tracking
Dave P, Thanks for the information. I agree about stamp folks - other than some scam sellers, virtually all are straight-shooters.
Dan

September 14, 2003 Roger Heath

ethics
Tommy -
I'm cooled off. All OK.
Roger

September 14, 2003 Time has come today Chris

WTF, over?
I'd ask what this was all about, but on second thought I
don't want to know.

I do have a philatelic question. A lot of different watermarks were used in Australian postage.
(Not the states, they are too advanced for me to worry about yet.) Any ideas on why the
many different watermarks?

Chris - still working on the inventory

September 14, 2003 Dave P

Pay Pal tracking
Dan The short answer is that you can't. Seller protection only applies to USA domestic sales. If any other buyer claims non delivery then you lose, same as with any non-signature cc sale. On the upside, I do think stamp-buyers are generally honest, and if feedback is OK I wouldn't be worried.

DP

September 14, 2003 Tommy Ato

ethics
Roger Heath Sorry you felt my comments were aimed at you. They certainly were not. There are a number of other s***s who frequent this board who only respond when it suits them. Their arrogance and narrowmindness is sometimes beyond belief.

September 14, 2003 Brian R

Well, "seller buster" has been busy. More power to you, fraudbuster! Speaking of fighting scammmers, someone (Bill W ?) mentioned several days ago, that the minutes of the ebay/APS partnership, would be available online soon. Is it? Where?

September 14, 2003 seller buster http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2951247169&category=675
 

Not a U.S. scott #64 (CV $800.00)! This is a light shade of Scott #65 (CV $2.50). And terrible grading at that! Busted!

September 14, 2003 seller buster http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2951399505&category=675
 

Wrong identification! Not U.S. #7! Notice broken line under the word "ONE" of "ONE CENT". This is probably a trimmed scott #24. Worthless! Can't fool me! Busted!

September 14, 2003 seller buster http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2949873483&category=675
 

Poor grading! Would you call this item XF?

September 14, 2003 0911 Dan (ddaannv)

PayPal tracking
About two weeks ago there was a very interesting discussion about this topic. Thanks to all, and here's a related question. I sold some stamps to a buyer in France (I'm in the USA) who did not respond to emails until I got non-payer fee refund from Ebay. He then paid by PayPal within about 24 hours. He says he was out of the country and had no internet access. I believe him but want to hedge by bet with delivery confirmation. So, here's the question: What is the least costly way to get PayPal-acceptable delivery confirmation from USA to France?
Thanks!
Dan

September 14, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Bill D
They look OK to me.

September 14, 2003 seller buster http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2950411246&category=676
 

removed pen ccl. take close look at scan!

September 14, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Alternate auction sites
As a buyer, I'm always interested in alternatives to ebay, for obtaining hard to find material. I search, pretty regularly, most of the other mentioned sites like Stampoffers, Stamphead, Del Campe, Awardmasters, and a host of others, but rarely find the material I find on ebay. I would fully support an ebay competitor, if the material was being listed. As I've said many times in the past, someones got to make the first move. You can't expect a customer to walk into an empty store and expect him to buy something. The product msut be there first.

September 14, 2003 Poalo Bagaglia

Drats (errors in corrections are the worse mistakes): cut into on right side ( viewing from recto), not left.
Paolo
 

September 14, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Listing Modena newspaper stamp (small "B.G.", May 1853) typographical composition variety.
Errors in description:
1. "perfect status" (means average with no defects whatsovere) => corr. "defective, cut into along left side and heavy cancel"
2. "signed" => corr. owners mark (little stamp with violet ink "RG." impressed upside down): it doesn't add, it detracts from value.

Paolo

September 14, 2003 ?

deeter
also owns boomspeed

September 14, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

David B.
congrats again on your wife's "* TUNISI (* POSTE ITALIANE) 2 LUG 62".

Jim W-S thank you for the further note.
I don't know who the Marquess of Butte, Thomas A. Matthews, Socorro Guerra and Geoffrey L. Solomon were/are nor I know anything of their eBay or Yahoo activity. Sorry,
Paolo

September 14, 2003 Bill Dempwolf

Polish Stamps
Question regarding these two Polish stamps, the 1934 airmail stamps with Challenge 1934 overprint. 20g and 30g. Do the overprints look genuine?

Bill

September 14, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Hello All!
David B. and Roger Thanks for your e-mails.
Roger CYE please ;-)

All I could not snipe this this "collection" since it passed my maximum ($800 or something close). Taking exception from the many forgeries (Bill C. thanks for the Spiro name of the maker), reprints and genuine postage stamps with evident defects, there is some good material, sparse here and there. The high bidder (at 1,125.00) will have seen it.

Grant W. I had the chance to look at your Italy Kingdom airmail cover (philatelic political propaganda cover IMO). AFAIK, the "Führer - Dux" flag cancel is rather common.
Paolo


 

September 14, 2003 05:02 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is a domestic airmail cover from Peru in 1928. It poses a question of authenticity. You decide!

September 14, 2003 04:51 AM Jim Lawler <jlawler@comteck.com>

Jim L.

September 14, 2003 8 pm Qld Dave Elsmore Queensland <dave1@bigpond.net.au>

Chris Ceremuga, Most of your listings below on cleaned or forged stamps are from an Australian APTA Registered Dealer!!!.

September 14, 2003 David Benson

Benson to Benson,

Absolutely right on, nothing is perfect and most of the problems aren't Ebay's fault but the fault of the sellers.

The other Benson

September 14, 2003 0949 BST Ed.B

Auctions
David P: One of the reasons I think Gibbons has so much unsold is the price. Buyers have woken up to the fact that they can obtain material cheaper from other sources. There are still dealers trying to sell at full catalogue price then grumbling about the loss of trade they have occured due to the internet.

September 14, 2003 0945 BST Ed.B

Monopoly
Why do some people have this animosity towards Ebay. OK, I know it isn’t perfect but what company is. I have read a number of times on this board and others, criticism against Ebay but mainly because some consider it a monopoly.

Is that Ebay’s fault? Have they stopped other people attempting to start their own auction sites? Over the past two to three years I have seen a number of auction sites in the UK come and go. Why did they go? Because buyers and sellers preferred Ebay. I find it very odd that Ebay should be considered the villain in this when it clearly is the buyer or seller who has made the choice.

September 14, 2003 David P

Auctions
Well, I read the board this morning, and it gave me a headache, am not sure what it all meant. Ebay does have a virtual monopoly, and I think it will be difficult for any other general stamp auction site to compete and survive. Some of the biggest names have or are trying. I look at the Gibbons site occasionally, but like the others it has an awful lot of unsold material. I do think that more specialised sites can survive if they get enough publicity in the relevent philatelic community. As this is (thank you Dave F) a non-commercial site, would it be possible to put together a list of all current stamp auction sites, perhaps with comments from those who have used them? It would be more constructive than some of the comments flying around.

DP

September 13, 2003 David Benson

Chris C. I had another look at the 1d. View you linked to and I doubt it is pen cancelled and cleaned, most probably a proof but would need to feel the paper before making a decision. The only pen cancels on Views were when provincial cancels were withdrawn for repairs and used provisionally, much scarcer than a BN but of course not as pricy. The Tasmanian 4d. Star wmk. has to a cleaned mss. postal cancel.

By coincidence when I spoke to you the other day at Gibbons I mentioned that I had an item for you to check, it was a SA 8d. on 9d. OS overprint which you linked a bad mint, mine looks like a bad used but I haven't got references to check.

David B.

September 13, 2003 stamphick

a - beat you too it Jim.

David

September 13, 2003 stamphick

Greg D
Greg Deeter who ran philetelic.net which seems to be defunct or maybe just dormant now.

David

September 13, 2003 what the ....?

grant and pro
damn the full moon is high tonite. if you have been working on the site for 2 years and have only had that many users, then perhaps it is time to give it up. The ONLY site that is making any kind of money is eBay. It probably won't be long before the other stamp auction site shut down as well. Although, after looking at them all, stampoffers has the best hope as they attempt to give an eBay feel. Still....who is Greg D.?

September 13, 2003 8.07 John Gordon <johnr@castlemoyle.com> http://www.historicpomeroy.com
 

Full Moon
Boy.. this is just like the old days with Greg D. on the ebay board...


John

September 13, 2003 9:06 pm C.D.T John@MagnoliaStamps

cinderfellas
Prometheus

if you were refering to the Mr.Clinton behind bars stamp that was used on the back of your package,I have only 6 of them left but feel free to have some more printed up...

September 13, 2003 Grant

Bad link
Link below is bad eBay User Feedback: WorldStamps
And I won't say another word unless asked.
Sorry to have taken so much of your time and I do apologize for the rude gesture below, I was raised better than that and I apologize to all you.
Goodbye
Grant

September 13, 2003 Roger Heath

Franklin Flashes
One man may be more cunning than another,
but not more cunning than everybody else.
- Ben Franklin (1706-1790)

September 13, 2003 I bought some items at eBay

I really shouldn't but I am
Believe it or not. I did buy some items at eBay. Why?
1. Because some pieces aren't in my collection.
2. My collection only goes from 1895 to 1946.
3. It's just about complete for those years.
4. I have nothing to hide
5 Most of the items came with "images", I won't go there, It's "BS".


When someone is brave enough to get serious about unitedstamps.com, you have my phone #, my email, my eBay user ID, and alot of personal info I did not have to devaulgh ( I can't spell, so what) to you or anyone else. But obvously I'm serious, and there is two years of software development on the line at eBay, that can ONLY be used under the domain www.unitedstamps.com as per User agreement of the auction software and not to mention the shopping cart, bulletin board, LIVE CHAT SYSTEM, AND LIVE HELP SYSTEM , CALANDER SYSTEM and Wanted Board agreements. They would all have to be purchased again.
So how many of you would be willing to be part of the next eBay. Of course it wouldn't cost you a dime. I know to good to be true.
 

September 13, 2003 Roger Heath

I always look at items a person has purchased recently to see what I have in common with them. I'm afraid earlier today I peeked, and it didn't jibe with a $5,000,000 collection. I'm not judging, just curious why a couple of stamps can cause so much of a problem. I have seen discussions recently where I thought to myself, "wow, reload, reload, can't wait to see the next answer." Serious discussions can be argued when facts or supported opinions are presented, but sometimes I'm reading posts thinking........

Jim - I read that, and thought our friendship had come to an end. Still haven't fixed the space bar. I've got the word out at school that the next computer to be upgrade, please could I have the old keyboard.

Roger

September 13, 2003 Grant it use to be http://unitedstamps.com/cgi-bin/auction.pl
 

Auction Begun
Oh mention this message board if your the winner of UnitedStamps.com at eBay and I will give you all the scripts and programs for it for FREE. Everyone knows how to spell that hear now, right? Don't worry you can trust me. It's in writing here at the StampChat Board.
Grant

UnitedStamps.com at eBay
 

September 13, 2003 It's your loss not mine

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2558325738

September 13, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Grant
Unfortunately one of the drawbacks of this site is that sometimes complete idiots can masquerade as the real poster.
Most of the time, they give themselves away by not being able to complete a single sentance without a spelling mistake (rather than a typo).

September 13, 2003 Grant

UnitedStamps.com goes to eBay
9:30 PM EST TONIGHT

September 13, 2003 Bill Weiss

OK, Now We Understand
GRANT - Well, Gee, your last post really cleared up everything for us!
Thanks, and have a great life.

September 13, 2003 GONE.See ya

You people are not worth my time or stamps. And I thought you were worthy.
LOL what a joke

September 13, 2003 Grant Wagoner

Can't read...You people are lead by a bunch of fools
unless it or part of is being offered for sales or auction, or private idendification only
Can't Read
Tell me if I can afford to do this. I'm going to go format the hard drive at the sever of my entire site and then put unitedstamps.com on epay, because i certainly will make sure my collection. But of course of Full OF BS!!!
FU
stands for FLORIDA UNIVERSITY

September 13, 2003 Promethues

Heading out the doo.....................
Sorry Grant, If you Read here at this board rather, than Marketed here ,
You would Have at least seen one of My 64 Posts That Am not a Member over there, I have never had an EBay ID So
again what's your Point.
Although I noticed the Numbers were up there.
Good ,
good for you BBL :-)
 

September 13, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Terry

I'm afraid you may have to cow down to IE and change your browser.
If you already have IE as browser, try symbol in uppercase immediately beneath backspace on your keyboard.

September 13, 2003 Bill Weiss

BS SPOTTER - Your good - you beat me to it!!

September 13, 2003 Bill Weiss

Not Allowed to Photograph Collection??
GRANT; I don't mean to be a wiseguy, but some of the things you have posted here are a little hard to believe, such as this statement that you can't scan or photograph your collection. Im sorry to be blunt; but that is absurd!

September 13, 2003 BS spotter

Grant's BS
No insurance company is going to forbid you doing scans for any reason. In fact, they would welcome the record of the material in case of theft. I think you probably added a few zeroes to the end of that $5m number you CLAIM your collection is worth.

You are much more cedible without the embellishments.

September 13, 2003 Roger Heath

Ebay Images
Terence-
CYE

September 13, 2003 Terence Hines <terencehines@aol.com>

"permission denied"
Evening all,

For the last two days when I try to load a scan on Ebay I get one of those usually irrelevant messages saying "An error in the script has occurred on this page" or some such. But the reason is "Permission denied" and from that point I can not load the scan. Anyone have any idea what's going on? And how to fix it? Is it a problem with my computer or Ebay? I do get a long http address for ebay but it includes a character not on my key board (a straight vertical line) so I can't go there.

Terence Hines

September 13, 2003 Brian R

prometheus Nope. No little trade secrets book yet. A shame too, since a vast number of my collection, sorely needs it (just kidding).

September 13, 2003 Grant

Scans

Thanks all,

Scans- My collection is insured and not aloud to be scanned or photographed "unless it or part of is being offered for sales or auction, or private idendification only". Thus the reason I did not put the sweden booklet on my bulltin board Help with Stamp Identifcation . Sorry insurance rules not mine.And no I did not buy all these items, most were inherted from my father, whom died in 1996. I sold the comic collection (DC #1's and up). Thus fueled my love of stamps.
prometheus
I do appreciate your time and effort and escpecially the LIVE CHAT, now I know it at least is working for the part. That's what I needed, but it still does no good to turn aroud and tell me you think I'm asking for to much info at registration. Are you really a member of ebay? Because I didn't even ask for a credit card, and the paypal verification is optional. I add a credit card section just for you, YOU CAN TRUST ME>>>>WINK. I don't want that kind of "mistrust" started at my site. I TRUST THE STAMP COLLECTOR COMMUNITY. THEY ARE THE MOST HONEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD!! MAYBE I'M JUST FROM AN ERA THAT REALLY IS GONE. "NO TRUST UNLESS CREDIT CARD IN HAND." And upon that statement I know realize that the society we have evolved has come to that, and I probably don't belong in this one, because I don't want to know who you are but what you like to collect. Isn't that what this all about?
And on that note: Philly1969 emailed recieved and acknowledged---
UnitedStanps Auction will be shutting down 8:15 pm EST 9/15/2003.

Grant Wagoner

September 13, 2003 Brain R

Grant I think your new site is neat. Added places, to look for stamps, are always welcome.

If it's opinions that you'er after, I'd only add to what others have said, that 24 hours is too short. If you don't mind a few loss leaders, until word gets out, more power to you. I hope your new endevor takes off.

September 13, 2003 Roger Heath

Tommy-
One might guess I'm included in the "number of arrogant little *****'s on this board". What I become curiouser about daily is whether you collect stamps, and what you have contributed to this board, other than to make argumentative comments. Grany came here asked for an opinion of his auctions with no explanation of his involvement as an entrepreneur. How many times have you seen posters say, "I don't know what I've done wrong, but would you look at auctions." Some people do, and make comments. Today was my day to make comments because I think 24 hour auctions are stupid, especially when putting them up in a void. I have no objection to Grant coming and asking opinions, or advertising his site. I'm not going to comment on the BIN $5.00. My advice was to make it longer and obviously was not appreciated.

Look forward to a philatelic contribution from you some day.

Roger

September 13, 2003 prometheus

Some Where In YBOR City
Some one is opening beer with my name on it.

Later
Brair R - No reperfing secrets yet?

 

September 13, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Grant

Glad to be of help, I apologise for not explaining the problem in the first place.

Dave A
As I explained to eBay when they tried to tell me that cleaning my cache would remove my problems with signing on to eBay:
 

 

• That I had already done that.
   
• That I had been computing for +30 years
   
• That I had stopped using input via ticker-tape and punch cards
   
• That my Kaypro 10 with two floppy disks and no hard drive wouldn't work anymore.
   
• That I wasn't using Windows XP or 2000 so latest worm hadn't gotten me yet.
   
• That their programmers were idiots.
   

I really don't need a 100 gigabyte hard drive to manipulate images of Mars at home.

September 13, 2003 747edt prometheus

And Then again
June 11, 2003 1133 Prometheus

I am fairly constant in my overall dislike of Discussions having Commercials The Date Above is a post I made below.


Although the majority rules .
But I just looked at the boards you referred to and only Two new posts at the threads at the Yellow Boxes , and One was about stamps like kids put on Paper, and the other a hello no discussion, a bunch of things from a few years ago that were current then But....
and it seems to me that Boards tied to a site seem to become Buying and selling forums not Stamp Info which is what I need/desire/crave

September 13, 2003 747EDT Prometheus

I may be confused But ??
Grant sorry you took offense , you asked Come to see my site.

I DID Didn't I
I signed on and Chatted with YOU Live.
Buddy if you ask me for an opinion and I can show When and Where I did the Independent Research,
You ask for Thoughts
I share
My Question How many Others Visited your Chat board and gave you a thumbs up.
I saw the Total Participation At 3 I was one ,You were one ,
If I Am wrong please Show me
 

September 13, 2003 Tommy Ato

Thank you and....
Grant Wagoner: Well said. There are a number of arrogant little *****'s on this board who think they know it all and have an answer for everything. They are also rude, selfish, pig headed, I could go on but you get my drift.

September 13, 2003 prometheus

Grant =
No I wouldn't sell a thousand dollar stamp,
anywhere
that didn't have at least 5 million
eegistered users
just So I could get my minimum # of Page views.
But please I am a new collector and have many of the early holes to fill, I only collect Used,
Thanks for the Marketing
What is the favorite part of Your Collection.
Got any scans to share.
And if you list any used earlies in Good shape let me know

September 13, 2003 00:00 BST Dave Arthur

Jim
You only think your computer does what you need it to do because you are not trying to do anything it can't do ... Don't be so mean .. get out there and keep Mrs Gates and Ms Dell in minks.

September 13, 2003 Grant Wagoner

Thank you and....
Dave Arthur
Thank you for the encouraging words. And I would think they would be to.

prometheus
FREE ! Can you sell a stamp for $1,000 on Stampoffers for FREE! NO!
What part of this word do you not understand? F - R - E - E !
FREE! You show me a STAMP auction site on the internet that lets you post AND sell items (of value) for FREE.
I have a Five Million ($5,000,000) dollars collection.
I want to know I have worms before I go fishing.
Do you think I am doing this for profit? I have four children and when I die, I don't want my collection to go to eBay or a dealer for 10% of it's value. I want it go to the collector for what it's worth, if it is 10% then so be it, but I refuse to let it go to eBay or any other auction that charges a fee, when I can offer the same (or close to it) for FREE!
If I throw a $4,000 Columbian up, how many are going to bid on it that really want it for a collection? If you don't want my nickel/dimes then we ain't (and yes I said ain't) ever going to get to the dollar bills.
As for the programming and running of the site, all it takes is a post in the Bulletin Board (or Live Chat which there is a message about in the bulletin board posted from yesterday) and I can have anything fixed in a matter of a couple of hours. I've been doing this for two years. I know every inch of that site but I don't have 1500+++++ of computers to test on, it takes users, oh wait a second I think that is how it's suppose to work. Am I missing something. Oh I'm sorry this stampchat is FREE, I better not post here anymore, it might ask me for something FREE back.

Anyway I emailed Phillywhatevwhater and let him know the circumstances
regarding the auction site and made him aware that if (and like I said, I expect) I do shut down the site Monday his bids will be honored as the moment it is closed as a auction closes. Just so everybody knows I honor my bidders as seen by my eBay feedback.

Jim Whitford-Stark
That is the exact thing I needed to know. With that information I will try fix things so you can view the site. It's not a big deal.
I will make a adjustment Sunday AM and most likely it will be cleared up. However if it is not I will get to as soon as I get back from church. Thank you.
WorldStamps

September 13, 2003 Dave P

Email scams
It is not only Ebay & Paypal customers targeted by scams - see here. In a way it is quite comforting - the reason given is that the banks etc have security which is too tough for the average criminal to crack, so they target the weak link - the customer!

DP

September 13, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

It would seem people think I am not telling the truth when I write link caused my computer to crash and I can't read it.

At home, I am running an old computer (+5 years) with limited memory.
I use Netscape 4.5 because it is not memory intensive.
Netscape 7 is memory intensive, as is IE.

The downside is that some posts on the eBay chat board stop my browser cold.
Ebay auctions appear on the screen with every letter separated by a little box.
These overlap and I can't read a damn thing.
The net result is I do not bid on anything when I am at home.
I do not even waste my time trying to check out ebay.
Yes, I could buy a new computer.
But, apart from ebay, this one does everything I need it for.

This web site starts out the same and then readjusts so I can read it.
There is obviously some javascript that makes the pages intelligible to older browsers.
Something that eBay does not seem to care sufficiently about to install.

If you want to play with fancy html, make sure it "grandfather's-in" older browsers.

 

September 13, 2003 David Benson

Paolo,

This was the item,

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2949992093&category=36478&rd=1

David Benson

September 13, 2003 David Benson

Chris Ceremuga and Jim,

That is only the tip of the iceberg about the problems with the Australian States that are listed. They are only the pricy ones with problems, most probably the ratio of problems with all lots listed is about 60-70% and most of the cheaper ones are sold. However mostly they are the buyers fault for bidding without using any common sense.

David Benson

September 13, 2003 15:18 Dave F. (moderator)

briefly checking in
My sudden absence over the last several days is thanks to Microsoft Windows. After downloading an "urgent", "critical" update (of which I was also notified by several credible friends), my system totally crashed. That was Thursday afternoon.

It is now Saturday afternoon, I have done nothing else except work on this since the failure on Thursday, and this is the first time I've been able to get online, check email, etc. However, still much to do before things are fixed. Software peculiarities and anomalies abound.

I briefly saw the request about the APS thread, and I'd be happy to do this, but it's going to be at least a day or two before I can come back and spend anytime. (Still have every major app to re-install, etc., etc.) As you might imagine, my work is way behind schedule as well, so consider me just checking in on an emergency basis for another day or so.

I will go back and fix html errors a bit later as well.

Apologies for the unintended absence.

(What's the old joke? "If Bill Gates had a nickel for everytime Windows crashed, he'd be ... Oh, wait a minute -- he does!")

-- Dave

September 13, 2003 prometheus

John - Mag stamps
Are there More of those Cinderfellas you used to close that package???
 

September 13, 2003 prometheus

Roger -
Glad you liked it , razor that is.

Not to worry about me yet, One day I will decide what it is I am going to really Collect and then I'll let you know.

September 13, 2003 prometheus

Grant - Auction site
If you would like I'll email you a list Of at least 5 Free Stamps Auction sites.
Yours is comparable for a start up but if I read your info correctly it took you two years to get to this point ,
Also As I noted onyour chat line the tiny window for chat is hard to use for me anyway,

Good luck.
also I thought you wanted way to much info for me to register there.
For the chat room that looks like I think you are looking for go to Stampoffers.com they chat about what they list, who is buying what, kinda like a stamp club on line (i'm told I've never been a memeber of a stamp club) Check out both the Auction and the Chat site.
Who wants to see what and for those 5 cent stamps that are sometimes hard to find they have plenty

They also have some Real Sellers who put up High value Items too, a MNH set of Zepps sold there and I think a high value Columbian just ended or is almost over it started out at a penney.
 

September 13, 2003 22:55 BST Dave Arthur <dave@davesgame.com>

World Stamps Auction Site
Grant
Some of the posts on this board appear to be belittling your efforts to provide a FREE auction site for philatelists. Well I applaud the effort, the site looks nice and clear (very readable), appears to work well and is just an all round excellent piece of progamming especially if it has been a "spare-time" project. It certainly looks and operates better than StampHead and another one that originates in Texas but I can't remember the name (russ something).
 

I wish you luck, all you need is a few buyers to support your project and news of good sites spread by word of mouth (or Google!). I think Phillywhateverstupidnumber is pulling your plonker and just getting items on the cheap. If I lived in the US I would bid if it were populated with my collection needs (rather than because they are 1c starters - he'll probably try to sell them on Ebay for $100) but if you are going to pull it, do it now and save yourself some stamps and time cashing a 10c cheque! (It does seem a real waste of two years of effort tho!
I would hope that the more senior (experienced) members of this board would go out of their way to help you or at least offer you some encouragement - but then again maybe not.
 

Good luck on whatever project you go on to next.

September 13, 2003 Grant http://unitedstamps.com/cgi-bin/auction.pl
 

Oh I understand
Roger
I totally agree. But I've been at this for two years and the site is done. Except for the everyday testing which only comes from user use. I have tested every aspect that I can and fixed everything I can. So it's now up to the net community.
Within six months a bulklister will be available(free), a mall for users to have "free" stores. A couple of years ago I offered free shopping carts, where I paid for your entire store to be set up (I was going to pay for that program for every registered user, I think it was $89 a store at the time) but the developer rather I pay him $1200 for a "license" to sell HIS product that I was buyingfirst. Needless to say, I didn't give him $1200 and that was the end of that project.
So I turned my attention into developing my own auction site and "mall" for the stamp community and now it's time, to either move on to the next project or off the net.
To make a long statement short, I have been trying to help the internet philatelic world in offering free deals, I think eBay is a monopoly and I don't use them anymore for that reason. And yes allot of them is "to good to be true". But I think if you you look around on the search engines and any place on the net you won't find any negatives about me WorldStamps / unitedstamps.com / Grant Wagoner.
So if you all want to continue to pay other sites for server space and post a single auction into the middle of 3-4 million at a time (that is not focused on philatelic community), that's your choice.
BUT, if your interested in taking advantage of what I have to offer, then post a auction or call me at the number below.
Just to let you know though, I don't expect any responce to this, here, the auction or by phone. I am anticipating shutting the site down Monday, because why should I believe in the you, if you don't believe in me, I can only steal the word FREE from you. (It's a hobby not a business for me)
1985 aka Quest Philatelics Youngstown, OHIO USA
Grant

September 13, 2003 John B

Bill W

Yes I understand that,as I have attended and purchaced at live auctions,But then again E-bay is not a live auction.But I have paid my share of buyers fees in the past.
Thanks

September 13, 2003 Grant http://unitedstamps.com/cgi-bin/auction.pl
 

That was quick. See you at eBay
Well I guess that's the end of those. Fastest I've ever see. Someone here got some nice pieces. Buy the way I paid about $100.00 for both of those items. Congrats Philly1969.
I was doing it for "the stamp chat board" since you all have had allot of patience with my posts in the last 6 months. I was hoping to see it be a auction not a manslaughter. Thanks Roger.
I think I will go back to eBay and pay all those fees just to sell items. I seem to only have lost about 10% there.
I was hoping to actually develop a site that was free for collectors and such. Remember, those free stamp shows you use to go too?
Why not a free stamp auction or mall on the net. I currently charge for extra's at the moment in order that I can develop the site without being bombarded with a bunch of technicalities all at once. Anyways, I'll get off my soap box and go.
If anyone is interested in ever seeing a "free- no charging for additional extra's" auction site strictly for the stamp collector just call me at (239)560-9132. I pay for all services. I don't ask for donations. Maybe I should switch to .org and ask for some?
See ya at eBay
Grant
eBay ID: worldstamps

 

September 13, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Dave P

I see you've been watching Bill expouse about giant eruptions, volcanoes collapsing and tidal waves.
You have to be an optimist before you even set foot on a volcano.

I have a Japan question, which I ought to know the answer to, but I'm unsure.
So I'll put it as a question.

The 1965 Japan issue of Niseko-Shakotan Otaru Kaigan quasi national park shows a mountain.
The Smithsonian volcano catalog indicates Niseko is an alternative name for Iwaonupuri.
Are they one and the same?

September 13, 2003 Roger Heath

Norwegian Razor
Prometheus -
Thanks for the Norwegian razor, which arrived yesterday. When you recover from your youthful excesses, let me know via email anything I can watch for in my searches that you are particularly interested in. I would like to reciprocate.

Roger

September 13, 2003 Dave P

I am also a "glass half full" type, I would hope that anyone bidding on that sort of stuff would be able to recognise a forgery of that sort. I would think a similar survey of GB overprints (even excluding those now marked as definate forgeries) would be even worse.

Jim I would have thought being an optimist was a prerequisite for being a vulcanologist, otherwise you would be continually worried about giant tidal waves from the Canaries inundating the USA. See what happens when I watch too many popular Science TV shows!

September 13, 2003 Grant

Hey Roger your right,
Hey Roger your right, and to celebrate I've marked them as a Instant Purchase. $5.00 enough?
Grant

September 13, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Chris

Only 34% ?
That means there's 2/3 of a chance of getting what you paid for.
I'm an optimist!!!

Grant

yes, link crashes my computer and I can't read it.

September 13, 2003 Roger Heath

Grant
I just re-read your post and realize I didn't understand your writing at the end. I agree most of the philatelic community probably hasn't seen these stamps, but they unlikely to if you only list them for 24 hours. Excuse, I've got to go and list some things.

Roger

September 13, 2003 Roger heath

Grant's Stamps
Grant -
Why on Earth do you have a24 hour auction? Why not put these on Ebay where there are millions who might see them?
Self-promotion is great, but it is high unlikely that most of the philatelic community have seen them. For example I've never heard about them and didn't know they existed and I've never seen a "unommitted" stamp from this issue. My thought is to immediately stop that auction and list on Ebay!

Roger

September 13, 2003 Grant Wagoner <fixit@unitedstamps.com> http://unitedstamps.com/cgi-bin/auction.pl
 

Everything seems to be working , so to celebrate.....
Hi all,
I think everything is working as planned (finally). I have a few pieces posted and have a bids. And to celebrate I have listed two (2) items with penny starts and no reserve. You won't believe your eyes.
These are only 24 hour auctions.
Number One C.V. $125.00++.


Number Two C.V. Estimate at $50.00+.

If anyone does have any problems at the auction please email me at the above email, so I can fix it immediately.

Grant Wagoner
WorldStamps

P. S. This is a selling link. If this is not allowed please remove, I understand. However, this is the only place I am making aware of regarding these items, since it the most "philatelic" community I have seen on the net.

September 13, 2003 Bill Weiss

20% Buyer's Premium
JOHN (MAGNOLIA); I wanted to comment too about your last post. I think that you are having a hard time distinguishing between acceptable auction procedures in the real world versus on eBay. In the real world, while this does seem like a high buyer's premium, it's not that bad. 15% is common, and higher is common in highest-level auctions, like Christies and Sotheby's. Don't confuse eBay with a real auction when you formulate your opinions about what's fair or not. Loads of sophisticated and intelligent buyers happily participate in these non-eBay public auctions simply because that's where the finest material is sold - not on eBay.

September 13, 2003 Bill Weiss

APS/eBay
ROGER; Absolutely. APS obviously has no obligation to be compelled to do this for us, but since he is being kind enough to agree to it, we should do it in as painless of a way as possible (for them), and what you suggest is great.

September 13, 2003 Roger Heath

APS/Ebay
Bill-
Great idea. Once the policies are posted, maybe you can contact Bob Lamb and ask about a time frame, so we don't inundate him, but give an opportunity too respond to groups of questions about similar concerns. I think we must give APS the benefit of the doubt as they get into this role. Ebay had Safe Harbor, Trust and Safety, etc, etc. and couldn't deal with the problems, we must give APS a chance to discover how large the problem is.

Roger

September 13, 2003 Bill Weiss

Good Deed
Some of you will recall that a few days ago there was a discussion which ended up with an eBay buyer "Stampbob" being charged too much for an auction lot - to the tune of hundreds of dollars. I sent him an email that night, and I am happy to report that he sent me one today thanking me for the "heads up". He asked if he should report this matter to the seller or to eBay, whereupon I advised him "both". I also informed him of the good work of this board in spotting the situation and invited him to join us. Let's see if he does.

September 13, 2003 Chris Ceremuga

Australian items on Ebay
Just did a little exercise of looking at the descriptions of the most expensive Australian items on Ebay (by using Browse & then according to item price). Of course only some problems can be seen from the scans but results are interesting:

4th item 2951091166 $1250 - probable trace of removed pen cancel, described as "fine mint"

5th 2950441539 $895 - primitive forged "O.S."

6th 2951092556 $850 - it is not plate 1 SG 20 as described, probably signs of removed pen cancel

7th 2950786974 $799 - forged overprint (this overprint does not exist on this stamp, letters wrong shape etc)

8th 2950439777 $750 - probably removed pen cancel as this variety not previously known mint. 99% of "mint" or "unused" stamps of this issue on the market have cleaned pen cancels

16th 2950440012 $475 - probably removed pen cancel as 99% of "mint" or "unused" stamps of this issue on the market have cleaned pen cancels, escpecially as this stamp looks bit too bright

22nd 2950440517 $350 - perfs cut off! while it is described as "Unlisted by sg! Lovely fine used and very, very rare" ha ha ha

29th 2950726067 $249 - the shade is not even close to the rare slate-blue

32nd 2950798386 $239 - forged overprint as wrong basic stamp & letters wrong shape

39th 2951088445 $199 - margins too narrow so almost certainly a trimmed later perforated issue stamp


Out of the 40 most expensive items in the category 29 are "single" items ie not sets or collections.

So 10/29 = 34% of the single items are forged/altered/misdescribed or very doubtful.

 

September 13, 2003 Bill Weiss

APS/eBay Relationship
I am a little reluctant to post this on a weekend for fear very few will read it, but perhaps I can mention it again on Monday and have interested board members scroll back to it.
A few weeks ago I posted the fact that I wrote a letter to Robert Lamb, the executive director of APS which inquired about the APS/eBay relationship. I had been told that there was a seminar at the Columbus show with an eBay rep. present and that lots of questions had been asked and answered.
Bob Lamb has been away for awhile, but today I received an anwer from him. He stated that indeed, the minutes of that seminar were in the process of being compiled and will be posted on the APS site. He also stated that he would be completely willing to answer any questions that members of this board may have about the relationship.
I suggested to him that perhaps it might be better to wait until the seminar minutes are posted and then after we have access to them, some of the questions we currently may have might be answered there. I will notify this board if and when the seminar minutes are finished and posted for all to read. Meanwhile, if any of you have what you regard as a pressing question, please feel free to ask it.
DAVE FRICK - In this regard, would it be possible to gather any questions onto one thread so that instead of feeding them one at a time to Lamb, perhaps we could gather many before submitting them?

September 13, 2003 nomad55

Richard V....both applied on the FDC of the stamp. The cancelling process was set up to put the pair of dates on the same time.

September 13, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Richard

The July 20th is a "convenience" cancel signifying the date of the landing but applied much later.
The September 9th is the "true" first day cancel.
However, unless you actually mailed the envelope yourself on September 9th, there is a strong possibility that the date is also a "convenience" cancel.
 

September 13, 2003 Jim Lawler <jlawler@comteck.com>

Jim L.

September 13, 2003 05:20 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
David B.
Thanks for your information. I've updated the page to straighten out the handling of the postal card in transferring from the Chinese PO to IJPO in Shanghai.

September 13, 2003 Richard Vanger

USA FDC
Hello to USA collectors.
USA is not one of my main coutries, but anything that comes across my table usualy finds a place. I found this FDC of the 10c C76 "First man on the moon" stamp, postmark Washington DC Sep 9 1969. Below is another postmark " Moon Landing. July 20 1969 USA. What I am trying to work out is "what came first the chicken or the egg". Did the post cancel the FDC and then cancel again with the prior date?
Thanks for your help.
Richard V.

September 13, 2003 04:36 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is a picture postcard from China to the United States in 1905. A daughter of the President is a fellow traveler!

September 13, 2003 Chris Ceremuga

IRAN lot
Bill, actually the seller is not the expertizer & author but a specialist dealer & a friend of his. Normally all classic Iran he sells is signed or certified by Mehrdad Sadri. This stamp is not - from the scan I can comment that it has a previously unrecorded design/type of the control overprint! - I assume Mr Sadri thought it's probably genuine but was not prepared to certify it. The basic stamp & postmark can of course be checked, but authenticating a previously unrecorded control overprint is much more difficult!

September 13, 2003 0945 BST Ed.B

D2 AKA DB
Thanks David. Enjoy your summer.

September 13, 2003 David Benson

Ed. the other Benson,

20th. May 1961

David the other Benson

September 13, 2003 0915 BST Ed.B

Looking for a FDI for France
Good morning all: Could anyone give me the first day of issue for France 1961 Red Cross Fund. There are six stamps SG 1525 - 1530. My Gibbons doesn't give FDI's.

Many thanks Ed

September 13, 2003 Lavar Taylor

Good evening/day to all. Today's featured item of postal history focuses on Germany and an uncommon usage of a common stamp. This post card was sent from Meerane Germany on April 11, 1906 to Northeast Harbor, Maine. The card is franked with two copies of the 10pf Germania stamp and has a boxed "T" (for postage due) which is obliterated with blue crayon. There is a receiving mark dated April 23.

The postcard rate from Germany at this time was 10pf. So why is this card franked with two copies of the 10pf stamp, and why is there an obliterated postage due marking? From 1878 to October 1, 1907, UPU rules required that post cards have the message on the message side of the card only. Any post card with a message on the address side of the card was to be treated as a letter. Based on this rule, it appears that the sender originally franked the card with only one 10pf stamp, the card was marked postage due because, as a letter, it was underfranked by 10pf. Then the sender paid an additional 10pf so that the card could be sent as a letter without any postage due.

Postcards from prior to October, 1907 with writing on the address side and with full payment of the letter postage are hard to find. Most examples of these types of cards were underpaid and charged postage due.

September 12, 2003 11:02 P.M. C.D.T John@Magnolia Stamps

Wow I can't believe it,Talk about dreamers,check this out.dream on!!!! and with only a 20% buyers fee!Where does this guy think he is....

September 12, 2003 prometheus

Midnight friday
My favorite girl and my favorite club both get a little hot around friday midnight catch you all later in weekend maybe.


To those missing my postcards of the day , just Like MacArthur they shall return next week in earnest, with better descriptions/explanations ala the others that post their great missives.
I have most of the books and will strive to get the hang of next level Show and Tell.

Rock on Pro......................

September 12, 2003 Jim Lawler

September 12, 2003 prometheus

Jim W-S
That link works fine for me , Do Not know why I can't get there from below.

What other rock formations do you look for/like ,
I gots lotsa cards with unclear cancels/unused.

 

September 12, 2003 Grant Wagoner http://www.unitedstamps.com/cgi-bin/auction.pl?item=811063361975
 

Long night
Paolo,
Yes you are right I did mean exhibition. It was a long night trying to get things done. Obviously I can't spell when I'm tired. I'm surprised I got my name right. I posted a link to the item above, that I mentioned. Thanks for stopping in.
Grant
September 12, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Roger, actually, I've been very strongly advised that if I'm planning to wait a couple of months, I should try to buy a car the week between Christmas and New Years, as that's the best time around now to buy, due to year-end quotas and the like. So I'm probably going to shoot for that.
 

End of the year normally works best for me anyways. At some point soon, my social security paycheck contributions cap off, and my paychecks are suddenly larger, so I have more money around the end of the year, and not less. Provided I don't spend it all on Christmas gifts, of course.
 

Jim

September 12, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Prometheus

I erased cache and it still works for me.
And I have the oldest browser probably still in use.
Try it without the link opener.

September 12, 2003 prometheus

Jim WS
and I copy here "The page cannot be found
The page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please try the following:

If you typed the page address in the Address bar, make sure that it is spelled correctly.

Open the www.iomoon.com home page, and then look for links to the information you want.
Click the Back button to try another link.
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September 12, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Prometheus
Just got home from the watering hole where I sucked a few myself.
Maybe my web site is in cache still, however it works for me.

Paolo
I may have misread Harmers ad or it is badly written - probably the latter.
Since it makes no mention of Italian States in expanded description, just Vullo's airmail stamp collection and Great Britain.
These auction houses need to get new writers.
"It eclipses the auction of the Marquess of Butte collection"
Sorry, missed that one, did he sell anything interesting?
Not to mention Thomas A. Matthews, Socorro Guerra and Geoffrey L. Solomon.
Did these guys ever sell or buy on eBay or Yahoo?
If so, I must have missed them.

Mind you, in the wilds of west Texas we are sorta out of the mainstream.
Seems I'll have to wait for the catalog to find out.

September 12, 2003 17:16 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Spiro Blocks
Paolo

 

It is nice to see all those Spiro half blocks. Thanks for bringing that up. Please let me know by email if you see something else. For the information to the board, Spiro issued his forgeries in blocks of 25 if a 5x5 format. Therefore, those blocks of 15 are 2/3 sheets.

September 12, 2003 17:16 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Spiro Blocks
Paolo

 

It is nice to see all those Spiro half blocks. Thanks for bringing that up. Please let me know by email if you see something else. For the information to the board, Spiro issued his forgeries in blocks of 25 if a 5x5 format. Therefore, those blocks of 15 are 2/3 sheets.

September 12, 2003 17:12 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Iran Bidders
D2

 

The seller of that Iran issue is the leading US expertizer of Iran. If he says it is genuine it is genuine. He is the one who writes many of the books and is a leading scholar of Iran.

September 12, 2003 prometheus

Jim W-S
Even after a few beers your link doesn't work,
when in doubt apply more Beer

September 12, 2003 dbenson@bigpond.net.au

Bill, hope the Iranian bidders knows what they are doing,

David Benson

September 12, 2003 David Benson

Paolo, lot of interesting material there. I have never seen the Tuscany 1 Livre fake before. Hard to sy what you are after, possibly the Neapolitan Provinces 10c. double embossed, have to really give up, what is it,

David

September 12, 2003 Paolo Sbarbaglia dal Lago

Sorry for the bold!!! :-((((

September 12, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Jim W-S thanks for the "heads up"!!! Will see what I can get.


 

Bill C. thanks for your mention.
Regarding that scanned image (I had not even noticed it, the 50 b. and the 1 scudo are forgeries, for the rest, the highest catalogue value, are reprints) it could be worth in the same order of quantity of the actual bid, 90-100 euro's IMO, a doctored (knowlingly added to) collection.
Maybe much more interesting will be to follow this on which I am planning to snipe... but WHY?
Paolo

September 12, 2003 15:50 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Iran Interesting
D2

 

This auction will be interesting to follow!


 

Paolo

 

This also will be interesting to fillow


 

September 12, 2003 Roger Heath

Car vs. Stamps - No Contest
Jim Griffith -
You can always downgrade your transportation requirements, but never, never downgrade your collecting standards. Other cars come along, but soem stamps just have your name on them. I say this, "Check the savings account after New Year's and see what car you can afford." No point being despondent at Christmas when you could be studying your new aquisitions.

Roger, whose car has been waiting for a rear wheel bearing for 4 weeks.

September 12, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Well, sigh. I've got some tough decisions coming up. I'm thinking about buying a new car, probably in the week after Christmas, which is supposed to be a good time. And we're just getting into the full swing of auction season, what with Shreves about to announce a couple of big auctions, Siegel's sure to follow suit, Bill's auction a couple of weeks after that, and Rumsey in December. So I'm going to have to somehow balance saving for a car with buying stamps, and I want to do both. Sucks to be me, I guess.
 

Jim

September 12, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

David B.
Congratulations on that! I actually could not see where (and whom) you bought it from. Maybe now that you have it, you could tell me where it was offered?
The CDS looks rather unclear to me, as I wrote in my e-mail. However, this being accompanied by that signature (I knew whom proclaimed himself as his master, lately -- had a conversation with him, pleasing -- regarding mine and other's material, we looked at it at the same table! (*) -- and rather disappointing for me concerning one theoretical philatelic-historical detail, of importance, no postal history involved, just regarding history of the making of postage stamps) makes it a relevant Tunisian postal history item.
Paolo
 

September 12, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Hi Paolo
there is an interesting article in the latest London Phil. by Nino Aquila on the postal service of Sicily and stamps of Ferdinand II of bourbon.
You might want to try and get hold of a copy. About 17 pages with color plates.
Also in November, Harmers has sale of Italian States collected by Gaetano Vullo

September 12, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Sweden...
Correction in topic name!
Ooops!

September 12, 2003 David Benson

Paolo, got the 40c. Sardinia with TUNISI cds. this morning, no other bids, must have been the spelling that kept opposition away.

My comment about Brazil was not because of the reliability of the seller but because of the problems with covers in Brazil. I have bought and sold there without any problems.

David Benson

September 12, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Sewden stamp booklet?
Hi Mr. Grant W.,
I don't know about your booklet. Could it be you meant to write exhibition, other than expedition? Please forgive my ignorance and this suggestion of mine, if they are out of place (I cannot read Scandinavian languages).
I believe I met you at that chat place in that auction site. I could not get to "http://www.unitedstamps.com/cgi-bin/auction.pl?ite m=811063361975" the Italian WWII special cancel.
Paolo
 

September 12, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Christo v. Z. -- Hi, Christo! The pleasure is all mine.

There must be (or have been) something wrong with eBay searches, because there was no way I could get completed auctions for that seller (sutor_47). I would not suggest to be wary because of any provenance, especially not South America (maybe a few sellers from ex COMICON countries, such as Rumania, could be suspicious). I dealt several times with South Americans with no trouble.

Paolo

September 12, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Prometheus
As it is friday and they are demolishing the room underneath my office I bailed out.
Gave me a chance to add the postcard to my web site.

September 12, 2003 prometheus

Waiting
as I await my child's mother to arrive and get her for three days.
I keep hearing HOMER SIMPSON Saying BEER..........
Tasty lovely cold Beer.........
 

September 12, 2003 prometheus

JIM W S
I wish you guys would stop using your telepathy

as I told Jim and jim and you Jim

I Have enough voices inside my head now, so just stop it.

September 12, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Hmm, the stamp I was watching and on which a newbie with zero feedback broke the reserve is "This item may no longer be available" and the seller is "No longer a registered user".

And I didn't do a thing apart from mentally decline to bid on it.
Can eBay read my mind?

September 12, 2003 prometheus

john -MAG STAMPS
PACKAGE GRATEFULLY RECIEVED

They will be long treasured in my collection.

September 12, 2003 ?

hadleigh
H is so bad it is absurb

yet H is still allow on stampauctioncentral

there sbould be a website of confirm bad apples

only after 10 independent confirm sightings will one make it to the website should alleviate any concerns of a bad confirmation

September 12, 2003 Grant Wagoner http://unitedstamps.com/cgi-bin/auction.pl
 

Swden stamp booklet?
No idea what this item is derived from. I am assuming it is a Swedish booklet for a stamp expedition?
http://www.unitedstamps.com/cgi-bin/auction.pl?item=3291063984373

Any info would be appreciated.
Grant / WorldStamps

September 12, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Dave P
Gotta rush, but CYE.

Mourning Johhny.

September 12, 2003 sveiki!

Good Morning/Day/Afternoon/Evening!
Knud-Erik Du skulle prøve at checke din e-mail konto. Har sendt et par mails til dig. {:o)

September 12, 2003 nomad55

Roger....I can totally sympathize. I search for certain dates in postmarks, and am totally disgusted when I get a match for the month and year (such as "cancelled February 1949"), but the dealer only shows the picture side and does not give the exact date. Its not worth my time to email and ask the obvious.

After winning cards with my desired dates, discovered either via description or address side picture, I always tell the seller the reason I bid was because of the date - and had you not told me the date initially, I would have ignored your offering.

 

September 12, 2003 06:25 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is a cover from Sweden to England in 1867. Nice classic item!

Running late today. Stupid phone link was noisy and slowed down transmission to complete uselessness. Thank you, Sprint!

September 12, 2003 David Benson

Roger, that translates to,

I spent 3 months scanning so I could list these all on a free listing day and I am not interested in scanning the other sides in case you want to buy one,

Please do not bother me again, I am too busy,

 

September 12, 2003 Roger Heath

International Patience & Understanding? );>)
I sent the following email to a PC seller who has 11,992 auctions currently up on Ebay. Yea!!! I found them all by using town searches, because the country isn't mentioned in either title or description! But there are many listed in Schweiz postcards category on Ebay Germany, in which there are 1800 PC's listed. I haven't a clue how many are his, because I don't even know how to search through his items to find Swiss material, when the word isn't used. Anyway, where was I going with this post? Oh, yes!

"Hello,
I collect certain types of cancels from major cities in Switzerland from
1898 - 1935. I sure wish you showed the address side of all your
postcards! But I can't bid on any because you only show the picture.

Roger "

Here is the answer to my email:
"Hallo Roger,

sorry I do not know 3 months addresses scanning
but someone then 1 postcard buys
That spends stands in none hold back-eats to success

Greeting Sven

Something was lost while this travelled through the ether. I think the answer is - No.
I'm going to bed with a smile on my face, and a little frustration with the certainty there are some good cancels among his lots, I just will never know.

Roger

September 12, 2003 Roger Heath

Had ta do it
Now my name has been mentioned, I must add to the conversation. Here's a Zurich razor cancel used as a receiver. This version happens to be worth more than the asking price, and since I'll only be showing the back side the front was of little concern. So I guess one can buy from any seller if the seller doesn't kow the value of specific items. I look at everything else offered and just wonder!!!
A few may be cheaper such as this variety, but very clean. Sometimes one must buy a group for a scarce usage, and sometimes just lucky to see it at all. As you see there is a time spread of usage, and some of the most difficult are receivers because sellers don't show the backs of their items. Then there are PC sellers.............

Roger





 

September 12, 2003 John@MagnoliaStamps

Shilling
Prometheus

Thanks for the heads up! Seems that I can't buy a 10cent candy bar for a dollar on e-bay,without getting outbid..oh well I don't care anymore,it's to much hassel..And on top of that it's 2:05 in the morning and I just drove 9hundred miles straight with only 1 stop,so I'm off to sleepy town I'll worry about this **** later in the day,after I chase Mr.sandman away...by the way did you get you package?.......Nightie Night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

September 12, 2003 Dave P

Shilling
Hadleigh's shilling seems so blatant I have a couple of questions.
(1) Has anyone actually reported him to Ebay, and if so have they ignored it?

(2) Why does he do it? He has sold a lot of stuff (non-shilled) on Ebay, I don't think he gets the best out of some of it because of the way he lists it, but I know Roger got a razor cover from him because I pointed it out to him (I assume he got the cover OK). If he has got a good business going, why shill, or is all the small stuff a smokescreen for the high value sales? I am confused.
DP

September 12, 2003 Brian R

ooops!
Jim & Prometheus You guys want funny? Take a look at the main selling account feedback. About 50 back "small" neged hadleigh! LOL Ironically, this less than zero feedback ID, chose to use the same wording as another zero ID, which flamed python.

A little mixup in the order numbers, maybe? LOL

September 12, 2003 Lavar Taylor

Good evening/day to all. Today's featured item of postal history focuses on German Offices in Turkey and the Danish West Indies. This cover was mailed from the German PO in Beirut on May 15, 1906. There is a German PO registration label at upper left. The postage is on the reverse .

The cover is endorsed via Antwerpen, on the Dampfer Antonina. At the front lower left, there is a registry marking from St. Thomas, DWI, and on the reverse there are receiving marks from Christiansted and St. Thomas., the latter being dated June 12, 1906.

September 11, 2003 Chris

Early Spain
Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850) Thanks for the info.
I think I am going to wait on collecting early spain until I have the time and money
to buy some known good examples and the necessary literature. From the prices,
my theory is the dealer thought they were hinky too.

Chris - currently putting away some modern Sweden

September 11, 2003 prometheus

heres a whole group of real bidders being led by the nose I think
ICOULDBEWRONG yeah right, and the checks in the mail, I love you, and bill didn't leave that on Monica's dress.

September 11, 2003 David D'

PEI bisect FAKE
ronsstamps -
sorry to beat a dead horse, but the PEI bisect is certainly fake. In addition to the fact that there is no reason for any PEI stamp on a cover originating in Nova Scotia, the fact that PEI never used a 4-bar grid cancel there is another little problem with the cover -- the bisected PEI stamp (the 4d black) was not issued until 1868 - 4 years AFTER the date of the cover.
 

September 11, 2003 prometheus

Jim W S
For sure to attack pythonjf and to shill a little Mag john got tagged by him

could a member over there ask him to come over here.
I got questions.

September 11, 2003 prometheus

Jim W-S
Just to shill alittle and to nail poor Pythonjf


Another interesting thing I found Europeans don't have to show bidding buying history, Hows that work.

If I register thru my cousins address on the continent does that keep all that private or is it just some countries.

September 11, 2003 Prometheus

Wow this goes on and on
again
I think that PythonJF the seller is about to get a bunch of Negs from Hampsteadheath who likes H auctions alot and was winner of a lot of pythons auctions payback maybe for the preceding link?
Goingsmallbidsalot

H as Chathamstamps
Poor Pythonjf = He actually told the teuth and the at least three of someone cohorts Nail him with 15 negs real quick,
There is the Obay way
another fine example of the community approach to Bizbess

My question is there anything the poor Python can do.

John Mag stamps be careful you are involved in at least one oof these shilled????? I ain't sure yet.

Lets see 1 + 1 = ?

September 11, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Prometheus
Try to figure why this bidder, suddenly got ressurected, after a two year break.
I'd be interested!!

September 11, 2003 prometheus

did this buyer pay a lot more than he had too
another

September 11, 2003 prometheus

Because I have lots of time Point me and I'll look
INTERESTING
Is Indiawind also the ghost of Hadleigh as this seller states

September 11, 2003 chas adrion http://home.rochester.rr.com/adrion/stamp.html
 

Here's a good on for the stamp police :-)....

From an APS member in good standing.
Same seller has some other 'awesome' material.

http://page.auctions.shopping.yahoo.com/auction/81609274?aucview=0x13

September 11, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Shucks bob
I knew it couldn't be you.
You know eBay, inside and out, better than I.
Besides which, none of the bids have been for revenues!!

September 11, 2003 seller police

For reference this item is not a true U.S. #64 pink 3 cent issue. It is a #65. This powerseller does not know his stamps. Ebay #2951125475

 

September 11, 2003 Bill Weiss

30c Stamp
STAMP POLICE; Good job - it is reperfed at the right and looks pretty ugly overall!

September 11, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

marius
I see your point.
At $3.300 he had highest bid.
No reason he should have paid $3,700.
Another seller to put on my "no go" list.
In fact, I may put all the buyers and sellers as "persona non grata".
I feel there is something larger and not very nice to honest people happening here.
Just don't have the time to work on it.

September 11, 2003 Bill Weiss

Marius & Jim
I have done my good deed for the night and sent Stampbob an email telling him how it appears he's being overcharged. Let's see if he responds at all.

September 11, 2003 seller police

ebay #2950019842 This stamp is in "fair" condition HA HA HA

September 11, 2003 Bob Hohertz

Needless to say

It should be needless to say I am not nor ever will be superbobh1943... any resemblance cannot be due to amounts expended, either.

September 11, 2003 seller police

check out ebay #2949932815. Can you see what is wrong? Seller does not mention any faults.

September 11, 2003 Marius

superbob
Jim Yes, he is being taken for a ride. He should have paid one increment above $3,207.

September 11, 2003 prometheus <Prometheus@1Internetdrive.com>

Interesting Tidbit about modern mailing habits
In an unscientific survey today of 90 students in one of my classes
I discovered that only three had Mailed an Item using stamps this year.
Two birthday Cards Home and one a payment sent by check thru the mail to delay the cashing of said check.

Alost all use cellphones, email, text, and IM- ICQ for their normal communications.
Most spending was done with electronic payments of one form or another,
When I asked all to save me any mail they recieved (the envelopes of course) they looked at me like the Villagers who just found Frankenstein.
Talk about being glad I sit in back of lecture Hall.
Of course there were a few who said my old man , dad, father, grand father likes stamps.
I really felt out of the loop today.
 

September 11, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Mark
Oh my, seems superbob lost this one to a relative newbie.
but it would seem newbie didn't want it and superbob got it anyway.
Is superbob being taken for a ride?

September 11, 2003 prometheus

NOIP
If anyone here has a teenager that would like to know the Joys of being a single parent (all but one weekend a month) send me their name and address, I'll send them my list of things the joy of Unprotected sex have brought me.
19 and stupid yep that was me.
Old at 23 Yep that is me.

September 11, 2003 prometheus

Bill W = Reply
Sorry for delay haven't been able to get into my post office this week between my kid and school , and the always filled 5 parking spaces they have, plan on making it to airport post office this weekend, Her mother gets her this weekend.
I'm free for three whole days and nights .
can anyone say BEER!!!!

September 11, 2003 Mark B.

Jim

I've got it on my watch list too ( not to buy !! ). I notice that he had the £5 orange up for sale a while ago with a BIN of $4000 on it - he really does have high expectations of everything that he (tries to) sell.

I sure wish I had some of Superbob's money ! ( or stamps ).

Mark - off to BWI to pick up my Mrs.

September 11, 2003 Ed.B

Changing catergories pt.2
Should have said that that seller would have had to download the UK version of turbolister that is if he used it, as he had to list in £'s or in this case under 99p.

September 11, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Mark

Bidding seems to have progressed since your link 8 hours or more ago.
It seems that, in the running is superbobh243, who, and correct me if I am wrong, was prominent in the auction from kwality that Dave A had a problem with.
Maybe superbob just has too much money to play with!!

September 11, 2003 Ed.B

Changing catergories
prometheus: You can change catergories, descriptions etc. as long as there is no bid. If he used turbolister he would have had to enter a catergory when preparing his listings. The UK version of turbolister will not let you launch auctions without a title or catergory. I can't say if other versions are the same as I have never used them.

September 11, 2003 Bill Weiss

BRIAN R; Gee, at least the seller of that great Lincoln document didn't say "AS IS" in the description. I'm optomistic; so far over 90 hits and only one fool!

PROMO; You said you were sending that postcard with the 5c and while I really don't care if you do, or don't, I keep watching for it, so what's the status?

September 11, 2003 prometheus

Jim W-S
No problem I've seen it.

I just think it's neat that the picture you chose for your Web site background (which is good by the way) and that postcard matched , Of course I liked the people on the rocks better.

September 11, 2003 prometheus

Dave P = And Others
slowly but surely he is Revising those Blank auctions into Real Auctions.
334 listings not bad I guess, Have made a note about the method in case I ever want to list over there.
Saved hisself $100.20 in listing fees
Has already picked up a batch of bids maybe not a bad thing for this seller.

Question for those that list there Do I understand that you can change Catagory very easy , so the idea would be to use one of those Bulk listers and then like him fill in (revise) listing to what you had??

September 11, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

christo

Just found out that the link doesn't work for netscape 4.5.
In fact it can't even find the page.
I hate IE (and Netscape 7).

Prometheus
Many thanks for the card which arrived today.
If I wasn't so whacked, I'd scan it now.
Maybe after a few hours of R&R.

September 11, 2003 Christo van Zyl

This Dear/French Cover
IO schucks, why didn't he jyst start it at a half million dollars. Is he trying to trick us like the convenience stores do? Advertise items for 99.99 to make you think you are actually paying less than 100.00!

David Benson So I guess the brown colouring and toning is a result of the climate then. I will have to keep a lookout for such problems. The only problem I have with the seller on occasions is that some of his scans are "overexposed" - makes it difficult for me to judge if there are any surface blemishes etc.

Anyway, past the ghost hour here - off to sleep now.
Good wishes to all, Christo

September 11, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

When your beloved asks "What on Earth did you get me for our anniversary".
You answer, "This dear".

September 11, 2003 David Benson

Christo, when I was in Brazil at an Exhibition every cover I saw had age marks and no one seemed to worry about them or spots on stamps.

The other cover is in much better condition and I agree about the seller as I have seen a few nice items he has.

David Benson

September 11, 2003 Dave P

Something I have not seen before, seller obviously caught off-guard by the FLD, so has put up a lot of "blank" auctions like this

September 11, 2003 Brian R

deja vu again
Hey, why not? An ebay bidder and his money are soon parted. This item, would make a nice companion, to a certain R. E. Lee from last month. I wonder if the bidding will get just as loony?

September 11, 2003 Dave P

FLD
Prometheus Numbers would be down a bit on a normal FLD as it was only 99p and lower items. You would be tempting fate a bit to start a valuable item at 99p and hope it didn't get lost in the crud!
 

Richard Thank you for that extra info, I admit to finding postal forgeries (im)properly used a fascinating subject. Maybe when I have the time and money it will be a new collecting theme.

DP

September 11, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

shill bidding
Dang, first break today and I've got class again in 20 minutes.

Brian
"This is because there is no federal law against shill bidding, and there is no federal law to authorize the FTC or other anti-fraud units to monitor shill bidding. The FBI might be doing a lot of work for nothing.

Yes, there are various state laws against shill bidding, but the FTC also doubts that such state laws would apply to the Internet which is viewed as an interstate - even an international - enterprise."

Mark

Really, who would have thought it!!! :-Þ

September 11, 2003 prometheus

BOB Lodge =
Nice show and tell thanks for sharing
I love that kind of thing
I'm working now on getting my sharing down a little bit better.

September 11, 2003 prometheus

FLD = More info
1.5 Million listings yesterday, Great Jump in Numbers for the bay,
The free BIN listings last month barely brought a half million to the table.

Although still not as successful in bringing new listings as Prior FLD have been, Wonder if they thought the count would break the magic 13 Million total listings of the feb FLD .
Or When/If they do one for the US sellers and all the Book folks
List theirs what the total will be.
I guess because it was UK FLD the numbers are not bad after all.
Some items don't fit the UK FLD scenario very well.
we will have to hide and watch.
 

September 11, 2003 10 am Bob Lodge

Today’s date -- September 11 -- The obvious connotation of this Date That Will Live in Infamy cries for some cover only two years old, from almost anywhere, actually, but especially from New York or with a return logo or addressee name that might provide irony. The days immediately following, I went to great lengths to try to find any business in my smallish city that might have had business dealings with someone in the WTC, in hopes that when the mail started moving again, items would show up. But it didn’t occur to me, in all the confusion and distraction, to glean wastebaskets for ANY cover with a 9-11-01 postmark. I did see the 9-10-01 WTC cover with contents (corporate memo junk mail) that brought some $130 on eBay many months later. I still wonder if any outgoing missives received a 9-11 postmark, a batch of mail dropped off Monday evening at a branch post office, too late for that date, perhaps, but nothing seems to have surfaced.

At any rate, I have nothing related to the 2001 tragedy, but a nice little bridge item that is 80 years old today does come to mind. It is not a cover, but a WRAPPER, sent from Sofia, Bulgaria on Sept 11, 1923 to the University of Montana. I assume it may have been some periodical for the library. The yellow-orange 50 stotinki (½ lev) stamp, issued in 1921, depicts a city scene with a bridge across a river prominent in the center. According to Scott, it is the city of Trnovo, but the only town I have been able to find with that name was in NW Yugoslavia, close to Italy. I don’t know why that would be on a Bulgarian stamp. Comments welcome.

This stamp design first appeared in 1911 as a 3 stotinki BI-COLOR, then was revived 10 years later in the orange 50s seen on the wrapper. In 1923 it was reissued in a BLUE version, seen here with a 3 lev surcharge overprint which was added in 1924. There also exist overprint varieties under Greece and Thrace in Scott. I expect covers with those are a bit harder to find.

I have a second item with an unusual use of this stamp. THIS card was sent from Berlin to a bank in Sofia in Oct 1924, but apparently the post inflation 10 pfennig stamp was insufficient, and 1 lev postage due was paid with a pair of these 50 stotinki bridge stamps! A rather nice usage, I think. The REVERSE shows no markings, but a message which I assume would prove to be bank business if translated.

Bob in WA
 

September 11, 2003 9:52 Mark Bardell

Lot by H finishing in about 2 hours
Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but if you had this person ( th -1 ) bid your lots up, bearing in mind his feedback statement, wouldn't you cancel all of his bids ??

this lot

I have been warned that this guy does shill up his own auctions, and never to bid on them unless I'm 200% in need of a stamp and I'm willing to pay 60%++ CV for it.

Mark.

September 11, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

spanish forgeries
Dave - Postal forgeries do exist on cover and are highly prized by Spanish collectors. They are even listed, with a general price range, in the Edifil Spanish catalog.

Example: The cheap 4cu from 1860 set (Scott #50), for which they mention 15 different types existing.

A single genuine used stamp = about $1
A single used postal forgery = From $15 to $350 (approx.)
A single genuine used on cover (common useage)= $3-5
A single used postal forgery on cover = From $40 to $1000+ (approx)

I've only seen a few properly described postal forgeries listed on various auction sites, and them selling in the $10-15 range (probably the most common variety), for a stamp that would othewise be $1, as genuine.
 

September 11, 2003 17:20 BST Dave Arthur

Shilling - Maybe
Jim W-S
Missed last night's board - was watching England's inept performance against Lichtenstein - still at least we won ... next stop Turkey.

Anyway, I am watching the seller rather than the bidder - who by the way was based in the US not Europe - as I guess they can change bidders every time just by adding a new ID. He has two items of relatively high cat value finishing in about 15 hours or so, with comparatively low bids on them at the moment. I will be pleasantly surprised if a bidder does not come in late on and bid about 15 times on the same item and of course I will be satisfied that the previous bidder was a genuine newbie (ergo - the seller is also genuine), although it isn't a bidding practice I would bother with.

All:
FLDs - I see this is something that took up a lot of space on the board last night.
My view as a buyer only, it is used to get rid all the stuff you don't think is worth paying 15p (10c) for and therefore I rarely even look at them. like someone else said - stay away from new listings for a couple of days (easier said than done for a "troller").

I have to admit to selling one item on Ebay some time in the distant past (a previous year's catalogue) and being new to selling used an FLD to do it, but it just got swallowed up with the other 99999999999 listings and came nowhere near the winning bid of the same item a week later. It didn't bother me as I just wanted to get it out of the way but I will never use FLDs again if I ever enter as a serious seller.

Good luck to all you FLD sellers though especially after imaging 9000 items ... boy I just couldn't be bothered for 99p

September 11, 2003 Dave P

Spanish Forgeries
Richard B Just out of interest (not my area) how do the early postal forgeries compare value-wise with the genuine article, are they found on cover?

DP

September 11, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

early Spain
Chris - Yes, early Sanish stamps are one of the most forged areas. Every Spanish stamp form the Queen Isabel period has been forged, either postally or philatelically. The cheapest stamps in the sets were usally postal forgeries, as these were the normal stamps used to mail a common letter. In some cases, there are up to 13 different postal forgeries known for a single stamp. The other issues in the sets were generally for non-typical uses and philatelic forgeries were made of these. The key issues in the sets, which normally run into the hundres or thousands of dollars when genuine, were heavily forged and should always be viewd with suspicion.

Yes, it helps to have known genuine examples to compare with, but isn't 100% necessary. Most issues have known secret marks to look for, which were/are missed by just about every forger (Sperati excluded). Also, comparing copies of the cheapest stamp in each set with the most expensive can be very useful as well. In most cases they are the same and display all the same characteristics. Example: If you examine the letters in CORREOS on an inexpensive 6cu from the 1853 set, and compare them to the same letters in a possible 12cu from the same set. They should look exactly the same. Any variance in the 12cu, compared to a 6cu, aside from obvious printing defects, should be looked at suspiciously. You can do this with most of the early sets.

Not trying to scare you away, but early Spanish stamps are as exasperating as they are rewarding. I found this out the hard way, by inadvertantly buying a few forgeries along the way.

One thing to remember though, if it's an expensive stamp, CV $50+, and it is being sold of $5, and is apparently in nice condition, be suspicious. There are certain earlies I have NEVER seen a genuine copy offered in a sale or auction, mostly the highest valued stamps.

If you have any specific ??'s about early issues I'll be glad to offer my opinion.

Free listnig day - I wasn't aware of a FLD, but when I did one of my normal searches last night after getting home from work, I found 34 pages of items, rather than the pretty normal 17. Mostly junk that didn't sell at earlier times. My strategy? Avoid searching for a couple of days until things start to get back to normal.

September 11, 2003 prometheus

Brian R
That dude has some neat things for sale.

 

September 11, 2003 Brian R

one more observation
Free listing days are bad for sellers, but only annoying, and possibily good for buyers. So many are turned off, by wading through the sludge, that a gem might be found. Lets face it, great deals appear everyday, the problem is our fellow snipers see them too.

September 11, 2003 Brian R

various
Prometheus I missed those CSA's! Never even saw them. Thankfully, none appears to be what I'm looking for (Whew). BTW- Isn't that the seller whose been posting on the other chat? I'd like to say that either of those stamps are/are not a #10, but the scan was so bad, who knows?

ScansI am far from a tech wizard, but I know what is good, when I look at it. Ipix scans are uniformally bad. You can't blow them up either. Well, you can, if you want a close up image, of an unintelligable blur....

silverfish? Geez, I'm already worried about, humidity, heat, ultraviolet rays, fungus, acidity in album pages, burglers, direct sunlight, human oils from too much handling, toning, foxing, natural oxidation, and my sisters inquisitive toddlers. I just know i'm going to get up in a panic, about three times tonight, quickly snapping on the light, in search of movement.....

Condition issues I have to throw in my opinion with the "eye of the beholders" crowd. Not everyone here, is planning for the exhibition season. Some of my stuff, would be considered downright nasty, by a majority of the posters here. I have one old letter, which has routing instructions written on it, that is so foxed and stained, it appears as if it has been run through a coffee machine. The strange routing it took, was so it would avoid the spearhead, of W.T. Shermans march through Georgia! Deplorable shape?-sadly, yes... treasured?--definately, yes!

Jim W/S or others I know that shill bidding is against ebay rules (wink, wink, nod, nod). What about the general legal question? Is it illegal to do in most states? I ask, because the auctioneers amongst us, have said that they've seen owners bidding on their own items.

September 11, 2003 Christo van Zyl

French Cover
Hi Paolo, nice to hear from you again!

Thanks for the advice, I will ask for a better scan, but I think I am already negative on that cover.

With respect to the seller, I have been tracking his items for a while now, and I am quite impressed by the quality of some of the items he offers - mainly in the crispness/clarity of the cancellations on cover (as shown e.g. below). Are items like that OK, or should I still be wary about the Brazil provenance?

This Cover

September 11, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Lepismatidae & others
http://www.ungeziefer.de/faq-e.html

http://www.ungeziefer.de/ungeziefer-e/materialschaedlinge-e/silberfischchen-e.html

September 11, 2003 to run Chris hot-naked-silverfish.com
 

Question about early Spain
At a bourse Saturday, one of the dealers had some bargain priced early spain (the ones with
the butt ugly queen on them). My memory is that that area is heavily forged and requires study
and known good examples to compare with. What were the odds that these were good?
(When I say bargain priced I mean under $5 each)

Chris - stuck to areas where I have more knowldege.

September 11, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Dangerous forged cover
Dangerous forged cover.
Paolo

September 11, 2003 prometheus

Tommy
None of those complaints were mine about FLD
I was just passing on some comments in response to the Question asked by another poster
I am not a member over there so I don't buy or sell there.
Again I was just reposting some comments I had seen in another discussion forum On this thought.
Got something better to discuss please go ahead and post, I'm trapped with a three year old most of day and am in search of any meaningful discussion.

 

September 11, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

Now, I looked at it again and I think that the one on top is not even a strip of five. This doubt could be solved by better scan.
Paolo

September 11, 2003 Paolo Bagaglia

French Cover
Christo v.Z.
To me it looks like it's one vertical strip of five of the 2c. put aside two strips, one of three and one of two. No idea regarding scarcity factor. For the rest I agree with David B., the envelope looks tired besides being toned.
Prior to take any decision regarding the amount to bid, I would ask a higher resolution scan of the franking.
Is there a French catalogue that quotes mixed and composed frankings? In case there is, I'd advice to consult it in order get an idea of the scarcity of the combination.
Paolo

September 11, 2003 Christo van Zyl

French Cover
Thanks David. By saying "seller is in Brazil" I take it you mean that the environment had an effect on the quality of the cover (i.e. the toning etc?)

September 11, 2003 David Benson

Christo, it LOOKS OK but I would stay away from it as the envelope looks like it has seen better days. The seller is in Brazil. The paper looks like it may be brittle and is badly toned. It is not a block of the 2c. but 2 strips laid side by side.

David Benson

September 11, 2003 Christo van Zyl

Worthwhile French Cover?
A good day to all!

Any body advise me on this cover I am linking to? It is getting to the high side for me, and I would like to have your opinion on the quality etc - is it worthwhile to buy for my collection, or should I rather ignore? I d't want to spend a lot of money on something which will not add value to my collection, and increase in value on its own.

This French Cover

Regards

Christo

September 11, 2003 Tommy Ato

Free listing day
Dave P:

How many other posters complained. Two or three at the most. A drop in the ocean. If you look at the names they are always complaining about something or other in the listings. Playground language? What's that? It seems if you want to make a point on this board you have to shout or insult people. Well, I haven't done either but have come near to doing so. To many elitists here or so they think.

September 11, 2003 03:34 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is an uprated postal card from Egypt to Macau in 1933. You can even read the message!
 

September 11, 2003 Dave P

Free Listing Days
Tommy A

If you read the thread you will see that more than one poster dislikes the FLD. From a sellers, as opposed to a buyers, point of view they can actually cost rather than save money. A pity you can't make your point without using playground language.

DP

September 11, 2003 Tommy Ato

Free listing day
Just been reading some comments about the free listing day yesterday and the whining and moaning from some people about it. What a lot of wasters you are. So it upsets your searches. How selfish. If you don't like it why don't you clear off somewhere else and peddle your stuff. Judging by the numbers of stuff listed it must be popular. So what if someone listed thousands of items as you say. That is his business not yours. Totally ruined the postcard catergory as you say. What rubbish. It may have affected your searching ,so what. Lighten up and get with it. free listing days are great for everyone, you excepted.

September 11, 2003 01.49 Knud-Erik Andersen

Good morning/afternoon/evening to you all.  :O)

K. E.   

September 10, 2003 prometheus

Peter Spencer
Your Description of the way those covers might have traveled was excellent, I myself have some things that look like they rowed ashore after a hard ride, while some might think Ugly.
I like them.

 

September 10, 2003 08.29 pm Colin Judd UK http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_Japan_stamps
 

Japanese Bargain
Might help if I gave a link! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2950962293&category=3492

Colin

September 10, 2003 8:26pm ronsstamps <ronsstamps@earthlink.net>

PEI Bisect On Cover
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To me this front or whatever you wish to call it has nice eye appeal no matter what it's status. You have every right not to like it but that's what makes this hobby so nice, (you decide what you like and don't like). To me this is a lovely cover piece and also with the added description I did state that this could be a fake because I have no cert on it but obviously there are knowledgable collectors out there. If I said that the stamp or cover you are listing is bogus would you pull the lot (I doubt it). Besides for the low start price I think it would be a great reference if anything. Thanks to all who voiced there opinion either way on this piece. My first time on this chat line and I think it is great :-)
RON

September 10, 2003 Peter Spencer

Silverfish
The best product is a caulking gun and about one hundred dollars worth of caulk. Every time you see one startle it and then watch where it runs and hides: caulk all around there. Takes about four months but it works, you don't get poisoned and they can't come back. Side effect is a remarkable lack of drafts in the winter.

While whiling away the time, remove all piles of newspapers, notes that fell behind the desk four years ago and paper shelf and drawer liners.

Second choice is any fine powder along where you have seen them move: gets in the spiracles and dries out the surfaces of their 'lungs' so they choke to death. But like Beowulf's mother, relatives will return.

Tonight's outburst of loquacity is probably due to the glass of finely-aged peripheral vasodilator I had. Good night all.

September 10, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Well, I received my latest shipment from Kansas City, and there were a few surprises in it. The new Mary Cassatt booklet pane is the largest pane in a very long time - it barely fits on an 11½ page, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do for Showgards. And the First Flight commemorative was issued in the same format as the Loony Toons issues - nine on the left and a postcard on the right. Does anyone know if it's the first in a series?

September 10, 2003 08.05 pm Colin Judd UK http://mysite.freeserve.com/Scans/
 

Japanese bargain?
Anyone want a real bargain? I think the silverfish got to it before you did Jim . But I suppose the hole might be from an air rifle.

Colin

September 10, 2003 ?

silverfish
a general article

http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page224.html

some products

http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/cgi-bin/pestcontrol.storefront/en/catalog/1190

never use any of the products so cannot comment on effectiveness

September 10, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Fred & Peter

He was told, in no uncertain terms that the item was a fake.
The revised listing states that "it may be a fake".
If he doesn't believe the person who told him, that's fine.
If it was me, I'd pull the item.

As to lovliness.
I wouldn't have that motheaten piece of whatever in my collection if it was donated to me.
Not that I collect PEI covers.
Feed it to the silverfish!!

September 10, 2003 Peter Spencer

New Zealand cancels book
To answer my own idiot question here about a month ago, the Wooders book on New Zealand cancels is a winner. A labour of love. Strangely, the stamp shop that sells it for about half of Wooders' own price doesn't show up on a Google search for the book. Go figure.

September 10, 2003 Fred Williams

PEI Bisect Cover
Jim Whitford-Stark

Ronsstamps gets called on a questionable item, listens to the discussion, notifies the bidder that this item is a fake, and adds additional descriptive wording to his listing. He basically does everything right and gets called on his term "very lovely cover".

Just goes to show "ya' can't please everyone".

September 10, 2003 Peter Spencer

PEI Covers
Jim W-S,

ANY cover from PEI is very beautiful. For most issues they exist in single digit or low double digit quantities. The most I remember off the top of my head is sixty, and I was glad to pay about double Scott for it. They almost always look like they came to the P.O. tied to the bottom of a horse's hoof and then rowed themselves across to the mainland. Is this litotes?

Anyhow, their holey but unholy appearance is what keeps their prices down despite the scarcity. The unhinged crowd run shrieking when they see one, fearing the sight will spoil their chances of being reborn a Prussian.

September 10, 2003 Peter Spencer

PEI Bisect Cover
Ron,

According to the two authoritative books on PEI stamps, Tomlinson and a generation later Lehr, there were no four-bar obliterators ever used in PEI. That's what caught my attention initially. Unfortunately, I had to learn this the hard way.

Congratulations on your honesty.

 

September 10, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

To save me searching again for the "very lovely cover", here is the link

September 10, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

ronstamps
Unlike david benson,
I think adding "as is" to description is pretty much of a cop-out.
Besides which, if you think that a cover cut in half with a big chunk missing and two whopping hinges is "a very lovely cover", I could forward you lots of spam mail from lovely, unmarried russian princesses.

September 10, 2003 David Benson

Ron, thanks, you are to be commended, do you have any recourse on who you bought it from.


ps. it is not a cover, just a part.

David Benson

September 10, 2003 Lee Carroll

Commemortive Stamps
Jim,

Thanks for the response, didn't think there was much value. I haven't even taken them out of the envelopes from the postal service. They just kept sending them to me and charging my credit card.

September 10, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Lee
If collection is mint, add up face value, deduct 10%, add in value of album.
Best bet, use as postage.
Or hold onto it for another 50 years.

September 10, 2003 6:38pm ronsstamps <ronsstamps@earthlink.net>

PEI Bisect On Cover
David,
I notified the high bidder of your opinion and also updated this information on this lot. I have been selling since 1998 and with over 3000+ feedbacks I would not want to sell anything misdescibed. Thanks for all the info.
kind regards:ron

September 10, 2003 David Benson

ron, paying for a certificate would be wasting your money. There is no way it is OK. Any bisect has to be well tied with a contempary cancel. That one is not even like a genuine cancel. As far as I know PEI stamps were not used anywhere else.

Canada is not my area and I am sure any Canadian specialist will give it the thumbs down. I happen to collect 2 areas that has a lot of bisects and unless they have definite legible cancels, they are considered uncollectable.

David Benson
 

September 10, 2003 6:21 Lee Carroll <leerv6@yahoo.com>

US Commemorative Stamp Collection
I have a US Commemorative Stamp Collection From 1980 to 1998 and would like to know it's value and how to best go about selling it.

September 10, 2003 6:16pm ronsstamps <ronsstamps@earthlink.net>

PEI Bisect On Cover
David,
Playing devil's advocate, is it possible that PEI stamp's could have been used in other parts of Canada? Also would you suggest sending this in for a certificate? I have no doubt that you know your stuff but could this stamp have been used elsewhere? Nova Scotia stamps were used until 1863 and PEI stamps were used from 1861-1872. I value all opinions on a cover like this. I really would like more solid info.

Ronstamps

September 10, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Silverfish
When my stamps are outside of locked, fireproof safe they are usually on the floor.
I find the foot is a very effective tool against silverfish (closely followed by vacuum cleaner, though not the same satisfaction).
Stamp tongs are great for squashing slugs.
A 22 caliber pistol is overkill for mice.
Should Elk turn up to lick stamps, I recommend 357.
If you should be plagued by elephants, a 425 or 10 bore shotgun.
:-Þ

September 10, 2003 prometheus

Brian did you see these
CSA

September 10, 2003 5:30 p.m. breffington

insects
How do you protect stamp albums, thier contents and covers from silverfish? Are they a great danger? I know they eat glue in bindings of books, wall pastes and glue off the backs of stamps.
 

September 10, 2003 David Benson

Ron, you say you bought the item and then erased the cost price. If I was you I would try to reclaim the cost price from the seller and ask him if he has the other half of the stamp.

It is an obvious fake and can't understand why anyone would want to bid on it,

David Benson

September 10, 2003 Dave St. Maurice

Credit Card Theft
I recently had two of my credit cards used fraudently. As soon as I discovered the charges, the cards were cancelled and new ones issued.
Both cards had been used previously by me for internet related transactions, including PayPal, Yahoo, bill payment, etc.
Now the real strange part, about two days after I activated the replacement card sent to me by the bank, I received a package in the mail from a company called Vonage. The shipping label had another persons name and my address. After a little sleuthing around, and to make a long, convuleted story short, that brand new credit card number had over $600 in fraudent charges added to it.

Basically I think there is so much fraud, you can't trust anyone (bank, PayPal, bill pymt services, etc.). It's best to monitor your card transactions almost daily. My credit union has a service that shows all posted transactions to almost any kind of account within twenty-four hours. I may not be able to stop the fraud, but I can catch it right away if it happens.
 

September 10, 2003 David D'

Ronsstamps -
The PEI Cover cover has a March 19, 1864 Halifax marking and a March 26, 1864 marking. Thus, it appears that the cover either originated or transited Halifax before being delivered to PEI. How do you explain the presence of any PEI stamp on the cover?
 

September 10, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Dave A

You've now got me doing it again.
Been watching a stamp for a while, then along comes a zero feedback bidder with the current high bid.
Instant suspicion since it also broke the reserve.
I'm starting to feel some sympathy toward sellers who write "if your feedback is less than 10, please email us before bidding".
Seeing as I cannot email bidder and ask "are you for real", probably just write it off and wait for the next one.
In the meanwhile I'll just keep track of bidder.
If they don't manage to buy anything on eBay after a month and are not using name for chat board postings, I'll consider my suspicion confirmed.

September 10, 2003 3:59pm ronsstamps <ronsstamps@earthlink.net>

PEI Bisect On Cover
The questions about this bisect are understandable. The thing that was erased was the price I paid when I bought the cover. Anyone wishing a high reslolution image can email me. The reason I started this lot at a low price was to get as many bidders involved. If this item is not legit then I would not hesitate in giving a full refund for it.

September 10, 2003 3:40 Joe Coston <costonjd@mindspring.com>

Credit Card Fraud
I have also recently experienced credit card fraud on an account that I had previously used for purchases from the APS Stamp Store. The frauds occurred during April of this year. I think that the last time that I used the card for an APS purchase was January of 2003, but I no longer have the statement so I am not sure of the date. Of course, this is the same card that I always used for PayPal and other internet transactions, so no telling where my CC# got compromised.

September 10, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Heh. I was reading Jane Austen's Emma at lunch today, and it has an interesting bit of dialogue in it:
 

"The post-office is a wonderful establishment!" said she. "The regularity and dispatch of it! If one thinks of all that it has to do, and all that it does so well, it is really astonishing!".
 

"It is certainly very well regulated."
 

"So seldom that any negligence or blunder appears! So seldom that a letter, among the thousands that are constantly passing about the kingdom, is even carried wrong - and not one in a million, I suppose, actually lost! And when one considers the variety of hands, and of bad hands too, that are to be deciphered, it increases the wonder."
 

The clerks grow expert from habit. They must begin with some quickness of sight and hands, and exercise improves them. If you want any further explanation," continued he, smiling, "they are paid for it. That is the key to a great deal of capacity. The public pays and must be served well."

.
 

Jim

September 10, 2003 Guy M Purington

Lemon tree, very pretty ....

An eBay hall-of-fame candidate I just had to swipe and put away for a rainy day, internal links changed to protect the innocent.
 

September 10, 2003 13:08 Ken S.

Jim, Duncan, eBay's feedback policy changed to "transaction-based" feedback in the first quarter of 2000.

 

Dave O., although I rarely sell anything on eBay anymore, I was a "gold powerseller" (>$25,000 per month in sales) from the inception of the powerseller program until mid-2001 (when I moved most of my sales off eBay and to my own web page).

 

I can say that listing items on a "free listing day" has NEVER been a good idea. Initially, you could "bet" that eBay's site would crash during the listing day and then a week later when everything closed. Now the site stability is a little better (although not perfect) but your items are still "lost" in a sea of junk... As a result, I avoided listing items on a FLD at all costs. Maybe others like them, I sure didn't.

September 10, 2003 prometheus

again not stampy but others email sellers too
I found this nicely shaped stone, with a very nice imprint? of a fossil, Other fossils on it but smaller. For someone to put some shine on it would be a nice piece to my opinion. Well folks please excuse me,I just receive an e-mail letting me know that the specimen is of Crinoidal Limestone and the fossils are the impressions of crinoid stems.And also there is Numerous such deposits on a large scale present thoughout the U.S.and the rest of his opinion perhaps I should leave out. I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE E-MAIL CORRECTING ME,SOMETIMES WE ALL NEED A LITTLE HELP. BUT HOPEFULLY NEXT TIME YOU COULD LEAVE THE CRITICISM TO YOURSELF!!!!! So anyway the specimen is in great condition.If anything we put on here for sale upsets someone,or it's not what they are interested in. Then why take the time to look at it. What we put on for auction is not to upset anyone,And we do opoligize if it does.But were not close all of our auctions because someone doesn't like what we have on here. So Thank You for looking and enjoy e-bays auctions.SMILE

September 10, 2003 prometheus

not stamps But I liked the description
This rock weights approx 5-1\2lbs. I call it an Artifact because it is obivious all around the sides of it,that it was used for something. But what it was used for,I do not know. Thought I would put it on here, for anyone interested in this stone rock that had a purpose at one time or another. It is 12mm by 14mm by 9mm by 12mm And is 6mm thick. The stone is very smooth. It is an Authentic Rock which was used for something I guaranttee to my word. If not You may have a refund. Thanks for looking

September 10, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Duncan, the feedback in question is all very old. It used to be that you could enter feedback without needing a transaction. You'll notice that there's no item number next to his feedbacks. I don't remember when they started requiring feedback to be tied to transactions, but it was after July, 1999, apparently.
 

Jim

September 10, 2003 prometheus

and more comments
Once again the Postcard category has been destroyed by a 'free Listing Day'.

One seller, using at least two id's that I know of, invariably picks up on Free Listing Days wherever they are offered (this one was in the UK) and launches his turbo lister to put up the same old items he has listed so often before

and another
The solution - either stop free listing days or place a limit on the number of items a seller can list. Surely 100 items would be reasonable

The normal ten pages of closing artist cards (for example) suddenly becomes 123 pages - the Risque section, usually 3/4 pages, becomes 43 pages
and another
more evidence of why I dont care for FLD's - they clog the system for a week--- among other difficulties

September 10, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Feedback

Jim

Thanks for the link, some of the feedback wisecracks are really off the wall. Laughed my butt off and saved a few bucks in the bargain, missed a bid!

How does the guy leave feedback without completing a transaction??

Dunc

September 10, 2003 prometheus

Dave O or is it P
Saw this comment the other day about free listing over there

The results - the seller destroys the category - this time the guy appears to have put up approximately 19,000 items - and there are no buyers who are willing (or able) to spend the time ploughing through this mountain of dross to find items listed by other sellers and as for the regular sellers who are eBay's 'bread and butter' - they know all too well that to use the free listing days is a total waste of time, all thanks to one greedy individual and to eBay's lack of will to ac

September 10, 2003 Brian R

the musings of an ex-newbie
Dave P Being a suspicious curmdgeon, is an apparently a requisite, of a good philatelist. Yes, free listing days are an annoyance. However, I feel that they pale in comparision, to the field of unrealistic dreams, that materializes whenever free BIN days come around.

September 10, 2003 Dave P

And it would help if I got my own name right.

DP

September 10, 2003 Dave O

Free Listing Days
On the face of it FLDs are good for a seller, but I am seriously beginning to doubt it. There is so much crud for sale on a FLD that decent material can easily get lost. Take todays UK FLD (for items 99p and below). It has attracted an enormous listing of doubtfuls, the overpriced (even at 99p), the useless, and stuff that has been listed a dozen times already, when I last checked the stamps section there were already 5000+ new listings for the day. Listing 20 items will save £3.00 in fees, it only takes a few of those items to sell at a pound or so less than they would have on a "normal" listing day for the seller to actually be out of pocket. Or perhaps I am just an ungrateful curmudgeon who does not deserve Ebay's generosity?

DP

September 10, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Credit Card fraud

Bill

Since the use of your card was quite limited, you have narrowed the search for where the theft took place. If few of the readers here have experienced similar thefts excluding APS and Linns, and since we are a relatively small sample, the statistics though small figures cannot be ignored.

The brazen nature of some of these thefts, the ones that involve using the credit card information to order items shipped to an address, are amazing. Given that the theives probably don't limit themselves to a few simple items (why take the risk for just a Playboy subscription), you'd think law enforcement officials would zero in on those known recipients.

Of course there is the remote possibility that, for example, the Playboy subscription was sent to a third party just to cause trouble and discredit the recipient. Otherwise, though, there is a link to the thief in that example.

Duncan D

"Prometheus Watch your mail, the first issue of "Lick 'Em and Stick 'Em" may arrive any day now. Don't thank me, thank Bill."

September 10, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Fun with feedback!
 

Jim

September 10, 2003 Bill Weiss

Card Thefts
ROGER; I think your likely absolutely correct, but in the case of my latest theft we had only used that card number in two places; APS and Linn's Stamp News. The previous theft was in several additional places as well as APS/Linn's. Since the latest card was such a limited use it seems like a good idea to try to find as many common incidents as possible, but bottom line, I doubt that the APS uses reveal a security problem with their system.
Got to go out for a few hours. Back tonight.

September 10, 2003 Roger Heath

CC Cards
Bill-
I have used a credit card with APS and noting untoward happened. It is quite possible that statistically you have a group here who make purchases from a common seller becasue of our common interest. I'm wondering for example if we were to pose the question, how many people have had credit card problems when paying for their monthly gasoline charges? Another question should be asked when you compile the data, which company credit card did everyone use, VISA, etc. I think it is very interesting that so many have had identity theft problems, I'm just uncertain whether APS business is statistically significant.

Louise -
The most important aspect of your first image is the racing sailboat with spinnaker set. Shows incredibly goodtaste on the part of everyone involved.

Roger

September 10, 2003 prometheus <Prometheus@1Internetdrive.com>

NOIP Question
Saw a post on one of the other Boards about getting postmarks on Sundays.
My Airport Post office is open on sunday , So If anyone would need something postmarked on a sunday my email is above.
I have lots of Unused postcards too.
Also I think the Boxcar PO is open on Sundays too.

My question is really this If sundays postmarks are hard to get what is done with Mail collected from Boxes etc on those days Do they just hold it??

September 10, 2003 Bill Weiss

Credit Card Thefts
MARK B; Thanks for the comments. I seriously doubt that APS is to "blame" but it does seem amazing that everyone(?) who commented on this had some sort of use of the card to APS! Am I making a corect statement? Is there ANYONE who reads this board who has had a credit card number stolen within the last 2-3 years NOT ever used that card for a transaction with APS?? Comments appreciated.

September 10, 2003 Louise

Ta, Chip.

September 10, 2003 Chip G

Czeslaw Slania
Louise: You might be interested in this website which chronicles the work of Czeslaw Slania.

September 10, 2003 Louise

Postmarks
At long last, got something to show you all from my collection. NB they're not going to be very fantastic, but at least I've managed to contribute to this board.

This is my pride and joy. The postcard comes from Bulgaria but was posted in Poland, and as you can see the cancel is very nice. Can't decipher what the 20th anniversary celebrations are for, but the caption reads: Obrona Ojczyzny obowiazkiem kazdego obywatela, which means "The defence of the Fatherland is the duty of every citizen". The stamp is a definitive from the mid-sixties and is incredibly common and rather uninteresting, although it is one of the last that was engraved. The undisputed master of Polish stamp engraving after the war was Czeslaw Slania, but he had to emigrate after hiding anti-regime messages in the background of his stamps. He re-emerged as a stamp artist in Sweden and returned to Poland after the end of communism and several stamps were created by him in 1998.

This is the Soviet one, of which I now have two copies, one still on the postcard and one on a stamp commemorating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Lithuanian SSR. If someone here speaks better Russian than I do I would love to know what it reads, something to do with "Pis'ma...v Moskve" - i.e. writing in Moscow, but not entirely sure what it's to do with. The stamp is one of the definitives issued immediately after the currency reform of 1961, which was a great help to stamp collectors as it meant henceforth every single Soviet stamp issued had the year of issue somewhere on it, either as part of the design or as part of the denomination, presumably to distinguish it from stamps which were issued prior to 1961 (which mostly are undated up to round about 1957 and after that it becomes more and more obvious that the date is becoming an integral part of stamp issue) and therefore supposedly worth 10 times their value after 1 January that year.

 

September 10, 2003 08:26 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Dave P.,
Thanks for that additional data. I've updated the page to include it.

September 10, 2003 Mark Bardell

Credit Card theft
With all the talk about theft I just wanted to say that I had my card used, sometime early this year, to buy a magazine subscription for Playboy - to be sent to an address in Thailand !! I only have my card registered at ebay / Paypal and I also used it to pay for my APS subscription. I think that next time it's due, they'll be getting a check from me ( if indeed they are to blame ).

Mark.

September 10, 2003 Dave P

Gold Coast cover
The green charge mark reads 3d/To Pay/I S . IS being the Inland Section of GPO in London which would have been the office of exchange. My guess is that the black charge mark was applied in the Gold Coast, but could be wrong on that. For a large user like Saxone the "due covers" would habitually have been bundled together each day and Postage Dues for the total applied to the top one of the bundle, in this case 1/- I have seen a number of covers from this period addressed to Saxone, someone in the mail room was obviously a stamp lover!

September 10, 2003 03:51 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is a ratty cover from Gold Coast to Scotland in 1955.

September 10, 2003 1020 BST Ed.B

More scams
Read about this the other day. It seems it isn't a problem if you have Broadband as you notice straight away that there is a complete slowdown. It is the user who still has a dial up connection who are the ones getting creamed on this. Moral to this, don't down load anything you arn't sure of.

September 10, 2003 Dave P

More scams
One I have not heard of before, you get an email apparently from your ISP requesting you download the latest dialer version. You do so and only find out on your next phone-bill that you have been connecting through a premium-rate number! Seems unbelievable, but my ISP were worried enough to include a warning in their monthly news-letter.

DP

September 10, 2003 Dave P

Isn't it nice when things work properly. Had an auction end in the early hours of Sunday, just got a cheque in the post early Wednesday morning. Not bad for a buyer in Australia! Letter was postmarked 6pm on Sunday, smart work by the buyer (especially considering the time difference) and hats off to the Aussie & GB post offices.

DP

September 10, 2003 00.38 Knud-Erik Andersen

Good morning/afternoon/evening to you all.  :O)

K.E.   

September 10, 2003 Roger Heath

Bisect
First I read of approval that it's OK to make and sell fakes on Ebay, then I read that everyone likes fakes for reference in their collections, now someone doesn't like the scissors I use. You guys sure are getting picky!!! I figure I can get 2 good covers for every stamp thus saving some pretty tatty stamps for you to fill holes. You can always soak it off the cover if you don't think it belongs, use white-out to make the rectangle in your album smaller, then glue it in. There are no hinges good enough for this piece of philatelic history, who wants a thinned bisect off cover with a fake cancel? That's why I put these masterpieces on cover, that's where they belong. );>)

Roger

BTW - I'm using Hawaii souvenir sheets for all my postage these days, I'm thinking of how small would I be able to make the stamps,dull scissors, and still have them delivered. Imperf Hawaii Missionaries would be very collectable in 20 years, bright paper variety, of course.

September 10, 2003 11:38 pm Bob in WA

bisect
I agree with Chewie. I wouldn't have seen the erasure without your mentioning it, but I was immediately bothered by the four bar cancel. Whenever I see a bisect cover, the first place I look is the cut edge of the stamp and the cancel tying it there, as I presume that is the key point of authentication. This one looks especially crude.

September 09, 2003 chewie*

PEI "bisect" cover
Considering that a legitimate bisect on cover would be valued at well over a thousand bucks (Unitrade says $1,500 CAD). Although I do not study the "provinces" in depth, this cover stinks. The cancel that ties the stamp to the cover seems to be a less-than-reasonable hand drawn facsimile of the real thing.
That may have been the work "FAKE" that was erased, but I believe it was more likely:

"DANGER, Peter Spencer, DANGER!!!!"

September 09, 2003 20:52 chewie*

Credit card theft
A similar situation happened to me this summer. Upon returning from my month-long vacation, I found some odd charges on my Mastercard. Someone ordered a lifetime subsciption to "Silicon India" magazine, as well as opened an on-line e-mail/fax account. Although I have never purchased anything from the APS store, I did use that card to pay my APS membership. (insert ominous music here)

September 09, 2003 Bill Weiss

Bisect Cover
Peter S; No, your not imagining it, there is definately something mostly erased there, but I can't say that it definately says "fake" and since I don't know squat about Canadian covers someone else can give you their opinion.
Done for the night.

September 09, 2003 Peter Spencer

FAKE?
Am I hallucinating, or does this item really have the partially erased word "Fake" to the left of the stamp?

Prince Edward Island Scott#9 Bisect On Cover Item number: 2950581053

I'm turning Bill Gates off for the night, but would enjoy reading any opinions that show up by morning.

September 09, 2003 Bob H.

US revenues
Tried to say the 2000 Specialized (which is what I have down here in the computer room), but nobody has ever accused me of being able to type....

Assume a block of 4 has gone up to $60 then - no surprise. That was probably one part of the catalog they assigned somebody to change prices on in the last three years.

September 09, 2003 prometheus

Jim w-s and Chip
Instructor has already approved Stamp as by-product.
Althought Jim WS your idea on the educational needs is an idea that I will give to some who are still seeking topic.
I grasped the idea of Stamp because of dates on the overhead
to find a down-line product you could trace back
the more innocuous or obscure the better,
I chose the most apparent yet overlooked thing
But then again I like stamps.

While most in class will be whining and trying to get an idea of what to do paper on I will be turning it in, and requesting first Go and show.(I'm aiming for next Tuesday/orthursday.)
If I can get a B ( shouldn't be hard ) I can then Skip the bulk of rest of this class while the slowpokes give theirs. and work on one of my other hard classes
As attendance is not mandatory ( just the two tests and the participation/presentation) early and quick are my goal.

Besides the happy King of his Classroom pointed out to me that "Philately" was a scholarly obscure term derivation -
Blah Blah Blah yada yada yada - devised
to lend diginty to a time wasting occupation.

September 09, 2003 Chip G

Opinions/Grammar
Pro:
Whatever topic you pick, you should start it with a declaration of the fact - not "in my opionion."
You get to the same place, but without introducing doubt in your reader's mind.

Now let's take that again.

In my opinion, you should start your discussion with a declarative statement. I believe that you get to the same place, but without indroducing doubt.

The first bits are redundant and makes the rest weaker. The only time I would use the "in my opinion" phrase is if I am recounting a debate and want the reader to know what side I am on.

Some say that the Earth is round. Others say it is square. In my opinion, the argument should be whether the Earth circles the Sun, or the sun circles the Earth.

Even here, I would leave out the "my" and say "A more appropriate discussion is whether any planet circles the Sun. They all ellipse the Sun."

September 09, 2003 Bill Weiss

R222 Block
BOB H; You must be using an older catalog; the block actually catalogs $164+ ($60. x 2 B4 + 4x $11. singles = $164+) unless there are cut cancels which is much less. Looks like handstamps only though so higher catalog prevails. Nice piece!

September 09, 2003 Bob Hohertz

US Revenues
Jonathan,
Those look like R222's - 200 Scott catalogs a block of four, used, at $47.50, if not cut cancelled. Cancels are of the company that used them.

September 09, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Chip

Good, but I don't believe correct.
Without the educational reforms for the masses, the penny post would have been a wash-out.

September 09, 2003 Chip G

Da Paper
Pro: Perhaps somewhat more persuasive (and probably less objectionable from a historical point of view) would be something like:

The introduction of the postal reform of 1840, which facilitated rapid and inexpensive communication throughout the British Empire and eventually the world, was the catalyst for the expansion of the industrial revolution, as both demand and outlets for mass produced goods and materials were created.

Not sure its right, but it sounds good.
C.

September 09, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Prometheus

I don't think you can describe the development of the postage stamp as a by-product of the IR.
It was part of the IR, but more, part of the societal revolution.
For the first time industrial Union leaders in London could communicate at a cheap rate with their compatriots in Carlisle.
The government had no idea what sort of a beast they were letting loose upon themselves when the penny post was introduced.

If you ever get the chance, and haven't done so already, read the books "Larkrise to Candlewood" to get an insight into what nineteenth century British society was really like.
People did not travel.
Language was village specific.
Intermarriage was a common feature.
It all changed when people could communicate via the written word.
The written word required education.
Education required schools.
Schools required kids not going to work in the coal mines at the age of nine (or younger).

As Ed & Colin can probably attest.
In spite of living in the US for nearly 30 years, they can tell where I come from by my accent.
200 years ago, I might have been able to tell you which village people came from by their accent.

I hate cell phones!!!!

September 09, 2003 Jonathan Keene

US Revenues
Just found this block of 12 while digging through another box lot. Any thoughts as to rarity / value? Any idea what the F.D. cancels are? Take a look here.

Jonathan

September 09, 2003 prometheus

Jim's
Was assigned the 1840's as date for beginning of Brit Idus Rev by- products, ,
Told to express opinion,
My punc problems get cleaned up by my main squeeze, She's an english major.
All I have to do is get main Ideas formed and she proses and charges me sintax , She can even diagram a sentence, Me I just provide the dangling participle
the stamp because i can show large expansion of simple idea , also rapid wide spread adoption of a simple Idea world wide, (like the internet)
And even better I have folded letters - which I can show lead into envelopes,
Rowland Hill is easy build on,( I like outside the box thinkers)
The phrase lick em and stick em will make the class snicker.
Power point views of covers, cards stamps, telegraphs, faxes, an email , I'll text message most in class during presentation.
and a few old stamps to pass around.
3500 words later
"This is why I believe that the Postage Stamp is one of the most useful and least heralded by- products of the British Industrial Revolution ""

Crowd roars approval,
I like it
 

September 09, 2003 Jake

prometheus
please CYE, tried my best to answer your questions on the Fla. PC Collection.
there is a fellow member of the USCS who deals in PCs, made some purchases from him in the past, if you ould like can sed you his name and e-mail addy, as he maybe more help to you than I could offer.

September 09, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Jim

Feel free to correct my English, also.

Jim

September 09, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Bill, yupyupyupyupyup.
 

Jim

September 09, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Prometheus, also, from a grammatical/stylistic point of view, there are a couple of problems. First off, leading with "in my opinion" is weak. A paper is intended to persuade the user, and "in my opinion" translates to "but I could be wrong", which isn't exactly persuasive.
 

And you've got comma problems.
 

Jim
 

September 09, 2003 Bill Weiss

Currency Collectors
JIM; they are usually referred to as "Paper Money Collectors" and the largest society in the US is the "Society of Paper Money Collectors". I only know because I'm a member and former collector of Obsolete Currency. BTW I sent you an email earlier which I prsume you received in good order?

September 09, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

prometheus
Not really.
But it's your paper so you can write what you like.
Many people regard the start of the Industrial revolution with the building of Ironbridge in 1770.
It predates the Penny Black by 70 years.
Whether people living in 1840 regarded themselves as being part of the industrial revolution is a moot question.
As the years progress, revolutions occur at a quickening pace.
Paleolithic man to a library 10 million years.
Library at Alexandria to Internet 6,000 years.
Internet to google 5 years.
What's next?

Were I writing a term paper I might start it, "Why Britain?".
The socioeconomic effects of an expanding empire combined with technological advances.
Or
Educate the masses, teach them to write, and make more money by charging only a penny to the lower classes than 2/9 to the upper classes for social banter and middle classes for business.

September 09, 2003 Bill Weiss

NO #19
Brian R; It's either a #18 with lots of obvious flaws or it's a #20 with the bottom features drawn in. Hard to tell from the scans he supplied, but it absolutely can not be a type 1a.

September 09, 2003 Bill Weiss

Charge Cards
Thanks to anyone who contributed to that discussion. One theory I've heard is that the culprit might be the credit card company itself! Disgruntled employees maybe. There's no way the PIN info was available to anyone other than within the chargecard company itself, unless anyone can tell me how else someone had my mother's maiden name?

September 09, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

A co-worker asked a question that I wasn't sure of - are paper money collectors also referred to as numismatists?
 

Jim

September 09, 2003 prometheus

Opening line of a paper
Does this sound like a good opening line for a paper i have due .

In my opinion the story of the simple postage stamp, is lost on most people when discussing useful but unheralded by- products of the British Industrial Revolution.

September 09, 2003 prometheus

COLIN JUDD
Thanks for the link to that site (japenese forgeries) and for the reason I
Now have a few more holes in my album .
ARRGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

September 09, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Brian

Perhaps it is a special introductory offer!!

September 09, 2003 prometheus

Brian R
Are you making fun of that beautiful stamp?

September 09, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Hmmm. I wonder what his shipping charges were...
 

Jim

September 09, 2003 Brian R

who's first?
Who would like to take a first shot at this item?

September 09, 2003 Tommy Ato

swastikas appear again
I see the swastika overprints have reapperd again.

September 09, 2003 12:40 Dave F. (moderator)

id scams (spoofs)
In a similar vein, I received 3 different spoofs of eBay requesting my account info, just yesterday. Again, if you don't know what to look out for, it's pretty to be duped by the better-written ones.

Just wanted to let people know to be on the lookout.

Also, if you get them, you can forward them on (with full heading info; hard to do in Outlook Express, easy to do in Eudora) to spoof@ebay.com

My one annoyance with eBay is that they end up sending you at least 3 emails for every spoof you send them. And the emails are written as if they're letting you know that they've found the spoof. Their guidance is pretty meaningless if you're the one that sent it to them initially. But at least they acknowledge it. Not sure if it does any good, but I figure that someone there might be tracking the stats about them. Maybe an increase in reporting them will eventually cause them to be more proactive about dealing with them.

September 09, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

SS# theft
My wife had all sorts of problems recently, since someone was using her social security number. It was only after getting a check of her credit that we found the credit card companies, utilities, doctors, lawyers etc., send their "problem buyers" to a centralized credit agency where they are filed on the basis of SS#.

It seems nobody checks to see if the SS# and persons name actually match. It took several days of long distance phone calls, faxing ID cards, and filing a report with the police for a stolen ID. Fortunately they were things like an unpaid gas bill in Virginia, an unpaid doctors bill in Tennessee, etc.

September 09, 2003 Chip G

Four Chaplains
Background on the stamp

September 09, 2003 Chip G

Interfaith Stamps
There is also the US "Four Chaplains" stamp put out in 1948 (Scott 956)

September 09, 2003 prometheus

Jim Lawler
on the topic of Joint Religon on stamps,
Did you have
the 1959 Chile airmail symbolizing the 4 great religions.
or the french stamp from 1961 with the Khmer Buddha and Hermes (unesco stamp)

 

September 09, 2003 10.45 am Colin Judd UK http://mysite.freeserve.com/Scans/
 

Early Japanese Forgeries

Interesting web site by Lois here: http://isjp.org/expert/index.html

Colin
 

September 09, 2003 10.38 am Colin Judd UK http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_stamps
 

Credit Card Fraud
Look here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/3093280.stm for a fraudster recently caught here in the UK

Colin

September 09, 2003 10:07 Dave F. (moderator)

credit card theft
Bill W: Thanks for reminding me about this.

I also had a credit card number stolen within the last 4 months, and I have also purchased from the APS store, but those purchases were more than a year ago (probably 2) so I don't think there is a correlation in my case.

I will say that, in my case, the theft came from when I was trying to purchase web hosting several months ago. (I mentioned this at the time; sorry for the repeat for anyone with that good a memory!)
I tried to use the hosting service that Jim G. has recommended. I tried to pay online using their 3rd party payment vendor. I could never get the transaction to go through. I could never find out why it rejected, either from that payment company or from my bank. And the payment company was rather strange. The same day as I tried to make the webost purchase, I started receiving acknowledgement for payments I had supposedly made to porn sites, although I hadn't made such purchases, and although I was never charged for them. I tried to work through their customer service to clear it up, but could never get it resolved.

Anyway, since no dollars were on the line, I thought I should drop following up on that. But about 10 days later, I received one of those calls from my bank, and it turns out someone had attempted several small ($1) charges to my card through Yahoo Payments, and then another small charge (about $4) was made in Israel. When I said I knew nothing of these payments, the bank cancelled my card and reissued. (And I'm still working through that; I have about 20 automatic debits a month made through that card, and in some cases it seems to take several months to get a company to change the card numbers; instead they want to charge me late fees for "declined" payments.)

To clarify, I don't think the web hosting company that Jim recommended had any part in this. I think it was their payment intermediary. I've noticed that they've since added PayPal as an option, which they didn't have at the time, and which I definitely would have chosen over the unknown 3rd-party company.

Anyway, the complexity of this experience is why I didn't respond yesterday. So, yes, I would qualify under your question, but, no, I don't think the APS had anything to do with it.

September 09, 2003 Bill Weiss

Credit Card Thefts
I would like to keep this subject open a bit in case there are those who missed last nights post where I related the recent theft of a credit card number that was only used narrowly. One board member who also had a number stolen had also shopped at APS. Are there any other board members who have had credit card numbers stolewn in the last year? If so, WHERE were the numbers used (Geographical location)? It seems that many (or all?) I am aware of are quickly used overseas rather than in the US.
APS responded to me immediately and stated that they have had 4-5 other reports similar to mine but that covers the last three years, which I guess isn't many really. Further, it would appear that it has nothing to do with APS since the Bank told my wife that whoever tried to use the card (or did use it) knew my Mother's maiden name(!) which would seem to indicate a more serious identity theft and it is not something APS would know. The fools however, misspelled the name which alerted the Bank that something was amiss.
Anyway, if anyone else can report similar thefts, please post them here. Thanks!

September 09, 2003 Brian R

worst nightmares
Ed B & Paul B Yep. That would be a buyer OR sellers worst nightmare. There were similar problems, a few years back, here in Chicago, IL. There was a spat of discoveries, of mail sacks burning, in alleys, under viaducts, etc. A somewhat high profile way of turning in your resignation. (I do believe the carriers were prosecuted). It got so much attention, that the postal inspectors, got involved. They discoverd one carrier, who would decide to call it a day, whenever he felt like it. Any undelivered mail, was taken home, and simply thrown into a spare room. Tens of thousands, of letters were found, some dating back over a decade.

Sooo....any sellers/buyers, missing a lot, that was routed through Chicago?

September 09, 2003 prometheus <Prometheus@1Internetdrive.com>

Nomad
Email is here above in case you don't like to scroll.

September 09, 2003 prometheus

Jake and Nomad
Jake = already got it and replied thanks

Nomad = Send me your list I'll see if I can help , I only Like one of each
The Number differences in the cancel is a litle to deep for my collection.
I have a bunch of ST Louis World Fairs.

September 09, 2003 Jake <jake@capecodmouse.com>

Jim W-S

have put some stuff together for you and will pack it up tonight, should be weighing anchor tomorrow for Texas.

September 09, 2003 Jake <jake@capecodmouse.com> http://www.capecodmouse.com/jacobs/dan/
 

Prometheus

When time permits CYE replied to your request over on the USCS Chat board.
Will be back later on today, have Legion meeting this a.m., plus KWVA mtg. afterwards, so will be late afternoon before I get to return to the computer.

September 09, 2003 nomad55

Good morning Prom....a nice collection can be made of those St Louis slogans - 8 different numbers used, cancels began in 1901 and ran through 1904. Two different types of slogans in 1903, so a total of 40 different. I'm about 3/4 of the way complete.

September 09, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Dave A

When in doubt, back out.
You will have a hard time demonstrating shilling on a single auction.
It takes months of dedicated work.
Repeat bidder was using a pattern common to many Europeans (and very annoying) of upping at one bid increment.
Never had dealings with seller.
Lot not particularly great anyway.
Just forget it and move on.

September 09, 2003 13:41 GMT David Arthur

Shilling - Maybe
Sorry, I used link-o-matic but it doesn't look as if the link has worked ........ Just do a search on the following:
Extensive Schaubek Coll 1840/1977 Cat £11,000 Item number: 2949247190

September 09, 2003 prometheus

Todays Post Cards Choice of Two
The First Was mailed in 1904 from St Louis Mo NEATCANCEL
If you know your stamps you already know the stamp and cancel .

The second is just a regular postcard sent from Newcastle-on Tyne to Glascow 1905
I linked the lined out address and the redirection and of course the Western Glascow D.O. as I like markings on my post cards that are other than CDS.

September 09, 2003 13:41 GMT Dave Arthur <dave@davesgame.com>

Shilling - Maybe
Have a look at this item. I was thinking of bidding on it as it had a number of stamps that I am missing from the Victorian era, but decided to check the bidding first and what I saw concerned me so much I decided against it. It looks (and obviously I cannot be sure) that at least one bidder was pushing the price up without really hitting a winning bid. This bidder is new to ebay with a 0 feedback.
Was I wise or did I just miss out on a lot, I will never know, but I will certainly be checking this seller's lots for the bidding history in the future if any of his lots attract me.

 

September 09, 2003 05:16 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is a souvenir postcard from Great Britain to Paris in 1911. It was flown on the second offical airmail in conjunction with the Coronation of King George V. It has an interesting story.

September 09, 2003 Richard Vanger

Grandpa
Congratulations Paul B. The first is the hardest to get used to. The worst is being a Great Grandfather, you go to bed with a Great Grandmother!!!!!!!!!
Richard

September 09, 2003 Richard Vanger

GB overprints.
D.B.& D.P...After going through my GB officials I have decided to stop collecting them and go in for something safe like : FROGS & BUTTERFLIES!!
Richard V.

September 09, 2003 12:57BST PaulB

Stamp sellers worse nightmare
Sorry up most of night becoming Grand Father for 1st time
wosrt = worst
 

September 09, 2003 12:53 BST PaulB <paulb147@ntlworld.com>

Stamp sellers worse nightmare
Ed.B - Stamp sellers worst !!!
Wrong - Stamp buyers wosrt nightmare esp. when waiting several items and you live in post code NN3

September 09, 2003 Dave P

GB Overprint
Richard V What a very odd auction, does not even mention the severe misplacement with the "L" on the next stamp. I do not claim to be an expert but would put that in the "duff" category, both because of the shape of the letters, and the alignment between the two lines. In all the time I was collecting GB, I never found a genuine high cat official in a collection or mixed lot, all were duds, although on three of them I had to send off for a cert. to be sure.

DP

September 09, 2003 David Benson

Richard, it's look like it over the cancel but scans can be decieving. I doubt it is OK and the overprint doesn't look right. It is a risky stamp to buy without a cert., wonder what the realisation will be as he is starting it at $1.

David Benson

September 09, 2003 Richard Vanger

GB overprint
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2950340665&category=3511

Is it my imagination or is the overprint on top of the postmark?

Richard Vanger

September 09, 2003 1130 BST Ed.B

Stamp sellers worse nightmare
http://www.northamptontoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=255&ArticleID=655639

September 09, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

shipping scam
Jerry k - Yeah, I'm sure this guy who is selling $20 items on ebay also owns IBM!

Allison - Thank you for a kinder response. Maybe he does have some sort of account, I don't know. All I know is what I've seen at various companies I've worked for in the past.

 

September 09, 2003 Lavar Taylor

Today's featured item of postal history focuses on US mail to Germany during WWI. This cover was sent from New York to Germany in January, 1917. It is franked with three 5c Washington stamps paying the 5c international letter rate and the 10c registry fee. The cover is addressed to Mr. Fred Silvermann at the Ruhleben camp for civilian internees.

Ruhleben Gefangenenlager (British Civilian Internment Camp) was established after the outbreak of the First World War at a racetrack in Spandau, a suburb of Berlin, and remained in operation until Armistice Day, 1918. At its peak, the camp held some 4,500 male civilians of military age who had been living or traveling in Germany when war was declared; prisoners were housed in stalls originally intended for racehorses. Most were British, but there were also a few dozen French and Italians, as well as Indians, Jamaicans, West Africans, and Zanzibarees, most of whom had been crewmembers of British merchant ships docked in German ports. About 300-400 internees were Jewish.

The internees established their own camp organization, mail service, social and sports clubs, cultural and educational programs, relief programs, religious services, and hygienic measures.

As shown on the reverse , this cover was postmarked on Jan. 2, 1917, not long before mail service to Germany was suspended. It was censored by the British. The cover was received in Spandau (then a suburb of Berlin) on March 9, 1917. The cover was further marked with a Ruhleben receiving mark on the front.

At the bottom of the reverse, the following is handwritten :"Zuruck! Enschreibbrief an Kriefsgefangene nicht zulassig", which means that registered letters were not allowed to be delivered at Ruhleben.

To make this letter even more interesting, the name of the sender, which is obscured by censor tape but can be seen when the cover is held up to a strong light, is Hans Mayer. I don't know why someone of obviously German heritage located in the USA would be sending a registered letter to a British internee in Germany. There is undoubtedly an interesting story lurking here.

Beecher & Wawrukiewicz state that POW mail was allowed free of charge at this time, but Ruhleben was for civilian internees. I could not find any mention of civilian internees being allowed the same privileges accorded POWs, which may explain why the sender paid 15c postage. Any comments or assistance is appreciated.
 

September 08, 2003 Alison Ruttenberg

Shipping scam
Richard B: After reading Jerry K's post, I decided to put in my two cents because I was thinking along the same lines (although he did not need to be so obnoxious in order to get his point across). It is very likely, that there was nothing nefarious about the situation. When I worked at a big law firm in Denver (400 or so attorneys and hundreds of support staff), we could use the FedEx account for personal purposes, we just had to fill out a form where the package was going and that it was to be billed to our personal account. When the bill came at the end of the month, the personal mailings, ones that were not charged to clients, were charged to the attorneys who used the services, and it just came out of our paychecks. No big deal, made everyone happy. It made for larger monthly FedEx bills, which means that FedEx gave the lawfirm larger discounts and more perks, we could use the services for our personal business as a convenience, and the lawfirm just deducted it from our pay so that there was no lost revenue.

September 08, 2003 Paul Barsdell

shipping scam
Jerry K. whoever you are, if you going to be so rude and belligerent, just take your sandbox and go and play somewhere else.
 

Paul

September 08, 2003 Jerry k.

shipping scam
So whats the big deal? This makes little if any at all,Richard, you got what you paid for,or was it not what you expected,and thus your looking for some thing to b***h about!As usuall.What is it do you think that its up to you to be the tattle-tale of the nation..Maybe the guy owns the company did you ever think of that.No I doubt it.Because you just have to have something to cry about.Go ahead why not maybe you'll get some poor slob fired,then how would that make you feel..If your not happy with the item you recieved ask for a refund,but calling the company is going just to D### far.Remenber this when you snitch on somebody else your really telling alittle about yourself.Mainly why you don't have any friends and thats probably why you have nothing else to do.

September 08, 2003 John@Magnolia Stamps

credit cards
My wife controls the cards,so I don't use them anywhere unless i know the person that I giving my numbers to,thusly if I make a purchase,I call the numbers in by phone.

Bill W

It sounds like you've been playing poker with my ex brother in law,oh heck I can't spell his name right,Toona Lund..I think thats right.Anyway that sounds like some of his luck!

September 08, 2003 Greg Ioannou

Shipping "scam"
I often mail private things out with my company's name and address as the return address. That's no real problem -- I own the company. But I also let my staff do the same. It can be safer to mail cash payments and the like in an envelope that looks like some boring corporate correspondence. I don't think any of my staff has stolen so much as a penny in postage from the company.

September 08, 2003 Bill Weiss

Thanks to Rich & Lavar regarding APS purchases. So OK, now we know of at least one other board member whose had theirs stolen who also bought from APS, ANY OTHERS??

POKER; Jim, I'm not sure I can play either but I must be improving. This time, out of about 170 entrants I got knocked out about 45th, and the hand I got knocked out on, as usual, looked like a sure winner. I have pocket Jacks, guy raises, I call, flop comes K-J-5 so I have three Jacks, raise all in, last card comes an Ace to give the guy a straight! I'm out. Damn. Maybe next time. I did get to play at the same table with one past World Series champion and last year I got to play with two past World Series champions. SLOTS? Slots are for girls! (Just kidding!).

September 08, 2003 749 hobbes9324 (M Morkin) <hobbes9324@aol.com>

"Famine Relief" Chinese issue
Going thru a box lot I found the items listed in the title - frames with a superficial resemblence to the Chinese "Junk" issues, 5, 10, and 15 cents in value - Cinderella, bogus - or not Chinese and hiding somewhere else in the catalog?

All ideas welcome.....and thanks!

M Morkin

September 08, 2003 Jim Jim Jim Jim Jim Jim Jim

Jim
Jim,
a little longer than a crap shoot with losing dies.

September 08, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

I swear. First you get Robert Varkoniy. Then you get Chris Moneymaker. Now, everyone thinks they can play poker...
 

Well, I know that I can't play poker. So I stick to slots...
 

Jim

September 08, 2003 Lavar Taylor

Bill Weiss -- I have purchased from STampstore 3-4 times during the past 18 months, using my cc. No problems with anyone misappropriating my cc number.

Well, today the nasty Tax Court case that has been keeping me busy for the past 2 months (set for trial this Friday) settled. Who knows, maybe I can return to the land of the living soon, maybe even find an hour to devote to the gubernatorial campaign before working on the next case. Right now, however, I am going home and sleep.

Lavar

"With Bill Simon out of the race, it's one down and 133 to go"

September 08, 2003 Rich <rich@icontech.com>

credit card
Bill Weiss...I have used a credit card to purchase from the APS stampstore. The card I used also had the number stolen to the tune of $1500.00. You just made me wonder.
Rich

September 08, 2003 Terence Hines

Dreamer of the day: 2950334030. Perhaps I should offer him the dozen or so covers like this that I have at only $10 each. Such a deal!

Terence Hines

September 08, 2003 Bill Weiss

Charge Card Theft
Hi Everyone, we are now back from two days away where I was seriously engaged in a poker tournament, which of course I dids not win!
While we were gone a phone message had us call a bank and bottom line is that our credit card number was stolen again! Some of you may recall that this happened to us a few months back, was discovered, that number destroyed and a new card issued. Some of you may also recall that, at that time, I mentioned that one of the very few places that I used that particular card was for purchases from APS. At that time I asked fellow board members if anyone else had a charge number stolen and whether or not there could be a connection between any of the thefts. I do not recall if any other board member mentioned APS or not, although I don't think so.
Here is the real upshoot. After the last one was stolen and a new one issued, the ONLY place I have used it was for APS purchases online! Now I am REALLY convinced that the number is somehow being stolen from my uses with APS. I am obviously going to alert them tommorrow, although if they have had similar incidents from others I seriously doubt they would tell me that, but I at least want them to know about this, not so much that it's their fault, which of course, it isn't, but so that they can be aware of the problem.
Now what I want to ask this board this time is this; does ANYBODY who reads this post purchase from the APS Stampstore and if so, have you ever used a credit card to pay for the purchases? Thanks in advance.

September 08, 2003 Past my bed time Ed.B

Terms & Conditions
How's this for a sellers T&C. Just found it on Ebay.uk.

Terms and conditions: We ship only to the United Kingdom. If you have been a registered ebay user for less than two months or have zero feedback, please email us to get authorisation before placing a bid. If this is not done, your bid may be deleted. We accept only Sterling cheques from a U.K. bank, cash sent by secure delivery, Sterling travellers cheques or postal orders. We do not accept payment by credit or debit card or paypal. Please allow 14 days for delivery from receipt of payment to clear cheques. Non-payment will result in a report to ebay and negative feedback.

September 08, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Dave

Somewhat along those lines but different, payment for my auctions (when it is not my own stuff), goes to the Institution I work for.
Seeing that the payment goes into a scholarship account, I have to specify that when I forward the check to the finance department.
However, being a State Institution, they then forward all the checks to Austin.
The checks are banked and the money assigned to the correct account.
However, if the checks bounce, the bouncer gets a registered letter from the State Comptroller warning them to pay up, or else.
I guess if you're not a Texan, it's no big deal.
If you are, I can imagine it being quite a shock.
I guess a British equivalent would be receiving a nasty note from the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

September 08, 2003 14:36 Dave F. ("philatarium")

shipping
Richard B.: Well, I can understand your concern, especially based on the quality of the material and your experiences with mailroom abuses in the past. The companies I worked for had mailrooms that were cost-recovery centers, and, because they were professional services companies, you always had to have a client number, project number, or personal expense account number to do anything (even to make 1 photocopy!). And those accounts were pretty carefully scrutinized by the person responsible for that account. I do appreciate that many organizations are much more casual about such things.

Good luck in making your decision about what steps to pursue, if any.

September 08, 2003 2:27pm Jonathan Keene <jeltonk@maine.rr.com>

It was in the "round file"
 

Jim Lalwer

Jim,

Luckily trash day isn't 'til Wed so I managed to salvage it. Email me your address and I'd be happy to send it to you. Postage not necessary.

Jon

September 08, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Shipping
Dave - Could be, but I've also worked for companies in shhipping and receiving areas and seen the abuse of the system that also goes on. I've seen personal packages shipped and letters mailed, all without reimburesement to the company. A few people would actually report it and pay up, but not many. I had a friend who would routinely run 50-100 blank envelopes through the meter machine, take them home and have free p[ostage for bills for a long time. Another friend was in a band and use to use company postage to mail out flyers from a mailing list. I guess I'm a bit upset because the items I got in this case turned out to be nothing like the condition that was described or expected by me. I'm currently waiting to hear back from the seller on this, but I'm not optimistic. At $20, I will probably just keep them, cut my losses and chalk it up to experience (a bad one).

September 08, 2003 14:16 Dave F. ("philatarium")

shipping
Richard B.I've worked in the past for companies who would allow you to ship through their mailroom at their preferential rates. There was an internal accounting mechanism set up so that it charged your personal expense account. Since most of us were often incurring reimburseable expenses on behalf of the company, the company got its payment by deducting any outstanding charges before cutting the reimbursement check to the employee.

Looking at the most innocent scenario, perhaps your shipper has a similar arrangement with his employer.

September 08, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Shipping scam
Ok, here's the deal. I won a heavier lot (not stamps), I knew the shipping cost ahead of time ($7.95, but not complaining about the amount). I got the items today by Airborne Express, which seemed odd for a normal transaction. I checked the return address and it's a business address which is totally different than the one I sent payment to. I'm thinking this person charged the $7.95 and simply used the company he worked for, to ship the item, thereby keeping the $7.95 as profit. Anyone else run into this? Think I should call the company and let them know?

September 08, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Duncan, fair warning that when I find an issue that's "lacking", I don't automatically upgrade it. I'll only upgrade it if I find one for sale that's "good enough", and I don't settle for simply "better than what I have". I don't want to upgrade stamps over and over, getting slightly better each time. I just want to upgrade once to one that's worth keeping. Anyways, the side effect of this is that I may have some modern issues that are "bad" that stay in my collection for a while.
 

Jim

September 08, 2003 Dunc

Darn typos

Too many keys, too few fingers.

DD

September 08, 2003 Dunc

Upgrading Jim's album

Wife wants to know what I'm chuckling about... Jim G I spotted a few definitives among your stamps that were below your standards and figured you'd be replacing them. Wife doesn't know that we have ESP and I'm not gonna tell her either.

I know just where to look to see your ugrades.

Dunc

September 08, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Argh. Too many Jim's!
 

Duncan, for the most part, I don't discuss my mistakes when I correct them - I just correct them. With something like 5300 issues in my collection, the chances of someone (other than Vic) noticing or caring about a specific mistake are pretty small, and I want to keep the home page relevant. But for your sake, here's what's changed. I discovered that my 2578 was actualy a booklet single from a 2578a. Vic pointed out that I'd marked the Jack London booklet, 2182a, as 2182b, a tagging omitted error. And he just pointed out that I'd marked the 2274a booklet pane as 2275, so you can still see that mistake on the site.
 

I also take a laptop with my album to stamp shows, and I sit at one dealer's table (A&D), go through my images one-by-one, find issues that should be upgraded for one reason or another, poor centering, scissor separations, inclusions, whatever), and replace them. I'm done through 1991, and I just replaced about 50 stamps and their page/singles images. I don't mention them either, because their images are already present and correct.
 

The next change that will probably be worth mentioning is adding more 2003 pages.
 

Jim

September 08, 2003 prometheus

Nomad55 reply
I too see pen marks and those tiny indestructible/non removal stickers that leave a big ouchy when you take them off card.
Of course most of these dealers think picture side is the pretty one.

September 08, 2003 nomad55

Prom....those pencil annotations can be removed by light pressure using an art gum eraser. Just be happy they are not in pen. I looked at an antique dealer's stock of postcards over the weekend, and after seeing 10 or so of them priced in pen, I said "forget it".

September 08, 2003 prometheus

Todays postal sept 8 1896
Nice little UX12(not my pencil marks)
sent to Capt Scott From Noank Conn to New London Conn
FRONT
and because I like fancy writing and handstamps here is back.
Back

back in the day when no phones (very few) no fax, no email, just normal directions for business.
Wonder what the barge carried. ??

September 08, 2003 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
sveiki!
I've updated as you requested.

September 08, 2003 sveiki!

Jim Sorry, I made a hasty mistake. Venden is in Livland... I can see that now after having another look at the scan. A request for you... Can you leave out my ID on the page, thanks! {:o)

September 08, 2003 Duncan D

Must... have........coffee...........

Now that I've had a cup, my mind is working slightly better.

Alison and David B

Interesting comments about the swastika overprints. Ironic that lotus may have picked a subject for his forgeries that he now might not be able to sell on eBay! I report him to eBay occasionally for anything that seems out of line in his offerings, but never thought of that. The idea of getting those items knocked off eBay on a technicality... well maybe someone in France wants to report him, but I'll pass on that one.

Checklists

Add dealer price lists to the reference sources, too.

Linerless coils

Also being discussed in Linns in Letters to the Editor.

Duncan

"Time for a second cup. Yummmmm [drool], donuts!"

September 08, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Jim G

Thanks for the link to Vic Bove's site!

Just curious... will you be telling us what Vic discovers in your album, either here or in your "What's new" column? Gotta keep an eye on the varieties, you know.

I see Vic has a "Whats New and New Discoveries and Varieties" page too.

Chris mentioned his inventory or want list earlier, you sure would laugh if you could see my varieties list. Last updated and printed in 1999 using an old 386 computer and a nine pin printer and WordStar word processing. All part of a bizarre but effective system that includes a Scott Specialized supplemented with Post It notes and typed pages added, three Postal Service Guides to US Stamps with added notes (one of which functions as a checklist), a computer file of scanned varieties, and a folder of clippings in Scott number order.

Don't ask about US Booklets, that's a separate category and a mess, but interesting since many are cheap. Nobody seems to place any significant value on nicely centered booklets so I watch for them.

Thanks again Jim.

Dunc

September 08, 2003 1405 BST Ed.B

High postage charge. For Mr David Benson
Just checked this morning David. Postcard to Oz (Royal Mail Zone 2) in an envelope (no stiffener) .47p. With stiffener .68p. Someone is making a packet on the postage.

September 08, 2003 05:34 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Paul,
Thanks for your help. I've updated the page but still need help on one of the postmarks.

Rats! I forgot to adjust after cutting and pasting this morning. I need some coffee! Here is a corrected link to Today's dated postal history item from Italy to Latvia.

September 08, 2003 sveiki!

Jim Postcard was received in Venden, Kurland - the large postmark of receipt. The smaller one I cannot read.

September 08, 2003 04:34 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is a picture postcard from
href=http://www.stampwhiz.com/090813.html target=blank>Italy to Latvia in 1913. I need

some translation help on the Russian handstamps from Latvia. TIA!

September 08, 2003 04:20 AM Jim Lawler <jlawler@comteck.com>

Interfaith
Dave Frick
Thanks for taking the time to check out the Kwanzaa & interfaith connection. (One that does not work.)
That is a good link.

NOw to try and find more interfaith connections on stamps for our jint exhibit.

Jim L.
 

September 08, 2003 Queensland, Australia Dave Elsmore <dave1@bigpond.net.au>

D1 to g.1

AOK Greg i have taken you up on your recommendation thanks for your interest. Now i hope it sells, and i can afford to take a Qantas flight to Welpex (NZ) in November!.

September 08, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Heh. So east coast dealer Vic Bove asked me for copies of my stamp images, because he specializes in minor variants and he wants to use them on his web site. He's a good guy, and he's linking to me, so I had no problem with it. So the good news is that it gets my site a little bit of visibility. The bad news is that since he knows U.S. minor variants better than anyone else, he keeps finding mistakes on my site, forcing me to reprint/remount/rescan pages...
 

Jim

September 08, 2003 00.03 Knud-Erik Andersen

Good morning/afternoon/evening to you all.  :O)

I'm still alive. :O)

K.E.   

September 07, 2003 David Benson

Alsion to the rescue, possibly that may also have been the reason why they have not been listed,

David Benson

September 07, 2003 Alison Ruttenberg

The Swastika forgeries of Lotus
Next time Lotus offers up some Swastika forgeries, someone should report him for violating the Third Reich prohibition of Swastika overprints, etc. The new exceptions to the rule apply to WWII era stamps and covers only. Any stamp, overprint, cancel, censor tape, cachet, etc. on a stamp or cover FROM THE WWII era is now permissible, but not modern creations. Therefore, even if his stuff is really the 1974 forgeries, it violates ebay rules since 1974 was after WWII era.

September 07, 2003 21:06 Dave ("philatarium")

Kwanzaa
Forgot to include a link to one of the several websites I checked. This one seems to be the clearest:

http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/faq.html

September 07, 2003 20:52 Dave Frick ("philatarium")

Kwanzaa & interfaith
Just wearing my stamp collector's hat, rather than the moderator one, for this drive-by post.

A day or two ago someone said that a Kawazaa stamp coupled with an Eid stamp or a Christmas stamp would constitute an interfaith philatelic item. I wasn't entirely sure that that was correct at that time, but didn't have any time to investigate this then.

However, just now I took a few minutes to look into this, and it turns out my hunch was correct. Kwanzaa is a cultural celebration, not a religious one. It celebrates an affirmation back to Africa for the African diaspora, but it does not connate any specific religious considerations. Indeed, it does not in any way conflict with a celebration of Christmas or other religious holidays.

So I'm not sure it would be an appropriate use of an interfaith philatelic item, but would be highly appropriate as a celebration of one's ethnic or cultural identity.

Now, back to being moderator for a moment:

Apologies for not replying to anyone's email yet. My schedule has been totally committed for the last week, and for the next few days to come. Indeed, I've snuck away just for a few minutes to post this.

Be back later ...

September 07, 2003 David Benson

Duncan, he may have ran into a listing problem with the Swastikas. The description of the GB was easy to change but before the Swastika description was vague " resembles the 1974 forgeries ". He might have to get it past the Ebay Gestapo before they allow that description although a similar description might get passed without mentioning the similarities of the 1974 fakes.

David Benson

September 07, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Modern GB forgeries

Looks like lotus is testing the water before he dives in.

It would be better to see a requirement for anyone involved in creating modern forgeries to mark them as such. Also, since the ink is still wet, the most accurate description of them would be "modern forgeries", since the era of manufacture is obviously known. But any small victory is nice.

What has been gained already is apparently a big step for eBay, and it really didn't take too long either considering the complicated involvement of two eBay groups plus the APS. I was shocked several months ago when I read about how difficult it was to get anything done about pcheltenham even after the facts were clearly revealed. So things are improving.

There is still a problem with lotus using generic scans for the stamps he offers with swastika overprints, I've never seen more than one generic shot of any particular denomination. The thing about that is, every buyer is entitled to see the actual stamp being offered. Remember the US inverted jenny fake sold on eBay recently? It was on the front page of the July 7th issue of Linns Stamp News. Remember, it was the obvious paste job that revealed the scam. Now had that been a less valuable stamp and if a generic scan had been used, nobody would know that a buyer had been cheated.

So if thousands of sellers of legitimate stamps can comply with eBay's rules, those who deal in suspicious forgeries should also be expected to post actual scans. Maybe that's why lotus has not posted offerings with the swastikas, we can always hope that eBay will continue to monitor his sales and watch for such things.

Duncan

"Yeah, I know, I'm a squeaking wheel. You won't believe where they put the grease."

September 07, 2003 David Benson

Ed, there are so many forgeries of British Officials around, every one that has a catalogue value over $ 50 should be certified. I suspect some of the current offerings are just computer contrived but an inspection of the back should be able to prove most of them. The cancels sometimes help but not always and it is difficult to tell if some are over or under the cancels. The buyers should know it is risky but in this case he has made a definite statement which he has to be commended.
Regarding postage costs I just bought an item from England this morning, 2.99 Pounds and 2 Pounds to ship, luckily I made allowances in the bidding to allow for the exhorbitant postage charge.

David Benson

September 07, 2003 0115 BST Ed.B

Wet ink
David & Jim, just had a look at those stamps of you know who. He doesn't say that they are marked on the reverse which means they could resurface at a later date. Sell enough of these and he still makes money and not from the stamps. His postage charge within the UK is 50p.At most it would cost 28p first class mail or only 20p second class mail. It doesn't take much to work out that the profit from this is a large % of the cost.

September 07, 2003 prometheus <Prometheus@1Internetdrive.com>

Good guys Score?

Evening all, maybe a little step forward has been realized and If the EBAYUK has no enforcement maybe Mr 194 was as he said just Human, and reason finally won out.

Jim W-S = What's up with that now active Volcano down south got any reccommended links to the action.

My eyes hurt from looking at too many really nice postcards, glad there is no commandment about coveting someone else's Material or I would be doomed for sure.

Now off-line for a while to figure out what I need to sell to raise the cash I need.
See you folks in am.
 

September 07, 2003 David Benson

Jim, at least he has complied to the alterations that Big Brother has asked for. They cannot insist on " REPRO " or " FOR " on the reverse as the APS has no jurisdiction outside the US and there are no like bodies in GB who have made arrangements with EBAYUK. I don't understand why EBAYUK could have made any requests and maybe Mr. Lotus will let us know what the letter said so we can find out in case another miscreant decided to copycat.

Another one for the good guys, another blow to the ones with ink on their hands.

David Benson

September 07, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

D2
Gimme a break.
Shucks, real inverted overprint is only catalogued at £1,000 in mint condition, £850 used.
I have no idea who would like to contact his buyers.
Ethically comfortable.
But what a bargain!!

September 07, 2003 David Benson

I would like to commend Mr. Lotus148 on his change of description, it just states FORGERY, no if's or but's, just plain unadulterated forgery.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3511&item=2950298368

Must have been something Ebay or us said,


David Benson

September 07, 2003 14.49 Knud-Erik Andersen

Good morning/afternoon/evening to you all.

K.E.   

September 07, 2003 Greg Ioannou

Prometheus That's really funny too!

September 07, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

SA issues
john@magnoliastamps.com, yeah, I do that too. But we were specifically discussing linerless self-adhesives.
 

Jim

September 07, 2003 John@MagnoliaStamps

Bob in STL

I need to sit down one of theses days and reconfigure the list,since it has been reduced by at least 50%...I have been picking up bits & peices,here there and yonder..Thanks for remembering..

September 07, 2003 Bob Hohertz

revenues
 

John@magnolia,
I haven't forgotten about your request. One of these days....

Hope all is well!

September 07, 2003 prometheus

Gregg
If he did that someone might think the one selling in that pair for 19.99 is a real bargain

Not gonna show todays date post card sorry if you look for them am preparing to go look at some real postal (naval) history type cards and must read up and be as prepared as possible.

Very nice Older gentleman no kids or nephews or nieces has offered me his Great White Fleet cancel collection, Not Philatelic but normal mail sent by sailors
This Dude is very interesting has cards and covers to die for. '
Can't decide what he wants to do with it all
I wish he hadn't sold his stamps to Scott's when he left for ww2
i'm sure I would have liked those too.

Jake - again thanks for the info got my lists and am going to try to figure it out.

September 07, 2003 John@Magnolia Stamps

Ken S

I believe I'll just wait till I can look feel and touch...I had been talking to a dealer in Ma.about a #23 that he had bought thru an auction service and told him that I would buy it if he would get a cert on it,I'm still laughing about this one! I went up there this past thursday to get the stamp,he had the cert.I said perferated #9 with fake cancel added even had the plating pos.Man was he ever p.o'd...He also showed me the cert on a reperfed 480 made to look like a 313 same auction house...of course he would not tell me which one!I did ask if it was our friends in saratoga and he said it was not,I wonder....

September 07, 2003 Greg Ioannou <gregioannou@rogers.com>

David DE66, you funny guy: I love your description ("Lesser copies...") here. Might sell more readily if listed in Qantas memorabilia, though, don't you think?

September 07, 2003 06:45 Ken S.

John, you're right, the color doesn't look right on that scan (should have more red in it). However, the color doesn't look right on most of the scans, so not sure I'd count that too heavily against it. (BTW, it's listed as having a blue cancel, which looks almost black in their scan, further evidence it's way off).

 

It's probably OK (i.e. genuine), but the margins don't give me the "warm and fuzzies". I'd hold out for a better example - that's a pretty easy number to find. You'll usually see multiple examples in most (major) auction catalogs.

 

FWIW, there are other problems with lots on that page - a Scott 67 listed as a 23, a Scott 24 listed as a 67, a Scott 70b listed as mint when there appears to be a fairly obvious cancel (at top), a 64 which looks like a washed-out 65, a 64b that looks like a 65, a 28A which looks like a 28, etc. Scans can be deceiving, but if you're going to bid some serious money there, you should examine those stamps in person or place everything on extension (assuming they allow that, check their terms).

September 07, 2003 Jim Lawler

uing=using

September 07, 2003 05:58 AM Jim Lalwer <jlawler@comteck.com>

Interfaith, et. al
sveiki!
You’re right, an Eid stamp on the same cover as a Kwanzaa stamp would fit the category, as would a Christmas stamp.

Jonathan Keene
If you’ve not taken out the rubbish, that CROATIA sheet would make a good teaching tool for our Greentown and Indy are youth clubs. I’d be glad to send you postage costs for mailing it.

Bob Hohertz
We’ve had a couple of presentations at the Indiana Stamp Club in the last year that used a laptop and LDC projector. I did one of them, our Vice President did the other. Both of us uing different equipment. Both presentation went well. But, I would note that I used the power converter/cord for my laptop rather than depend on the battery. We had no glitches with either program.

 

Jim L.
 

September 07, 2003 Bill Dempwolf

Chris
I don't have Steiner's pages for modern Danish, but what about Scott 791 (Hafnia '87 souvenir sheet of 4 issued Feb 20, 1986).

Bill

September 07, 2003 Jim Watson

Bob,
Fun covers!

September 07, 2003 03:54 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is a registered cover from Monaco to Germany in 1894. It has 6 different stamps in as many colors.

September 07, 2003 12:54 am Bob Lodge

Today’s Date -- September 7 -- I’ve had a few distractions on top of my normal procrastination, and regret my lapse in posting these for a while. I finally remembered to look for some, and found two covers for this date.

First is a nice 1943 censored cover, 60 years old today, from my nude collection, from St Louis to Michigan. No, not that St Louis, but the one in Senegal, on the Atlantic coast about 100 mi north of Dakar. It is franked with three copies of the copper brown 1 franc value, issued in 1940, of the Senegalese Woman design, which also exists in 8 other values or colors. It is addressed to a Miss Joyce Israelson, who I like to hope did not greet the sight of the bare breasts on the stamps with an offended frown, but rather reacted with an amused, er, titter. The reverse has no markings except a much inferior strike of the football-shaped censor’s handstamp tying the censor tape.

My other cover for this date is relatively recent, only 7 years old today, but still a somewhat elusive item. It is a simple cover from the Seychelles, but unlike 98% which are philatelic, and even unlike 98% of the remaining 2% that are addressed to a foreign destination, this is a commercial domestic Seychelles cover! Notice the country name is not necessary in the address. A close look at the cancel shows it was sent from Praslin, a separate island about 30 miles from Mahe, where the capital Victoria is located. So, this is also an inter-island cover! There are no markings on the reverse. I acquired this from a pen pal in Seychelles with whom I have corresponded off and on for some 20 years.

Bob in WA

September 07, 2003 Roger Heath

victim of lackluster buying during recession
Here's proof that the problem may be oversupply of classic fakes, excused as "lackluster buying volume during recession".
"Swiss federal administration coat of arms cinderella, unwmk., imperf., without frame around the cross. See
picture for condition. Sold as is". Cinderella is sort of buried in there isn't it. Then again the "without frame around cross" cats at $23,500, so this could still be your lucky day. Don't wait!

Roger

September 07, 2003 John@MagnoliaStamps

Ok guys some body check the #12 in this sale and tell if it's real or something else thats been cut down.the color don't look right to me!....almost forgot....look here

September 06, 2003 NOW Chris

APEX bourse report
Went to APEX today. It is one of the larger local stamp shows.
The only problem is that it is in a mall that is an hour's drive away.
(An hour if you go the fast way. I tried a different way back and it took
two hours.)
The bourse itself was pretty good. About 25 sellers, some with some
very nice material. I bought material on Austrailia, Spain and Sweden.
Nothing earth shattering, but filled some holes.

I am going to have to reprint my inventories. They have been to multiple shows now
and are written all over. Time to get everything entered back into Excel and print new copies.
I talked to one old guy who was unhappy because he revenue want lists were getting illegible.
I showed him my spreadsheets, but he has never used a computer, so I don't expect him to try it.

Chris - so many stamps, so little money

September 06, 2003 NOW Chris

Danish souvenir sheet question
I have this question about Danish SSs. In Bill Steiner's pages, there is a page for Hafnia '87.
There are two SSs. The first is obviously Scott 825, but I can't find the second one.
It is listed as a "Souvenir sheet of 4" from 1986.
Any ideas?

Chris - bourse report to follow

September 06, 2003 7:48 PM Henry Pritchard http://3ccovers@first va.com
 

Cost effective mailing of cards and envelopes
Prometheus:
I have sent over 500 postcards and covers around the world without any problems using the following: a doubled piece of a Priority Mail carton (free at the Post Office) cut to 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches and a 5 X 9 kraft envelope. (from Staples @ $.06 each in quantities of 100}. Total weight 1.3 ounces. With the card(s) enclosed in a plastic envelope and sealed, the weight is less than 2 ounces or $.60 postage anywhere in the U.S. Over 2 but less than 3 ounces is $.83. Cut the "Priority Mail" off the top of a free Priority Mailing Label available at the Post Office and use the label, saving the trimmed piece to "close" the cardboard folder.

September 06, 2003 Jim

Multiple winners
Looks like I'm going to be scrutinized!!!!!
I had 66 GB stamp auctions close this morning, and one person bought 32, another bought 12, and another 11. It'll make shipping easier, but should I email asking them to rescind their bids or use another ID? );>) I'll have to admit most weren't single bid auctions, and when starting at $1 each, someone should be a willing buyer.

Roger

September 06, 2003 Bill Weiss

Catalog
JOHN (Magnolia); Glad you received it OK. The main thing I wanted you to see was all the US #1's with starting bids under $150. You might recall a while back I stated here that a particular #1 being discussed was just an ordinary copy and would bring around $150/200. in a public auction, whereupon you exclaimed that you would buy all I had at that price, so I promised to show you plenty of them under $150., so there they are......I'll wait for your bids.

September 06, 2003 prometheus

John Mag stamps
Don't need it my world wide only goes to 1906,
The argument is , is not- is
Triangle, I say no it's a bisect not triangle
While true the shape is now a triangle is it a triangle stamp No
If it goes on much longer I'll envoke the WSS Corporation rules
(WE SAY SO ) Gave her 35 new Triangles to stick in her triangle shaped Album ( uh-oh it's really a bisected album ) we need to rethink our grown up argument.
 

September 06, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

feedback
If you see feedback from one respondant is in excess of 5 in a row.
Check to see if bidder was only bidder.
Check to see if they were for similar material.

If none of the above apply, there is a good chance that shilling is being executed.
A seller using an alias or friend to remove feedback from their current page.

That is not to write that a single buyer might not buy multiple items from a single seller.
Think about the possibilities of such a situation arising.
A single seller, listing 2,000 items at the same time, of which you buy 10 is a possibility.
You leave 10 back-to-back feedbacks.
Do other buyers do the same thing?

Read the feadback and interpret as best you can.

September 06, 2003 John@Mag.

Pro

Awe what the heck give it to her..Wait I think I have one just like it..No'p...Darn I think I sent it to the guy in the netherlands in the last package of triangles that got lost in the mail!!!Next lot I get I'll send them your way...

September 06, 2003 prometheus

Question NOIP
Me and my three year old shadow are playing with our stamps, and cards
She wants this item out of an old approval book BISECT
Now I know this (#300) was perfed and sold so it could be torn in half, she wants it for her Triangles, I don't know if I should let her stick in with the true triangles.
What ideas do you have.
There is a ice cream sundae riding on the outcome.
She says is.....

I say is not just a half ..
Is .. is not, is.. is not.
Help

September 06, 2003 prometheus

John Mag stamps
Don't know changed to another house for the storm (that never happened stupid weatherpeople) and to do chores for relatives/neighbors.
Will go down there tomorrow and check it's only 15 miles but by the time I load the car seat , bags, toys etc it becomes a half day.
 

September 06, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Thanks Bill and Roger.

I consider the seller, xzernie to be one of the best at eBay for consistently good US. The latest stamp I got from him was a US C4 with just the tiniest hinge mark.

Well let me show you the stamp. It was this one. I had an art teacher tell me once that when matting and framing art work, it looked better to have a little extra margin on the bottom of the mat. And I think that's true with stamps too, if it's not perfectly centered it still looks great if it's the bottom margin that's larger.

Dunc

How to describe bad art tactfully: "We don't know who the artist was but we hung the painting anyway."

September 06, 2003 8:04 c.d.t. John@magnolia stamps

Home Agaian Home Again!!!
Prometheus

I mailed your package tuesday past has it arrived yet! I hope it didn't go A.W.O.L. in the mail as some in the past have...

Bill Weiss

I recieved your catalogue in this days mail.Thanks! I was up your way yesterday and as usuall I could not locate you..And my buddy down in Kutztown couldn't find you number either,maybe next time..The wife said I can bid on your stamps if I sell some of the extra ones that I already have!HA.Ha.

Jim Griffith

September 06, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Linerless issue
Bill D. - I don't aim for a "MNH" collection. The goal of my collection is to show off how stamps appeared when they were obtained from the post office in the best condition possible, in all of the different configurations. There are two exceptions to this. First, I don't collect sheets, because that doesn't display anything of interest, since almost everything was issued in sheets. Second, I don't collect unexploded booklets, because you can't actualy see any stamps. Usually, "best condition possible" means MNH.
 

Linerless stamps pose a problem for me, because they are the only issues that I can't display in the "best condition possible" while displaying the issues flat. I'm forced to damage the issues one way or the other to get a flat display. And in my judgement, soaking off the gum does more damage than reapplying them to liners - it weakens the issue, especially the perforations on a coil strip. So I go with re-applying them to a liner. Technically, they're still "MNH", and they're as PO-fresh as a flat-displayed linerless issue can possibly be.
 

Jim

September 06, 2003 Bill Weiss

Eagle Carrier
DUNCAN; What's in the Scott Specialized is all you need to know. That's a reputable seller and it appears accurately described and, last but not least, you got a good buy at only 20%+ of Scott. That Eagle design was used on lots of US currency of the 1850s as a vignette as well as on the carrier stamp.

September 06, 2003 roo <sueco@iinet.net.au>

SUECO
Dave P.

Email me, I'll help all I can.

roo
 

September 06, 2003 Roger Heath

Screamin' Eagle
That was the first printed US currency, the one cent bill. Later inflation made it necessary for the government to print one dollar bills, until today the government is trying to have the public accept coins for the dollar value. Seems like there are not many takers. BTW - These small bills were used to buy the small stamps we've recently seen posted here.

Roger

PS: Ebay may be rethinking its change to allocating a specific category for Switzerland. With all the stamps from the classic period disappearing, there may not be enough stamps to qualify for seperate category. );>)
 

September 06, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Yeah, its quiet. Too quiet.

Oh well. That gives us time for some peaceful philately.

Anybody know much about this item?

All I know is what's in the Scott Specialized. It looked interesting, cheap, and a nice engraving.

Dunc

September 06, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Duncan - Yeah, they both listed the same material, same descriptions, same M.O. of private feedback, private auctions, etc... Most of the forgeries I saw were either Spanish or Swiss, then they throw in some legit(?) Chinese stamps, I guess to throw people off the trail.

The forgeries they sold were so bad, yet with such stupidly high start bids, that it seemed inconceivable anybody in their right mind would bid on them, yet they did. I always wondered if they weren't just bidding on the items themselves, using the 2 different id's. Of course, with private feedback and private auctions, we may never know.

September 06, 2003 Terence Hines

That's odd.
That's odd! Until I just posted, the last message on the board I could see was Hohertz's just after the ^;50?am post.
Terence

September 06, 2003 3:39pm Terence Hines <terencehines@aol.com>

No posts since this morning?
Is this board down? Or has everyone just gone elsewhere?

September 06, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Thank you Richard

I didn't even know about "antiquetraders" being active.

Any other characters who might need watching? You can reach me at croberts33"at"juno.com if you wish, we can easily move this to private e-mail.

And since we're monitoring Bad Apples maybe I'll settle for some applejack.

Dunc

September 06, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Duncan - His companion id of antiquetraders is also now not showing any items being listed. Hmmmmmmmm....

September 06, 2003 prometheus

Roger
Thanks I'll give that approach a try, and use ICQ for a couple of my other buddies in case I see them bite, depending on her response.

September 06, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Bad apples

I was just searching through seller "rarestamp's" offerings when they suddenly disappeared, perhaps 20 to 24 offerings. The last eight items he had recently listed all appeared to be legitimate stamps as opposed to his usual forgeries described as Cinderellas.

Time will tell if his listings are just in the process of being updated (will they disappear during such a process?) or if he's actually gone.

Duncan

"Might be time to break out my annual bottle of wine, home brewed 1997 red."

September 06, 2003 Roger Heath

Peanuts to you!
prometheus-
Email her politely explaining it's unnecessary to take "extreme" precautions, since the expense of the shipping doesn't justify the value of the items sent. I have yet to have anything damaged in 1100 auctions, and the only items coming in a box were books. Say that her shipping procedures make it uneconomical for you to trade again.

Roger

September 06, 2003 prometheus

NOIP - a question about shipping costs
Just recieved a box , Item inside was free (another chatboard)
I had agreed to pay /refund whatever the amount was (and I will)
But The person send two cards I am happy to have them, and paid the postman 5.15 to ship them,
When I send this person her Mint Stamps (that was the deal)
Would you enclose a note that said- Hey next time just tuck those cards in an envelope write do not bend on it and send it , save the box and peanuts and wrapping and bag and tape just mail them.
Or just be quiet (it is not the stamps I have sheets of them )
I will not take her up on anymore of her if you want them I will send them for mint postage offers,
And would you post this type of info on that board where others who might take her up on the offer thinking ,you know, that might be 20 old 3 cents stamps, To notice that (and I don't really mind) that it cost me $5.15 for two postcards in a box.

four or five others have recieved items from her in the past three months or so and not one pointed out the amount of postage used,or packaging methods just said thanks but after looking at old posts noticed None had accepted a 2nd chance???

What do you think.

 

September 06, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Liners for linerless stamps

Liner material is available, see your local sign painter. They throw away the backing paper when they use computer cut vinyl lettering.

In this picture the linerless stamps on the left were put on a scrap of liner by the friendly postal clerk, even though they were expected to sell these in full rolls of 100. He was salvaging scraps discarded when other self adhesive stamps were sold and used. In the middle, the tan color of the release paper is nice, it makes the die cuts easier to see, but I don't remember the source of that liner. Its might have been supplied by the USPS "Stamp Cave". On the right are stamps with release paper from a sign shop.

US #1552 My mint copy of 1552 quickly changed from white to tan once it was placed in a Showgard mount and placed in an album. I did see a nice sheet not too many years ago that held up much better and it had been kept exposed to air, perhaps the adhesive was drier that way.

Dunc

September 06, 2003 Guillaume

Jim W-S: Thank you for your sympathy :-) Translating can be hell sometimes. Funny thing is, sometimes non-native speakers of English are at an advantage in trying to understand what other non-native speakers are saying. I remember a Dutch prime minister who once said at an international convention: "I almost fell off my little stick". All the native speakers of English were stumped, but we know what he meant: "I nearly fainted". You just had to translate his sentence literally into Dutch to find out.

One of my pet peeves are the misspellings of non-native speakers you see in graffiti. If you want to deface monuments in a language that is not your own, please use a dictionary. Same goes for profanity on chatboards.

September 06, 2003 Bob H.

powerpoint
 

Jim,
Thanks for comments. Your setup surely is configured to work, and this one had to be set up just before the meeting. The presentation was on a zip disk, and though the laptop had a reader for zip, that may have been the problem (though it worked the day before.) Or somehow the setup was bad, though the people trying to get it to work seemed to know what they were doing. One of the mysteries of compatability.

September 06, 2003 Guillaume

Liners and linerless
Thank you, Brian, for the excellent explanations. And thank you, Jim and Duncan for providing illustrations.

I am always interested to hear about new technology for the production of stamps.

September 06, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Guillaume
For your occupation as a professional translator you have my deepest sympathies.
It is sometimes sufficiently difficult to try to understand what people are writing in what they purport to be their own language, rather than to have to translate it from one language to another.
Brian
Thanks you for a very clear description of lineless stamps.

Bob
I use a combined computer/projector/dvd player/vcr player/network link on an everyday basis with nary a hitch.
Actually, the only hitch I have encountered was at a meeting at Taos Ski resort where the projector kept overheating due to the thin atmosphere.
Another problem can arise when trying to load a powerpoint presentation via a modem.
Too much memory dump for modem to handle.

September 06, 2003 prometheus

Thanks to many
BOB H - Got it thanks
To the lurkers that don't post Thanks to all of you too.
It is really helping

FW - Yes I have a book on those and will add to the list with those dates of course
SK - Got it Thanks.
FISHING RESULTS
Caught enuf for dinner (whiting)
JADIP
(just another day in paradise)

 

September 06, 2003 Brian R

last post on linerless
Have any other countries experimented with linerless? If so, have any been rouletted, as opposed to traditional perforations?

September 06, 2003 08:10 Ferd W.

SA Varities
Duncan D. & Jim G. Re: 29 cent Torch sheetlets, The sheets come with "Lacquered" and "Un-lacquered" backs. This may account for the differences.Get away from Scotts if you intend to collect specialized material! See " UNITED STATES STAMP BOOKLETS " by Robert Furman,Krause Pubs.1999 p.164 @ APRL FW

September 06, 2003 Richard Frajola

Jimbo I didn't even see your post before - you may well be correct. Minimum retail value for me on a colored star cancel on cover would be $25 but I am terrible on values for less expensive stuff.

September 06, 2003 Jim Watson

Star Banknote from Montclair
Richard F.,
Just goes to show I'm cheaper than you are! LOL!

September 06, 2003 Brian R

adhesives 101
O.K., I'll admit it, I'm a sale rep for a pressure sensitive label company.

The adhesives used in the early days, like the US 1974 Christmas stamp, are known as "hot melts". Its the same stuff a lot of inexpensive cellophane tapes (the type that rapidly yellows) are coated with. Hot melts are cheap, wickedly strong, and made from traditional organic components. Every batch of hot melt, will differ slightly from the next, due to the composition. A tiny tweek in the formula can produce things like different acid levels, which will create stamps that "age" at different rates. Over time, the aging process, will lead to philatelic tragedies, for all of them (my #1552 is a yellow gummy mess too). There is nothing you can do to prevent the process. Eventually, the adhesive will attack itself, and the stamps will fall off the liner.

Modern adhesives have come a long, long, way. For starters, the PO is now using totally synthetic formulas, that will remain stable for eons. Their formulas are designed to achieve a couple of unseen benefits as well

1) The stamps are repositional for a few minutes, before the adhesive "sets". Place a stamp half on a sheet of paper, and in an hour, place a second next to it. Note the difference, in how they act, when trying to remove them.

2)The formula is designed to break down, into inert components, during the paper recycling process. Yes, SA's ARE recyclable, a horrifying concept to philatelists.

In a nut shell, I'd be more worried about the traditional things, that can go wrong with the paper of modern SA's, than with the adhesive that's backing them.

Duncan Thanks for the link to the linerless stamps. As I've quit collecting modern about 1990, I was totally unaware, that the little dispensers have already been released, to the general public. What a nighmare for the MNH collector! I can't think of a way, other than display on a silicone liner card, to mount such stamps for an album. Maybe next will be little showgard, or scott mounts, with a plastic cover?

September 06, 2003 Bob Hohertz

favor
 

Pro,
CYE

NOIP,
Stamp club meeting last night. It was the second time in several years that someone tried to use a laptop and projector for the program. Last time the laptop's battery went dead early in the proceedings, and this time the projector would not recognize the laptop's presence (all went well at a run-through with the same computer the day before.) Has anyone had good luck doing something like this?

September 06, 2003 6.54am PT Paul Barsdell

Good night all.
 

Paul

September 06, 2003 prometheus

6 Sept 01,09,12,41
your Choice of course

1. Nice little flag From Orange Grove NJ 1909 1909
does anyone Know why the CDS looks elliptical instead of circular

2. It's a little dirty and has a thumtack hole in the side But this little post card has a neat cancel and a stamp I rarely find on picture post cards Coloradosprings

3. This Small Cover from sept 6 1941 Has a nice slogan the war was just a couple of months away and these stamps were exactly one year old. BUYBONDSANDSTAMPS

4. This Post Card from Japan is annotated "via Siberia" is that how it would have gone to Scotland. Letstradepostcards

5, Well as is normally the case the weatherguys all miss it and that storm we here in central FLA were supposed to get, died The sun is out it's looking like a great day,
' I myself am going to go Fishing.
See you all later.

September 06, 2003 Richard Frajola

Chris That Mont Clair is genuine and classifies as a "fancy" cancel. However, stars are common (not great demand) and the Mont Clair is a common variety of star and they are almost always well struck. Retail value here around $25.

September 06, 2003 prometheus

Jake Thanks For the Link
I had searched that web site and Not found it Did find great info On the USS TRENTON , Fleet Flasgship in Pacific, Ambassador to OZ for their 100th Celebration , Bringing back dead Ambassadors, rescuing Americans during the Spanish Civil War.
And you are right nothing better than real Mail, I can only wonder what it must have been like to be on a US ship in a French port while the Natzi(Tarzan spelling here) were taking France from the French.

September 06, 2003 05:39 Jim Watson

Sueco
Dave P.,
There is an e-mail link at the top of the page you linked to. You might try that as a direct approach.

September 06, 2003 Bill Dempwolf

Linerless Coils
Jim Griffith during the discussion of linerless coils I began wondering how they fit into your Mint Never Hinged mold. Do you consider a stamp that has been peeled from it's neighbor, then stuck onto a second surface to be MNH? It would seem to me that stamp would no longer be pristine, post-office-fresh. I'm not a MNH collector (I hinge virtually everything), but I'm curious how a MNH collector views a self-adhesive that has been adhered to a new surface.

Bill

September 06, 2003 Dave P

Sueco
This was mentioned on the Ebay board. I found it on the Web but cannot find a UK (or any) distributer. A couple of posters on the other board mentioned that they market it, to avoid them getting accused of doing business on that board could someone let me know here how to get the thing? I found the info here

Dave P

September 06, 2003 04:56 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Good Morning, Everyone!
Today's dated postal history item is a registered airmail cover from Chile to the United States in 1935. Did you ever see a private registration label? Also lots of colorful stamps.

Chris,
I'm far from expert but such 'star' cancels are often found on the bank note stamps of that era. Although there is some discontinuity as the circle of the star crosses the edge of the stamp, I doubt if that raises too many questions. I don't know whether such a cancel was used in Montclair. As to value, my experience would put such an item at $10 to $20 but that is not the most informed judgement.

September 06, 2003 Chris Ceremuga

US cover
As US material is totally outside my areas of knowledge, I would be grateful for any comments (especially from Richard F) about authenticity or otherwise of the cancel on this cover. Also some estimate of value if its worth anything.

www.statusint.com/photo/montclair.jpg

September 06, 2003 Duncan D

Seeking out the different types.

Only dweebs rely on Scott. I sweet talk the gap toothed wench at the Post Office. She doesn't know much about stamps though.

I'm just saying...

Dunc

September 06, 2003 Jim Griffith

Mine looks like the one on the left. Scott doesn't mention a variety, which seems a bit odd. Dunno.
 

Jim

September 06, 2003 Dunc

Humphhh!

Unfounded rumors.

I resent that remark. I don't deny it, I just resent it.

;)

Dunc

September 06, 2003 Dunc

Hmmm, once again

The liners.

Dunc

September 06, 2003 Jim Griffith

Duncan, there may very well be a tagging difference. But I'd stick with the whole "Duncan's a weenie" theory, personally. It seems more likely.
 

Jim

September 06, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Yellowing

Jim G

The 2719's in my album have darkened too. And this is weird too. Two different varieties of #2531A, only one type has turned dark, the other one has stayed white. They have been mounted side by side since they were issued. Notice that the gold in the torch is different too. Scott doesn't list two varieties though. I don't have a UV lamp available right now, but I wonder if there's a difference in tagging?

Ooops, almost forgot the links.

The stamps.

And the liners.

Duncan

September 06, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

This is cool

Here's a smart seller. All you gotta do to sell is provide better service than the USPS. not knocking the Post Office, mind you, just that this guy does it better.

Not a linerless strip, but this is to me an excellent way to market a self adhesive strip. Packaging, coil number, centered counting number, Scott numbers explained, this seller is really on the ball.

Notice too that the item has been relisted!

Dunc

September 06, 2003 Jim Griffith

Oh, did I say that out loud? My bad.
 

Jim

September 06, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Richard, the first self-adhesive issue is notorious for being discolored by the acid. So far, all of mine are holding up pretty well, although I wonder if my 2719 has become discolored (anyone know if it was originally white, or off-white?).
 

The USPS has a vested interest in having the gum hold up for 10-20 years, just for the sake of keeping stock from degrading. Beyond that, it probably isn't a pressing concern. The only thing we can count on is that Duncan is a weenie.
 

Jim

September 06, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Jim - Funny, the P.O. is always pushing the stamp collecting angle, and at the same time they are constantly trying to make it as hard as possible for people to collect these things.

September 06, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Things I wonder...
I wonder if the adhesive on these peel and stick stamps will hold up in time? I've run into sheets of self adhesive labels that I've had hanging around for ages (maybe 10 years) and they now just fall off the backing paper. They are usually stained somewhat too. Will this fate befall self-adhesive stamps as well, if they're kept intact on their sheets for extended periods of time?

September 06, 2003 Duncan

See?

I told you he was coming. We have ESP you know.

Dunc

September 06, 2003 Jim Griffith

Hey! I saw that!
 

Jim

September 06, 2003 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Richard, linerless coils are pretty uncommon, and despite owning some for over a year, I only found out that they exist in the past six months (I bought mine from dealers who put them on liners for presentation). The berries coil stamps were issued linerless. The juke box and flag over porch issues were reissued in 1997 as linerless coils. The snowmen coils were linerless. There's at least one other recent issue that was linerless, but I don't remember what.
 

I get my U.S. issues through the subscription program, but linerless coils aren't included. So I get them from dealers who've stuck them on liners for me.
 

Pain in the ass...
 

Jim

September 06, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Okay one quick group hug, and thats it.

Oh jeez. Here comes Jim G., act nonchalant. Do you think he saw that?

Dunc

September 06, 2003 0705 BST Ed.B

Blue berets
Is it safe to come out on this board now everything has quietened down or are all the combatents just asleep? Best advice I saw a day or so ago was to ignore all the nonsense and the smell will go away.

September 06, 2003 Duncan Doenitz

Great minds

Here they are, linerless coils.

I wanted to ask about them too. i understand that the latest ones tend to pull the ink off the others in the roll. Perhaps I should unroll these and put them on liner paper, but I kinda like the cheesy little USPS dispenser.

Dunc

September 05, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Brian - It's the philatelic karma, man!

September 05, 2003 Brian R

Richard B Talk about good timing! We simultaneously came up with the same analogy. LOL

September 05, 2003 Brian R

Guillaume Actually, I'm still around.

When we're talking about the "liners", we're referring to the paper carriers, that people peel the stamps off from. "Linerless" stamps are coils that are rolled up on themselves, not unlike adhesive tape is. The surface of the stamp below, has been chemically laminated, to allow it to act like carrier paper. Already these stamps have been used, at some high volume customers, like contract mailhouses.

I suspect, that these stamps will be introduced to the general public, in the near future. I also suspect, that this will mean the end, of perforations, or die cutting, as we know it. Likely, the stamps, will be rouletted instead. The "ties" being just strong enough to allow pealing from the roll, and yet weak enough, to allow detatching from each other.

I almost shudder to think, just how many varieties, that this will result in. I'm seeing premonitions of the Machins, or the earlier, US Washington/Franklin series.

September 05, 2003 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Gillaume - You timed your post perfectly. I was also wondering what liner and linerless stamps are? Are we refering to the ones in rolls, like tape, without backing paper?

September 05, 2003 Guillaume

Jim: How about spelling of foreign languages: Sig Heil????

Anyway, I came here to ask Brian R. a question: What are liner stamps? Just read your posts about the gum issue, very interesting. Will check back later today (Saturday).

September 05, 2003 Jake

Education
Jim W-S
Youth education is my second cause, so I'm with you on that subject.

September 05, 2003 Jake

Great White Fleet


prometheus
Here is a link to the question you asked on the ships of the
Great White Fleet
This pretty much covers all the ships and a history of their cruise.

September 05, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Jake
I am always willing to contribute to a good cause.
And I can think of few finer than American Veterans.
Though, as you know, I prefer to finance the future educated American citizens.
 

September 05, 2003 Jake

Naval Cover
JIM W-S
Speaking of covers, you never did answer me as to whether you want that AE18 cover, if so wil put it in with the Volcano stamps I have for you. Think you can find some stamps kicking around down there in prickly pear country for exchange??

September 05, 2003 Jake

Naval PC
prometheus

Great looking Naval PC, nice to see some real Sailor's Mail and the history along with it.
BTW Nice to see you posting on the USCS board, or at least stopping by for info.
Haven't been doing a lot with covers lately as have been breaking up and combining our U.S. collections and puting the remainders up for sale on Stampoffer.com

September 05, 2003 Bill Weiss

Wild Board!
This board is way too wild tonight - even for me! Good-night.

September 05, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

shystie
You speak for yourself.

September 05, 2003 HRH Roger

Apporaching??
That's high falutin' spelling for closin' in on something.

I never kame msitakes now if have a comouter, it, has spell check and grammer police embedded. No report buttin for lousy English, and ex cons who chose th stop half way on their round the weorl race.

HRH Roger

September 05, 2003 Roger Heath

Full Moon apporaching?
I received today the quickest completion of a transaction ever. Auction closed Monday Sep1, paid using Paypal Sep1 , item posted Tuesday, Sep2, delivered in Friday delivery Sep 5. Oh, I didn't mention seller in UK, buyer in Hawaii.

I'm starting to understand the expression "King's English". I guess if one isn't a (Stamp) "king", seems the only alternative is talking trash.

HRH Roger

September 05, 2003 Shystie

Brain
Aw, shucks.

[remarks deleted]

Got to go now, server going down soon.

 

September 05, 2003 Jim Whitford-Stark

Brian
Misspelling is not offensive ( to most people).
However, how would you like it if the stamp catalog that you based your bid prices upon was
written by someone who could not spell?
How would you like it if the American Constitution contained numerous spelling mistakes?
If the Magna Carta was written in cockney English .
If MLK had written "I had a dweem" rather than having spoken it (as "I had a dream").

The perception of your fellow man is based upon partly their ability to clearly communicate their ideas in words.
The ability to receive a concept is colo(u)red by the way in which that idea is presented.
 

September 05, 2003 Brian R

Looks as if, I called the return of sanity, juuuuust a little too early.