StampChat Archives

Archive:  January 16 - 31, 2004

• Last updated:  20 March 2004

January 31, 2004 Adam

Thanks
Thanks for helping Paul and Guillaume. Paul can you speak polish?
Also, where from Poland are you?

January 31, 2004 22:38:24 Bill Seymour <billsey at dsl-only dot net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

B(hic)eer
It's not too uncommon to hear that Oregon is the birthplace of the microbrew craze in the US. We've got way to many of them to count, from single outlet brewpubs to ones with many outlets to larger breweries and on up. One of the local McMenamins even bought a bunch of the recycled material from Henry Weinhard's when they scrapped the main brewery downtown and built another building out in my neck of the woods.

January 31, 2004 David Benson

January 31, 2004 Anne

Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of impressed watermarks, Roger's neat-looking pages, and Albania cinderellas.

January 31, 2004 Frank

Jim Lawler- Pirate's wheel
What is Kokomo like? I just sold a 26 inch diameter ship's wheel to a guy in Kokomo. I had it on a deck overlooking Great South Bay, Long Island, and now it's inland in your city. Like people who graduate to bigger boats I got a bigger ships wheel (32 inch diameter). Ship wheels are a lot easier to maintain than boats. I sit up there on the deck and read my Linns with a glass of wine. Not right now though since there's a foot and half of snow and the winds gusting at 30 miles and hour with temperatures in the teens.

January 31, 2004 Frank

Vexing ebay problem
Appreciate any suggestions on a problem that I've had for several weeks and that is beginning to irk me. I'll be on ebay looking at lots and after about five viewings I start getting boxes saying 'out of memory'and do I want to continue running script. Now it's starting to pop up on non-ebay sites and am getting stuff like'object doesn't support this property,' and script error. I'm running Windows Millenium and have 256 memory. It find it on Internet Explorer. I don't find it on Netscape that I loaded on the computer out of frustration nor on Opera which I just loaded. By the way Opera seems to be a super browser. Neither of the two new browsers have mail links set up so I have to go back to Internet Explorer to do my emails.I am not computer literat. Each time I want to see a new lot I've got to click on the error message boxes two to five times. Not fun.

January 31, 2004 paul laniosz

ALBANIA ISSUES
ADAM-----here are the vetekeverria stamps from albania ,and for others to see, i have about 25 different ,they include different paper,different inks , double overprints and inverted overprints . i can t find my albania album but these are some dups from my collection .VETEKEVERRA STAMPS ....i don t think they are legit stamps,they must of been made for the stamp trade.......paul

January 31, 2004 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

January 31, 2004 Guillaume van Turnhout

Roger: Wenn ist das Nunstück git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!! If you are a true Python fan like myself, you should know what this means :-)
 

January 31, 2004 02:26 Paul B.

Web Site?!
Roger The first three pages are now interlinked - have a refresh, it's on the house.

January 31, 2004 02:07 CET Paul B.

Web Page - Perhaps Web Site?!
Roger Now you may refresh my page again and click the first thumbnail image hyperlink - voila!

January 31, 2004 Jim Lawler

Jim L.

January 31, 2004 01:49 CET Paul B.

Web Page
Roger Oh... Try to do it with the different browsers you're got. A little surprise for you... *hehe*

January 31, 2004 01:46 CET Next Day Paul B. <philaweb at (remove) yahoo dot dk>

Web Page
Roger Just for the fun of it - try to click my link again and do a refresh of the cached page.

January 31, 2004 Roger Heath

HTML
Paul -
Done. Thank you very much. If my template had been that simple from the start I would not have had any problem.

I've been away creating more pages, but will wait at least until next week before adding to the, can I say "web site", or does it have a way to go? LOL

Talk about 6 heads being better than one, I personally love committees.

Roger

 

January 31, 2004 01:04 CET Paul B. <philaweb at (remove) yahoo dot dk>

Web Page
Roger Here's your page after a bit of cleaning up the HTML. Want any fancy stuff added?

January 31, 2004 David Benson

Bill, the value depends on the condition and the clarity of the sending and receiving marks. There may also be a premium if the letter contains interesting comments and if addressed to a notable person. Very difficult to evaluate as it is of interest to both areas, Netherlands & British Guiana collectors who would evaluate it entirely differently.

David B.

January 31, 2004 BillC

January 31, 2004 Roger Heath

Pages
Thanks for all the additional comments. I fixed a couple of "bad" pastes. Now should be OK. I realize a few of the pages are a little kapa kai (not straight), but it was late last night when I scanned the pages. It will be no problem to do them again in the future.

There are 3 all text synopsis pages that I've not linked to as they are a work in progress until I've fiished laying out the pages.

Roger

January 31, 2004 Chip G

Well, that post became irrelevant.
Looking good so far, Roger

January 31, 2004 Chip G

HTML
Roger - if you view the source on this page, you'll see the links to the images with the full directory structure. Some people will put the index pages in one directory and all of the pictures in a subdirectory off of that. You can decide what will work for you.

Also, you'll see that I have both full and reduced sized images - they are the same scan, but sized down for the thumbnails on the directory page (listed as ...page1.jpg and ...page1small.jpg) The small is used in the 'scr' link to speed loading, the full size is in the 'href' link with it opening a new page.

As yours is multiframe, you'll need buttons that take you to the next frame's index, and then back again. It probably makes more sense to do as you're doing which is to use clear file names (e.g. geneva3.jpg)that describe the image so that you can move things around easier without renaming files (e.g. frame2page7.jpg)

Looking forward to seeing it.

Chip

January 31, 2004 David Benson

Bill C.,

Berbice and Demerara were ceded by Holland in 1814 to become British Guiana,

David B.

January 31, 2004 Roger Heath

So far so good
Dana - David
Here is the result of your help this morning. );>)
For those of you who wish to make comments, this will be going through a critique in two weeks by a Swiss collector/exhibitor and there are a few "inconsistancies" that I have left in to allow us to compare the directio I should take. He knows who the judges are most likely to be. );>) again. I welcome any comments from anyone. rheath at kona dot net.

Roger
 

January 31, 2004 David Benson

Bill C.

Yes, 1821 Holland to British Guiana is a rare and unusual destination. Could you link a scan,

David Benson

January 31, 2004 Dana K

Dana

January 31, 2004 Roger Heath

HTML
David -
Got it. Thank you!

Dana - Thank you. I need a short while to paste image URL's into the template than woill be able to shwo and tell. Another cup of coffee first. );>)

Roger

January 31, 2004 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

January 31, 2004 Christo van Zyl

Perf Measurements via Scanner
For anyone that is interested. I have bought a copy of this Perf Measurements mathingy. For $4.99 I am willing to try. Anyone else who wight be interested, there is only one more left at his BIN

January 31, 2004 Roger Heath

HTML
Dana -
Thanks for your efforts, but it's time to get out the "stupid" stick and hit me a few times. I understand all that you have done and when I psot the code on a practice board the page looks correct, but....
1.) If my ISP hierarchy is rheath~/test/exhibit/ , where do it place the "razor.html" page, and how does it link ot the images that I've placed in "exhibit folder".
2.)I've made what I thought was a change that should have makdthe first image viewable, but no luck.
3.) Conclusion, I thought I did my homework, but my computer is eating it!
4.) Does the html file go in the same folder as the image files, where?

In the mean time I'm sampling one of Kona's finest agricultural products - coffee, the other Kona Gold wouldn't get passed the ever vigilant Beagles.

Guillaume - I hope you have the same sense of humor I have, but Monty Python couldn't have dreamed up hijackers taking command of a airplane with pointed stamp tongs. What is the best martial arts defense against stamp tongs? A steady stare, then the question, "Buy on Ebay, do you?" End of conflict.

Paul B. -
Internal Security is laying off personnel in Hawaii - I think they were getting in each other's way, if anyhting went wrong they wouldn't have had a clear line of sight to shoot the bad guy. Never seen so many people in uniform patrolling in front of an open air terminal, swaying palm trees, and breezes wafting through the crowds lined up to fly off island. Strange thing is the guards are nearly all short and their uniforms have the look of a boot camp recruits.

Knuden -
That sheet sure has the look of the early Swiss air mail stamps that were used for internal accounting within the post office. I can't believe that sheet was used postally.

Roger

January 31, 2004 10.08 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 31, 2004 Dana K

Dana

January 31, 2004 Frank

Beer and the Mega Show
Dave F- moderator. Dave if you're in for the March Mega Show at Madison Square Garden hop on the Broadway subway line #2 0r 3 trains north two stops to 72nd Street. Walk one block east to Columbus Avenue and one block north and you'll be at Pioneer Supermarket. They have one of the largest selections of beers in NYC and lots of beer from weird places. I don't drink beer but those who do swear by the place. On your way back when you hit Broadway look north and you'll see Fairway gourmet market near you. That's where chef's go to get produce and spices. They also have takeout. Have fun.

January 31, 2004 BillC <canstamps@sympatico.ca> http://www.canstamp.com
 

1821 Holland to British Guiana
I was wondering if anyone could tell me how scarce a stampless cover as above was for that period and where I could find some info in regards to this

Thanks

January 31, 2004 Brian R

Alternatively, we could have Roger mail out little bubble mailers, with the manuscript message "enclosed is a powerful sample of Kona's finest produce." Of course, they'd only contain coffee, but I'd bet the wording would result in some steller censored mail display pieces. :o)

January 31, 2004 8:43 Dana Krueger <fkrueger at kfl dot com>

Dana, compassionate conservative

January 31, 2004 Dave P

I particularly liked the fact they were protecting me and the legal warnings. Of course it would have been better if they could spell "choice", and if it had not originated from a .sv (where that?) address.

January 31, 2004 Chris

Puke Green Tape
Lavar That is a modern postal history collectible of the first water.
Save it, so someday someone can do a 12 paneler on "Postal History Of The 100 Years War".

Chris - wish I was joking about the duration

January 31, 2004 Adam

Vetekeverria Stamp
Could anyone pleaes tell me if this stamp is rare? All I know is that it was made in Albania, but never issued. The one I have is a 1 Frank Orangie/yellow colour.

Adam

January 31, 2004 Victor Horadam <horadam1@airmail.net>

General
Let's not forget those Oatmeal Stouts.....yum...

January 31, 2004 Jim Lawler

Jim L.

January 31, 2004 13:37 CET Paul B. <philaweb at (remove) yahoo dot dk>

Homeland Scrutiny ... er, Security
Roger We have those projects too, they're called "how to get the jobless working" (well, roughly translated).

January 31, 2004 04:15 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

eBay pictures - help!
Bob in WA

I am the one who found out the answer to the ubtitled picture problem. The issue is the Microsoft Internet Explorer does not flush old pictures. My friend says "Every once in a while you have to flush!"

Microsoft explains the solution HERE. You need to clear the Temporary Image Cache. When you press the button this can take several minutes of disk thrashing. THat is OK and normal.

You also heed to go the menu item Tools:Internet Options:Advanced and scroll down to Multimedia Just below the middle of the page. You need to UnCheck Enable automatic image resizing and also UnCheck Enable Image ToolBar

Once you do what Microsoft recommends above (clear the temporary cache) you should reboot or at least close all InterNet Explorer windows and start again. You can now save images again as usual.

January 31, 2004 too early! David K.

BOB: I copy and paste into an email first, then transfer in files.

DUNC: that Italian stamp does have a clear star! Now, where is Pollo?
click here

January 31, 2004 Jim Watson

More Message to Roger
Sorry, I haven't yet made time to review your new pages. I have saved them. I hope I can find the switch which will permit me to enlarge them. I will try to review them soon.

January 31, 2004 Jim Watson

Message to Roger
Make that < is displayed as ampersand lt;

January 31, 2004 06:40 Jim Watson

Roger,
Regarding your difficulty in the index page which shows up as source code, I think you have saved the original page using some 'switch' which says to make the code visible in html because you Front Page has changed all of the code in a fashion to make it appear a code displayed in .html. For example, all of the < is displayed as <.

January 31, 2004 David Benson

Richard, if Dick is there, ask him if you can have a copy of his other book he wrote. It is non philatelic and the subject matter would completely amaze you,

David B.

January 31, 2004 David Benson

Richard, yes please, to Malcolm and also to Dick Gurevitch if he is there. My wife would also like to wish William Kwan and his family a Happy New Year,

David B.

January 31, 2004 Richard Wong

Richard
 

January 31, 2004 Matt Liebson

Knud-Erik: I have very little experience with foreign material but I find that I've mostly been disappointed with the last few foreign items I've sold, though they are primarily from larger countries. I tend to list in country categories rather than in the postal history category, which is perhaps my problem.

January 31, 2004 Guillaume van T.

Hallo, Roger! You cannot blame the officials, those pointy stamp tongs can be mighty dangerous. Seriously.

January 31, 2004 Roger Heath

German PH
Aloha Knuden -
I search all Stamps and postal history, and postal cards, and post cards (were I've been this evening). You can't beat a double listing in Stamps and Postal History. make sure your description has the destination.

David - They are probably watching anyone who is taking frivolous working holdays to Washington DC. I can't think of any character more suspicious these days than someone who is trying to "defeat" the current government policies. LOL (And he's a grumpy old stamp collector, to boot!) The day security at Kona International Airport greets cars with M-16's, I'll know we lost. You wouldn't belive the number of people here who conciously wear sandals (called slipper here) when flying to Honolulo, rather than deal with taking shoes off etc. One can't hide much under T-shirt, shorts, and slippers, but still the metal detector has two "watchers". Last year I had to take my stamp tongs from my carry on and put htem in my checked bag. I learned a lesson all right but it had nothing to do with stamps, just how nuts our government has become.

Roger

January 31, 2004 Guillaume van Turnhout

I hope somebody will provide an answer to Lavar Taylor's question, because I am very curious about the puke green tape as well. If it is indeed from the HO, I would love to get one. Okay, off to work now.

January 31, 2004 David Benson

Paul B,

did you see this Sarawak cover, not a bad price and it went to a dealer,

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2981038468&category=3514

David B.

January 31, 2004 00.24 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 31, 2004 David Benson

Roger, it may have been that they noticed that the first name may have had links to one of the countries that is on their watch list,

David B.

January 31, 2004 Roger Heath

Links
Sorry there are no operating links as yet, just the originals. Didn't seem to make any difference if the boxes weren't showing where the images are supposed to appear.

Roger

January 31, 2004 Roger Heath

Puke Green
Laver - It ocould be that with an illegible cancel and a stamp with no country name, that vigilant National Security Forces found it necessary to open. There could have been anything in an envelope of unidentifiable origin.

Help!!!!!
A while back I "borrowed" the source code for a page I knew had possibilities for using as a page when I got ready to show my exhibit pages. I've just spent the evening scanning 23 pages, a modified the source code as I think is correct, but - BUT when I load to my ISP I'm clueless. I can get the images to appear like normal but the "html" page appears as the source code. There is no conversion to the page layout. I don't understand the heirarchy or relationship between an "Exhibit" folder, an html page that I thought would be in the folder, and the images that will appear on the page. For example here is a page -
here's, the code with only one correct image link. How does this become a page of boxes and images?

Thanks in advance,
Roger

January 31, 2004 Lavar Taylor

modern postal history
That puke green inspection tape can be seen here and here .

January 31, 2004 10:48 pm Bob in WA

eBay pictures - help!

For years I have had no trouble saving pictures of eBay lots for various reasons. I right click, click "save as..", and navigate to the file where I wish to put it. Usually the name of the picture appears, and in the window underneath, the file type shows as .jpg. Now all of a sudden they won't work! The file type is bitmap, and the title is *untitled. What is going on! I assume it has something to do with the new picture hosting being used on eBay. Any of you tech-types out there have a suggestion how I can get around this?

January 31, 2004 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Bob in Wa - I had the same problem for a while, until someone pointed out to me that I needed to empty my temporary internet files every now and then. It cleared my problems right up.

January 30, 2004 10:48 pm Bob in WA

eBay pictures - help!

For years I have had no trouble saving pictures of eBay lots for various reasons. I right click, click "save as..", and navigate to the file where I wish to put it. Usually the name of the picture appears, and in the window underneath, the file type shows as .jpg. Now all of a sudden they won't work! The file type is bitmap, and the title is *untitled. What is going on! I assume it has something to do with the new picture hosting being used on eBay. Any of you tech-types out there have a suggestion how I can get around this?

January 30, 2004 Anne

Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of beer on stamps (oooops), Indian food, and deleted threads.

January 30, 2004 10+pm Bob in WA

kangaroo

A scan of the reverse will also increase the probability he actually has the stamp and not just a photo. Pretty hard to fake a unique perf pattern.

January 30, 2004 Allan

David
There was a similar 2-pound roo listing on Ebay from Croatia(?)a while back. I will email seller for back scan.
 

January 30, 2004 David Benson

Allan, he states it is 1st. watermark, which is on a very thin paper. The only way to verify it is to see a scan of the reverse. It may be OK or the scan may have been " borrowed ". A scan of the reverse will verify it as the watermark shows though.

David B.

January 30, 2004 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Oh my god! I thought I was the only Motorhead fan in all of philately! Lemmy (Ian actually) is the coolest Rock and roller alive. Ranks right up there with Ted Nugent. In my younger days I actually use to have people mistake me for Lemmy (except for the bad teeth and warts). In fact, when I was playing in bands in California, me and the guitar player were known as "The Lemmy Brothers" in local band circles.

January 30, 2004 Allan

This stamp (or possibly photograph of a stamp!) does not look kosher to me. Plus new seller, no feedback, no other listing.
Item number: 2983773744.
 

January 30, 2004 Chris

Strange Musical Fact Of The Night
The band Motorhead was formed when Lemmy got kicked out of Hawkwind.

Chris - Lemmy roolz, Donny Osmond droolz

January 30, 2004 Ken Lawrence

Set-offs on gum
Richard Warren,

To answer your question, I need to know whether the prints were dry before they were gummed. If so, they are transfers from adjacent stamps below, where a slip-sheet between was omitted after gumming. But if they are intaglio (recess) or letterpress (relief) prints on pregummed paper, they are probably transfers from the blanket on the inpression cylinder, which inked when a sheet failed to feed.

January 30, 2004 Chris

Trader Joe's
One of the sadnesses of living at altitude is that there isn't a Trader Joe's within 500 miles.
Try their curry simmer sauce. It rocks.
Easy dinner: One jar TJ's Curry Simmer Sauce, one bag Costco meatballs and some rice.
Put the frozen meatballs in pot.
Dump sauce over.
Heat them up while you cook the rice.
When done, put rice on plate and cover with meatballs and sauce.
Wash down with a nice micro-brew.
Belch and then go work on stamps.

Chris - the 8 jars of Curry sauce in my luggage freaked out the TSA folks at the airport

January 30, 2004 Roger Heath

Kona Beer
We have a micro brewery here in Kona (headquartered in Portland), but I prefer Bass Pale Ale, which I buy on special at Safeway, $11.00 for a 12 pack. I don't know how it can be shipped from anywhere to Hawaii and sold for that price. A mellow ring with a hearty tone are the characteristics I admire!

Roger

January 30, 2004 nomad55

I'd like to check this lot out in person for sleepers, but knowing Patkin, it's already been well searched.

January 30, 2004 Matt Liebson

Jim: Guinness is arguably a food group, as opposed to a beer. Or so goes my thinking. (mmmm....Guinness...) I suspect your local beer choices are somewhat limited. I seem to recall reading a book by William Least Heat-Moon, in which he described the bulk of the American West as the "Great American Beer Desert".....

January 30, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

The Budweiser water was great at the watering hole.
Looks like I missed a little tempest.
Nothing beats Guiness - USDA yearly recommended allowance of iron per pint.
Tastes good too.
As do apples when made into cider.
Guiness, fairly obviously, figures prominantly on Irish stamps.
Chile Rellenos for dinner tonight.

January 30, 2004 PAUL LANIOSZ

BURMA PRINTING
RICHARD , DAVID ,AND BOB -----that looks like the stamps were stuck to a album page were the picture was transfered to the gum from the printed page ......paul

January 30, 2004 Bob H.

Sorry, Dave - I know better than to feed the trolls.

January 30, 2004 Steve Taylor (aka philcomp) http://www.timeblaster.com/tbeindex.shtml
 

Beer
My two cents:

Best beer in the world: Pilsner Urquell

January 30, 2004 4:01 pm Steve Taylor (aka philcomp) http://www.timeblaster.com/tbeindex.shtml
 

Toning
I believe that the most common cause of toning (an even discoloration, particularly of the paper) is either exposure to light (specifically, UV) and/or long time adjacency to acidic paper (typically from having been retained on cover for a long period of time).

To my mind, toning is a discoloration evenly distributed on a stamp; foxing is spotty and not evenly distributed. (Though I suppose that an extremely bad case of foxing could affect the entire stamp.)

The difference between toning and foxing is most clear on postal stationary, where foxing frequently appears at the edges and toning typically shows on the entire envelope except where the cover has been covered by an identification strap.

January 30, 2004 16:01 Dave F. (moderator)

On a more pleasant note, for those of you within range of a Trader Joe's that has a liquor section, there are some excellent oppportunities to sample some good regional brews (and some international selections) at a good price. I've been deliberately trying to pick up something new when I go in there. Lots of good representation of Northern California, Oregon and Washington small breweries. (Not sure what constitues a microbrewery these days.)

In my quick tour of the Northeast (which was food-related), I was surprised to see how poor the selection was of anything beyond the standard choices, even in the high-end gourmet grocery stores. And unfortunately TJ's does not or cannot carry beer and wine in some stores outside of California, but where they do, I believe you'll like the selections and the prices. You may not see too many familiar favorites, but some of the things they do carry are likely to become favorites. (I used to have a limit of $5 per 6-pack, but learned that if I upped it to $6 per, the range of great choices really opened up.)

January 30, 2004 prometheus

Beer shipping
Forget the Postal History , if you tell them you are mailing beer it is No go.
If you want to pack super and try any way it might work.

 

January 30, 2004 3:43 Bob in WA

offsets

Richard -- Is your question only pertaining to Burma? I have a couple of US offsets, very solid and startling. At a glance it looks like a normal stamp, then you notice it is backwards, and look even closer to see there is gum on the "printed" side. I assume they could exist either over or under the gum, depending on the order of operations for that particular issue. But perhaps these are relatively common compared to the ones you mention? I've seen them in auction catalogs a few times, too.

January 30, 2004 15:40 Dave F. (moderator)

I am deleting the thread pertaining to whether or not someone is blacklisted. (I'm not sure what blacklisted means, since that seller clearly is still an active seller.)

If I don't stop this now, then the board will become another flame war again for the next few days, and I don't think anyone is well-served by that.

This is clearly in the category of personal rumor and attack, so I'm calling an end to it now.
 

January 30, 2004 Matt Liebson

I have a nearby Indian restaurant that has two Indian beers (in nice, big bottles) available -- I think Taj Mahal and Flying Horse. Both, I think, are manufactured only for export but they're both tasty with a curry. I have regrettably little experience with worldwide beer. Which raises two important questions for this board....1) anyone ever see an exhibit of beer on stamps (as opposed to beer stamps, which I have seen exhibits of); and 2) would you rather (a) have some beer or (b) whack some penguins? (or do both!)

January 30, 2004 Paul B. <philaweb at (remove) yahoo dot dk>

Beer
Last time I checked the local megastore they had beer on bottle and cans from all over the world - Czech, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Belgian, British, Irish etc. I'm not a beer drinker myself, but a can or bottle of Latvian beer is always a good item when visiting family and friends. Cesu Alus gets good critics - Aldaris is much more like Danish beer.

January 30, 2004 15.11 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 30, 2004 Brian R

David M You're invited too. However, fresh California rice Budweiser is ommitted from the choices. Required is something created with hops, not just a picture of them on the can. In fact, if it's in a can, that's excluded too. LOL For that matter Jolly 'ol England/EU is cordially invited as well. I assure the posters of Europe, that there ARE highly desirable beers made in the US. Unfortunately, word of their existance is drowned in the oceans of tasteless watery swill that dominates this land. The reason that they get the moniker "microbrews" is they are made by small companies, in small quntities. Americans are so desperate for a decent beer, that such finer stuff, never makes it to the export docks. :o)

January 30, 2004 3:07 pm Bob in WA

Read this !

A VERY interesting article about eBay, PayPal, and international thievery.

January 30, 2004 15:03 Bjorn Munch

Which category
How about listing it under "Dt. Reich Ganzsachen" on eBay.de? :-)
 

January 30, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

After a first full week of classes, I can see it is time for a friday afternoon visit to the local watering hole.
All this discussion of beer has made me quite thirsty.
BBL.

January 30, 2004 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

January 30, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

K-E
You mean there isn't a German Postal Stationery History category?

January 30, 2004 14.21 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 30, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Collecting beer bottle labels rivals stamp collecting.
Of course, the bottle must be emptied before the label is soaked off.

January 30, 2004 14.19 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 30, 2004 Dave P

Dave P - downing his third pint of London Pride and the screen is going all blurry

January 30, 2004 Lavar Taylor

Beer
Brian R Don't get your hops up about getting free legal advice about beer. Most attorneys I know would want to do some sort of barter deal......

January 30, 2004 David Benson

Richard, it is also more likely to occur with typo as the impression is raised.

David B.

January 30, 2004 David Benson

Richard, they may not be offsets, just impressions from another sheet that has been firmly attached. If the paper if soft wove and high humidity and under heavy weight the impressions may transfer. It can also be told by the face of the other stamp as it feels rougher than normal,

David B.

January 30, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

One of the nice thins about eBay is that people do put up images of their stamps.
I infrequently come across stamps with volcanoes on them that I missed from my catalog because Scott doesn't illustrate all the examples in a set, that the Scott description is poor, or they are in countries where I least expect to find them.
Today it was an Albanian 1962 Olympics stamp with Fuji on it.

January 30, 2004 Brian R

Still unknown in all of this, is any legal issues involving the shipping of beer through the mail. This is where I'll have to tap your free legal advice. Talk about a likely candidate for pilferage! I hope we don't end up having to send the packages registered.....

January 30, 2004 Richard W

continued
Maybe I should have added, these are both printed at Nasik, India, both litho, but the overprint typo.

January 30, 2004 Richard Warren

Expert opinions, anyone?

January 30, 2004 Matt Liebson

Brian R: that sounds like a great idea. We here in Cleveland have two good locals: Great Lakes Brewing Company and Crooked River. Great Lakes actually has some fairly wide distribution, Crooked River less so. Both have nice lines of beers (the best, perhaps, is the Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold).

Sam Adams is indeed a drinkable beer, though I too will skip the chocolate one. Oh, and Guinness is very good with chocolate (or with Sam Adams -- the so-called "black and sam")

January 30, 2004 Brian R

Promo I'd probably follow your advice and put away one of those carriers, if it wasn't for the horrifing thought, of actually having Budweiser in my fridge. I think the beer patrons of this board (seems to be a few), should start a perpetual cycle of trading, their local towns micro brews through the mail. As a bonus, we could create our own postal history in the process. :o)

January 30, 2004 prometheus

Thanks Colin
Thanks for the scan ,
so on that FDC they saved the selvage and stuck it on . OK

January 30, 2004 prometheus

Beer is good for you
Oh and for those that like printers errors
There are in the market right now some miss printed Carriers of the Budweiser six pack, some say King of beers which is normal;
some say King o Beers and some say King Off beers.
I myself picked up a King off beers today just in case fifty years from now it has value.

While to my young palate beer is just beer if it gets the desired effect, I will say that My dad sometimes home brews an almond beer that is killer.

January 30, 2004 Chris

headlamps and traffic lights
Would it be possible to have a stamp block where "the headlamps are on" and there is a traffic light?

Chris - if you don't get it, I'll let mteton explain

January 30, 2004 12:28 Bjorn Munch

Triple bidder
OK, now we can see what the triple bidder was doing. To no avail. Still doesn't quite make sense.

Beer: yuck! Yes, Sam Adams is actually a drinkable American beer. Bu no chocolate, please!
 

January 30, 2004 Lavar Taylor

Modern postal history
A question. I just received a small package from the UK. The package had been opened and resealed with puke green tape. The only thing I can read on the tape is "By Border Protection", with a very small left portion of a circle. Inside the circle at the top is the letter U followed by another letter that is not completely there. In the circle at the bottom is "HO" followed by another letter that is not completely there. I conclude that the entire circle, if present, would read United State Department of Homeland Security or something similar. Has anyone encountered this tape prior to now?

January 30, 2004 11.55 am Colin Judd http://mysite.freeserve.com/GB_Special_Issues/
 

Colin

January 30, 2004 Richard Ballhagen (spain_1850)

Beer
I'm not a beer drinker anymore (beer-free for 10 years now), but when I did, the only way I could drink common beer was to place a peppermint candy in the bottle and let it dissolve before consumption. Don't ask me why.

January 30, 2004 Brian R

I've tried Tuborg, and found it quite good :o)

January 30, 2004 11.15 Knud-Erik Andersen

(My Danish favorite beer!)

January 30, 2004 Brian R

Warning, non philatelic post
I suppose, since we already have Bar-B-que flavored, Busch lite low carb draft, in a plastic bottle, with a peelable Anna Kornikova collectors label, I should have seen this comming. If this were to have happened in Europe, I suspect that a public hanging would be in order.

January 30, 2004 1:45 est prometheus

traffic lights
thanks all for explanation

January 30, 2004 07.27 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 30, 2004 07:04 Jim Watson

January 30, 2004 05.40 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 30, 2004 04:3 Jim Watson

My second item is a cover from French Lavant to Switzerland in 1913.

January 30, 2004 Jim Lawler

Jim L.

January 30, 2004 David Benson

Three cheers for Richard the Pommie Pinkie, let's hope he is successful with his aim and the US Pinkies do the same,

Ebay UK. Pinkie

I hope that a lot of the reproduction problems will be solved by the new category for them, though once it is in place we are prepared to crack the whip to keep fakes there and nowhere else.

David B.

January 30, 2004 Christo van Zyl

Now this is what can be termed Useless/Worthless UK Stamps. Not even a bid on them. Going straight into the trash can!

January 30, 2004 Anne

Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of triangular bare-breasted Yetis on stamps (not to mention a few friendly Space Brothers to guide our planet to higher levels of enlightenment, pneumatic posts from Jamaica to Bermuda (Jim, it sounded more fun before you corrected it), and a tonic for Roger's tongue.

January 30, 2004 Adam

Buenos Aires
paul, your stamp has some differences, like the four dots and some of the lettering, but yes there are similarities.

January 30, 2004 Christo van Zyl

1224.1 as well Brian!

January 29, 2004 Roger Heath

Terrible Tales of Toning
Brian -
One works out to get muscle tone, one sits on the beach to get skin tone, and one plays a musical instrument for melodic tones.
If you think the tone of this tutorial non-topical, you are in for a treat. You are looking at stamps that are setting the tone of tropical collecting, unless one cleans them with brighteners (stamp block). Having read this far, you'll know I probably took my tongs to my tongue, got tongue-tied and teased my tonsils, the ultimate tonsorial tale. After all, tone is all in the eye of the beholder.

Ta ta, Roger

January 29, 2004 22:22 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Foxing
Brian R

Foxing is caused by a mold which grows on paper especially in a humid environment. It is contageous, so quarantine of the stamps is called for.

Here are some references. Most collectors recommend a bath with a dilute solution of hydrogen peroxide.

Standord U definition

More definitions

Some treatment use at your own risk.

January 29, 2004 Brian R

I just looked at a packet of used second bureau issues (from a glassine in an old stock), and these things are ruined, every single stamp. Thankfully no high denoms in the bunch. Really wondering if they collectively have something catching, or were all just exposed to whatever could do this.

January 29, 2004 Brian R

Paul
Small world. I sold some stuff to that companys predecessor for awhile. Then they got bought by RockTenn, and they closed that plant a couple of years ago.

January 29, 2004 8:02 pm Bob in WA

yeti
Anne -- Not only is the Bhutan set of Yeti, but they are triangular and one or two depict a bare-breasted female yeti, so both Maarten and I have collections which include them. I, too, would love to find a commercial cover.

January 29, 2004 7:54 pm Andrew Titley <info@albionstamps.com> http://www.AlbionStamps.com/AlbionCircuits.htm
 

Stamp Trading Circuit
Greetings:

I just would like to announce that I have just opened up a new stamp swap circuit, "Albion Circuit". If you do not know what a stamp swap circuit is, here is a short explanation of it:

What are "Albion Circuits"?

This is a way for collectors of every age and every interest to trade stamps. There are three types of Circuits, Pre-1950's Circuit, Post-1950's Circuit, and Catalogue Value Circuits (USA only). It is set up so that people can fill in the gaps in their collections. Circuits are put together based on the collectors interests.

If you are interested or just want to learn more, please visit my site:
http://www.albionstamps.com/AlbionCircuits.htm

If you have any questions, comments, and/or concerns, please feel free to contact me at Info@AlbionStamps.com

Thanks,
Andrew
AlbionStamps.com
APS #200711, EPS #284, ISWSC #2366

Albion Stamps
3334 Long Beach Rd. #149
Oceanside, NY 11572
USA

January 29, 2004 7:25 Bob in WA

golf

Marius -- I'm impressed. I've aced 14 three times (in 11 games) but always get 3-5 on 17, my nemesis. Best score of 2 on 8, 10, 13, and 18; I've aced all the rest.

January 29, 2004 Duncan Doenitz

Seeing stars

David K

Here is what I see when looking at the right side of your stamp,,,

A star.

Dunc

January 29, 2004 19:13 Dave F. (moderator)

David K: I have the ability to go back and modify a post, so I went back and corrected those links within your posts. I think Richard was right about the missing "http://", because I really paid attention to how I fixed the second link, and adding the "http://" is what did the trick.

January 29, 2004 David Benson

Paul, I doubt if Canada would like being called a Colony, a member of the British Commonwealth perhaps but it hasn't been a colony for almost 140 years.

David B.

January 29, 2004 paul

ADAM ----here is my copy of the stamp you were discussion with others and me ,now i know this is a fake ,because it cost me a whole 10 cents back in the 50 s FAKE....paul

January 29, 2004 David Benson

They have always been known as Traffic Lights here and were originally used to make sure that all colors had been printed as it was easier for checkers to confirm that all was OK.

David B.

January 29, 2004 Jim Lawler

Bookmark

January 29, 2004 paul

CHIPBOARD BOX
BRIAN-----i haven t heard the word "chipboard box " in ages , since i left HOENER-WALDORF the company i worked for making zesta cracker boxes on a MIEHL PRESS at 42nd and pulaski in chicago ......paul

January 29, 2004 David K.

Well....
Your right about that Http://....but both posted links corrected themselves and finally allowed Http:// by knocking out the extra link(www.kbnet.com/book/html/)...how the system did this is beyond me!
Got ya on that French seal...like a notary.

January 29, 2004 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

January 29, 2004 Brian R

You'll find the same things, somewhere on every printed chipboard box, in your kitchen cabinets.

January 29, 2004 Marius

golf
Score of 32. Only score of 3 or more was the 17th. Finally aced that pain in the A**E 14th.

January 29, 2004 David Benson

David K. It is not Postal, either embossed Revenue stamp but I can't make out the words at the top or it is a govermental seal.

David B.

January 29, 2004 Richard Frajola

David The original link did NOT start with off with "http//:" as it should have so it picked up the current kb directory.

January 29, 2004 paul

traffic lights
TRAFFIC LIGHTS -----are guides for the printing process of stamps ,they are used for lineing up the different color inks in the printing process ,it is also used to check the color of the ink . its is used mainly on british and colony stamps .....let me get out and scan a few of them later .....paul

January 29, 2004 17:54 Dave F. (moderator)

David K: Figured it out. You just need to insert "http://" between the "href=" and the "www." (I can never remember this syntax and always end up using that Link-o-matic trick at the top of the page.)

January 29, 2004 17:51 Dave F. (moderator)

First, David K.'s link:

www.members.aol.com/eaglearts/rare2.jpg

January 29, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Pro
In the margins of British stamps they printed a circle containing the color that was used for printing the stamp.
The early stamps were (I guess) red, yellow and green, so they became known as "traffic lights".
You can just see them on the far right of that chopped scan.

January 29, 2004 17:48 Dave F. (moderator)

David K: I'm looking at it right now to see if I can figure out what's causing the problem. Jim W-S also just posted a link which didn't work at first, but it turns out there was a slight typo in there that I was able to fix and then everything went well.

I'll get back to you in a minute on this.

January 29, 2004 David K.

HELP
David, the link got messed up again and reads as I copied it: http://www.kbnet.com/book/html/www.members.aol.com/eaglearts/rare2.jpg
Now, if, as before, the link corrects itself, it should work with time. This cut square, software colored to expose it as white does not show up well, is at: www.members.aol.com/eaglearts/rare2.jpg

January 29, 2004 David K.

French Embossed Stamp?
I'll try this linky thing again: click here Review of a letter (cut aquare) sealed with what appears to be a French embossed stamp. It came out so weak below the statue, no value is shown. Paper is antique laid; could this be an early Colonial Period mailing?
Thanks...

January 29, 2004 17:34 Jim Watson

First, I screw up by describing this morning's cover as from Romagna rather than Roman States (or Papal States, if you desire). Thanks to David Benson this has been corrected.
Then when I'm creating my morning's note, I don't complete the editing process and leave a reference in to the pneumatic mail system from the cover from Argentina yesterday. Thanks to Knud-Erik for being the first to catch this and to the rest for their forbearance in rubbing it in! LOL
Next, I leave an extra period (stop) in my html and fail to turn off the bold and then misidentify the location in my corrective post.
I don't think I'm going to drive any more tonight. I'm not safe at any speed! ;-)

January 29, 2004 David K.

Hiccup
Dave: Yep, now the link works as well...This Italian stamp works inverted as well with a portrait of someone else or it was superimposed. The format of this stamp is not listed as far as I can tell. The reverse side is covered with a black grilling ink pattern; gum intact. Lower right of frontal has a purple ink touch from somewhere. Very interesting to say the least. Will wait for Paolo, thanks.

January 29, 2004 prometheus

Jim W-s
that FDC GB says in description -- set of Traffic lights, whasat?

January 29, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

1998 GB Order of the Garter has Griffin, Yale, Dragon, and Unicorn.
Then there is the 1999 Dalek from Dr. Who.

January 29, 2004 prometheus

Score
short stick 736 longest slide 1213.5

January 29, 2004 16:38 Dave F. (moderator)

David K: I have no idea what happened. When I looked at the code, your html was perfectly correct. I just ended up redoing it (thanks to Mauro's "Link-o-Matic"!), only changing it to have it open a new window, and it seems to work fine now.

Hopefully it was just a little hiccup at KBnet.

January 29, 2004 Brian R

bigfoot on a stamp
This site, diplays the "bigfoot" stamp from Canada. I know of no others.

January 29, 2004 Mauro Mowszowicz

i've just found this website with more YETI & Others stamps
Mauro M.

January 29, 2004 David Benson

David K. Paolo should know more but they were printed using water soluble ink and the ink runs very easily.

David B.

January 29, 2004 Terence Hines <terence AT aol dot com>

Terence Hines

January 29, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Bjorn
It seems my postal history buy from Armenia has ended up a piece of postal history itself.
I'd also love to know how mail from Armenia to New York ends up in El Paso.

January 29, 2004 David K.

WOW
Link worked fine until I posted it and someone else's www address was inserted! I hope DAVE looks into this one!
Italian stamp: www.members.aol.com/eaglearts/rare1.jpg

January 29, 2004 David K.

Italian stamp?
Need a keen eye with some experience for this one; perf 14; stamp appears to have an overprinting of another stamp to the right hand side. Behind the top right side of her head is another portrait. Any ideas out there? Click here.

January 29, 2004 Richard Frajola

Ebay Feedback
And from the "you thought feedback was useless before category" - see here

January 29, 2004 Anne

To keep this philatelically-oriented, does the Yeti appear on any stamps? (Penguins on stamps are too easy).

January 29, 2004 2:10 Bob in WA

lower

stick - 736
slide - 886.8
A couple of times when I swung and missed, it registered a negative number, -52.6 or something like that!

January 29, 2004 Brian R

I hate to infuse a bit of philately....
I thought I'd share the typo of the day. If it isn't a typo, then we need to give the guy a plaque for honesty or something.

January 29, 2004 Bob in WA

low

896.1

January 29, 2004 1:51 pm Bob in WA

penguin popups

Darn! I just tied Io's old 1213.9 and came back to the board to find 4 people have beaten it, including Io! I'm still interested in how LOW a score anyone has gotten on a slide, where it doesn't stick. I'm down to 921.4.

January 29, 2004 Rich

Back to the drawing board. While I wrote it Brian beat it.
Rich

January 29, 2004 Rich

PENGUIN
I guess 1215.8 is as far as it goes. I got it too.
Rich

January 29, 2004 Brian R

:o)
1224.1

January 29, 2004 Anne

1215.8. Eat my dust.

January 29, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Oops, just upped my own score to 1215.8

January 29, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

1213.9 so far.
I have printed evidence!!

January 29, 2004 12:56 Bob in WA

Penguins: Slide -- high 1201.3, low 948.9
Stick -- high 790.9, low 740.7 (twice)
closest to a flag 1200.1
I find low scores harder to get in this one. Sure can't find the sweet spot to fly over 800 on a stick. I think the longer ones have a single bounce right in front of the batter, but it's hard to tell.

January 29, 2004 Christo van Zyl

Penguin Swatting
Top for me is 1212.9

I can post a jpg to prove!

January 29, 2004 David Benson

Paul, thanks, it would be interesting if the APS actually stated some figures, especially for non US material. Number of items reported to Ebay, number of items Ebay sent to Stamp Watch Committee, number of items zapped.

David B. who appears to have been blacklisted reporting items to Ebay US (most probably becuase I reported too many) but still reports to Ebay.UK and Ebay.Australia and gets results.

David B.

January 29, 2004 12.17 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 29, 2004 12.03 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 29, 2004 Anne

Ah, the grandeur of a penguin floating through the air toward a headfirst landing. 1198.1

January 29, 2004 Matt Liebson

...and 787.7 on the fly.

January 29, 2004 Richard Matta

Had to try it with so many comments - 1113.9 - the penguin took several bounces and slid forever.

January 29, 2004 Rob Faux

Jim G That is hilarious... 1210.8! So there. :)

January 29, 2004 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

January 29, 2004 Brian R

Let's face it, the more the two work together, the more philatelic knowledge the powers of Ebay will pick up by osmosis. I don't think anybody could have a problem with that.

January 29, 2004 Anne

Our partnership with ebay, which started last August, has not gotten us large numbers of new members, as we had hoped. Nevertheless it has been quite successful in helping us achieve another of the Board's goals: improved identification and publicity for fakes and forgeries. It is indeed a service to the hobby if we can help eBay reduce the amount of fraudulent and misdescribed material being offered for sale. On balance that is working well. There has been a serendipitous benefit to the hobby in that eBay is also looking for new ways to help promote the hobby. One result is that eBay has decided to sponser our Family Day program in Norfolk. These Sunday programs were inaugurated at STAMPSHOW in Columbus as an effort to have parents (or grandparents) and children work together on the fundamentals of collecting. (p161-162)

January 29, 2004 08:12 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Buenos Aires Image
Adam Your stamp looks like it has been tampered with, for example above the O of CORREOS. It looks like plate position 16, which has been known forged. I am not enough of a student to say for sure. For that reason I deferred to the experts. Only they can tell for sure, using theie reference copies.

January 29, 2004 Adam

Buenos Aires
paul could you post a scan of your copy? Ok thanks Mauro! You can e-mail me when you get some results.

 

January 29, 2004 Lavar Taylor

British Censorship
Richard M The British got away with that kind of censorship when neutral ships carrying mail called at British ports. Not only did the British censor mail from neutral countries, they also seized it and held it until after the war. I suspect that this was illegal under international law, but I have not yet checked this point. I have an absolutely fascinating propaganda pamphlet published by the British during the war that attempts to justify these actions. I'll post some excerpts from the pamphlet, along with some examples of seized mail from neutral countries, in the near future.

January 29, 2004 07.41 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 29, 2004 paul

BUENOS AIRES
ADAM----wait until MAURO friends look at it and offer a more educated opinion on it. the stamp that was scan looks and have many of the characterisic of the fake copy i have ......paul

January 29, 2004 Mauro Mowszowicz

Buenos Aires steamboad
Adam, im still checking your stamp but i do not think it is worth an expertizing yet, i have forwarded the pictures to a couple of friends who collect the issue and i am waiting for their replies
Regards
Mauro M.

January 29, 2004 Mauro Mowszowicz http://www.uruguaystamps.com
 

Let`s talk about Postal History


Let me show you guys an interesting piece of outgoing Montevideo (Uruguay) mail,
1857 (26 April) Montevideo to Genoa/Italy. Outer letter sheet carried by direct Sardinian mail "ITALIA", with boxed "Vapori Transatl." and arrival charge.
Another interesting feature is the presence of desinfection slits, due the presence of a persisten Yellow Fever epidemy during the summer months of 1856/57
Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Paolo B, will greatly appreciate your comments about this item
and if anyone else can post "desinfected" covers i will REALLY appreciate it!

Regards
Mauro M.

Picture 1

January 29, 2004 Adam

Stamps
I don't really get the whole gum bussines. If a new stamp does not have gum, what does that make it (bad condition?)

 

January 29, 2004 Adam

Buenos Aires
Oh yeah, I just noticed in another post from paul that my stamp is very questionable. Is that in a good way, or a bad way?

January 29, 2004 PAUL

it is a question of who controls the dicision process is it e-bay or the APS , forget this advisior role ,what does that mean ?......paul

January 29, 2004 paul

language
JIM-----i think to help your marriage out.... try talking to your wife in one language, talking between you two in french,russian,bulgarian armenian,italian ,chinese,candian,english,and american can be stressful .....paul

January 29, 2004 Adam

Buenos Aires
Sow whats the final verdict? Should I get the stamp checked out?

BTW: Mauro my last name is Polish too, (because I am Polish).
It's Zulawnik.

Thanks again Bill

January 29, 2004 Richard Warren

Michael - I haven't forwarded you recently any reports of auctions of forgeries etc reported to eBay. But only because I haven't recently come across any in my area of specialisation listed on the US site, not because I'm no longer bothering. Are you still collecting them for monitoring purposes? (Talk below of data on initial complaints prompts me to ask.)

January 29, 2004 04:55 Jim Watson

Whereupon the bartender reads: "Panda. Large black-and-white bearlike mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.

January 29, 2004 Richard Matta

Lavar T - How did the British intercept mails from supposedly neutral countries like the US, and under what authority did they censor it (or did the US authorities simply look the other way)?

January 29, 2004 Richard Matta

What a scam
... and $9.99 shipping for shipping.

January 29, 2004 Jim Lawler

Jim L.

January 29, 2004 David Benson

Just back again for a short time.

I read with interest some of the comments that state that the Reproduction/Facsimiles are not important and that alterations are of more imprortance. I suggest that the people that made the comments look at some of the realisations that the Repros have been getting particularly by resellers who have described the items suggesting they may be great rarities. Some of them have been realising prices over $100 each to unsuspecting/naive buyers. Of course they are not US material and the watchdogs do nothing about them.

David B.

January 29, 2004 1 am Bob in WA

Golf -- Got all 1's and 2's for 16 holes, 27 total, then a 5 and a 4 for 36! Drat!

January 28, 2004 Lavar Taylor

Postal History
Good evening/day to all. Today's featured item of postal history focuses on Brazil and Germany. Here is a domestic letter card from Brazil, uprated with a 100 reis stamp to pay the international letter rate, mailed from Petropolis, Brazil on Dec. 1, 1915, to Germany. There is a transit marking from Rio de Janiero towards the bottom of the scan. There are British censor tapes on both sides of the card, and there is violet German censor marking as well. Until I acquired this item on ebay, I had never come accross a censored letter card going to Germany during WWI. Of course, to censor the letter card, the authorities had to rip the outer selvage from the letter card, open it, and then apply the censor tape. Note that the card was endorsed "via Amsterdam." That did not stop the British from censoring the item,however.

January 28, 2004 Roger Heath

Conjunctivitis
Jim - Since reading your post, I've been rubbing me eyes and squinting. I thought I had a decent model for starting sentences with conjuctions:

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands............."

Roger

January 28, 2004 Anne the Anthropologist

Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of asbestoes overcoats (for which I am now running), torturing and being tortured by students, and pummeling penguins in the permafrost.

January 28, 2004 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

January 28, 2004 Frank

write and spell good
It can be jarring to read english rife with mistakes but so what. It's the content that counts. If time permits spell check is one way of reducing irritants Paul. I can't tell you how often I've come across typos in books and newspaper articles. Stuff trained editors did not pick up. And casual writers should be cut some slack. I struggle with the language every day and am often too lazy to get up and look up proper construction or spelling. Anyway I may not write good all the time but dat don't mean I'm uninformed or less than the suave, savvy guy in real time I yam.

January 28, 2004 Bill Weiss

Last Post
First, my thanks to Roger H. and Mike W. for the nice comments. I sincerely appreciate them. I am now off for Norfolk and the APS show. I have one last thought about this APS/eBay thing. Many important and accurate comments were written here today. The post below by Chuck H. is, in my view, a teriffic post. But here is my fear. All of the APS heirarchy are off to Norfolk. Therey LIKELY may never read today's posts on this important subject. I would ask DAVE F. if possible, to gather these last two day's discussions/opinions into one thread so that KEN L. and perhaps other APS officials can easily read it all when they get back. I will definately tell KEN when I see him (if God delivers me safely to Norfolk!) about the pertinent opinions posted. Keep it up. We need all of the intelligent opinions/comments we can get.

January 28, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

all
At least, if nothing else, I hope I will get people to think about what they write.
Whether grammatically correct, or otherwise.
Mistypings I can understand, misspellings are equally forgivable, repetative combinations of either are neither.
Paul
My daughter is a freshperson at Penn State, I know how teenagers crucify the English language.
Between us, my wife and I can read french, russian, bulgarian, armenian, italian, french, chinese, english, american and canadian.

January 28, 2004 paul

ENGLISH
JIM -----you need to spent more time with younger adults and teenagers not college types. first "jive" was something from the 60 s and 70 s . the young kids try to speak ghetto-rap . that s what is becoming popular . having growth up in the inner city and lived in the projects ,now im amused by the kids in the suburbs trying to talk like their from the inner city ,your daughter understands it better than the kings english that you grew up with . but now you and most others here talk in STANDARD AMERICAN WRITTEN ENGLISH, the only time im exposed to it is here on the chat room , the mexician workers and business owners i deal with all understand very little proper ways to talk STANDARD ENGLISH . I failed english in school something like 10 years out of 12 ....spoke ghetto in the school yard, POLISH and RUSSIAN at home ,and thy and thee in sunday school ,so you fiqure it out ......paul

January 28, 2004 Brian R

Jim
You've got me there. Frankly, I'm not, really sure, exactly, where it is, that one puts a comma. I'm a lover not a writer. :o)

January 28, 2004 7:19 pm Bob in WA

grammar

Io / Brian -- I just keep telling my self, "What would I want to use a preposition to finish a sentence that nobody can make any sense out of up with for?"

January 28, 2004 Jim Griffith

Bleah...

January 28, 2004 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

January 28, 2004 Brian R

Needless to say, I suspect the examples that you've seen, aren't likely inspired by any form of prose.

January 28, 2004 Chuck Harm

APS/Ebay Relationship
Ken et. al.
Had a lot of time on my hands today as I worked on repainting the living room having been snowed out of work so thoght a lot about this situation. Although a rookie at philately relaively I have a lot more experience at deals and thought I would summarize my thoughts (synthesized from lot of the rpevious comments). Ken, maybe these will be of some use at the APS board meeting.

My first thought is about the goals of ebay and APS. I am not certain they are aligned. I believe the APS goals are reducing fraud, gaining publicity and attracting new members. On the part of ebay they are presumably some combination of eliminating bad publicity and reducing fraud. I think many on this board (me included) tend to believe the weight is on the first. This potential misalignment of goals could be very problematic if the deal is not structured right. Ebay has largely accomplished the reduction in bad publicity while the reduction in fraud is at best just begun. This does imply some potential leverage for the APS, however, as their abnadonment of the effort would not be good publicity for ebay. I think that if reduction of fraud is a shared goal there should be some way to measure it. With the apparent lack of data it is not clear this is being done.

My second thought regards managing expectations - this is being done very poorly. I think there is a consensus on this board that the fraud reduction is not working well. This is a very dangerous situation as this means of fraud control depends upon people like those that participate on this board to provide the first screening and cynicism with lack of visible results is setting in. This will eventually eliminate any chance of this working. It seems like if there are insufficient resources to address the full scope of auctions, it would be better to focus on a manageable area and demonstrate success. If all that can be covered now is pre 1941 US then say so and do not waste individuals time screening other stamps until that effort will have meaning. If reproductions is not the current focus then say that. The problem is that everyone is expecting this to solve the roblems they see and when it doesn't it discredits the entire effort. It also will discredit APS, particulary with the "new-wave" collectors who are internet-centric, the exact group they need to attract to thrive. I think APS needs to establish achieveable expectations, even if that means moving forward in stages, and provide evidence that the system is working. If no data is forthcoming people will judge based on personal experience and even Ken lawrence has noted that most of his identified auctions seem to go to completion with no visible action. In the absence of data people will reasonably conclude that the system is not working. If the APS cannot limit expectations to an achieveable amount and then provide evidence that they are succeeding they should abandon the effort as they will just look like PR cover for ebay and loose credibility with the members they need. It would be unfortunate to waste an opportunity where a fairly large number of people are willing to help but current course and speed will be disasterous for APS I believe.

Just my thoughts take them for what they are worth. Your mileage may vary.

January 28, 2004 Brian R

Oh, how I've waited for this day......
Jim W/S You misspelled! "Sentance", is spelled correctly, sentence. :o)

January 28, 2004 Michael Walter

Germany collection
The Germany collection I bought on eBay a month ago was terrible!!!!!!! As I began to remove stamps to transfer them into another album (The seller advertised the album in “good usable condition”. The album was scrap and in terrible condition) I noticed most of the stamps were not in very good shape. There were a lot of thins, small tears and a lot of the mint stamps had no gum! So needless to say I’m taking my loss of $450.00. I put the collection back on eBay and might be lucky to get some of my money back. For now I will stick my tail between my legs and go back to just collecting U.S.
 

January 28, 2004 Michael Walter

To Bill Weiss
I have been just a lurker here lately, but I too applause Bill Weiss’ posts. Thank you as I have learned tons of very valuable info.
 

January 28, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Jim
Yep, I read David's link to article earlier today.
I guess the English language is relatively safe, at least google registered 8,000,000 hits for grammar.
That makes about 10:1 who can spell it, those who actually know how to use it could make Shakespeare weep (maybe weap?) in his grave.

January 28, 2004 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

January 28, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Roger
I abhor the use of "jive".
and i even more hate the propensity to put conjuctives to begin sentances and personal nouns with lower case.
even starting sentances in lower case is abhorrent (did i spel it corektly?).
2004 is the target for grammar (or is it grammer?).
362,000 web sites hit by google can't be that inept, can they?

January 28, 2004 Roger Heath

To Bill Weiss
I applaud you for taking the time to visit the chats boards. I've learned much from your comments though everytime you start a discussion of Continentals I get ready to copy and paste something about Swiss philately, then I'm disappointed. );>) When experts write, I read!!!! During the past year my eyeballs have started popping out at the incredible amount of information expoused both on chat ond on personal web sites. The hobby/business can only thrive when so much more information is available now than just 5 years ago. A library of $100 books is different than a website, but just fine for most collectors.

I have no objections in commentary concerning values and agree with Brian (my beach guard) dat put money wid da mout, big time cool.

Roger

January 28, 2004 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

January 28, 2004 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

January 28, 2004 16:42 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Paolo,
Thanks for your addition on the Sardinian cover. It must have been a generally confusing time as the states reorganized to form a united Italy. I've updated the page with your information.

January 28, 2004 Bill Weiss

Various
BRIAN; OK, I look forward to it;

DUNCAN; Your explaination sounds good to me. Sorry for your loss.

JIM G; Your just jealous that you can't go to the APS Show!

January 28, 2004 Brian McInturff

APS Show
Bill W I look forward to meeting you at the show in Norfolk. I'll stop by Steve's booth and figure out a good time to meet.

January 28, 2004 Duncan Doenitz

Perfs on the US #212

Bill, here's the thing though... the holes don't look like they were made by passing through twice or punched twice. When I decided to purchase the stamp (a recent eBay auction), I just figured that based on the auction scan, someone did a real sloppy job of attempting a reperf.

But my guess is (not knowing exactly how the perforation equipment worked), the pane of stamps probably did not remain perfectly flat on the work surface but was partially lifted by some of the perf pins and then some those pins, still in contact with the stamps, created larger holes by crushing the paper. I see now that even in the crude scan I did, the paper is casting a noticeable shadow where it has been made thicker. No extra paper appears to have actually been removed.

No big deal I guess, although I'll probably give the stamp a place in an album instead of relegating it to a glassine which was my original intent.

Sorry for babbling on, I lost a dear friend yesterday to cancer and this is my way of dealing with the loss.

Dunc

January 28, 2004 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Bill, *I* think that the only people who should get a vote are the people who actually *collect* them.

Otherwise, I'm voting to refer to postal history as "weenie blah blah icky doodads".

So there.

Jim

January 28, 2004 3:57 pm Bob in WA

variant

Choose one:
variant is a variant of variety
variant is a variety of variety
variety is a variant of variant
variety is a variety of varient

January 28, 2004 Bill Weiss

VARIETY
I vote for VARIETY.

DUNCAN; I suppose it could have been hit 2x by the perf wheel yet I don't know how that can happen to only one side unless the left side went through OK and the right slipped slightly. Failing that, I guess it must be RP at right.

January 28, 2004 Paolo Bagaglia

My original connection has been cut down with no warning (good "lord", it's a luck I was not bidding or auctioning anything on eBay).
Welcome to the materialiststic world of opportunists, with primary objective making money with no sensitivity to quality of service or cutomer's satisfaction, just like the skunk "roto-photo- copyprinter or some recognized dealers are doing. I and my wife are planning to sue them (the internet provider).

Jimbo very nice Sardinia letter. Dating January 28 (at least I think), 1863 when the rate had just changed, from the beginning of the year, from 20c. to 15c.! A special stamp was issued for this new rate, which is the 15c. blue (Sardinia type); but this wasn't delivered to all PO's by the beginning of January and somewhere in February 1863 would have been declared not valid. In the month of March 1863 returned to be valid. It is understandable in this atmosphere to simply use a pair of good 10c. and 5c., instead of the "doubtful" (abounding of quotes) new 15c. blue denomination (which could have risked to get a postage due!).
All the best, Paolo
 

January 28, 2004 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

January 28, 2004 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

var·i·ant 
   ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (vâr-nt, vr-)


adj.





   1. Having 
or exhibiting variation; differing.


   2. Tending or liable to vary; 
variable.


   3. Deviating from a standard, usually by only a slight 
difference.





n.





    Something that differs in form only 
slightly from something else, as a different spelling or pronunciation 
of the same word.

Jim

January 28, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Richard's
use of English is correct.
One cannot legitimately make a noun out of an adjective by adding an "s".

January 28, 2004 Richard Frajola

Jim - isn't "variant" an adjective (ie variant perf) and "variety" a noun? Is "variants" even a word?

January 28, 2004 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

January 28, 2004 1:55 pm Bob in WA <rcl.wa@verizon.net>

Off topic Flying Penguins

I have compiled the best results posted:

Longest bounce and slide: 323.5 Bill D, Christo, Jim G, Matt, Prometheus
Longest fly and stick: 208.6 Prometheus
Shortest: 52 Lavar

Closest to signs:
100: 100.7 Bob in WA
150: 150.3 Rob Faux
200: 200! Jaywild, David Moser, Rob Faux, Bob in WA
250: 248.2 Bob in WA
300: 299.1 Bob in WA

Other interesting goals would be to differentiate "closest to 200" between sliders and stickers. I got a 199 bouncing and sliding. The fly and stick seems to have a short range straddling 200. The minimum fly and stick distance is also an interesting goal.

David Moser, I am bewildered by your statement that you "average about 26", or was that tongue in cheek? I find it very difficult to get under 70, and Lavar's 52 and three others in the high 50s were the best minimums reported. Did you actually get in the 20s? I also wonder at the 350.2 you stated, and wonder if that was a typo for 320.2, perhaps? Five different people achieved identical max of 323.5, nobody else reported higher.

I'd be interested to know if anyone betters any of these. Send an email if you don't want to clutter the board.
 

January 28, 2004 Duncan Doenitz

US #212

Okay, the odd looking US #212 is here.

The perfs on the right side looked rough so I figured it'd be an opportunity to get a cheap mint example of an American Bank Note soft paper stamp. For that purpose, it didn't matter if it was poorly reperfed.

However on examination it doesn't look like the stamp was reperfed at all. The huge perf holes on the right look like they were done by the original perforating equipment, with the paper pushed or pulled against the pins. When examined at 16x with side lighting, the crushed lower portion of the elongated holes is obvious. Sorry, its beyond my ability to actually capture that image, but the excess paper is crushed into ridges in a "southerly" direction. All the holes on the right side are affected, and to a lesser extent the left side is also deformed.

No big deal, of course, but it is encouraging to find that not all stamps that look odd have been manipulated by the bad guys.

Dunc

January 28, 2004 Rob Faux

back from torturing students.... or were they torturing me?

Adam's steamboat looks alot like a copy I had that was definitely not an original - were there reprints of these?

I think an unformalized business policy as discussed here seems fine to me.

Back to prepare torturous devices for student homework..... :)

January 28, 2004 Duncan Doenitz <croberts33 at juno dot com (hiyaPrometheus)>

Trust me, Bill.

My confidence in Dave is much higher than my confidence in eBay.

I've been very tempted lately to send you an email, I'm interested in discussing which questionable auctions you reported to eBay and what response you've seen. However, there doesn't seem to be much to be gained from the discussion, unless you've actually seen positive results.

So instead, lets change the subject. I've got a US #212 (1c Franklin 1887 issue for those without Scott) with some odd perforations, I'll scan it and post it.

Dunc

January 28, 2004 Bill Weiss

Business
DAVE F; Thanks very much for the expanded clarifications, which I think are very fair. I have not seen any abuses on this board by anyone that I can recall, but I am sensitive to the fact that, as a professional, folks like me may be viewed by many board members a bit differently when it comes to talking business, which is understandible. I will be interested in hearing how you answer Dunc's question, which I'm not sure is serious, or is it tongue-in-cheek?

January 28, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

I like the business policy the way that it has been defined.
That it be casual and non-specific.
It is sorta fun when two or more board posters are after the same eBay item or when a buyer and seller of an eBay item are both board regulars.
Sometimes when we show our "trophies", that also provides an element of surprise when someone has a peripheral collecting interest that no one else knows about.

Off to torture some faculty (Promotion and Tenure Committee).

January 28, 2004 12:54 Bob in WA

All comments by Dave, Bill, Anne, right on!!

January 28, 2004 anne

Off to torture students.

January 28, 2004 Anne

business
Sounds fine to me Dave, although I might want to suggest that most business be transacted off the board whenever possible. That gives due warning so that you can interfere if things get out of hand. One thing I've learned from years of syllabus writing is always CYA in terms of policies. That way the students have fewer grounds for complaint.

January 28, 2004 Dunc

Sales

Dave can we come to you to bitch about any bad offerings made here, or are you just a venue?

DD

January 28, 2004 Frank

a mix of topics on the board
A variety of ingredients makes a good stew. Collectors not to mention dealers are almost always looking for, in the process of or selling off items and inventory. A healthy mix makes sense. Research, scouting out material, prognosticating (what does that mean anyway?)and venting are all good uses to put the board to I'm thinking. And some jokes!I enjoy the occasional odd item board members ferret out from non-philatelic ebay auctions like an $800 dollar peanut bag and the $14,000 fishing lure. Keep-em coming. And thanks again to the moderator for his patience with us and his hard work keeping the board toodling along.

January 28, 2004 12:19 Dave F. (moderator)

I was composing my post after reading Brian's, but before Anne and Bill answered, so read it in that context.

Anne said better than I could (as she often does!) what I am trying to avoid here, but that's all I'm trying to avoid. Perhaps I did not describe that very well before, and Bill interpreted it to be stricter than I meant it. For the record, Bill, I've never had a problem with anything you've posted here that was commercially oriented, so please don't feel reprimanded in the least.

In fact, I guess I have this view that for those who regularly contribute and share their knowledge and expertise here, I am very comfortable with those people making regular posts announcing what they're selling on eBay, in their own philatelic businesses, etc. I guess I feel that they've earned the right to be able to do so. But I am concerned about people we otherwise never hear from just posting to announce their auctions.

In my own mind, I have a hard time articulating this view, and I suppose that's why I haven't attempted to clarify it in the "Board Policies". Hopefully this discussion will allow me to do so.

I know that Richard has an explicit statement welcoming commercial posts, and it hasn't been a problem there, but for some reason I feel it has the potential to get out of hand here if not guided in some way.

January 28, 2004 Dunc

Business

I agree, Dave.

I enjoyed seeing Bill's offer (and others). There's something good about an opinion where somebody is willing to "put their money where their mouth is".

Dunc

January 28, 2004 12:10 Dave F. (moderator)

Just checking in, although it looks like I was standing by for this question ...

re: business: This topic came up a while back, and I shared my thoughts and then asked for others' opinions. I will admit that I did not update the section at the top of the page to reflect the outcome, in part because I still don't know exactly how to phrase it.

I'm fine with business discussion on here, as long as the board doesn't get flooded with "check out my auctions" posts from people who do not otherwise contribute. This means that Bill W's comments about his auctions, his offer to Prometheus, and his visit to the APS show are all fine. This also means that the post a couple of days ago from the gentleman who was looking for something very specific is fine, too.

If any of the board regulars (or semi-regulars, for that matter) want to mention material they've put up on eBay (or wherever), or if anyone wants to mention the type of material they're looking for, why don't we try that?

My concern is just that if there were a lot of people who otherwise never post but just make a drive-by posting announcing their auctions, then this board will end up feeling like reading one of the newsgroups out there or the classified ads.

Is this pretty much in line with what people think?

January 28, 2004 Bill Weiss

Business
Some months ago Dave F. posted a message here that led me to understand that he really didn't condone too much business. I recall being suprised at the time, since Frajola's board specifically encourages it. I think Anne put it well in her post, but perhaps when Dave gets a minute he might clarify his thoughts on this matter.
A week ago I made PROMO an offer on something only because I had seen others mention or ask if the item was for sale, which prompted me to think that if others were going to try to buy something from a board member, then I should be allowed to try too. Frankly, if Dave does not really want business, I agree 100% with that, but then everyone must abide by the same rules. As someone who makes their living in philately, I don't want to feel that I can't make an offer or proposal on something being discussed if other (non-professionals) ARE making such offers.

January 28, 2004 Anne

business
Many of the newsgroups are spammed by sellers announcing their current ebay auctions or stock items. They make no contributution to discussions other than making the boards unreadable. That's the kind of business-related stuff that should NOT be allowed here. As for the occasional thing that's a natural outgrowth of conversations, that's something else.

January 28, 2004 11:43 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Buenos Aires Image
Mauro Mowszowicz I just uploaded the two images. The front is 3 megs and the back is 2 megs. I will delete them in 24 hours unless someone wants more time. BACK scroll down for image and here is the FRONT Please remember that these are HUGE images. The ones I posted earlier are more usable.

January 28, 2004 Brian R

Not that I have anything to sell, or have any items that would interest posters. LOL Just wondering.....

January 28, 2004 Jim (jaywild)

Jim


 

January 28, 2004 Anne

I'm sure that there are other improvements that could be suggested. The biggest problem as I see it, however, lies in the three words with which I began the list: "get ebay to. That's the real challenge.

January 28, 2004 Mauro Mowszowicz

Buenos Aires steamships
Bill C, if you can post the hi-res scans will be great.
Adam, yes im half polish half russian and currently living in Uruguay, South America

Regards
Mauro

January 28, 2004 Dave P

APS/Ebay
Richard I agree with your post absolutely, in fact you expressed my thoughts more clearly than I could have done.
I may be a cynic, but I don't see much will change unless either Ebay find themselves on the wrong end of a law suit or they start loosing serious chunks of business to alternative sites.
Actually I can undestand (if not condone) Ebay's position to an extent. Any Web business is based on investnment in technology rather than staff, profit comes with volume. As volume grows the technology is "paid for" and providing staffing levels do not increase proportionately then a profit will result. It is not exclusive to Ebay, any online business (or the online part of an existing business) works on the same pattern. Most tend to hit the same problem, when something arises which the technology cannot cope with there is insufficient staff (or staff with brains) to solve the problems and there is customer disatisfaction. As long as this doesn't effect profits too much they live with it. My god, I really am a cynic.

January 28, 2004 Bill Weiss

APS and eBay
I think if you read the posts of this morning and last night on this subject, it is easy to see that the problem with the system as it now exists, is not with APS, but rather with the basic fact that all initial complaints must be filtered through eBay. Therefore, what gets forwarded to the Watchdog Group, then onto APS, then back to eBay is totally dependent on eBay's action or lack thereof.

Therefore, it seems to me, that any beefing to APS or about APS to someone like Ken Lawrence, is both fruitless and in poor taste, because he personally has nothing to do with the process, at least in a "hands-on" way.

I will tell you this, speaking personally. Ken stated this morning that he had not heard any cases since he is a VP involving eBay transactions. Surely he did not want to tell you that he WAS involved in an eBay case, and the person who filed the complaint was ME! I'm sure (I can't read his mind and I didn't want to ask him) he either forgot the case or did not want it to appear that his VP-involvement was a case from me, since I am a regular participant here. I can tell you that the resolution of the case, which basically involved an eBay seller who refused to give me a $30. refund, was entirely to my satisfaction. The seller was given 15 days to pay me (he hasn't) or be expelled from the society. I only tell you this to illustrate that Ken is serious that if anyone files a complaint against an APS-member eBay seller, that his board is willing to act. He's not just kidding, so you all should take him up on it where appropriate. Knowing Ken as I do, my guess is that he simply forgot my case OR, since it has not been FINALIZED yet, he did not want to speak about it.

I also feel that too much complaining is done about the selling of modern fakes or reproductions or whatever we want to call this crap, that really is properly indentified by the sellers, but still gets lots of folks upset. I do not see these things as being of longterm serious importance within our hobby (I know some of you will disagree, which is your right) when compared to the more serious alterations and fraudulent descriptions of real stamps. I can't muster up a whole lot of sympathy for anyone who plunks down $5. for something properly identified as a modern reproduction, or somthing trimmed from a souvenir card, or whatever, so long as it's correctly described.

January 28, 2004 Bill Weiss

Going To APS Show
I have suddenly decided to attend the APS show this wekend in Norfolk/Va, so if any board members who are attending want to meet with me for any reason (SEE FRAJOLA'S BOARD FOR COMMERCIAL REASONS) I would be most pleased. You can leave a message at the bourse table of STEVE CRIPPE (a fellow board-poster) as to what time you can come back and I will check with him periodically.

January 28, 2004 Roger Heath

Richard's Post
Amen!
Ebay is not a religion that should require faith. It is a business that either responds or doesn't. It isn't doing anything constructive, just riding the wave of favorable publicity. If APS decides to pull the plug in Norfolk, Ebay will announce,

"The fraud problem is over and is no longer necessary for the volunteer APS committee to extend time and effort on behalf of Ebay. Ebay thanks the members of the committee for their responsible efforts in assisting Ebay remove the few sellers who were attempting to defraud othe Ebay Community. Ebay will be ever vigilant to fraud on its site and will not allow such problems to occur in the future." Ken Purseglove, capably assisted by Rob Chesnut, and anonymous friends in Florida and upstate New York.

January 28, 2004 paul

by the way ADAM ,the last name you are asking about could be old POLISH , LITHUANIA{reduced in length} or a RUSSIAN EMPIRE with transliterations . its from the NESVIZH area of poland .....paul

January 28, 2004 Richard Frajola

Ebay-APS project
Below is an email I send a couple days ago to an involved party who has emailed me:

As you may know I am not a member of the APS. However, I am well aware of the “ebay/aps” project and have had serious doubts about it since it was initiated. Forgive me if I dwell on a little history before getting to your question. I have been seriously involved in trying to clean up fraud on ebay for over two years. I initiated a petition drive in August, 2002 (that petition and related links are here). I have spoken on the phone several times to Rob Chesnut and to Dan Neary regarding possible solutions.

Dan Neary called me and asked me to participate when the “Stamp Community Watch” program was initiated and I declined. I think my reasons are still valid. From Ebay’s perspective, they had a nightmare public relations problem because the fraud was getting publicity. For them to out-source, and find a solution would cost them a lot of money. At my suggestion they contacted two of the expert/trade groups and found them unwilling to participate largely because the groups did not want to alienate their customer base. From Ebay’s perspective, the “ebay-aps” project is brilliant. With the confidentiality clause build into it, there can be no negative publicity about the extent of fraud on ebay stamp categories. They can go to the courts/public and say honestly that they are only a venue and that they have turned over the policing of the stamp category to the leading philatelic organization in the United States. Any failures are the failures of APS, not Ebay. Further, if someone looks at their internal records of fraud pointed out to them, and relayed to APS, that number will be a decreasing number. Not because there is less, or marginally less, fraud but because the fraud reporters have gotten disillusioned and are no longer reporting cases of fraud. What a public relations coup! Publicly Ebay can state that by evidence that only they can reveal, fraud in the stamps category was minor at the start of the project and less at any current point in time. All of this at virtually no cost to Ebay.

The costs of this program devolve on the people with a conscience about, and a love of stamps, such as you. I don’t think this should be the case. Until ebay can associate a real cost to developing a solution, it will remain a game of public media manipulation with significant disincentives to pursue aggressively.

On a person note, I have made several complaints to ebay about fraudulent stamp sales – none have resulted in the auctions being taken down. So, like many others, I have quit pointing them out. There are many people in the ebay/stamp community who share your passion about changing the status quo. Appeal to them to point out fraud, and be quick to respond when they do. Most of the people who have been around ebay very long, and who know philately, can easy distinguish between the fraudsters and the sellers who make the honest mistake.

I apologize for the length of this response. I do wish you well with the project and hope that you can make a positive impact on Ebay. I firmly believe that the best resource to tap for reports of fraud (and well beyond US material) is the concerned public which can be found on the discussion boards.
 

January 28, 2004 08:20 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Steamboat Images
Mauro If you need a larger image, especially of the back, I can post it too. The originals were scaled.

Adam What Mauro and I were asking for are new original scans with the actual scan made at 600 DPI. The images you sent were scaled and not new scans.

January 28, 2004 Chip G

Thanks, Bob
It worked. Intuitive? No.

January 28, 2004 Chip G

ebay Cookies
FYI - I have tried everything I know to get around this message, but can't figure it out.
Using IE 6.0 and have even tried overriding the settings to always allow cookies from ebay.com. I don't seem to have any problems anywhere else on ebay or anywhere else on the web. Nothing like throwing up roadblocks to reporting.
Chip

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View more topics
 

January 28, 2004 Bob Hohertz

Chip and anybody else - when I have gotten that spurious eBay message that my machine will not accept cookies I have signed in to eBay using the Secure Sign In link just below and to the right of the regular sign in and had no further problem of that sort. This may have been coincidence, but is worth trying.

January 28, 2004 Chip G

Ebay Reporting Frustrations
Ken L:
FYI - a couple of times I went to report an auction from the ebay site and was unable to do so due to some cookie problem error message. (It was about 3 weeks ago). Tried hard to fix it, but couldn't. Haven't tried to report anything since. Typical of ebay to do something, publicize it, then break it, then claim success.
Chip

January 28, 2004 08:07 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Steamboat Images
Adam and Mauro The images you sent were scaled from small JPEG images and not useful when the JPEG artifacts are blown up so much. I used photoshop to scale them reasonably. Here is the The FRONT at a reasonable sixe and detail. All the artifacts are from the original. Here is the BACK at a different size.

January 28, 2004 Dunc

Typos

Oops, there's no "tit" in "initial". I can't spell "Freudian" either but I know what it means.

Dunc

January 28, 2004 Duncan Doenitz

evaluating eBay

Richard F

You are quite right, Richard. Much of what is reported to eBay simply stops there, leaving APS clueless. Ken, if the APS is about to evaluate the process, what is missing in your analysis is the intitial reports sent to eBay, and without those, you are groping in the dark.

I'd be glad to forward some examples of reports that have been ignored, and I'm sure there are plenty of other volunteers here who would do the same. You DO need to take a look at exactly what is happening, and perhaps there are faults in our reports that allow scoundrels to game the system. Please help us. Don't remain a spectator.

Dunc

January 28, 2004 Richard Frajola

Ebay-APS Project
Ken L I think ebay must be filtering out all complaints from the hard core complainers. A black list as it were.

A great coup for the eBay publicity department - the complaint numbers will decrease as many who would complain realise it is a waste of time to do so. Result (which only ebay can make public), is that they can show "progress" but quoting a lessening of complaints.
 

January 28, 2004 Brian McInturff

IESA
Bill W That's a great idea and one that I wouldn't mind helping out on. Where do we begin. I think there is a corp group here that will also devote some time to get it up and going. It may be a pipedream but it's an obtainable one.

January 28, 2004 Duncan Doenitz

Duck and cover

Ken

There's something about the existing system of reporting bad auctions that bothers me a great deal.

It appears that eBay is a serious part of the problem. For example, there is no apparent good reason why some repeat US sellers of forgeries are simply not required to comply with eBay's rule and blatantly continue to sell unmarked forgeries. Enforcement in that situation would be a no brainer.

Because of such bizarre violations, the need for APS to be able to take the initiative would be helpful. Originally, I thought APS should change the rules of engagement, allowing APS to take the lead at times instead of waiting for eBay referrals. However, there is no reason it has to be that complicated. Instead, under the existing rules, APS members should, as individuals, select some of the blatant repeat listings, file reports with eBay, and see what happens.

Select the auctions by enlisting the help of the watchdogs who have been posting here. For now, for most of us the system is working about as effectively as poking a bloated corpse looking for signs of life. What happens is not good.

Your mileage may vary.

Dunc

January 28, 2004 Bill Weiss

APS/eBay
It is obvious that the system now in place is just in it's infancy and also has it's flaws. The Watchdog committee is composed of too few people, who work on a volunteer basis, so it's easy to see why it can't or won't work in a way that will please the David Benson's of the world. I am as impatient as anyone - just ask Ken L. - but I can clearly see the limitations that the present system suffers from. I too have been frustrated by reporting obvious fraudulent listings and see no action taken, but I do not see where carping about it here helps?

In the long run, I do not see this system as being the answer to stopping eBay fraud. I see a BETTER answer in developing a seller organization whereby the membership of that organization would pledge to sell on eBay in accordance with a set of established guidelines or bylaws, and to do otherwise results in explusion. What would happen, if such a group could be formed, is that, over time, buyers would start to frequent society members much more than non-members because of their relative assurance that they will be getting a fair deal. That would, over time, tend to drive honest sellers into the oreganization and crooks away from it, cautious buyers to it, and uninformed buyers away from it.

It's all just a big pipedream unless someone with vision would step up to the plate and organize such a group - let's call it "IESA" (International eBay Seller's Association). Volunteers?

January 28, 2004 Ken Lawrence

Bill Claghorn

No complaints to eBay come to my desk. I am a spectator, just as you are. Some members of the APS Board are big users of eBay as buyers and sellers, but preferring not to be abused and having better sense than I, they have avoided participating here, so I am the messenger that the warriors here shoot.

I do not know precise answers to your questions, though I think we'll get some clarification at Norfolk. The system is that you, I, David Benson, or another samaritan complains to eBay. If eBay thinks this is a problem, eBay forwards it to the watch group for evaluation.

(Interrupting myself here, I think eBay probably gets frivolous complaints along with legitimate ones, because a lot of static, as on this chat board, comes from self-interested dealers complaining about competitors. After a while, the eBay people probably draw conclusions about the bona fides of repeat complainers and cranks, just as you and I do.)

Next, as I understand the process, it requires more than one watch group member's agreement for the complaint to be forwarded to APS. Lacking that, no one ever hears of it again. This is especially a problem with non-U.S. material, where the group may not yet have enough experts for the whole world's stamps.

If/when a complaint goes to APS, and if APS staff agrees with the watch group members who think the complaint has merit, the seller is required to take down the item and not offer it for sale until it receives a certificate of authenticity from a recognized expert committee.

January 28, 2004 Adam

Buenos Aires
Sure Bill. Its just attaching to the e-mail (big file...) It's a 600 DPI Scan of back and front. Thanks,
Mauro: Sure I would be very happy if you would ask a specialist.
By the way, do you have any Polish ancestry? Your last name is very Polish.

Adam

January 28, 2004 06:30 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Buenos Aires Image
Adam If you email me a high resolution scan I can post it. I prefer 400 or 600 DPI not scaled. 400 DPI is the minimum for real inspection.

January 28, 2004 Mauro Mowszowicz

Bill C, Adam
Bill, thanks for posting Adam`s picture, i can´t say much from it other than it does not look like a crude fake.
Adam, can you try to scan the picture back and front at 300 or 600 DPI?
The person i usually trusted for Buenos Aires expertizations was my friend Mario Kurchan, but passed away a few weeks ago, if you want i can ask around who is the current expert on Buenos Aires issues.
Regards

Mauro

January 28, 2004 05:21 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Garbled First Sentence
Ken Lawrence

It looks like that second sentence got garbled.

It sounds like the multitude and plethora of obviously fraudlulent eBay listings which I myself and others here have reported over time through eBay mechanism not made it to your desk.

 

January 28, 2004 05:19 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Thanks for a reply or guess.

January 28, 2004 05:12 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

There are forces at work but the gentlemen in the choir want to be heard immediately,. When they are not heard, they yell and scream and rant and rave. Too bad they are oblivious of the rules, or hate the rules and want their way now. We will have to continue to tolerate rants and bluster as some people never embrace the realities of a slow process.

January 28, 2004 Ken Lawrence <apsken@aol.com>

Dave F,

I too acknowledge the good work of George K and his SCADS comrades. I did so privately in reply to his first two e-mails, to no avail. I urged him to continue his website when he threatened to take it down out of spite. I told him that I've had good experiences with other members of SCADS who are willing to assist our less public and flamboyant but usually more effective effots. I shared with him more than was prudent about our long years of difficulty with Junior, and our continuing problems in that regard. But that isn't enough for him, sad to say.

The reason I posted the full instruction on participating in the APS complaints process is because that ought to be part of your answer. Please spread the word. I have been an APS vice president since August, and while our proceedings are confidential, I can state categorically that we have received not a single complaint concerning a violation on eBay. After following this board's chatter for almost four months, I wonder how that can be. At my personal insistence, the agreement with eBay in no way constrains our existing system for dealing with malefactors. So if an APS member is violating our code of ethics on eBay or anywhere else, any person, not just an APS member, is encouraged to file a complaint with APS complaints manager Helen Bruno (hlbruno@stamps.org). Otherwise, until we work through the system we have begun, eBay will be like most flea markets and country auctions. APS has no authority to regulate or to discipline non-members.

Anne,

As I understand the system, if eBay asks for a watch group opinion, the watch group can advise APS that the sale of any philatelic item can be halted unless/until the item has a certificate of authenticity from a recognized expert committee. That should answer your specific concern IF eBay refers the query to the watch group and IF the watch group agrees to make that recommendation to APS. At the meeting in Norfolk, I expect the overall report to be positive, so I expect we'll vote to continue the program. But I plan to ask how accountability is assured. Just as you have experienced, I have never received a reply to any of the stamps I have challenged. Some came down; some did not, including one offered at a $15,000 reserve that fell into my personal area of expertise.

Jim W-S,

Scroll back to see my patient explanation of how the APS complaint process works. As I wrote, Helen Bruno is the APS complaints manager, whose e-mail address I provided.

David B,

EBay does not answer to the watch group; the watch group advises eBay and APS on lots that eBay refers. From the e-mail responses I have received, including yours, and my attempts to monitor the situation, and the e-mails I receive, you are alone in being cranky and insulting. The several dozen APS members who use eBay and who write to me seem to think the system is working, and since I don't use eBay myself, that helps me decide how to vote. I'm sure I'll learn more when the APS Board convenes at Norfolk tomorrow.

I am concerned about the situation that is your obsession, but the truth is, neither I nor anyone else I know thinks that selling crude counterfeit copies of stamps described as such is much of a problem for collectors, whereas deceptively faked U.S. rarities manufactured from manipulated common stamps has been a serious problem, and for that problem the system is working well. Everyone involved is working diligently to broaden the coverage so it embraces foreign stamps, but we all understand that will take longer, and won't work well until we have enough mutual confidence so that the costs and benefits can be calculated and addressed. Therefore it's pointless for me to respond to your rants in the interim despite your fervor. The silence you evoke from everyone else on the APS Board, some of whom know you personally, ought to speak volumes to you. The reason I'm your target is not because I'm someone's lackey, as you wrote (whose? Janet Klug's?), but because I'm the only one among the elected leadership who regarded this board as being worthy to join, even though I still think it's too much like crackpot talk radio. Dave F is evidently annoyed with me, but he ought to regard that as a sincere tribute to his efforts.
 

January 28, 2004 04:45 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Forgery Identification Site

January 28, 2004 13:30 CET Paul B <philaweb at (remove) yahoo dot dk>

Philatelic Interests
This weekend I cleaned out my stamp/computer room and was able to send off five boxes of modern Danish covers as a donation for a retired person with lots more time and interest than I to sort out the covers. I'm definitely skipping the collectors bug - guess I'm too social minded to collect stamps. I'll still collect modern Latvia and vintage picture postcards with views of Riga.
Excuses to all I've offended or even treated badly during the last four years I've visited both this and the other forum. I've discovered that I'm too emotional a person to read all the loads of negativity - so I'll just pop in on occasions to harvest the nuggets of interest.

January 28, 2004 Jim Lawler

Jim L.

January 28, 2004 02:37 Jim Watson

I received an e-mail reminding me that San Pedro de Macoris, the origination of yesterday's cover, is the home of many major league baseball players, including Sammy Sossa. I've included that fact in an update of the page. Thanks to the sender.

January 28, 2004 Adam Zulawnik <anna.piekarska@usq.edu.au>

Stamp
Mauro Mowszowicz Bill Claghorn might kindly post it for me.
Thank you Bill, you have been a great help to me!

Adam

January 28, 2004 Anne

So much for now. Good night to all and to all sweet dreams of an effective APS, better policing of the philatelic market, and snow days with new catalogs.

January 27, 2004 10.56 pm Colin Judd http://mysite.freeserve.com/GB_Special_Issues/
 

Colin

January 27, 2004 Christo van Zyl

Postal History
Lavar: I am not completely up to speed yet with the US markings (you could probably refer to Hargest - my copy is at home). Guys like Nomad or even Richard Frajola should easily explain to you. I know that the 21 cents is a US marking, and I think it denotes the portion of the postage attributable to the US PO system. One should be able to completely break down the postage in the various portions attributable to each PO system

January 27, 2004 Lavar Taylor

Finally, even if no one knows why the cover was carried to GB, can someone explain the "21 cents" marking on the front?

January 27, 2004 David Benson

This is where I went to Lunch,

http://www.conrad.com.au/jupiters/whatson/Default.htm

David B.

January 27, 2004 David Benson

Have to go now, will try to catch up sometime tomorrow,

p.s Marius, went to Jupiters for the Matinee Show and Buffet lunch (burp), going out tonight for dinner with some of the wife's rellies who are visiting from Jakarta (burp again in about 3 hours),

David Benson

January 27, 2004 David Benson

Ken, thanks to Google (and my good memory about exactly what words you used), here is your comment,

November 16th. 2003

So my personal perception is that the agreement is working well, on admittedly scanty but strongly suggestive evidence. If other evidence supports an opposite evaluation, I want to see it, and so will other members of the APS Board. None of us would vote to commit scarce resources to a program that doesn't work.

David Benson

January 27, 2004 21:10 Dave F. (moderator)

I'm not sure exactly what to say here, except to ask if we can go no further on the personal dispute.

I do want to acknowledge that, to many of us on the sidelines, the SCADS volunteers, including George and Sheryll, provided a very valuable service and appeared to be making some progress at a time when eBay would not even acknowledge that there was a problem and deleted any discussion to that effect. Indeed, eBay eliminated the Stamps discussion board (the one with threads) entirely, and started heavily deleting on the Stamps chat board. This board arose from that unfortunate period.

Ken, I recognize that you don't speak for eBay in any way, but do you have any suggestions about what to do when auctions which clearly appear to violate eBay's guidelines are reported to them, but no action is ever taken? I believe there are cases where sellers consistently violate these guidelines, in multiple auctions over multiple periods. In some cases I believe these sellers indicate that they are members of the APS, and in other cases they are not. Any thoughts on what to do under each scenario?

January 27, 2004 David Benson

Matt,

it may have something to do with the disclaimer that he now adds,

THESE ARE ARTISTIC REPRODUCTIONS WITH NO POSTAL OR MONETARY VALUE.

David B.


 

January 27, 2004 David Benson

Ken L.
I couldn't care less about Ebay ignoring me but what annoys me is that the promise that APS/STAMP WATCH COMMITTEE would clean up the crap isn't working. You yourself made a comment earlier that if it didn't work you would recommend that the APS pull out of the arrangement, well Ken, it ain't working and it's getting worse. Ebay won. They didn't want to have court actions against everyone they NARUED or zapped lots and would let the APS set up simple guidelines whereby lots would get zapped if they didn't pass their criteria. What is happening now is that it appears they don't and won't zap anything as they are afraid of the cost of court action. I would like to hear from another APS executive (apart from KL) and find out what their opinion of this foolhardy excercise has been that has made the APS the laughing stock of the world's philatelic associations. Ken is annoyed at me because I stated the fact that no one outside the US takes notice of any US certificates on non US stamps.

David B.

January 27, 2004 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

January 27, 2004 Jim W-S

Ken L
I am not in APS.
Who is Helen Bruno?
If she is APS rep, why has she never appeared on eBay or this board.
To indicate reciptivity to responses.
I don't spend my time looking for extra work.

January 27, 2004 Ken Lawrence

Re George K

Every word I wrote about my private exchange with George is accurate, and I stand by all of it. Anyone who wishes to pursue this fruitless exchange with him is encouraged to review my post long ago that described Bob Lamb's report to the APS Board, and to compare what I wrote then with George's inflated misrepresentation here tonight. George's e-mails to me were in exactly the same style, furious about a simple factual statement, but eliding the parts that I find so offensive such as him blaming APS for the loss of his job, income, and career. (No, George, that is not the sort of correspondence I bother to keep.)

George is not alone in directing anger at APS for declining to indulge him. David Benson is once again trashing APS because he is unhappy that eBay is ignoring him, as though APS possesses magical powers over eBay that he doesn't, and if it did, might share his obsession.

Besides those two, we have a round-the-clock chorus who claim that they know APS members who disobey the Code of Ethics, but when challenged to take action against these offenders, they are suddenly too busy elsewhere to send a simple e-mail to Helen Bruno.

I state categorically that APS has done more and continues to do more to protect stamp collectors from fraud than any other organization in the world, and needs no lectures from anyone on that score. That includes frauds perpetrated by Junior and others on eBay.

January 27, 2004 Marius

Try this game :-)))

http://www.zipperfish.com/free/games/crochunter.html

January 27, 2004 Chip G

Putt Putt Golf
Lets see you beat 34!

Roger

 

January 27, 2004 Matt Liebson

I scored a 38 on my third attempt. Someone needs to make a philatelic video game.

Random philatelic post....I am working on an article on Ohio presidential widow franks (Anna Harrison, Lucretia Garfield, Ida McKinley, Florence Harding, Helen Taft). If anyone has an unusual one (particularly a Harrison or McKinley), let me know so I can describe it for the article. So far as I know Harrison franks are all from Cleves OH, Garfield from West Mentor OH and South Pasadena CA with various postmarks; McKinley all from Canton OH; Harding from Washington DC and possibly Marion OH; Taft from various places including Washington, Charleston SC, and Canada.

January 27, 2004 George K

You were never willing to admit for a second that maybe, just possibly, the APS dropped the ball on this one. I tried to keep this private, between you and me, but you wouldn't let it go. Too bad.

January 27, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Alternative sites.
this one
and this one

January 27, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

My apologies Jim.
I didn't try to access it.
It was so large, I assumed it was Edinburgh, Scotland.

January 27, 2004 5:24 Bob in WA

golf
40 on my fifth try, including an agonizing 4 on the last hole!

Among my favorite time waster games are Boxworld and Chip's Challenge, the latter coming with the Windows gamepacks way back when. Probably 3.1 or 95. 144 levels, simple DOS graphics, but clever and funny and very, very challenging. I imagine you can still Google websites to find it.

January 27, 2004 Jim Lawler

Jim W.

Unfortunately that go me to a USA town not too far down the road from where I live.

I'm needing to get the information on a UK - Scotland number.

Jim L.
 

January 27, 2004 prometheus

Golfin
My first complete round a 39 , would have done much better but holes 8 and 17 ate me up,

January 27, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Jim
Piece of cake.
Try here

January 27, 2004 Jim Lawler

Greetings,

I'm trying to check out a Scotish (Edinburgh) phone number. I've received an email that I strongly suspect may be a scam. It has an interesting twist.

Is there someone on list that can direct me to a web site where I could do a reverse look-up of a Edinburgh number? There are several sites were you can find US and Canada numbers.

Of if someone from the area would contact me off list I'd be glad to provide you with the name and address of the law firm whose existance I'm seeking to confirm.

Thanks for your time.

January 27, 2004 Bill Weiss

Thanks
PROMO; Thanks for the response. I appreciate it. It's no problem man, I was just trying to be helpful.

January 27, 2004 prometheus

Wash Bob
That wall grabbed me too I clicked out of it and it said No Cheating and I started over.

January 27, 2004 prometheus

Prompt
Bill I am prompt when it is required,
School
-paying my bills,
my just started new job (I'm early all the time and I'm the only one there)


I hope none of my past times ever force me to be prompt.


Imagine if you were me , never seen a perfined schermack,even a loose one, much less on the correct card/cover. Got one in my hand Mine,
Offers and advice pour in
Decide Immediately (remember haste makes waste) OR
Think about it for a while.
Re think about for a while longer.
Remember I am young and inexperienced at being a seller.


 

January 27, 2004 4:29 pm Bob in WA

minigolf
David -- Fun game. First try, first 7 holes, I had 3 pars, 2 birdies, 2 eagles, including 3 holes in one! Then I got to hole 8 and got stuck on a wall somehow. Couldn't get loose in over a dozen tries, finally gave up. I think it's a program flaw, somehow I got into forbidden pixels. I'll try again later.

January 27, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Matt
Makes good sense to bar a lawyer from your auctions (couldn't resist the pun).
Take my word for it, they look a lot better as jpg's than they do in real life.
I have an example somewhere of the KEMYA/UGANDA/TANG. specimen.

January 27, 2004 Matt Liebson

I would have to think that selling forgeries of valid US postage is a big no-no.

Incidentally, I just tried to bid on one of that seller's lots so I could finally see a recent production for myself (including to see if the backs are, in fact, marked), but I find that I have been blocked from his transactions. Guess I'll need to use my other ID, if I can remember it.

January 27, 2004 David Benson

forgot to mention, adding the word REPRO to the SCAN of a reverse of a piece of crap doesn't follow Ebay/APS regulations.

It is about time a statement from the APS President (not one of it's vocal lackeys) about what is happening and what they intend to do about it would be appropriate. At least Ebay.UK have stated that all Replicas have to be listed under Cinderellas, what has Ebay.US done, F. ALL.

These comments will self destruct in 4 minutes,



David B.

January 27, 2004 David Benson

Just calling in again for a few minutes to catch up.

What I can't understand is why does it need legal action to get rid of the scum sellers. The new arrangement with the APS is not working and it is getting worse with more crap being offered and nothing done about it. It was better with Safeharbor. The seller has to state that the material is genuine otherwise BIG BROTHER (STAMP WATCH COMMITTEE0 will zap it. It ain't working, see,

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&include=0&userid=atdinvest&sort=3&rows=25&since=-1&rd=1

He is now listing with complete impunity, lsiting US computer prints made yesterday, at least Safeharbor zapped them but now they are being listed without any comments from the APS. All I can say is SHAME to the Ebay/APS relationship and maybe a name change to
American Philatelic, Replica and Photocopy Collectors Assocation would be appropriate.

David B.

January 27, 2004 Bill Weiss

Catalog & Promo
RICHARD M; Will get another off to you via priority tomorrow. Let me know when you get it.

PROMO; I have a feeling you misunderstood the offer. You may indeed have had higher ones, but mine was the best, which was to offer you 50% of what it brought over the $180., and since I have sold some controls for well over $1,000., you stood to get another $400-500. on top of the $180. No matter. I don't like putting business on this board anyway, and Dave doesn't condone it. It was a quick, fair offer only because others were "advising" you, so I felt like I should tell you what I can do, so I did, but trust me, I do respect your right to decide anything you want, but I honestly did get a bit miffed that you hadn't said anything about it since the first post you put up. I also understand that not everyone is like me, prompt and attentive, which is my nature, so I guess I expect others to be the same, which is wrong of me. No more business from me in the form of offers on this board and I hope everyone else does the same.

January 27, 2004 Richard Matta <rkm@groom.com>

Bill Weiss
Never received your catalog. Probably more than just slow mail.

January 27, 2004 Matt Liebson

Nice minigolf (I shot a 58 in my first round, so I have my work cut out for me). Though the most compelling game I've come across recently is the one in Orbitz banner ads where you fly the blimp through the clouds....I miss that one.

January 27, 2004 David K.

Loved the wacker game; poor seal!
Now, for a little more demanding skill from all the professional miniture golf or handicapped golfers out there, we have MIT's MINIPUTT! Give it a second or two to download, my best score was 37! I've been playing it for a while on rainy days. Good luck! click here
Just in case link doesn't work: http://web.mit.edu/wnellie/www/miniputt.swf

January 27, 2004 prometheus

Bill W I did not Dis you
January 19, 2004 prometheus
Bill W let me think about it.

No dis respect intended
The above is the message I posted when you asked,
I live at a rather slow pace,
act at a rather slow pace,
The fact that last year it took me over a month to decide just to send you that other postcard to look at should give you some
Indication of my pace.
I understand this is your business
It's my hobby.
I play with cards and covers for the relaxation I get Because while I'm looking at them I do Not dwell on the Project that consumes me most of my waking hours.(not counting my three year Olds needs of course).

Oh and besides your offer did not even come close to those I recieved in other forums.

and it took me a couple of days to get over the fact that some lurker took the time to email me the "don't fiddle away your coils " quote
which was the first thing you ever posted in my direction
almost a year ago.
" Life, sex and birth control should be like a freight train,
Slow and steady, Oh and always Pull out on time. "
That is a quote from my grandfather.(i missed once)

One reason I like this Board Bill is that it is not a constant stream of what do you want, this is for sale, The majority of that goes on in the world of the secret emails.
99% of the time it's just Philatelic info which I think is great.



 

January 27, 2004 Matt Liebson

Bill W: He hasn't been responding to my emails either but I have received some forwards of various things from him. I will follow up.

January 27, 2004 Christo van Zyl

Bill Claghorn: Thanks for the help on the Samoa Express. I have amended my auction accordingly. Much appreciated.

Jim W S: I found it more rewarding to look for cancels with geological significance (than the special cancellers you ar linking to). E.g. Premier Mine, Maandagshoek (discovery site for Merensky Reef), Platinum, Atoom (Atom), Radium etc.

January 27, 2004 13.16 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 27, 2004 12.58 pm Colin Judd http://mysite.freeserve.com/GB_Special_Issues/
 

Colin

January 27, 2004 Bill Weiss

MATT L.
By the way, I never did receive a response to my offer of $225. on RC's control number on cover, which simply amazes me, but I am just as amazed that PROMO also never really answered me on my offer on HIS postcard either. Life goes on, and offers will not be so forthcoming in the future if folks don't even have the curtousy to give you a respectful answer.

January 27, 2004 prometheus

Matt L yes I found it.
While reading of course.

January 27, 2004 Brian R

I see people form both the APS and SCADS, continually having a snit, in public places like this. It saddens me, because I KNOW, that both groups have similar goals. Obviously, something happened that I'm not privy to, and I don't really care what it was. As a casual observer, it just seems to be a classic case, of an opportunity missed.

January 27, 2004 Dave P

mydoom
Sometimes it pays to be paranoid. Although I am on broadband I disconnect overnight (I don't like the idea of stuff happening when I can't monitor it). First thing I did this morning after reconnecting was update Norton, then downloaded overnight emails, and guess what - my updated Norton snared a mydoom attachment.

January 27, 2004 Matt Liebson

Pro: thanks. Presume you found the check which I stuck in there as well?

January 27, 2004 prometheus <Prometheus@1Internetdrive.com>

some numbers i found interesting
in 1909 over 1 billion postcards were sold in the US

1904 Germany 1 billion sent
france 600 million "
Japan 453 million "
Austria 250 million "
Belgium 55 million "
SWITZERLAND - 43 million sent
I guess these numbers are the reason that the odd Rarity does occasionaly show up.

Bob H Don't worry about it.


Matt L Got my copy of the Ohio Postal History Journal today, Thanks. Great Read .

Rush county Indiania any interest here or out there in
volume 1 1921 book History of Rush County.

January 27, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Colin
Still not sure my email is getting through.
Will try eBay mail later.
I have a lab in 9 minutes.
Care packages for you and Ed went in todays mail.
For Canadian geologists geological cancels

January 27, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Colin
Still not sure my email is getting through.
Will try eBay mail later.
I have a lab in 9 minutes.
Care packages for you and Ed went in todays mail.
For Canadian geologists geological cancels

January 27, 2004 11.16 am Colin Judd UK http://mysite.freeserve.com/GB_Special_Issues/
 

Colin

January 27, 2004 10.32 am Colin Judd UK http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_stamps
 

Colin

January 27, 2004 Lavar Taylor

Paul -- Here's a suggestion. Give APS some suggestions (don't do it on this Board, do it through personal commmunication) on how you think they can improve things. Better yet, go stand in their shoes for a while. Use some of your free time in the winter for some volunteer work at their HQ. Work with Ken. L for a while and see if you have the same opinion of APS you have today.

January 27, 2004 Bob H.

Oh, on that first envelope I graphically blocked out our address - it's there on the original. And no, the sender couldn't spell our name - it was from a merchant.

January 27, 2004 Bob H.

Concerning my remarks the other day about modern postal history, here are two items I dug out of the boxes and am keeping intact (no stamps on them anyway.) The first one is neat for the handstamp indicating evidence of a stamp and an the second is an envelope that was sent under the 1971 rules for mailing sexually oriented material. And no, I don't remember if the second one was sent to me or not....

January 27, 2004 Bill Weiss

Thanks!
KEN L; Thank you for your response. Actually, after I wrote what I did below, and as I was heating soup for lunch, it dawned on me that the reason you can not provide an in-depth response in the Junior/SCADS situation is for security reasons. If you were to reveal, for example, what evidence presented did NOT suit the needs of the investigators, then obviously that same kind of evidence might be used in the future to deter investigators by those same kind of crooks, ie: it givres them too much free information.

January 27, 2004 Matt Liebson

Pro: looks like one lot of relatively low value. The later cigar and tobacco stamps tend to be pretty inexpensive (the early ones are good)

January 27, 2004 prometheus

back of book stuff
Here are a few scans is this maybe one lot or do ineed more.

ONE

two

three

four

January 27, 2004 Ken Lawrence <apsken@aol.com>

APS and SCADS
Bill Weiss,

APS has been trying to stop that particular dealer (call him Junior, since Dave F won't allow names any more) as long as I can remember, and far longer than eBay has existed. I myself have been involved in this, particularly during my 1995-97 term as APS Vice President when we were able to secure justice for some people who had been defrauded because we discovered that some of the transactions had been mediated by an APS member. As you know, during that same period APS was able to stop other big producers of fakes, such as Raymond Gregor of Buffalo, with the assistance of the postal inspectors. But we were unable to secure similar law enforcement interest in Junior. (He is far from the most prolific faker, whether measured by quantity or money.) As I wrote, Junior has never been an APS member, nor were his well-known forebears. Nevertheless, APS is pleased when anyone takes up this cause, although a problem often exists with new converts who become more devout and righteous and zealous than those of us who have been doing this for years, particularly when their aim is personal recognition.

Anyhow, not long after the court dismissed Junior's lawsuit against APS, Bob Lamb did get a positive response from the postal inspectors concerning this thorn in our side, so Bob immediately contacted the person SCADS directed him to, who replied that he or she did not have time to assemble the evidence in the form that the PIs had required, so the case slipped away. When asked about this at the APS Board meeting, Bob reported these details, and I reported them here when you asked me to reply to the attacks on APS that were standard fare last fall, as they seem to be again.

That post promted George K, whom I do not know, to send me a series of insulting and acrimonious e-mails, which I answered with respect, providing all the salient details, including facts that George finds inconvenient. In reply to his petulance, I told him that his website serves a good purpose, and should remain. (He was planning to take it down in a snit.) Next he blamed APS for the loss of his job, income, and career, and no response to his philatelic concerns is ever satisfactory, so I washed my hands of him after sending him several carefully detailed refutations of his allegations.

To the best of my knowledge, APS hasn't had similar difficulties with other SCADS members, nor they with APS, and a couple of them have been very helpful in some of our investigations. But truly successful measures to stop large-scale stamp fraud by their very nature cannot be conducted on a public chat board, so we have to endure George's abuse as a cost of doing business, sad to say.

As an expelled former member of APS, Greg Deeter evidently remains bloated with sour grapes. Nevertheless, he knows as well as our members in good standing that all proposed locations were carefully evaluated by our committee, which I chaired, and that the costs of relocating to a metropolitan area are prohibitive -- cost of space, cost of moving, cost of labor, and loss of experienced staff -- as thoroughly demonstrated in Bill Bauer's report to the APS Board three years ago. Locating at Bellefonte, immediately adjacent to the Interstate 80, the principal East-West corridor of the United States, and the terminus of I-99 that connects I-80 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, is as accessible to our dispersed membership as it is possible to be. The State College-Bellefonte airport is served by major airlines. Our members from all over the country and internationally have little difficulty getting here, the ambiance is more pleasant than most large cities, and the costs of food and lodging are modest. The only catch is, don't plan your trip when Penn State has a football game at home. (But those crowds are the reason this area is so accessible.)

January 27, 2004 Rob Faux

remote
Somebody define 'remote' for me.....

for me, I consider NYC remote and an inconvenience. :)
remember, 'central' locations are 'prime' and thus cost much more.

Things I appreciate the APS for include:

- access & support for APRL
- mentorship program
- availability of APEX
- another resource to interact with other persons in the hobby
- sponsorship of shows throughout the US (I do appreciate that they are not all east/west coast gigs for example)
- I used to enjoy the circuit books, but life was too busy to look through them and get them out in a timely fashion.

I'd love to see the APS utilize the internet to encourage more active participation by its members. I feel almost as if a small group is carrying too much of the load - hence many good ideas just can't quite reach their potential.

Re: Scads/APS and all of that. I have a suspicion that the mechanism is too reliant on cooperation by ebay...who, to be honest has little motivation to see it through. They simply benefit by being able to SAY that something exists.

I will say that I appreciate SCADS work done by George K and Dave F and Sheryl O and and and... I hope that they NEVER regret their efforts and that they will continue to expend some energy to help others to learn.

I appreciate the efforts of Ken L to clarify and defend an organization for which he feels great loyalty. I also appreciate his willingness to respond to technical questions in great detail and precision.

And, I also appreciate Paul I's posts. He likes to pull chains and evoke responses - but NEVER do I underestimate the fact that he does have depth behind his commentary. Paul, personally, I think you would do APS a world of good if you joined and got involved to make some changes you felt were important.

And... Anne, blessed are the peacemakers... :)

Rob

January 27, 2004 Roger Heath

Time change - Julian Calendar?
I usually get dates correct but this has me puzzled. A post card leaves St Petersburg with a three line date on stamps 19/19-01/VII, then what appears to be Mockba single line date 14.VII.1901, two different German receivesr 3.8.01. The card was addressed to China and was redirected to Germany. How many days in transit do the cancels indicate? Could this card have gone to China and back in the time indicated by train? Do you think it possible that any clerk would redirect a card mailed to a German soldier in China knowing that the germanas were no lnger in China and had returned to Germany? I'll show a scan later this evening, but if you can tell me Gregorian-Julian difference on this card I'd appreciate it.
Summation: Mailed Russia July 14, 1901, arrived Germany August 3, 190, how many days in transit? Thanks,
Roger

January 27, 2004 paul laniosz

i support what was said earlier by ROGER and JIM that a lot of hard work by GEORGE and others went into identifing the cheats and crooks who sell on the on line services . but why doesn t someone come on here and say-- to go after these crooks cost a lot of money to do a legal case. it probably cost $100,000 or 150,000 dollars ,thats money the APS can t afford to spent to go after a bunch of trailer trash who have been cheating customers . yes the APS will give professional opinions in court if some other party like law enforcement builds the case with the information SCADS has . but the APS is not footing the bill for a bunch of cheap stamp imatations to be removed off the market and then have someone else the week after do it again......did i miss something here....ST.PAUL the right

January 27, 2004 Bill Weiss

APS Location
Mr. Deeter; I really don't want to get into defending the Match Factory project because, for starters, it's "water over the dam". It's a done deal, so why rehash the differences of opinion? Good reasons include;
1. To relocate would require (probably) new employees, at a higher cost to the society then the present employees simply because most of the current employees may not want to relocate from their current homes;

2. To relocate to a larger more metropolitan area would immediately raise the cost of employees even if you were able to retain the current ones;

3. To build a structure(s) with the size specifications needed would require a hell of a lot more money in a more metropolitan area than in Bellfonte/PA. Common sense tells me that construction costs are a heck of a lot higher 30 miles from New York City than 200 miles from New York City - or any other metro area.

4. Costs of moving would be substantially greater for the same reasons as above.

I'm sure there are others and perhaps if KEN L. drops by here he can add to it, although I personally wouldn't blame him for not wanting to rehash a done deal.

January 27, 2004 G. Deeter

APS
Bill Weiss Please explain to me why the APS shouldn't move the HQ to a place more convenient to the membership they supposedly serve. It is silly to have the HQ in such a remote location. To throw more money at what has always been a bad location is absurd.

January 27, 2004 08:01 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Dealer Certificates
Bill Weiss I agree about dealer certificates. Long time members of this board are familiar with certain South American and Northern US dealers who issue certificates for obviously bad material. Other seller issued certificates are no more than receipts for purchase and photo records of sales so, when an item is returned as bogus, the seller knows that no substitution was made.

An older US Auction House issued many such worthless certificates. It makes me laugh when an eBay lot lists a certificate from such a well known infamous auction house.

January 27, 2004 07:52 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Stamp Certificates
Adam To bring the board up to speed, you emailed me a scan of a different stamp which could indeed be rare and genuine. I told you that a certificate would be needed to prove it is genuine and referred you to a dealer/auction house which specializes in those issues. They confirmed that the item is worth submitting for a certificate.

A certificate is only valid to the reputation of the issuer. You would want a US certificate for a US stamp, a British certificate for a British or colonies stamp, or a certificate from a specialized society which covers a limited area or country. The only trusted certificates I have seen for Buenos Aires are from the RPS Royal Philatelic Society. The person I referred you to is well known and his certificate will be good, but not as prestigious as a RPS. For you, his certificate makes the most sense. His prices are in line and his trun around is great.

January 27, 2004 Bill Weiss

APS and This Board
Paul L's blanket criticism below is ill-advised in my opinion. Let me tell you my basic feelings about all this; I am a 37-year APS member, which may be the longest of any regular board member and longer as well then all of the current officers of the society I believe. From the time I joined in 1966 and for many years thereafter, I too felt that the heirarchy of the society was elitist/highbrow and certainly not like the "down-to-earth" kind of people I like to associate with.

As time went on however, I came to realize, from longtime relationships with some of these "elitists" that for the most part, these people are solid intelligent caring people, whose ONLY or primary motive is to benefit all of philately through their work with the society. This became more clear to me during the big Match Factory debates. After reading and thinking about the various opinions, I came to a simple conclusion; are the people who are advocating this project doing so for selfish reasons OR are they doing it for the good of the hobby and the society? To conclude that these people were promoting this project for selfish reasons, you also would need to conclude that they were basically BAD people - which I don't believe for a second. After reaching those conclusions, I was then able to completely justify that these are good people trying to do good.

Trying to "do good" of course, doesn't always mean that they will agree with you or me on every issue. I think that something's amiss in this matter of APS vs SCADS. I have seen some of the evidence prepared by SCADS, showing countless "before/after" scans of altered stamps. As an expert, they are absolutely convincing to me, so I can't imagine WHY they are not so to any agency, and I do not believe that any APS representative has ever expanded to this board WHY the evidence gathered by SCADS was not more useful. Perhaps if such an explaination were forthcoming it might help to ease the tension and get us working together as ANNE so rightly suggests below.

PAUL is obviously entitled to his opinion, but anyone with good sense can detect the bias in his views. On the other hand, I can appreciate how the SCADS folks must feel and wonder what we can do to get these two groups working together?

January 27, 2004 Bill Weiss

Dealer Certificates
I agree that a buyer should never have to pay for a "guarantee" certificate from a dealer. When desiring to confirm that a philatelic item is "as described" one must seek out (and pay for) the opinion of a recognized expert committee. In the case of US material, the three major US expert committees all have application forms available for free.

Many years ago, I developed a certificate to use in my retail business. I called it a "Lifetime Guarantee Certificate" and basically, it described and pictured the item being sold, the amount and the date. It stated that the item was guaranteed to be as described for the lifetime of the seller. In over twenty-five years, I have never had one item sold with that certificate ever come back to me. Other dealers could do the same thing, or something similar, but frankly, really don't need to, so long as they are honorable and willing to take back items found to be not as described.

PS I recently gave these lifetime guarantee certificates to a couple of board members here on items they had me examine - even though I didn't sell them the item and have no financial interest in them. In cases like this, I give the guarantee to possibly help the owners get a better price when they sell someday.

January 27, 2004 PAUL LANIOSZ

this poor society only understands that "we must keep doing what we have been doing for the past 50 years"its members are concern only with a few things like ---getting a medal at exhibits {that nobody sees },sell their holdings at a high price, and the match factory{empire building}.the world of stamps have changed. but our 500 lbs gorilla doesn t know its place in this new enviroment. so please let it die quietly and don t twist the knife in its back......always helpful and correct --paul

January 27, 2004 Mauro Mowszowicz

Buenos Aires STEAMSHIPS AKA "BARQUITOS"
ADAM,
If you post the pictures of your stamps i will gladly take a look at them, im not an expert on the issue but have seen several genuines b efore.
Regards
Mauro

January 27, 2004 Bill Dempwolf

Bill

January 27, 2004 04:52 Jim Watson

Adam,
If I understand your question regarding certificates, it is worthwhile to buy stamps with certificates. However, that only applies to certificates from recognized sources. Check this page. Paying a dealer for his certificate is bad news. Good dealers stand behind their offerings.

January 27, 2004 Adam

Sorry
I'm sorry for the typo (It's meant to be Stamp)

January 27, 2004 Adam

Stam Certificate
What do you people think is a reasonable price for a authencity check and certificate from a dealer? Also would you trust a stamp if it had a certificate?

January 27, 2004 Bob in WA <rcl.wa@verizon.net>

junks

Anne -- I assume you recall the junks have a BRIDGE in the background. I have a fair accumulation of singles, blocks, covers, and a few of the fakes, also. (mint). I had some nice scans on my lost hard drive, and now I haven't managed to get scanner drivers to work on this one, but some day we can get together some more on them. I think we discussed them a bit a year or so ago. Anyway, I've been pursuing them as a side collection for 20 years or so, and have a few piled up. I believe there are about 140 varieties just in printings, denominations, and overprints. I hope to find some larger multiples some day. The sheets were laid out with all sorts of gutters in them, quite intriguing. Old China Clipper periodicals are another great source of information.

January 27, 2004 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

January 27, 2004 Anne

Good night to all and to all swee dreams of peace on the board, suitable ends for philatelic miscreants, and Chinese junk lots.

January 27, 2004 00:02 Bjorn Munch

Tonight's eSnipe
Ouch! Well, I did get it. But it wasn't cheap. I think this is NK #38, of which no covers are known with more than 4 copies. Until now. :-)

 

January 27, 2004 Lavar Taylor

The reverse of this cover shows an airmail transit marking from Paris. At the time this cover was sent, it cost an extra 3c per 1/2 oz. to have a letter travel via air from Paris to another point in Europe. If I understand the rates correctly, proper postage for this cover to go by air in the US, by sea to France and by air from Paris to Germany would have been 14c. So the sender received "free" airmail service in Europe. If my understanding is not correct, please let me know.

January 26, 2004 Roger Heath

The Topic
I personally watched the Scads site grow page by page over a number of years. It seemed each new page was previewed by all when links were posted on the Ebay Chat Board. I witnessed an incredible effort of compiling scans and data tying together fraud in the Stamps categories on Ebay. If my memory serves me right, it wasn't until Spencer Michaels of public TV San Francisco interviewed one of the "miscreants" that Rob Chesnut (head of Trust and Safety and Anti-Fraud expert of the Justice Department) finally got the clue that Ebay was heading into murky waters staying with its mantra - "It is not possible to tell authenticity from a scan". Fast forward a few months and we read about APS, of which I've been a member for 10 years, becoming an expert consultant service for Ebay. This service requires members of the Ebay community to send messages to Ebay employees, who will forward emails questioning authenticity to an anonymous volunteer committee which using its judgment may forward auction listings to the APS. If sustained at APS, the "executive in charge" will email Ebay employees, who will send an email to the seller, asking for them to prove authenticity or end the auction. Meanwhile Ebay experiments with 1 day auction format over last Christmas holidays. There has been very little confirmation or numbers announced by Ebay or the Committee, or by APS regarding the numbers reported, the numbers sustained, the numbers overridden, the number of auctions ended which resulted form Ebay Community member reporting possible fraudulent auctions. We have discovered that one sure way of getting auctions closed is to report any auction that is cheating Ebay out of commissions, etc. That wakes Ebay up real quick. If you got this far you'll understand I get pissed off when George and Scads gets criticized because I've seen no evidence of any other significant action taken against the sellers who are "gaming" the Community and continue selling junk to the detriment of our hobby/business. There are enough laws on the books to stop any of the things we see in the stamps category, I guess 1,000 - $5 transactions aren't worth law enforcement's intervention, but boy do they jump in when someone gets conned out of a $5,000 for computer that doesn't exist. What is the difference between a computer that doesn't exist and a stamp that is misdescribed, fraudulently manipulated and sold as a more valuable item? In my opinion nothing!

Thanks George for all the leg work you did in scanning and compiling the before and after scans. Thanks for providing such overwhelming data that Ebay had to change its "Code of Ethics" (that's an oxymoron) to one that looks great but doesn't apply to most sellers on Ebay. The only people who have questioned the "morality check" when listing stamps have been new sellers to Ebay who seem to be honest people. The dishonest people just consider it one more page to navigate when listing stamps. Then again maybe I'm ignorant and they use Turbo-lister or something which doesn't ask the question!

End of rant!

I've got first frame finished and moving on to 1901 tonight.

Roger, 323.3

January 26, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Am I my brothers keeper?
Brian
George and I see eye to eye on who is scum and either is or is not an APS member who sells on eBay.
Richard and I see eye to eye to eye as to whom are selling illegal stamps and who belongs to APS and who does not.
Ken seems to believe all current APS sellers are honorable persons and all dishonorable sellers do not belong to APS.
Dang guys, Hitler, Napoleon and many others have controlled continents before they were bought to task.

January 26, 2004 Brian R

???
I don't get it.
The evidence on the SCADS site is overwhelming.
It is far better than anything I've ever seen the APS display.
It is the APS, that claims it has contacts in law enforcement.
someome thing is fishy.
The APS guidance, and the SCADS bloodhound work,
should go hand in hand together.
Yet two principals of each group, routinely go at each other here.
Perhaps, it is this personal vandetta, that the scammers count on.
I think it is time that both of you look into the mirror,
and decide just what your legacy will be to the philatelic community.
Or get out of the way, for someone else to try.
I grow weary of watching the watchdogs comsume each other.

January 26, 2004 George K

It is for these reasons I am furious, not because I think you are the FBI or something. So if your organization is not going to do anything to try to stop him, at least GET OFF MY BACK, PLEASE.

January 26, 2004 Bill Dempwolf

Bill

January 26, 2004 Bill Dempwolf

Bill

January 26, 2004 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

January 26, 2004 Marius

207.4 on the fly with a longest dist of 319.9. But I have only just started

January 26, 2004 Matt Liebson

Prometheus: the Madison TN doane is listed in the new book (july 24, 1907 - Jan. 13, 1910). Rarity 1.

I concur with others that literature is a good investment. I am slowly accumulating.

January 26, 2004 Mike E

Pro,
I presume you are using www.doanecancel.com by Gary Anderson. He is a friend that lives near me and he should answer all your Doane inquiries or updates. You are right about the wealth of info on the WWW if one takes the time to look..
All for now.
Mike

January 26, 2004 Jim (jaywild)

Right on the money.

January 26, 2004 Jim (jaywild)

Finally.

 

January 26, 2004 prometheus

Mike E
I use the list available on the web of course.
quite a few LKU EKU are from my emails to the nicer respondents there.

January 26, 2004 prometheus <Prometheus@1Internetdrive.com>

Bill D
Thanks you mentioned you liked perfins on Commens this is on the Ft DearBorn Century of progress stamp, with a readable Stockyard Sta cancel if you 'd like it (i really do not like uncovered stamps)
email me your address.

January 26, 2004 Mike E

Prometheus
I don't believe I have a Tennessee post office listing, but I am sure that it is listed in the latest Doane Cancel book (Helbock/Anderson). I have had several Madison Ty 3/3 Doanes. In fact, I gave one away last wknd to a Doane collecting friend...
I would agree that PO listings for some of the SE states can be spotty..

January 26, 2004 prometheus

Lavar
99.1

January 26, 2004 Bill Dempwolf

Bill

January 26, 2004 Rob Faux

My last penguin report
Ok, the penguin game is fun, but it's a one day thing with me, I think... :)

shortest was 57.5, longest 322.9, longest on the fly 207.6.

Closest to the 'pin'guin.... 101.9 is closest to 100

150.3 to 150, 200 on the 'nose', 248.1 to 250 and 298.4 to 300....

So there... fun and games and now I can go home. :)

R

 

January 26, 2004 prometheus

Reference works
This isn't any where
UNKNOWN

January 26, 2004 Lavar Taylor

Closest to 100 is now 98.8

January 26, 2004 prometheus

Mike E
maybe when NEW versions of some of the books come out I might think about it. Seems to me that a lot of the definative books on many philatelic areas are so out of time in this the internet age.
The WWW has brought things out by chance and by aim that change a lot of the list

January 26, 2004 Brian McInturff

Batting Practice
302.2 single shot. Where are the rules?

January 26, 2004 Mike Ellingson

Prometheus,
Not positive without checking, but I think the year dates were one solid slug, so most likely just wear or inking problem (it is late December, so maybe just worn out).

Of course any EXPO flags are automatic for 25 cents, but the book tells you which ones are worth a couple bucks and which ones are worth a couple hundred bucks. I am sure you have heard the speech before, but good literature ALWAYS pays for itself. Don't need to get it all at once. I used to make it a goal that for every show I attended, I tried to pick up a new reference book. Now, after 15 or so years, I have a wall full of reference books, which no doubt have cost me a couple thousand bucks, but spread over many years it doesn't really hurt. They are worth their weight in gold, well maybe at least their weight in covers..

January 26, 2004 Lavar Taylor

Chuck Just nailed a 200 on the nose myself. My lowest score is a 52, closest to 100 is 90.

January 26, 2004 prometheus

Mike E
Try here Oddity
again the question is " did the clerk lose the 1's and cut one in half for the year date.

Mike Figure the book is expensive and would cost me a lot of 25 cent cards, Besides It is worth a quarter to me either way.
 

January 26, 2004 Mike Ellingson

Pro,
- Your flag cancel question link isn't quite working.
- Regarding the PPIE flag, do you have Bomar's EXPO book. Essential if you start chasing EXPO material
- Glad my letter found its way to you. Nothing wrong with you making a few bucks..

January 26, 2004 prometheus

Jim W-S
Trying for Lavar's 100 I keep getting a 56
Still can Not break 323.5 or the 208.6 stick

January 26, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Now you guys have to try for the really difficult penguin shots.
Just nicking the penguin (sorry if that upsets some people) to give values of less than 100.
76 is the best (worst) I've done so far.
Ballpen fodder

January 26, 2004 Chuck Harm

Penguins
Lavar,

Hit a high fly with the penguin sticking headfirst right on 200.

January 26, 2004 John Armstrong <abslbg@yahoo.ca>

Canada Booklets
prometheus:........and others.......Bill has contacted me, thank you. If anyone else has stock, I'd be interested in hearing from you.

January 26, 2004 prometheus

OOps John Armstrong
sorry John

January 26, 2004 prometheus

Bill Armstrong
Try here Bill-L-Candian-things

January 26, 2004 730 est prometheus <Prometheus@1Internetdrive.com>

Flag cancels and perfin questions
Bill D How about this one OAS

Flag Cancel question
Oddity
Did the clerk lose the ones so he broke one in half for the
year date

Here is a neat Flag PPIE-FlagStaD

Mike E Thanks for the machine diplomatic scan , and got the mail today, you were more than generous.

January 26, 2004 Brian R

John Armstrong
The posts here, hang around forever, like luggage. You can scroll back until you're completely sick of us. I suppoase, that there is some final limit, where it all becomes pointless. Maybe our esteemed moderator knows where that is.

January 26, 2004 Brian R

John Armstrong
The posts here, hang around forever, like luggage. You can scroll back until you're completely sick of us. I suppoase, that there is some final limit, where it all becomes pointless. Maybe our esteemed moderator knows where that is.

January 26, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

John
board usually last a day but previous messages are archived.
Just do a control F search on your name.

January 26, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

David

Looks like the three of you used esnipe.

January 26, 2004 John Armstrong <abslbg@yahoo.ca>

Thank you for the welcome. I will check back in for any other replies. How long do posts usually stay visible.....before they scroll off?

January 26, 2004 David Benson

p.s. I am in a bad mood, left a high snipe for a cover that ended yesterday, bloody sniper outbid me,

http://offer.ebay.com/ws3/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&item=2981038517

David B.

January 26, 2004 David Benson

Just calling in for a few minutes from SUNNNNY Queensland, sun, surf and good restuarants. Hope you all have been behaving yourselves whilst I am away.

David B.

January 26, 2004 15:35 Bjorn Munch

Re: Today's riddle
Knud-Erik, but the difference is that for the Swiss cover, the suspension was only temporary, the letter could have been resent a couple weeks later.

To bed now, I'll check on my 3AM esnipe in the morning. Bidding now stands at $256 (ouch!)...
 

January 26, 2004 Rob Faux

John A Welcome! Bill Longley might be your man for, at the least, locating someone with such material. He posts here periodically. Others may certainly be able to help you as well. If they don't happen to see your post this time, be prepared to ask again since such things can get buried. :)

Rob

January 26, 2004 Rob Faux

This game is a nice little reminder that entertainment need not be complicated to be fun.... ;)

Took another run at it for a few minutes this afternoon... 207.6 on the fly, but I see it is already surpassed.

It must be January....

January 26, 2004 3:06 pm John Armstrong <abslbg@yahoo.ca>

I am looking for the Canadian 1998 Christmas issues with a perforation listed in Scott and Unitrade as perforation 13 x 13.5. .....#1764b (sheet stamp 45 cent), 1764c (45 cent booklet of 10), 1765a (52 cent booklet of 5), 1766a (90 cent booklet of 5). All are perf 13 x 13.5. If you have any in stock, please send me an email with your asking price. Bulk offers welcome.

January 26, 2004 Lavar Taylor

Yesss! Bagged a 199.9 while shooting not to exceed 200.

January 26, 2004 Lavar Taylor

It seems fairly easy to approach 320 total and 205 on the fly. It is more of challenge to see how close you can get to 100, or 200, or 300, without going over. 100 is particularly hard.

January 26, 2004 555 Pm est prometheus

More than addictive
323.5 and the longest sticker is 208.6

January 26, 2004 Jim Griffith <griffith@dweeb.org> http://album.dweeb.org
 

Jim

January 26, 2004 Brian R

Longest so far, 315. The goal, seems to be, to skip the little critters. :o)

January 26, 2004 Jim (jaywild)

Can't remember when I spent so much time on a computer game...

January 26, 2004 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

January 26, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

207.5 on the fly.
Trouble exceeding 320 though.

January 26, 2004 Matt Liebson

Rob: I just bagged a 207.2 on the fly -- now back to work.

January 26, 2004 01.46 pm Colin Judd UK http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_stamps
 

Colin

January 26, 2004 Matt Liebson

I've had a pair of 323.5 as well -- David, how did you get to 350? Don't know if I've done 207 on the fly but I think I might have had a 206.5.

To make it philatelic, there are lots of penguins on stamps.

January 26, 2004 Rob Faux

Longest on the fly 207.0 - I love how the little guy sticks in the snow beak first....

My lovely bride loves penguins, I wonder how she'll react to this one?

R

January 26, 2004 Rob Faux

320.5

Why did I stop by and read the board just now? :) It IS addictive.

January 26, 2004 13:09 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Forgery Identification Site

January 26, 2004 Dave P

On a related subject I have given up trying to send emails to AOL addresses. On future auctions I intend to add a note that if AOL members want a reply to any email they must provide an alternative address. Perhaps if the AOL members are inconvenienced they might persuade AOL to do something about their wholesale bouncing of emails.

January 26, 2004 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

January 26, 2004 09.55 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 26, 2004 Richard Warren

I note your advice on the proper complaints procedure.

January 26, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

I was getting four hour delays with emails to Ed over the weekend.
As of this morning I hadn't gotten your one back but will try your web site email when I get home.

January 26, 2004 12.14 pm Colin Judd http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_GB_Machins/
 

Colin

January 26, 2004 Christo van Zyl

Batting Practise
Jim W-S, Matt L; It can become very addictive! I have hit 323.5 twice today. I think that is the maximum, but I suppose I'll keep trying, just in case.

January 26, 2004 Matt Liebson

I just hit a 319.3. Working on it!

January 26, 2004 Chip G

1967 pouch mail cover (but not the pouch cancel) on ebay now: image here
(always html-challenged)
 

January 26, 2004 Chip G

1967 pouch mail cover (but not the pouch cancel) on ebay now: http://64.176.89.139/auction/a23-01/5.jpg>image here

January 26, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Dang christo, that could become addictive.
Only gotten to 317.3 so far.

January 26, 2004 Christo van Zyl

Batting Practise
To those wanting to test their batting skills. practise here! . Takes a while to load, but once loaded you can disconnect and try all evening! First click of the mouse button to let the ball fall, second click when you time your shot. Distance to beat is 323.5/ Have fun!
 

January 26, 2004 Christo van Zyl

Samoa Express
Evening all. Came across these Samoa Express stamps. Anybody (Bill Claghorn, D Benson?) know whether these are reprints, forgeries (or, for the jackpot, perhaps real?). Would they be worth while listing on ebay?
Thanks, Christo
 

January 26, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Colin
Did you get my email?
The one I sent last tuesday was bounced back to me on saturday as being undeliverable.
I resent Sunday.

January 26, 2004 10.31 am Colin Judd UK http://mysite.freeserve.com/xzephyr_stamps
 

Colin

January 26, 2004 09:47 Jim Watson

Pouch Mail
Mike E.,
Thanks for posting the pouch mail examples. The second one is a good example of the Pan-American Union 'Free' provisions that Ferd W. mentioned yesterday.

January 26, 2004 paul laniosz

CHINESE JUNKS
ANNE ----what you want to look for in that series is the postal forgeries ,they are called --shanghai postal forgery . these are cheap stamps that were countifited for mailings . they are scotts --230,234,235. try to get information from MICHAEL ROGERS in winter park fl. they list some years ago in the net sale booklet/catalog he put out.......paul

January 26, 2004 Anne <abt1950 at owl.com>

Off to torture students. Back later.

January 26, 2004 08:10 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

BUENOS AIRES STAMPS
Adam The forgeries of those were so prolific that almost every collection in the 1940s and early 1950s had them. The 1,2,3 description does not really help in deciding. If the paper is thin and hard then it could be good. If the paper is soft and thicker, then it is bad. If you post a scan, also put a peice of white paper in the scan so we can color correct.

 

January 26, 2004 Bill Dempwolf

Bill

January 26, 2004 paul

BUENOS AIRES STAMPS
ADAM-----the catalog value is around $11,000 for a set of 5 ,here is my set ,i paid 10 cents for from a reputable APS and ASDA member. he was H.E.HARRIS COMPANY ,who sent me approvals . maybe its real ,but i will sell to you on a special deal of $1.00 .thats a 1,000 % return on investment and a 11,000% profit if you can get addie to certif . that they are real ......lol ......just pulling your chain ....paul... STEAMBOAT

January 26, 2004 Adam

Steam Boat
Thanks for the info guys. I still can't determine if its a fake or not. All the features that you mention are on it, and all the features that shouldn't, are not. If it is an original, how much is it worth?

 

January 26, 2004 Mike Ellingson <mikeellingson@comcast.net>

Jim W and Pro
This is the machine cancel for pouch mail I was referring to. Yesterday I think I mentioned 1964 and machine 34 when it is in fact 1963 and machine 31. Guess my memory is worse than I thought. In any case, they are not easy to find.
 

January 26, 2004 05.17 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 26, 2004 05.04 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 26, 2004 05:07 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Forgery Identification Site    

January 26, 2004 Bill Dempwolf

Bill

 

January 26, 2004 Adam

Thanks
How can you tell if it's a fake?

January 26, 2004 Adam <anna.piekarska@usq.edu.au>

HELP!
Finally someone's here...

January 26, 2004 paul

STEAMSHIP FAKES
YES---ADAM , i purchase my first set 40 years ago ,for 10 cents they where fakes ,and since i have seen over 20 sets ,all forgeries and reprint fakes. they were popular in the approval business many years ago ......paul

January 26, 2004 04:27 Jim Watson

Mike E.,
I'd be interested in the pouch mail cover, too. Thanks.

January 26, 2004 Adam <anna.piekarska@usq.edu.au>

HELP?
Is any one out there to help me?

January 26, 2004 Jim Lawler

Jim L.

January 26, 2004 3:47 Adam <anna.piekarska@usq.edu.au>

Help?
Are the Buenos Aires 1858 SteamShip stamps rare?

January 26, 2004 02:41 Bill Claghorn (claghorn1p) http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/
 

Forgery Identification Site    

January 26, 2004 01.09 Knud-Erik Andersen

January 25, 2004 Jim (jaywild)

In dire need of a catalog….

January 25, 2004 Lavar Taylor

Postal History
Good evening/day to all. Today's featured item of postal history focuses on German Caroline Islands to Mozambique. This is postal card from German Caroline Islands, yacht type, set from Ponape on April 12, 1902. The card is addressed to Lourenco-Marques, Portugese East Africa. Per the reverse , the card went through Hong Kong on June 27, 1902. The card reached Singapore on July 2, 1902, and Colombo on July 8, 1902. It reached its destination on August 7, 1902, per the "ambulante" marking on the reverse. The time it took the card to go from Ponape to Hong Kong seems unusually long (10 weeks). I will be checking that delay as I do further research on this one.

January 25, 2004 22:08:58 Bill Seymour

Whoops, the last URL is (or course) supposed to be .org, not .com. :-)

January 25, 2004 22:08:16 Bill Seymour <billsey at dsl-only dot net> http://www.seymourfamily.com
 

In a related note, sometime within the next month or two my server will be moving physically. When that happens, the bandwidth will increase significantly. Currently my DSL connection is 128K/768K, which means that only 128Kb/sec is all that's available for people using the site. the new WiFi connection is 1024K/2048K, effectively octupling the avialable bandwidth. Eventually we'll be adding more functionality to other sites hosted on my server, so that bandwidth will be shared, but initially it's all for www.seymourfamily.com and www.iusc.com. :-)

January 25, 2004 Roger Heath

Snipe
Christmas shopping snipe. A cross-border rate was pretty much at retail, but would have been another town to my collection. "I guess the seller must have been getting ready to place it on his relist list", he said listing to the left listlessly.

Roger


 

January 25, 2004 paul

EXCUSES
EXCUSES---- as a securities arbitrator in over 120 cases ,it always the same 5 or 10 excuses you heard time and time again ,it must be the same in the stamp trade . on scams and cheating the public i was always amazed that the person doing it ,always thought that he was the first one to fiqure out the trick or scam ,.....paul

January 25, 2004 1.00 am monday here prometheus

mike e
I would like a look if you get the chance.
Kinda Late here , It's tomorrow already so I'll look for it later today

January 25, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

eBay scum have APS membership.
But meaning should have been obvious.

January 25, 2004 paul laniosz

i was a arbitrate for 15 years in the securities business and these are reasons adjusted to the stamp trade ,that i heard for years .....paul

January 25, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Excuse me.
Smear the APS?
All I wrote is that some eBay scum have ebay membership.
There is also a lot of scum which don't have APS membership.
I have absolutely no problem with APS.
I have problem with scum.
I also have a full time job and cannot waste my spare time persuing scum.
If you feel APS name is being besmerched, continue to do your best to make sure it isn't.

January 25, 2004 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

January 25, 2004 Mike E

Pro, Ferd, and Jim Watson
re: pouch mail
Not sure if you care, but for a short time in 1964 (I think), Wash DC used an International Machine (number 34) to process pouch mail. It has a slogan 'This mail originally mailed in...'. I can post a scan if anyone wants to see it. They are not common.

January 25, 2004 Brian R

I believe the cancel to be Saint Mary's Kansas, a little town of 1500 today, it was liekly a REALLY po-dunk place in 1930. :o)

January 25, 2004 20:10 Ferd W.

Pouch Mail
Jim Watson- A fellow collector, whom I sometimes work with, specializes in Pouch Mail and is working on a monograph regarding same ! He has written a number of articles, and is still researching in the NARA. FW

January 25, 2004 Ken Lawrence <apsken@aol.com>

Jim W-S

Why must we circle this tree again? Your allegation is groundless. If you attacked a person the way you smear APS, Dave F would disallow it. As I have repeated endlessly, anyone -- not just an APS member, anyone in the world -- who has evidence that any APS member has violated the APS Code of Ethics is encouraged to file a complaint with APS, and can be assured that the complaint will be handeled expeditiously. Our staff includes a full-time complaints manager. The APS Board of Vice Presidents, which I chair, meets ever eight weeks or so, at substantial personal expense and time, to decide all cases that cannot be resolved to everyone's satisfaction by the complaints manager. We deal harshly with violators. Despite that, people here, including yourself, repeat this canard about violations without ever producing an example. If or when you have one, send your signed complaint, with whatever evidence you possess, to APS Complaints Manager Helen Bruno (hlbruno@stamps.org). SCADS has submitted no evidence whatsoever against any APS member, though the group is fully aware of this policy. George K, mistaking APS for a government law enforcement agency, is furious that APS has no more authority over his nemesis than he has. That dealer has sued APS at great cost to the Society even though we won the suit; further, the man is a favored witness for federal prosecutors overseeing The Ring case. He has NEVER been a member of APS.

January 25, 2004 prometheus

pouch mail
I have a few I bought them because they have an AUX marking on them of course
OrinPostage

January 25, 2004 David Moser <stamphick@dospalos.org>

David

January 25, 2004 Jim Whitford-Stark

Ken
Can you please define as to what is "properly described".
That the stamp isn't in Scott catalog?
That an auction was for an unperforated example of stamps which were issued perforated.
Are we to take it, that if the hierarchy in APS collect illegals, rigastamps included, they (the stamps) should be considered kosher.
I have no axe to grind but geez, try doing some eBay searching.
I ain't going to name names here out of respect to Dave F.
But if you go to Scads site you will find the most prolific ebay scum.
I could probably increase their listings immeasurably.
Including many with APS membership.

 

January 25, 2004 18:10 Jim Watson

Today in Postal History
Ferd W.,
Thanks for that addition to the story of Pouch Mail. I've added the information to the page. Do you have some special interest or experience in Pouch Mail?

January 25, 2004 Ken Lawrence

Richard Warren

I'm not aware of any APS dealer who sells so-called illegals deceptively. In fact, every time such an allegation has been presented to me, I have checked. And every time I have checked, the material being offered was properly described. I'm aware that is not to your satisfaction, but as I wrote when I first entered this discussion, I have not detected support for your view (banning so-called illegals) from any person in the APS leadership. Many of us collect them. One of our most revered dealers is Rigastamps, which specializes in cinderellas of every type including illegals.

January 25, 2004 Chris

Stamp Values
Hi Brian welcome to the stamp chat board.

The easiest way is to take the book to a stamp shop or stamp dealer and ask
for an offer. If you want to try to figure it out yourself, you can find the Scott's stamp
catalog in most libraries. It has pictures of stamps and data about pricing. The listings are terse,
but can be figured out with a little work.

As a rule of thumb, a collection is worth about what was spent to put it together. If you in-laws spent a
lot of money on it, then it is probably worth something. If it is stamps that they soaked off of mail and whatnot,
it is probably not worth much.

What type of book is it in, and does it have have catalog numbers for the stamps?

Chris
 

January 25, 2004 4:41 Brian <brianc@tcgi.com>

Stamp values
Hello
First time here.

Need some advice. I was given an old book of stamps from the in-law. Apparently in goes back 2 or 3 generations. It contains stamps from the 1850's to 1890's (several hundred). From all countries (UK and her colonies, Russia, france, Greece, etc...)
How can I determine the value of these? Suggest any software packages? Contacts?
Thanks
 

January 25, 2004 Roger Heath

scans
Richard-
No problem - I got confused and thought this was Ebay board and someone needed help! );>)

Roger

January 25, 2004 Richard W

Sorry about that - I was just being lazy, and linked direct to someone else's scan, instead of copying, reducing and uploading it myself.

January 25, 2004 14:15 Ferd W.

Pouch Mail
Jim Watson- Yes,there are Pouch Mail covers with Postage Dues-however they are not common! The main reason being,the officer responsible for Pouch clearance was to check for proper postage & most were for overweight ! The cover shown,which might have gone postage free under Pan-Am Union regs,required postage for the Special Service [ie Air Mail]. FW

January 25, 2004 Roger Heath

Bogus cover
Richard -
A suggestion on scanning and / or reducing images. If you scan at about 100-150dpi , you can reduce then reduce the size of the scans. Most post cards should be 100% legible when shown as a file size of 40-50k. Yours is 550k and even though I have cable is taking a while to download from your host. My pages below are about 50k for the full page (I know they are a little fine when reading the text.)

Roger

January 25, 2004 Richard W