Stamp Collecting for Beginners – How to Get Started in Stamp Collecting

So far in this series of posts about stamp collecting for beginners we’ve covered why stamp collecting might be a good hobby for you, and a little about the history of stamp collecting. At this point, you’ve now decided that stamp collecting is the hobby that’s right for you and you want to know more about how to get started. That’s precisely what this post will be about, how to get started in stamp collecting.

The first and most obvious step in getting started in this wonderful hobby is, of course, to get some stamps. There are, however, some preparatory questions that need to be answered before you just run out and buy some stamps for your budding collection. These questions include what kind of stamps you want to collect, and in what condition should those stamps be? For many folks, the answers to these questions change over time, and in reality, it is totally optional to answer them at this point. If you want to just start accumulating and decide on this stuff later, that is perfectly fine. This is, after all, a hobby and it’s meant to provide you rest, relaxation, and enjoyment. There’s really no sense in putting any undue pressure on yourself if you’re not ready to decide these things yet. Just be aware that at some point, you are probably going to want to limit your collecting and these are the basic questions that will guide you toward that.

So, lets take a look at just what those questions mean. First, what kind of stamps do you want to collect? If you recall from the history of stamp collecting post, I mentioned that there are more than just postage stamps available to stamp collectors. Yes, the main focus of stamp collecting these days is the collecting of postage stamps from the various countries around the world that

have issued them. There are however, an almost unlimited number of other types of stamps that can be collected. A few of the more popular types of stamps that are not postage stamps include revenue stamps, savings stamps, hunting and fishing license stamps, automobile registration stamps, charity stamps, Christmas and Easter seals, and even stamp-like labels issued for a whole host of reasons.

The reason that this is an important question is that it will dictate where you might look to find the type of stamps you are interested in. For obvious reasons, postage stamps are the easiest to find because they come on the daily mail and you can just run down to the local post office to buy the most recent stamps. Other types of stamps are not necessarily so easy to find, although in recent years the advent of the online stamp dealer and online stamp auctions, finding other types of collectible stamps is a much easier task than it might have been prior to say, 1995.

Most people will choose a country to start focusing their collecting interests on, and most choose the country in which they live for obvious reasons: it’s always easier to find stamps from a country that you live in. Another popular option is to choose a topic to focus on instead of a specific country. This type of stamp collecting is called topical stamp collecting and is probably the fastest growing segment of the hobby today. In days past, so-called serious collectors would ridicule the very idea of topical stamp collecting, but those days are very quickly disappearing and the hobby has accepted topical collecting with open arms.

Even many very experienced stamp collectors have sideline collections that are topical stamp collections. For instance, my main focus is United States stamps up to 1945, but I have several sideline collections that are focused on topical subjects including

train stamps, ferraris on stamps, and dinosaurs on stamps. The subjects and topics can be as varied as the personalities of the stamp collectors themselves.

The second part of the equation is the condition of the stamps that you decide to put in your collection. Specifically, I’m referring to whether you should focus on mint or used stamps and the quality of the stamps themselves. This opens up a whole can of worms that has been the subject of hot debate since the beginning of stamp collecting as a hobby. It will pay for us to examine just what some of the terms used in the hobby are and what they mean.

Mint stamps are stamps with full, original gum (provided there was gum on the stamp when issued), outstanding color, excellent centering, and an overall appearance that just says quality. Unfortunately, there is an element of subjectivity to this term and most other condition related terms in stamp collecting. One collector will tell you a stamp is mint simply because it is unused and has gum on the back, while another will tell you the same stamp is worthy only as postage or the trash bin. One thing is for certain, if it is the person who is selling the stamp to you that is describing the stamp as mint, you will most certainly pay a premium for the stamp, generally much more than what the catalog says the stamp is worth. The important thing here is, does that stamp measure up to your personal definition of mint and is it worth the price you will pay to you.

Used stamps are the way that many beginning collectors start out, because they can simply soak the stamps off their incoming mail and add them to their collection. That’s not to say that used stamp collecting is only for beginners, though, as there are plenty of experienced collectors that also concentrate on used stamps. In fact, some purists insist that this is the only proper

way to collect stamps, because then you know that the stamps were employed to do what they were originally intended to do: move the mails. Personally, I agree with this philosophy whole-heartedly, but there is another reason why collecting used stamps may be appealing to you: used stamps are usually (not always) much cheaper to acquire and maintain than their mint counterparts.

Your choice of mint or used stamps, coupled with the type of stamps you choose to collect will determine where and how you will acquire your first stamps. If you choose mint current stamps of the country in which you live, getting started can be as simple as heading down to your local post office and purchasing the latest stamps issued. If you choose used current stamps of the country in which you live, it’s even simpler: just start watching your mail, and the mail of your friends, family, and acquaintances and save what stamps come in. Anything other than the country in which you live will prove to be a little more difficult, but just as rewarding.

Mint modern issues of other countries can usually be purchased from the postal service of that country through mail order via the philatelic bureau of that country. Used stamps and mint older stamps from other countries will require you to deal with either stamp dealers or other collectors with stamps for trade or sale. These can be found at online stamp collecting or stamp auction sites, through advertisements in any of the various stamp collecting periodicals, or at local stamp shows and stamp bourses.

Generally speaking, the best way to get started in any new stamp collection is to purchase the largest packet of the type of stamps you are interested in. In this way, you will get most of the common stamps in that area at the most inexpensive price possible, due to the economies realized from buying in bulk. For larger countries with highly active stamp issuing histories, this could literally be thousands of stamps and can be somewhat expensive. Still, it is well worth the price to do this, as buying the stamps just a few at a time or one at a time will prove to far, far more expensive in the long run.

If you’re still undecided as to what type of stamps you’d like to collect, then perhaps the best bet is for you to purchase a large world-wide mixture. These can be purchased for relatively little money, and will give you a very good idea of what is out there to

collect. One of my fondest memories in stamp collecting was a HUGE box of stamps that was given to me by an older collector when I was a kid. This box literally had about 50,000 stamps in it from every country in the world. I spent at least two years digging through and sorting out that box, and utilized the leftover duplicate stamps for trading with other collectors for many years after that.

So, now we’ve discussed where to acquire your first stamps for your collection. This is definitely the most exciting part of the hobby for beginning collectors. In fact, the acquisition of new stamps for your collection will always be the most exciting part of the hobby. Keeping in mind that this post is about stamp collecting for beginners, here’s a list of key phrases discussed that should help you find those stamps in online searches or in searching through advertisements:

• New issues service – combine this with the name of the country of interest – ie “Canada new issues service”
• mint stamps
• used stamps
• stamp mixtures
• stamp packets
• philatelic bureau
• stamp periodicals
• online stamp auction
• stamp auction
• stamp show – combine this with the name of your locale – ie Sacramento stamp show
• stamp bourse – same as above

In the next post in the stamp collecting for beginners series, we’ll discuss just what to do with those stamps and the necessary tools you’ll need to acquire in order to properly handle and care for those new stamps.

For other posts on Stamp Collecting for Beginners see the following:

• Stamp Collecting for Beginners – Why Stamp Collecting?
• Stamp Collecting for Beginners – The History of Stamp Collecting

philately, stamp collecting, stamp collecting for beginners, stamps

Customs arrests man for flying with postage stamps

by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) on Apr 14th 2010 at 10:30AM

Customs officers are generally our friends. They keep people from boarding the plane with stolen antiquities or live reptiles, but occasionally innocent people get caught in their net.
Stamp collector Markand Dave of India seems to be one of those people.

Mr. Dave tried to board a flight from Sardar Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, to Frankfurt, Germany, on his way to attend a stamp collecting exhibition in London. In his luggage he had a collection of rare, early Indian stamps. While Mr. Dave is a well-known philatelist and had an invitation to participate in the exhibition, he had forgotten to ask permission from the government to take the stamps out of India and ran afoul of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, which considers rare stamps to be antiquities. He's due to appear in court on charges of antiquities smuggling.

Mr. Dave is probably not an antiquities smuggler, but as a leading philatelist he should have known better. Collectors should understand the laws that cover their collections and fill out the proper paperwork before they travel.

Besides, he should be thankful he didn't have his rare stamps stolen by a baggage thief.

1990 MARKET WATCH

by Greg Manning

The stamp market in the United States has been relatively active during the summer of 1990, and the expectations are that this activity will carry through the fall and winter.

Prices for both United States and foreign stamps have remained stable with few “hot” areas except for China, Thailand and Taiwan, and a short list of other countries. The Japanese market, which had been rising steadily over the past few years, appears to have taken a time-out as prices have plateaued. The market in Europe has been quiet of late. I expect that with the strength of the European currencies against the U.S. dollar, we will see many more Europeans in the United States on buying trips. This will certainly help push the U.S. market with a fresh money supply and increased competition at auction. Prices will eventually move upward because of this increase in demand.

The lone area of weakness in Europe, at least from current reports, is the market in the United Kingdom. The British pound is, and has been for several months, very strong. I would have expected more English dealers take advantage of this buying opportunity in the U.S., but they haven’t as yet. This indicates a general weakness in the home market, although you would not have been able to ascertain this based on the attendance at the 1990 London International in May.

However, I believe that the market in London will also come back strong since numerous positive developments have occurred over the past year. The situation at Stanley Gibbons, Ltd. has certainly improved from the turmoil of the 80’s and I expect that with their current excellent management and a focus on their traditional values, that the 90’s will bode well for this fine and philatelically historic company. The London auction market is also doing very well, and buyers from around the world still journey to London for any “name” or important sale.

Back home in the United States the Scott controversy continues, with most auctioneers and man retail dealers still using the 1988 catalogues and looking for a viable alternative to the 1991 Scott editions.

Unfortunately, this controversy has caused a market reaction over the past two years, and certainly put a stop to the long awaited rise in prices which began in 1988. Even though Scott now states that their prices are “retail”, this wasn’t their position with the 1989 edition when they began the process of lowering catalogue values. This lowering of prices caused a general concern among many collectors and dealers who thought that the market has improved in 1988 and was rising, not falling. The consequence was an unsettled market with unflattering statements from both sides flying back and forth, causing further consternation and market unrest.

I believe that we are through the worst time regarding the Scott crisis and that catalogue prices, whether retail or not, will have less affect on the market in the future.

Scott has learned a lot in the past two years, and certainly is aware of the problems inherent in publishing a retail catalogue. Eventually, if they recognize the worldwide marketplace with its real world prices, we will receive a more responsibly priced catalogue.

Scott doesn’t make the market, but they do influence it greatly. I therefore look forward to the day when everyone can again be in accord with their pricing policy, whether they use the traditional method or retail prices. When this accord happens, the market should respond in an extremely positive and upbeat manner.

This has been adapted from Global Stamp News – November 1990 – Issue #1

Bavaria, The Land of Enchanted Castles and Fascinating Stamps

By:- Douglas Syson

In the southern part of Germany lies the old German state of Bavaria, its past hidden in the mists of ancient Europe. A single family ruled the land from about 900 A.D. until 1918. Luitpold was the first Duke of Bavaria in 895, and the first of the Wittelsbach line. In 1623, Maximilian I became the first Wittelsbach to assume the Electorial dignity. He was then followed by five other Electors. In 1799, Maximilian I of Zweilbrucken succeeded to the Palatinate and the Dukedom of Bavaria. He became King in 1806. He was followed in 1825 by Ludwig I, who abdicated in 1848 as the result of his scandalous affair with Lola Montez, a Spanish dancer about half his age.

His son, Maximilian II, took the throne in 1848. He was king when the first Bavarian stamps were issued. He lived until 1864 and was succeeded by his son, Ludwig II, who ruled until his mysterious death in 1886.

Following the death of Ludwig II, the castle builder, Bavaria was ruled as a Regency under Prince-Regent Luitpold, uncle of Ludwig II. Ludwig’s brother, Otto I, would normally have become king at the death of his brother, but he was insane and kept in custody for most of his life. Prince-Regent Luitpold ruled Bavaria for 25 years and was very popular with the people. Upon his death in 1912, the control passed to his son, Ludwig III. He became king in 1913 and was dethroned in 1918 as a result of the Communistic overthrow of the Bavarian government – another fascinating story. There was hope that after the overthrow of the Communistic government and when things settled down after the inflation period that devastated Germany in the early 1920’s that the kingdom would be offered to Crown Prince Rupprecht. With the rise of Nazism, this never came to pass. Since then, Bavaria has merged with the rest of Germany.

Bavaria is a story-book land. The many buildings, especially the castles, built by Ludwig II, “the mad monarch”, are famous as tourist attractions today. Probably the most famous of all is Neuschwanstein.

In 1849, Bavaria became the first German state to print and use the recently developed adhesive stamps. The first set consisted of just three values, one, three and six kreuzer stamps. The one kreuzer black has been a popular stamp for collectors for many years. It did pose a problem to the postal authorities, though, in that it was a deep black and the canceling devices used black ink. The more enterprising of the public took advantage of this to re-use the stamps. The current furor in this country over the re-use of stamps is thus not a new issue. It has been with us since the advent of the postage stamp. The government changed the color of the stamp to a lighter shade, but this did not succeed. They admitted defeat and in 1850, changed the color of the one kreuzer stamp to a pink color. Thus the one kreuzer black had a fairly short life.

The 3 kreuzer blue, on the other hand, remained in use until about 1864, following the introduction of the 3 kreuzer red in 1862.

Less than a year after the introduction of the postage stamps, the postal authorities devised a system whereby each town was given a number, and the well-known “millwheel cancel” came into being. The numbered cancel was to be applied to the postage stamp and then the town cancel was to be applied to the cover near the millwheel cancel. The system worked fine for a number of years, becoming a bit cumbersome with the addition of new post offices. These were added at the bottom of the list and issued the next available number. In late 1856, the postal authorities called in all of the millwheel cancels and then re-distributed them according to a revised alphabetical list. Thus, the same number was used by two different towns. The millwheel cancel system continued in use until March of 1869 when it was scrapped. The number of new post offices was increasing at a fairly rapid rate and the system lost its alphabetical arrangement. From then on, the towns reverted to the use of the town cancels.

Collecting millwheel cancels has become a fascinating sideline in Bavarian philately. With more than 900 different numbers, and both closed and open millwheel cancels, one could amass a very large collection in short order. The millwheel cancels were used on Scott numbers 1-22, as well as on postage due stamp J1.

In 1870, the first perforated stamps were issued. These were also the first Bavarian stamps to be watermarked. Two such sets were issued before the Bavarian currency was changed at the end of 1875 to match that of the German Empire. On the first day of January 1876, all of the previous Bavarian stamps being used were declared invalid and the new coat of arms series, in pfennigs and marks, was put into service. This series, with three different watermarks, two different perforations and a number of new values and color changes, served until 30 June 1912, when they were declared invalid for postage.

At that point in time, we have the very first set of Bavarian stamps to portray its ruler. In 1911, a complete set of stamps, from 3 pfennig to 20 marks, was issued to commemorate the 25th year of the regency of Luitpold. Two other commemorative stamps, Scott 92-93, were also issued at this time. They had postal validity for about 20 days and were only valid for use in Germany and Austria. They were very popular, though, and many of them, both mint and used, are available on the market. There were many souvenirs of the 25th anniversary of Luitpold’s regency and his 90th birthday and these were eagerly purchased by the public. The printed-to-private-order postal cards are still collected by many, as well as the multitude of view cards printed.

With the death of Luitpold in December of 1912, his son became Regent, and then in 1913 ascended the throne. In 1914, a set of stamps was issued, showing the new king. This set remained valid until the end of Bavarian postal autonomy in mid-1920. In 1918, with the collapse of the monarchy and the rise of the Communist government, the Ludwig III stamps were overprinted “Volksstaat Bayern” (Bavarian People’s State). With the collapse of the Communist government after a few months, the Ludwig III stamps were overprinted “Freistaat Bayern” (Bavarian Free State). The curious thing about this period of time is that all three varieties were valid for postage at the same time and interesting combinations can be found on cover. Also, during this time, with the rise of the Communist government in Munich, the Bavarian palatinate and other parts of Bavaria not under Communist control were supplied with stamps from Berlin, since they could not be obtained from Munich. Thus, we have the Germania and Post Office series overprinted “Freistaat Bayern”.

In early 1920, with the loss of postal autonomy looming close, the Bavarian government issued a final set of stamps, both regular postage and official stamps. These were long sets, including denominations that had not existed before. It was a totally unnecessary set, since there were plenty of the Ludwig III stamps available for use. These were issued in mid-February of 1920 and on April 1, the Bavarian Post Office was absorbed by the German Reichspost. The Bavarian stamps retained postal validity until the end of June 1920. Then, to cap things off, with the rise of inflation, the Reichspost determined that it would be cheaper to overprint all of the excess Bavarian so-called Farewell issue than to try and produce new stamps. Thus we have the Farewell issue overprinted “Deutsches Reich” and valid for use throughout Germany until the end of September 1923.

With the loss of postal autonomy, an era came to an end. Bavaria had been the first of many German states to issue a postage stamp, and was also the last of the German states to quit issuing them.

Collecting Bavaria is a lot of fun. There is the probability of being about 90% complete with little effort and a relatively small outlay of cash. The other part of Bavarian philately that is fun is the multitude of minor varieties that are to be found among its stamps. Many of them are inexpensive and easy to locate in dealers’ stocks. The 20th century material is readily available on cover and many pretty combinations can be found.

I, personally, have thoroughly enjoyed Bavaria as a collecting area. My only regret is that I did not do so sooner.

This has been reprinted from Global Stamp News – February 1991 – Issue #4

The 1990's Boom in Italy

By:- P.J. Ronay

Currently (1990) dealers in Italy are out bidding each other for stamps of the Italian Kingdom and Republic. The “boom” cycle is rolling and no one knows how far it will go.
This is the 4th Italian speculation that I have experienced over the past 25 years. It is very exciting to watch prices double and triple. At this time, a lot of people are making lots of money, but caution is warranted.
Since all booms eventually come to an end, we must be very careful not to get stuck with stamps that will be impossible to give away. My market intuition is telling me to be careful. Why am I writing this now when the bulk of the U.S. public still doesn’t even know there is a boom in Italy? Well, here are the facts:
This boom started just prior to “Roma 85”, a large philatelic show held in Rome in 1985. A buying syndicate was formed and a selective number of post war Italian issues were sought at or above current wholesale prices. After questioning my Italian dealer contacts about the syndicate, the reaction I got was that the syndicate is weak, has no capital and will shortly fall apart. In 1985, dealers believed that the Italian market was in the depths of a depression with no sign of hope.
Over the next 3-4 years, the syndicate continued to advertise to pay higher and higher buy prices. In 1989 and 1990, other Italian dealers started to advertise their buying needs. Catalog publishers released monthly price increase information. Today, more and more Italian dealers are again coming to the U.S. on buying trips. Italian auctions are hotter than ever, attaining higher and higher prices. Now Italian dealers are openly admitting that the market is great.
This is exactly the reason to be concerned. The boom started in 1985 amid depression, but now there seems to be almost too much optimism. Prices will still increase, probably with at least one more big surge. Once this occurs, this may very well signal the end of this great boom.
My own belief is that this boom will end in conjunction with the major stamp show which will be held in Genova in 1992. What should you do at this time? We can recommend a number of prudent things. First of all, if you have quantities of mint NH sets from the Italian Kingdom and Republic, consider selling them on a slow basis over the next 3-6 months. Since Vatican prices have not yet experienced major speculative moves, I would put money into NH mid-priced and expensive issues. Already there are signs that Vatican prices are set to shortly take off.
The stamps of Trieste are also a good investment at this time. Strong increases are expected across the board.
Italian Colonies are even better! With printings of 10,000-100,000 sets, large quantities of this material are just not to be found anymore. Unlike Italy, Trieste, Vatican and San Marino, Italian dealers are eager to buy LH sets of the Colonies, realizing that NH sets are virtually impossible to find.
Other “safe” investments that can be bought from the Italian Area (stamps that will not collapse in value once this boom ends) include:
Errors and varieties: Although prices are considerably higher than 2-3 years ago, errors from the Vatican, Italy, Colonies and AMG/Trieste are highly sought after. Also included within this category are gutter pairs, inscription blocks, revenues, etc.
Covers and postal history: There is an extremely strong demand for just about all covers from the Italian Area. However, this demand is for commercial covers and as yet has not spread to FDC’s and Postal Stationery.
Flight Covers, Zepps, Balbos, etc.: These always attain good prices at Italian auctions. You can be sure that prices will not collapse on such scarce material.
This has been reprinted from Global Stamp News – February 1991 – Issue #4

Mexico - An Introduction

By:- Bill Shelton
Mexico is the 3rd largest country in North America. It has the 2nd largest population and the largest city in the world. Veracruz, on its southern coast, is the oldest city in the Western Hemisphere.
Most of us think of Mexico as the land of tomorrow (manana), where life is slow and things to do are usually put off as long as possible. One only needs to travel to Monterrey (a northern industrial city of several million), to Guadalajara, or to Mexico City to see the change from former habits to a bustling business-oriented environment. The government has commenced decentralization and has drastically reduced control of industry. The president has opened the door to foreign ownership of industry, has sold off government-owned monopolies, and has promised private ownership of banks once again. At present, he is negotiating a free trade treaty with the USA similar to that signed last year by Canada and the USA. There still exists a huge gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots”, however, change appears to be blowing in the wind from the south. Capital flight from Mexico’s coffers has slowed dramatically from the rate known during previous administrations. Japan, America, and the European Community are looking toward Mexico.As a reader, you might ask, what does all this have to do with philately? I will explain it as I see it. I have always felt that a philatelic entity should have three basic attributes in order for it to be a significant factor in the world of philately:
1. The country (stamp-issuing entity) should have mature, interesting history.
2. It should lend itself to specialization.
3. Its countrymen should collect their own stamps.
In these respects, Mexico excels. It is the oldest settled country in our hemisphere, its philatelic makeup is unique in several respects, and with its efforts to join the U.S. and Canadian economies, it will provide even more opportunity to Mexicans to collect their own.Mexico has few sterile periods of stamp-issuing years. Many of its classic issues have been studied and publicized. Even in today’s environment, Mexico is providing an issue that lends itself to study.
In 1975, Mexico’s president decreed that its next definitive issue should announce to the world indigenous products available for export. Amid turbulent and changing technological conditions, its current “Exporta” series was designed and issued. For some 15 years, it has been extolling products such as beef, glass flasks, auto parts, iron work, chemicals, tiles, copper, and other Mexican-made products.
Born during Mexico’s experimentation with automatic sorting devices, the first issues of the “Exporta” series are phosphorescent coated. Printed on two different GOEBEL linear presses, perforations are changed and re-engravings are required. Add to this, changing paper contracts, and you have a formula for specialization that will include the inevitable plate flaws, imperforates, missing colors, and double prints to which the GOEBEL press is susceptible.
Over the period of fifteen years the EXPORTA issue has been printed, Mexico’s airmail rate to the USA has risen from 80 centavos to 1500 pesos. That, even by our 1980-81 inflationary experience, is dramatic: the inflation factor computes to 187,400%! Stamp face values range from an initial 5 centavos through 5000 pesos.
Post offices ordering procedure and distribution techniques are such that an entire printing “run” may be sent to one outlying post office. If that particular printing has a different paper, watermark, perforation, or color, a rarity could be born and some have been.Collectors and dealers have categorized this EXPORTA series into eleven different issues with sub-categories within each. Some 550 different listings are known so far and I believe more will be reported. Some are quite scarce through almost all are within the average collector’s means of acquisition.
This has been reprinted from Global Stamp News – February 1991 – Issue #4

Postcards for Chess Players

By:- David U. Groves
Both philatelic and nonphilatelic media have given much publicity to the apparently never-ending series of chess championship games between two Russians – the current world chess champion, Gary Kasparov and the challenger, Anatoli Karpov.
But how many games did they play by mail that went unnoticed by anyone other than themselves?Yes, chess is unlike any other sport in that it can actually be played by mail. In 1982, Soviet postal authorities issued the stamped postcard, shown above, which reproduces a standard chess board. These cards permit Soviet chess players to play “Correspondence Chess” with chess players throughout the world without having to cope with the USSR’s many travel restrictions.
This may have become a popular collector’s item among both chess players and people who collect stamps and other philatelic items that are related to chess because, to the best of our knowledge, it was the first official stamped Chess-by-Mail postcard to be issued by any governmental postal authority.
If collectors of chess-related stamps can’t locate this Soviet postcard, the collector’s appetite may be calmed by the knowledge that there are over 400 stamps that have been issued worldwide on the topic of chess.
Anatoli Karpov reportedly is a collector of topical stamps, including subjects such as chess and the Olympics. He has more than one reason for collecting chess on stamps – one, his love of chess, and two, the fact that his portrait has been featured on more than 20 issues from several different countries.Herrick Stamp Company has a rather complete offering of chess stamps .

This has been reprinted from Global Stamp News – February 1991 – Issue #4

Stamp Bourse - European Style

By:- Joseph Zollman
Stamp collectors in Holland often travel to Amsterdam on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In the afternoon, they make a beeline to the Nieuwezyde Voorbugwal, a familiar side street of the Dam, the main thoroughfare in the Dutch capital. They flock to the “unofficial” open air market where they know they can buy, trade or sell stamps and often find that elusive item they had been searching for. Schools are closed and many youngsters become enthusiastic stamp dealers.
It all started around the year 1910. A group of youngsters began gathering in front of a stamp store on Gravenstraat. They began showing and trading stamps. The store owner was not very happy at this competition. He had to call the police many times in order to get the youngsters chased away from in front of his store.
The part time stamp dealers discovered that the Nieuwezyde widened towards the Dam and that the extra room offered would eliminate not only further hassle from the store owner, but would accommodate more customers and they adopted this new location.
Soon other problems beset those young stamp enthusiasts. Shoppers discovered the street an excellent parking spot. The new twist did not deter the youngsters, they decided to adopt the car hoods as counter space to display the boxes of stamps, covers and other material they were offering. The market flourished at the new location and attracted many young and old collectors.
The onset of World War II stopped the open air bourse but it resumed operations immediately after Holland was liberated. Soon activities reached pre-war peak and the future of the bourse became enhanced when traffic became banned in the area. Bike saddles began serving as counter displays.
One of the stallholder’s wives recently commented to a visitor: “Collecting stamps is great for everyone – it teaches geography, history, botany – you name it….My husband took up his childhood hobby again when he retired, and now he enjoys it again. We’re here for the fun, not for the money.”
Parisians also have a popular open air stamp mart. Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn and Walter Matthau appeared in the Academy Winner “Charade”. The opening scenes of this classic thriller were filmed in the Parisian stamp market, located a few steps away from the Champs-Elysees, at the corner of the Rue Marigny. It attracts many collectors and tourists on Thursday and Sunday afternoons.
During the winter months, regulars, whether buyers, sellers or browsers, carry a large umbrella. It is more to protect the stamps because swift attention is needed as soon as rain drops make their appearance.
There were reports of a stamp bourse operated in London, on Change Alley, near Birchin Lane, and even one in Vienna, Austria but no details were found in any of the perused stamp journals. Details from readers will be welcomed.
When traveling abroad, it would be wise to plan a visit to these bourses, and to the various stamp museums that are located in almost all world capitals. Stamp dealers can advise about special philatelic attractions. Most stamp dealers advertise in the yellow pages, or local stamp federations can supply necessary addresses, and locations of stamp clubs and meetings.The philatelic experiences abroad will only confirm the adage “travel broadens the mind”. Most collectors in the Netherlands, Belgium and France have an excellent knowledge of English but attending meetings abroad is also an excellent way to practice foreign languages and excellent stamp journals are available in all European countries.

This has been reprinted from Global Stamp News – February 1991 – Issue #4

The Perfect Crime

By:- Herman Herst, Jr.
Some people say that the perfect crime has never been committed, since the perfect crime is one that no one recognizes as a crime. The perpetrator gets away clean, and no one is the wiser for what has taken place.
That may be so. If it is, in our hobby of philately, we have the next best thing to a perfect crime.It is a crime that was so skillfully executed that no one knew it had taken place until more than a quarter century later, by which time the guilty party was no longer among the living.The date was 1872 and the place was the London Stock Exchange. The Exchange’s transactions were forwarded by telegraph.
The telegraph companies, of which there had been several, had been taken over by the General Post Office in 1870 at instigation of the British Post Office. In the United States, there also had been many individual companies, but competition and bankruptcy finally reduced their number to the handful that now exists.
A telegraph office was located in the Royal Exchange, and the stock brokers wanting to send messages simply took the telegraph forms to the window for acceptance. The charges were paid with postage stamps which were affixed to the telegram itself. Telegrams varied in cost, depending on how many words and to what location they were destined, the rates starting at a shilling for 25 words.
There was no way to match up the use of shilling stamps with the number of telegrams sent, since the shilling stamps were also in use for postage purposes. In fact, far more shilling stamps were used postally over the entire United Kingdom than for telegraphic purposes.
Almost nothing is known today other than the fact that in 1872, counterfeit shilling stamps began to be applied to telegrams.
Whether the stamps had been privately made and sold to users prior to use is not known. Whether there were others in on the scheme to defraud the British Post Office besides the man in charge of the window is not known.
What is known is that in 1872, and well into 1873, the counterfeit stamps were used, and an estimate of the cost to the post office was almost $100,000.
But for a philatelist, the counterfeiting of the stamps would never have become known, even today, and the perfect crime would have been exactly that.In 1898, Charles Nissen, a London stamp dealer, purchased a huge accumulation of old telegrams with thousands of stamps affixed.
Although the green shilling stamp of 1872 was still relatively common, the accumulation did warrant soaking and sorting, and Nissen proceeded to do this.
The shilling green of 1872 was an easy stamp to counterfeit. Rather than being engraved, it was printed by the simple process called letter-press.
The counterfeiter had to be a philatelist. In 1872, the shilling green was appearing with its plate number, “5”, worked into the design, but soon another plate was brought out with the number “6”. The faker was aware of this. His products soon appeared with the changed plate number.
One can fake the design of stamp, but it is difficult to counterfeit a watermark, since that is placed in the sheet before printing.
As a security against counterfeiting, the shilling green was printed on “Spray on Rose” watermarked paper. Of course, once a telegraph form was canceled, no watermark would be visible.
Nissen found large quantities of unwatermarked stamps, which had never been issued. Even more indicative of the lack of philatelic knowledge on the part of the counterfeiter were the lettering combinations in the corners. The letters used made an impossible combination, which would have given the game away at the time of issue had they been noticed. It was 26 years since the stamps had been used, and Nissen showed the stamps to the authorities and told them of his conclusions.
There was no doubt that the stamps were counterfeit, and that someone n the Stock Exchange had been selling fakes and pocketing the money.
Scotland Yard had a record of all of the Stock Exchange employees who had worked there 26 years before; and all these yet living were questioned. Some had, of course, died in the meantime, and it is presumed that among these was the maker of the fakes. The stamps are still frequently available and often appear in London auctions. They are not known postally used, and every one that has turned up in the 83 years since Nissen discovered them has the familiar postmark of the Stock Exchange.
Was it a perfect crime? If one leaves it to the person who conceived it, operated it and got away clean with it, we have to agree that it was.
This has been reprinted from Global Stamp News – January 1991 – Issue #3

Pre-War Stamp Dealing - Trading in Europe

By:- Max Stern
The stamp business in the pre-war years was in the hands of philatelists who acquired an intimate knowledge of the various issues dating back to the early days, pre-1900. They were familiar with paper and perf varieties and the different postmarks which was an integral part of philately in those days.
New issues were only a sideline as there were so few new releases. There was always a delay in obtaining new issues often from countries bordering each other because of the poor communications and scarcity of travel. A trip from Prague to Vienna was a major undertaking.
My involvement in the philatelic trade occurred in early 1939 with the disintegration of the Republic of Czechoslovakia resulting in an independent Slovak state. Prior to that, I was a collector specializing in European issues.
With the issue of stamps by the newly established States of Bohemia and Moravia and Slovakia, we were presented with an opportunity to supply these issues to dealers all over Europe, mainly Germans who were keen to acquire these.
The printing for new issues was often less than 20,000 of a high value and with the interest from outside the country, most of these issues disappeared quickly and presented the opportunity for profits to those who started trading.
It was not unusual for postal clerks who had access to these issues, to be actively involved in the market.
The continuous threat of war and devaluation of some European currencies made stamps a desirable commodity and this fueled trading activities and opportunities for profit.
In spite of the War, the stamp trade flourished all over Europe between 1939 and 1945. The end of the Second World War created even more opportunities on a larger scale with the British and American dealers entering the European market.
I can still remember the influx of new dealers amongst whom were famous names such as the Stolow brothers, Isaac Hassid, Francis Parker of Tribune Stamp Company who used to visit Europe regularly on buying trips. The person who made an impact on the post-war European market was Kurt Weishaupt, one of the largest buyers of packet material from Czechoslovakia, Slovakia, Bohemia & Moravia, Self-Government and other East German Occupation issues. The quantities supplied to the States were simply staggering and really drained the European market of certain material.
The highlight of my post-war trading was my trip to the Stamp Exhibition CIPEX – CENTENARY INTERNATIONAL PHILATELIC EXHIBITION, in New York in 1947. I was one of the first Czechoslovakian citizens to obtain a business visa to visit the U.S.
Business transacted during this trip was phenomenal and the contacts made determined my future business activities as an exporter.
By 1948, the Communist-led Government had taken over in Czechoslovakia and it was then that I decided to emigrate to Australia.
This article has been reprinted from Global Stamp News February 1991 – Issue #4
EDITORS NOTE: Max Stern emigrated to Australia and currently (2009) is the leading stamp dealer in Melbourne. He was Australia's older active soccer player until his retirement six years ago.

April Fools' Day in the Stamp Album

By- Kenneth R. Lake

One of the world’s first mail services began on April Fool’s Day. That was in 1680, when William Dockwra’s Penny Post started carrying mail in Old London Town. At that time, Britain’s General Post Office merely connected the country’s major towns, and Dockwra launched his epoch-making service in these glowing terms:

“A Penny Well Bestowed, or a Brief Account of the New Design contrived for the great increase of Trade, and the Ease of Correspondence, to the great Advantage of the Inhabitants of all sorts, by Conveying of Letters or Pacquets under a Pound Weight, to and from all parts within the cities of London & Westminster, & the Out Parishes within the weekly Bills of Mortality, for One Penny.”

To use the service you had to pay in advance, as we do today. There were attractive postal markings applied to letters, including some shaped like hearts, and the triangular Dockwra PENNY POST PAID mark is regarded as the world’s first postage stamp. The service was so effective that the government had it officially suppressed – then opened it again under their own control!

Now we can skip to April Fools’ Day in 1772, when in the Austrian city of Vienna the “Kleine Post” (Little Post) was begun. This one had mailmen who walked the streets sounding a wooden clapper so that people could come from their houses and hand over mail to be carried.

Philatelic All Fools’ Days seem quiet for a while, but in 1851 both Denmark and the Italian state of Tuscany issued their first stamps. One the same cheery day in 1857, Ceylon engaged the firm of Perkins Bacon – who were responsible for the Penny Black, the world’s first stamp – to provide their own issues, while it was on April Fools’ Day in 1860 that the government of the colony of British Honduras took over control of its own mail service, previously operated by the British GPO in London.

Wells Fargo gallops on to the philatelic scene exactly a year later with 2 stamps, somewhat unbelievably denominated $2 and $4, for its Pony Express service. So costly was this idea that I suspect the $4 was an April Fools’ Day joke, for it was never actually used at all.

The first stamps of the Netherlands Indies appeared on our famous date in 1864, hotly followed by the Russians in 1865 who suppressed the former local issues for Poland and introduced their own stamps for use from that day forward. In 1879 the GPO upset the Irish – for neither the first nor the last time, I imagine – by issuing Penny postal cards inscribed “Great Britain”. That term refers solely to England, Scotland and Wales, but the cards were declared valid for use in Ireland, though by October they relented and withdrew the offensive issue, replacing it with cards inscribed “Great Britain and Ireland”.

Cyprus, acquired by Britain in a curious manner that we haven’t time to examine right now, was given its first stamps on April Fools’ Day 1880. When just two years later stamps were provided for tiny Funchal, which is merely a small part of the island of Madeira, everyone was perplexed. Why separate stamps for such a tiny place? That was a busy day, though, for it also saw the issue of the first stamps of Cochin – not to be confused with either Cochin-China or Cochin-Travancore or, for all I know, cochineal either.

The French Post Office at Port Lagos (nothing to do with the Nigerian capital city of Lagos, which also had its own stamps at one period) was given its first issues on April Fools’ Day in 1893; the French place was just a seaport in the former Ottoman Empire. The same day brought the postal control of British Bechuanaland into the hands of the Cape of Good Hope, though they didn’t formally annex the area until 16 November 1895 when the local stamps were withdrawn and replaced by Cape issues.

Up till 1897, the German colony of the Cameroons managed without its own stamps, using ordinary German ones; on April Fools’ Day they were given overprinted stamps for two good reasons – to demonstrate German political Sovereignty, and to raise money from philatelists for the Treasury. Then in 1898, the world’s very first “omnibus” series of stamps appeared on April Fools’ Day.

To add these to your collection, check them out under Portugal, the Azores, Macao, Madeira, Portuguese Africa, Portuguese India and also Timor. The stamps mark the 400th Anniversary of Vasco da Gama’s epic voyage around the Cape of Good Hope to reach India by sea, and since that seven-country omnibus appeared nearly ninety years ago we have seen countless such issues from all around the world, so maybe there really is something in the fact that they appeared on April 1.

Entering the 20th Century, we find that a collection devoted solely to April 1 stamps can be expanded considerably. In 1903 the French “Sower” design appeared for the first time – and remained in use, in varying states and denominations, right into the 1960’s. Before the 1st World War broke out, tiny Monaco saw an amazing event – an Aerial Rally, for which souvenir cards were issued & used with a rare airmail vignette attached – all for April Fools’ Day, 1914.

By 1920, April 1 marked the opening of the Belgian airlines Sabena airmail service between Kinshasa and Gombe in the Belgian Congo; from April 1 through 15 in the Saar, French overprinted stamps were postally valid alongside un-overprinted stamps of Germany and Bavaria – is this unique, I wonder?

April 1, 1921, saw the first airmails carried from Memel to Konigsberg and on to Danzig, though no stamps were available till July 6, and from now on the pace seems to hot up.

Thus the British decided to hand over the administration of mails within the new Irish Free State on April 1, 1922 – but to be precise this was merely a Provisional Government of Ireland, for although IFS stamps had been issued already on February 17, the Free State was not proclaimed until December 6, a typically confused Irish situation.

The next year brought Kuwait its first stamps, overprinted on Indian issues; in 1924 it was the turn of Southern Rhodesia and in 1925 of Northern Rhodesia; in fact April Fools’ Day really came into its own that year, for that’s when the USPO issued a 25c “special handling” stamp having the effect of allowing 4th class mail to be treated as 1st class mail!

Our famous – or infamous – day in 1926 was marked by Syria issuing its first semi-postals, including an airmail set, with a subject that’s strangely apt today: the relief of refugees of the Djebel Druze War. The first Malta airmail stamps appeared on that day in 1928 – and upheld the curious nature of our chosen date because mail prepaid with them went not by air but by sea all the way to Egypt, then it was transmitted onward by air.

More airmails in 1929 – the first Panama Canal Zone issue, overprinted on a regular issue. More April Fools’ Day fun in 1930 brought Transjordan’s first semi-postal stamps, overprinted on regulars to raise money for the defeat of a plague of locusts!

The Indian Feudatory State of Morvi had its first stamps on that date in 1931, and Iraq the following year for the first time as an independent kingdom (earlier issues had been under British Mandate).

Many collectors are fascinated by the uncatalogued stamps of the tiny island of Lundy, in England’s Bristol Channel; the first local airmail stamps for use on mail flown to and from the island appeared on April Fools’ Day in 1935, and the British connection turns up again in 1941 when – again appropriately – our date saw the issue of the first stamps by the German occupation forces in the Channel Island of Jersey.

Up till 1937, Aden had used Indian stamps; that year’s April Fools’ Day saw the appearance of the famous Dhows set, but one of the most striking commemoration of our chosen day occurred in 1939. Argentina hosted the 11th Universal Postal Union Congress then, and demonstrated its unique “Fonopost” service: you made a little 8-inch 78rpm acetate phonograph record as a personal message, and used the Fonopost stamp and a specially reinforced container to mail it to a friend.

Two wartime issues appeared on April 1, 1943: Japanese occupation provisional stamped envelopes in the Philippines, and the now rare and sought after “Afrika Korps” label, showing a palm tree and swastika, used in North Africa.

April Fools’ Day 1948 saw the issue of British stamps with overprints, and in some cases surcharges too, for use at British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia – such places as Muscat and Dubai, for example; these issues were later to cause headaches because those merely overprinted were made fully valid for use in Britain, while those surcharged in strange currencies were not valid. Lots of people got confused, & lots of mail was again surcharged for Postage Due.

Oh, I nearly forgot; it was on that same 1948 date that the Maharajah of Bahawalpur issued his own first specially designed stamps. These had an immense following at the time because they were so unusual and because the Maharajah himself was a keen collector and a colorful character, but when later the state disappeared with the partition of India between the new Indian government and that of Pakistan, they fell into a hole somewhere and have never regained popularity with collectors. Maybe the Maharajah should have chosen a more auspicious day of the year for their launch! And it was in fact on April Fools’ Day 1950 that all the Indian Feudatory States postal services were closed down unilaterally by the new Indian government, never to reappear and robbing us of some of the world’s most intriguing stamp designs, some so weird that they are to this day collectively know as “The Uglies”!

Yes, I did forget to mention the fact that in 1949 Newfoundland became the tenth province of Canada – but did its own stamps disappear on or before that date!

On now to 1957, when the name of Qatar appears as Britain supplied it with its first stamps, used by the British postal administration in the Sheikhdom.

We draw close to our April Fools’ Day survey with the appearance in 1960 of the first US Federal Boating stamps, in $1 and $3 denominations, and finally we turn to Britain and growing interest there in tourism.

The town of Hastings is where William the Conqueror landed in 1066 and subsequently defeated King Harold and took over the whole country; to welcome tourists, on April Fools’ Day 1963 the city of Hastings used Britain’s first pictorial tourist slogan postmark, which read rather amusingly “We’re ready for your invasion at Hastings”!

I leave it to my readers to dig out any events in subsequent years; that’s quite enough April Foolery from me!

This article has been reprinted from Global Stamp News April 1991 – Issue #6

Burma Calling

By:- Jamshed

Actually, I am writing to you from Pakistan because there are no stamp dealers in Burma. However, there have been many, many rumors of new stamps in Burma and finally I made a visit to see what is actually happening. The Post Office is in operation and there are meter machines at all major post offices. When you bring letters to be mailed, you pay money over the counter and the clerk affixes a meter. However, the Philatelic Bureau still does exist and they have brought out over the past two or three years, nine different stamps that I was able to see. These stamps are issued as they say “from time to time” and without any prior announcement and without any special arrangement for date of sale. One could well say that these have been brought out almost secretly.

However, those of the new issues that I come across are some of the 1974 definitive stamps (national costumes) which have now been brought out with a change of wordings from Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma TO Union of Burma AND THEN TO THE CURRENT STAGE Union of Myanmar. For these definitives, there are three values. In other words, the same design exists with all three of the above inscriptions on at least three values. All of these nine different stamps are in current use.

In addition, I found out that on 27 May 1990, a commemorative was issued for the State, Law and Order Restoration Council. This is a political issue and is freely available in Rangoon.

Perhaps there are some new stamps from Burma that I have missed but this was all that I was able to find and all of the letters to my friends and relatives in Pakistan from family in Burma over the past four years have shown meters as evidence of postage paid.

Certainly, no one can accuse Burma (new name Myanmar) of over producing stamps or of taking advantage of philatelic sales. The face values are so low and the publicity is so little that I am sure philatelists are not even a second thought when it comes to postage stamps in Myanmar.

This article has been reprinted from Global Stamp News February 1991 – Issue #4

Shanghai Calling

by Huang Ming-Hsin (Shanghai, PR China)

Foreign Stamp Collecting in China

The first stamp of the world “Penny Black” was born in 1840 in England. In the past 150 years, more and more stamps have been issued in the world. Now, more than 230 countries and regions in the world issue stamps. Stamp collectors not only collect the stamps from their motherland but also collect foreign stamps. The collection of foreign stamps can broaden the horizon and get more interesting knowledge for stamp collectors.

What about the situation of foreign stamp collecting in PR China? According to the calculation of the China National Philatelic Association, there are 7 million collectors now in China. But most of them collect the Chinese stamps only. Some people think that there are 300,000 to 400,000 people who are interested in the foreign stamps.

Shanghai is the biggest city in China, with more than 600,000 stamp collectors. 10% of them collect foreign stamps. In recent years, nearly 20 Chinese stamp collectors of foreign stamps have participated in the international stamp exhibitions, and some have won medals.

It was said that Chinese philately was first begun in 1900. The first stamp society was set up in Shanghai in 1912. Before 1966, most of the stamp collectors in China who are interested in foreign stamps, also collected Chinese stamps. Before 1949, there were about 50 private stamp shops in Shanghai. All of them sold foreign stamps. During 1949 to 1966 in China, foreign stamps available to collectors were mostly stamps from Socialist countries. The Cultural Revolution began in 1966. Philately was announced as a “bourgeoisie’s hobby” at that time, and all the stamp shops were closed. Thousands of stamp albums were burnt in organized fires.

Philately was restored again in China in 1979. The philatelic magazine “Ji You” was also restored in 1980. From that time, more and more Chinese collectors became interested in foreign stamps. They realized that if a collection consisted of Chinese stamps only, it is difficult to get any of the higher prizes in the international stamp exhibitions.

There are some stamp markets for foreign stamps in China today. The biggest one is located in Shanghai. It is called the Workers’ Club of Jingan District. It opens every Sunday morning. About 200 stamp collectors usually gather here to exchange, buy or sell foreign stamps. Some “professional” amateur dealers sell their stamps according to the Scott, Michel or Yvert catalogue. New issues are most popular with the collectors here, especially topical stamps for painting, composers, butterflies, maps and flags.

The exchange rate for new issue trading is higher than the official exchange rate. The official exchange rate of RMB Yuan and USD is: 1 USD equals 5.2 RMB Yuan. But the popular new issues can be sold as 1 USD equals 7 to 8 RMB Yuan here in the free market. Used foreign stamps are also popular here. Stamp collectors from other parts of China often go here to buy foreign stamps. Some foreign tourists who come to Shanghai also come to buy stamps.

Stamp collecting is an international hobby. Normally, the price of a stamp is just the same in every part of the world. But in China, the living standard is lower than the western world. The average salary of a Chinese citizen is 30-40 USD per month. Most collectors only have a little money to buy stamps. They cannot buy the foreign stamps even on the basis of the official exchange rate of foreign currency. The market price of some foreign stamps in China are cheaper than the international price.

The secret is most of the foreign stamps in Chinese markets are from the individual stamp collectors. They get these stamps from their foreign pen pals, so they can sell them at a low price. On the other hand, the market prices of Chinese stamps in China are more expensive than the world prices, because more and more new collectors save only Chinese stamps. In recent years, Chinese people who have the chance to go abroad will often go to the stamp shops to buy the Chinese stamps. When they get back to China, they can sell these stamps at a good profit. In the early 1960’s, many Chinese stamps were exported to USSR and other Eastern European countries. The prices of these stamps are too cheap in these countries. In recent years, many Chinese stamps returned to China and also some Eastern European stamps went home to their motherlands.

This article has been reprinted from Global Stamp News April 1991 – Issue #6

Great Oaks and Little Acorns

By:- Malcolm M. Ferguson

Just as the lion is the proverbial king of the beasts, the royal oak tree is king of the hardwoods – that is the leaf-dropping summer-green trees.

For millions of years North America, England and Europe were heavily forested. England’s deep forests were dominated by oak trees. From these lordly oaks at the dawn of English history druids gathered airborne mistletoe of magic significance.

Stamps from England and the United States acknowledge these magnificent trees. England’s oak stamp appeared in 1973, their Tree Planting Year (Sc.# 588). The United States Honored the Charter Oak, still lordly after three hundred years since Connecticut’s settlement (Sc.# 772). Again in 1978, a white oak was an obvious choice as one of four American trees honored. The other three were the giant sequoia, the white pine and for less obvious reasons the gray birch.

More than a dozen European countries have issued stamps with oaks in their design. Probably the most memorable is Germany’s post World War I of an oak stump sprouting anew (Sc.# 106).

Over the last 2500 years England’s forests dwindled, yielding to the axe. So they gave way to green pastures, farmland, towns and cities. There were still isolated forest fastnesses whenever Robin Hood lived in Sherwood Forest. Some centuries later, Shakespeare was born near the Forest of Arden, at a time when men continued to “Hew down and fell the hardest-timbered oak”.

Oak was used for furniture and, in England, house building. It was vital to ship building, for as a poet wrote, “the hollow oak our kingdom is, our heritage the sea”.

In New England, houses were made of white pine, which could be hewn and sawed more readily. It was pleasing to the eye and in many cases very durable.

Yet North America’s stands of oak had many uses over the years. The US Frigate Constitution (Sc.# 951) was largely made of oak. The vessel still exists, but all its oak that came in contact with water has had to be replaced or reconstituted.

Oak bark was used for leatherworking (U.S. Sc.# 720). By soaking for long periods in its tannic acid bath, raw hides could be turned into supple yet durable leather. Out of this process came an early problem in conservation in Colonial America. Both oak bark and oak wood had different needs and neither could be discarded. Tanners were authorized or licensed exclusively, so their costly and lengthy process would occur without waste, and all hides accounted for.

Then in time oak timbers became railroad ties, where their resiliency withstood the pounding. Here they lasted a respectable number of years.

Many other trees have their uses. The white pine masts supported the vast sails of oaken hulled ships, their long spars going to England from Colonial New England in specially devised oaken mast ships.

Canada is rightfully fond of its maples which greet springtime effusively. Cedar is best for wood shingles. White birch and maple are lighter and pleasing in texture for furniture. Ash can be split thin and woven. For archery, as Conan Doyle noted, “The bow was made in England, of true wood, of yew wood”.

That these and many other woods have their most important uses is fine and right. Otherwise for the oak tree to be king would be no great matter.
This article has been reprinted from Global Stamp News April 1991 – Issue #6

Iraqi Air Mail: A Blast from the Past

By:- David P. Masko

The Greek historian Herodotus related details of Persian postal methods, declaring, “nothing mortal travels so fast as Persian messengers”. To the Persians goes credit for perfecting a postal service that became a model for the entire ancient world. But in todays war-torn Persian Gulf, the U.S. and military postal services are credited with moving the largest volume of mail to any one specific area in the world.

I doubt if Saddam Hussein collects stamps, but I’m sure many of his people inside Iraq do.

Friends of mine who are stationed in the gulf have been looking for Iraqi stamps – at my request being an avid collector of Middle Eastern postage. And what they’ve found out might surprise you, especially if you’ve become a TV news junkie like I have….knowing of the vast destruction inside that country.

How could anyone even think of collecting stamps in those kinds of conditions I wondered. Reading a letter from Richard, I couldn’t believe it when he said, “Stamps are big business…they’re a lot more than you told me they would cost”.

From what I knew from the catalogs, Iraqi stamps – those from say the past 50 years – are pretty low in cost. I asked Richard to send me all pre-1960 issues, in mint or good condition if possible.

“I walked into this store in the town just outside where our unit was deployed. I asked for stamps…they sold just about everything – from brass to a bitter tasting candy which I can’t pronounce. He pulled out a plastic box that was hidden under the table where he did business. I don’t know anything about stamps, but they looked real old,” he said. This stamp hunting took place before Richard would go off for the Desert Storm campaign. From what he said, the GI’s were allowed to visit some cities in the Mid East.

He said the Saudi salesman said he had “many Iraqi stamps”, that he was a collector. And would sell them at a fair price. What was fair to him, didn’t sound fair to my friend. Richard told me he asked about $1.00 in US money for each stamp. Well, I told Richard before he left to look for bargains…to pay no more than say $10.00 for a large lot of stamps. I was hoping something might turn up, especially with all the turmoil going on in the country.

I told my friend at the Alexandria (VA) Stamp Club, a Mr. Bill Elliott, about this quest for Iraqi stamps. Bill told me about a nice Iraqi stamp item he picked up in Europe about four years ago. “Just about every Sunday in Palermo (Sicily) they have a sort of a flea market in the center of town,” he said. “And just browsing I came across an otherwise undistinguished cover that was made interesting by the boxed cachet which indicates the cover must have been used for air mail”.

Doing research on Iraqi issues from the early 1920’s, I found a reference to the British military desert mail route that preceded the first mid-East Imperial route of 1927.

Bill’s cover had a black stamped box with the words “By Air Service, Baghdad-Cairo”. It was addressed to someone in London, but with no date and stamped air mail. On the back was a row of four stamps showing what Bill said was Iraq’s first postal issue and a very light 1924 Baghdad cancellation. What carried these letters was the British long-range flying boat.

Doing some research into my old photo collection, I came across what was referred to as the “Goonie-Bird” by British forces in World War II. The aircraft dates back to the early 1920’s. And like the stamp, covered the Middle East while routed from London to Cape Town over the Imperial route.

The British Imperial Airways didn’t have to carry the volume of mail that today is flown to and from the Gulf, but did its fair share in keeping mail lines open to Iraq.

Surely Bill would let me have this cover at a fair price, I thought. After all we were stamp club mates….and he knew my wants for Iraqi stamps. Maybe it was the war thing, or that I was just in the hunt for something special from Iraq. I think all stamp collectors go through this “craving”. We just can’t get our mind off that stamp or cover or block or whatever.

It’s stamp fever, and I had it bad. I wanted Bill’s air service to Baghdad cover. Bill said he would let it go for $450. I said, “What, we’re at war with that country for crum sake!”

This article has been reprinted from Global Stamp News April 1991 – Issue #6

Three Tips for Stamp Collectors

TIP 1: Soaking Stamps (removing them from paper)
BEFORE SOAKING
Set aside any stamps on colored paper, or on paper with a colored backing. Pick out any stamps with colored cancellations, especially with red or purple ink. Set aside any dark-colored stamps, stamps on poor-quality paper, or with strange- looking inks that might dissolve in the water and stain other stamps being soaked, etc. Any "problem" stamps must be handled carefully later, one at a time. Trim the envelope paper close to the stamp, being careful not to cut the perforated edges or otherwise damage the stamp.
SOAKING THE STAMPS
Use a shallow bowl and fill it with several inches of cool-to-lukewarm water. (Never use hot water.) Float the stamps with the picture side up. Make sure the stamps have room to float and do not stick to one another. Don't soak too many at one time. Let the stamps float until the glue dissolves and the stamps slide easily off the paper. Paper is very weak when it is wet and it's easy to tear a wet stamp if you handle it roughly. Be patient, and let the water do its work! Rinse the back of the stamp gently in fresh water to make sure all the glue is off. Change the water in the soaking bowl often to make sure it is clean. Place the stamps to dry on paper towels or old newspapers. (Don't use the Sunday comics! The colored inks might stick to the wet stamps.) It's a good idea to use your stamp tongs (see next page!) to lift the wet stamps, instead of using your fingers. Lay the stamps in a single layer, and so they are not touching one another. Let the stamps dry on their own. They may curl a little or look wrinkled, but don't worry about that. When they are completely dry, lift them with your tongs and put them in a phone book or a dictionary or some other book. (Special "stamp drying books" also can be purchased.) It's important not to put the stamps in a book until they are completely dry. After a few days, they should be nice and flat, and you can put them in your collection.
STAMPS ON COLORED PAPER OR WITH COLORED INK CANCELS
Cut away all the excess envelope paper without harming the edges of the stamp. Fill a shallow dish with cool water (cooler than you would usually use for soaking) and float the stamp face up. If the water becomes stained before the stamp is free from the paper, empty it out and use clean water, to prevent the stamp from being stained. Dry as before.
DIRTY OR STAINED STAMPS
These can be soaked carefully in a small amount of undiluted liquid dishwashing detergent, then rinsed in clean cool water. Very badly stained stamps can be washed gently in a weak solution of water and a bit of enzyme laundry detergent. Careful! This can work too well and remove the printing ink!
SELF-ADHESIVE STAMPS
Some self-adhesive stamps have a special, water-soluble backing, and they can be soaked off envelopes. You just need extra patience, as they may have to soak for an hour or more before they will separate from the backing paper. In general, U.S. self- adhesive stamps from about 1990 and later can be soaked with water; earlier ones cannot. If you don't want to try soaking, just trim the paper closely around a self-adhesive stamp on cover, and then mount it in your collection with a stamp mount.
TIP 2: CHOOSING AN ALBUM
You've raided the mailbox, rummaged in the wastebasket in the post office lobby, and pestered your friends to save their envelopes. Now that you have all these philatelic goodies, where will you put them? True, an ordinary shoe box gives storage space, but you should want a nicer home for your treasures - a place to display your material, not just store n. And, on the practical side, stamps and covers (envelopes with stamps on them, used in the mail) kept in a shoe box or paper folder risk damage from dirt or creases, losing value as well as beauty. Since the first known commercial stamp album was published in 1862, the stamp hobby has grown tremendously, and many types of albums have become available. When buying a home for your collection, here are some things to think about: It may be your first album, but it probably will not be your last or only one. Your first album may be a kind of experiment unless you already have seen someone else's album and think that kind would be right for you too. You also may have tried homemade pages and got some ideas of what you would want in a standard album. If you are buying an album in person, rather than by mail, listen to the seller's advice, but don't be fully convinced by claims that one or another album is "the best." An album may be by a famous maker, and expensive, but that doesn't make it "the best" one for you. Be a careful shopper; consider all the factors - appearance, price, format - and make the best choice. Good beginners' albums are available that are not too expensive, are fully illustrated to show which stamp goes where, and may even contain extra information, such as maps and facts about the countries. Certain styles of albums can present problems. For example, if an album is designed for stamps to be mounted on the front and back of each page, when the book is closed, the stamps can become tangled with one another on the facing pages. Opening the book may tear the mounted stamps apart. If you are looking at an album with this page format and don't like that aspect, but do like other things about the album, buy some good- quality plastic sheets to insert between the pages, and prevent the tangles. You may choose not to buy a top-of-the- line album because of cost, but do be willing to pay for some quality. An album with pages of flimsy paper will not stand up to the stress of increasing numbers of stamps as you fill the album. An album with torn, falling-out pages is not much better than the old shoe box. Homemade pages can be experimented with before album-shopping or may even become your permanent storage choice. Some options include a notebook or loose leaf binder of plain paper, though longtime, safest storage of your stamps should be on acid-free paper. If you have an unusual specialty, or enjoy unique arrangements, no standard album may ever suit your needs, and homemade will be best. Blank, acid-free album pages punched for three-hole binders are widely available. It is easy to assemble a safe, stable home for your personalized collection, if you don't need or want the kind of structured format that standard albums provide. Makers of custom pages and albums advertise regularly in the philatelic press. Buying an album is not so different from buying anything else: Think before and during the purchase; buy as wisely as you can and not over your budget; and don't be too discouraged if your first acquisition turns out to be less than perfect. You will always need places for temporary storage as you continue in the hobby. Old albums never go to waste!
TIP 3: USING TONGS
Philatelic tongs (not to be confused with the tweezers in the medicine cabinet) are must-have items for every stamp collector. Get into the habit early of using your tongs every time you work with your stamps. They will act as clean extensions of your fingers and keep dirt, skin oil, and other harmful things from getting on your philatelic paper. It's important to use tongs correctly and carefully. As with knives, scissors, and other helpful tools, tongs used carelessly are harmful rather than helpful. Cut some plain paper into stamp-sized pieces and practice using your tongs, watching what happens as you change the angle, pressure, and method of using them. Grip a b-n of paper strongly with the pointy-end style of tongs and watch what happens. If that were a favorite stamp, would you have wanted that hole poked in the middle of it? Keep experimenting, and you will find that it's not difficult to hold a stamp firmly but gently with tongs. There are several common styles of tongs, to suit your preference and for special purposes. Some have very pointed ends; they touch only a tiny part of the stamp, but there is the risk of poking holes through H. Working with extra-long tongs (five or six inches) with small pointed tips requires a lot of dexterity, and while experts may prefer them, they may not be comfortable or necessary for "everyday" stamp work. The rounded, spatula-type style known as the "spade" are good, general-purpose tongs. A squared-off version of the spade also is commonly available, though the rather sharp comers present the same kind of risk as the thin, pointy tongs. One handy style is angled, with a bend near the tips that makes it easier to remove stamps from watermark or soaking trays, or to insert and remove stamps from stockbooks or mounts. Tongs cost anywhere from a couple of dollars to quite a few for some of the imported, high-quality models. A special gift for a philatelist would be some gold-plated tongs, which are not hard to find, believe it or not! Tongs can be found anywhere stamp supplies are sold; check under "Accessories" in the philatelic press ads. Tongs are among the least expensive and most essential stamp-hobby needs. You may even want to have several different kinds on hand - instead of your hands! Your stamps will appreciate it