new machin error ????

Hi, sorting through some machins for a change.. how about this.. has anyone seen this recorded .. good to see the Queen looking forward don't you think..

Hope you have a wonderful day...

from the wine country

hello, just a few words tonight... am in the wine country, the Hunter Valley. I have written about it before.. lovely part of the world. and with some rather nice wine I must say.

But to stamps... tonight I have been reading some other staamp blogs and I have to say how impressed I am with them... most found from the links from my page and then links from those sites. hope you get some time to surf.. how relaxing and enjoyable to read other collectors interests.

enjoy your stamps.. Michael

remember those GB QEII definitives......

well here are three from my collection, and I have to admit after searching through a few stamps - I have about 20 copies of each stamp - these were close to the best I could find. I have some in pairs which have better franks but I just wanted to show singles here.

The stamps of the period - early 1950's generally it seems to me - do have heavier postmarkings.. but when one is selling as "very fine used" as was the case in my example shown a few days ago, one should be realistic and more correct in ones descripion.

Which has me thinking, if you sell on the internet are you a member of the IPDA? Who you ask.. look us up at http://www.ipdaonline.org ....... maybe useful to you. want to join.. email me or simply fill in the form on the web site.

If you are a buyer, do you check to see if the seller is a meber of the IPDA or some other recognised and accredited philatelic organisation? You should do, because there are too many people selling stamps these days.. people who advertise the quality wrongly ......and unfortunately there are many wonderful people who collect stamps who do not know enough to decide that the description is not what it should be.

Yes rather a boring old hobby horse of mine but if occassionally I am saving someone from wasting their money and being able to enjoy this wonderful hobby then surely that is worth it.

I am writing the IPDA Newsletter at the moment, on the train to and from work, and enjoying the chance to do it. I have decided - well I am the Publicity Director as well as the Newsletter author and Editor so surely I can make these decisions - that I will send a free ( yippeeee ) copy to anyone who emails me with a request for a copy... email me at cddstamps@gmail.com you might enjoy it...

Have a great weekend.. I may well be offline for a while.. am looking after some horses for the next few days.. 10 of the wonderful animals - so no time for stamps I am afraid, but will try to read your emails when night falls...

enjoy your stamps.. best wishes.... Michael

Concorde has how many fuel tanks..........

I had to write that title because on the back of the FDC I showed the other evening it said that Concorde had 33 fuel tanks.. wow I thought.. That is amazing.. I didn't know that. I didn't know the exact number I have to be honest.. I thought it was 8 or 10 maybe from a guess.. but as all you clever people out there know, it is 13. What an unlucky number. But you also know they were not number 1 to 13 don't you

Anyway. thanks for all your emails.. and Eric gets a runner up cover for being first entry and Jane gets a first prize cover for being second entry.

Am going to have to apologise for not replying to all your emails. Am so stuffed to be honest. Work and you know!! No complaints.. just so little time. I would really like another guest writer piece.. something to bring life back to the blog hee hee I mean the blog.. not me..

Hope you have time to enjoy your stamps.. . best wishes.. Michael

A new Concorde Cover

and isn't this beautiful? Well I think so and I hope you enjoy seeing it.



This issued with the Great Britain, Royal Mail, World of Inventions issue earlier this month.

It is, in my humble view, one of the great planes ever built. and it did fly for 25 plus years..... and while I never flew on it myself ( I have been "on" it many times I have to admit) I did get to put my parents on it to New York to come and visit me for a weekend many years ago. And that was more important to me than actually flying on it myself. anyway.. less of my nostalgia

So I have not given a prize for ages.. how about a flight cover of some sort.. I'll see what I can find ... I have a few ... so to the 2nd correct answer to the following, only if you include your mailing address ...

how many fuel tanks does the Concorde have.. oh that is such a wonderful piece of trivia isn't it?

Ok, a second prize.. to the first correct answer... concorde flew faster than the speed of rotation of the earth.. true or false. That has you thinking

Oh what knowledge one can collect from collecting stamps. Enjoy your stamps.. Michael

how nice are stamp people........

well in my opinion they are fantastically nice people and to prove it again I received this envelope in my mail.. from the Texas Philatelic Association. and in the envelope was their January/ February magazine. (sending addres removed as per my privacy policy) If you have never seen this magazine/ newsletter I am going to have to say you are missing out. A lovely little "journal" as they call it with some really useful and informative articles. No, I am not getting soft in my old age. But credit where credit is due I say. ( thanks Doug.. really appreciated, and the lovely stamp selection)

And while I want you all to to read the IPDA ( Internet Philatelic Dealer Association ( soon to be Inc I might add) web site and join us if you sell stamps in any way, I have no problem recommending other equally good Associations. I know many of my readers are from the USA so have a look at http://www.texasphilatelic.org

I have other topics to write about and so little time. One quick word for all you sellers and buyers out there. I know I go on about quality but it is so important. I was looking at an eBay item tonight.. and thought how well described it was.. no exaggerations.. and it turned out to be by an IPDA member.. how cool I thought. Maybe a plug for the IPDA... if you are a seller please visit us at http://www.ipdaonline.org and hey, I even found time to join the world wide chat this weekend.. not a lot of time but it was good to catch up with a few of you at least.

I have some more stamps to show you... some more news issues in fact.... tomorrow I hope... best wishes and enjoy your stamps... Michael

PS - you are all fantastic and many thanks to those who have sent stamps recently.. I owe you emails.. but so little time.. so thank you.. you know who you are.. M

some really nice new issue stamps...

from where??? .. and I have to say from the Royal Mail in the UK... well how high I am to be saying this.. after my last rantings about the pretty sticker quality of Royal mail issued stamps.

I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder.. but I do think the new issue - released tomorrow 22nd March - for the abolition of slavery has some stamp design quality to it for a change. What do you think....???


Sadly I am not collecting GB new issues anymore.. sob sob on this occassion... so if anyone wants to send me a used set please feel free to do so.. even any one of these that you get doubles of .. hey send to me.. I am sure I will find a way to respond with more than one Australia stamp.

Also, many thanks for your letters and stamps.. I finally got to my PO Box today.. two weeks worth of mail there.. oops,.. I am behind... so community reply.. thank you.. will try to get round to individual replies in due course.

We have an electrical storm here so I better post before I get zapped... enjoy your stamps... best wishes.. Michael

Hello everyone,.. yes I am still alive.. thinking about stamps but really no time to do much else. I think I have withdrawal symptoms.. I have missed some eBay lots I wanted to bid on.. so that tells you how stressed for "me" time I am.

But I did find this in my emal .. thanks Eric.. a fellow Canadian no doubt ..


What a lovely stamp.. compared to the the absolute rubbish I am seeing from Royal Mail in the UK,, ok so I wont whinge anymore.. after all, I am not collecting modern GB these days am I.. Well actually I am not collecting much as have no time.

Keep writing to me .. I enjoy your emails even if I don't reply to them all. All ideas and your scans of stamps welcome.... best wishes.. enjoy your stamps.. Michael

what is this.................

hello.. checked my email and one was from a blog reader asking what is this.. so thought I'd ask you all... after all, one of you must know.. .. anyone know???????? email me at cddstamps@gmail.com...

hey, I'll even send a prize of some sort if I think you really know..

Maybe I can get this blog reader to donate it..

best wishes, Michael

forgeries on stamps.. and good ones...

but forgeries none the less.. one of my fellow IPDA directors found this web site.. you will be amazed at what is happening out there... I recommend you have a look, if only for education purposes.. and I hope you dont collect US well at least by buying from ebay..........

http://www.slingshotvenus.com/stamps/fakes.html

Enjoy your stamps... Michael

two new issues........

Hello everyone, first a big apology for not writing as much as I used to.. and also to say while I want to write every night I will not be able to due to some changes in personal circumstances..... life goes on and stamps will always be our friends..........

Please keep checking in every now and again as I will try to write at least once a week. I may not reply to emails as frequently I would like to but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy getting your letters.

So to stamps.... my final quiz for a while I think.. what are "lenticular' stamps here is one shown on this FDC which is the prize to 2nd correct entry


Not a cheap FDC either.. so I expect hundreds of fast entries to win this cover

I was reading my favourite stamp club board.. GBStamps STAMPS of GREAT BRITAIN and saw the GB stamps for the 2007 Scouts issue.




Further proof to me that Royal Mail are isssuing pretty stickers. Oh well as I said earlier life goes on? what designs do you like / dislike from the new issues from your country???? Write to me.. and if possible send a scan of the stamps and I will show to others.

Enjoy your stamps and I hope all is well with you.. best wishes.. Michael

just some lovely stamps

enjoy...

Grade a Stamp - Final

Hello.. and I promised this is my last word.. but if you have something to add I will maybe pass that on. So I wrote to the seller of this stamp and all credit to him/her.. I don't know which and they immediately posted a scan of the stamp with a black background. I thought that was very responsive and suggested to me they were an ok seller.

I will say most of you were pretty critical of the stamp.. and while I agree the perforations were not perfect I found it interesting to read your thoughts about other possible faults. The key message is that this stamp was not well described. and certainly in the first place not well presented.

I would go as far as to say the stamp looked worse with the white background as it does with the black. and then there is the view of the back of the stamp.. actually quite clean.. you wouldn't have thought that from the first viewing.;. would you.. some of you said there was staining.. maybe not when you see this view.. again.. poorly described.

Those are two points I want to stress but there are others.

Colour of the stamp. In this stamp there are different shades and the pinkness of it could be shading or it could be the quality of the scan.

Centering, in this stamp it is unusual to get good centering.. but I agree it is not that good but then again I have seen a lot worse.

Tears and suspect tears.. you really cannot tell can you.. until you see the back of the stamp.. which I have to say suggests no tears.. from the front maybe there are signs there maybe tears as some of you pointed out.. the answer.. ask the seller.. or if you are the seller..

The crease.. what crease.. well quite few of you saw a crease in the first image I showed.. I think it was a line from the strip holding the stamp and the black image from behind further adds to the confusion or confermation it is just the strip hilding the stamp .... moral of story.. ask the seller.. or should the seller better describe what he / she is selling.... well I think you are getting the message

finally.. as for the perforations.. well there are shorts and clipped perfs.. these should have been mentioned for a stamp of this genre.. and, did you know, in SG this is catalogued at £275 ... as very fine used I might add.. which this is not .. as you all pointed out to me.. but.. did you know you can buy a fine used copy from a very reputable dealer in the UK .. on the internet for £55, or an average used copy for £27.50. ......the seller of this stamp was asking a starting price of £22.55 ...my guess is, if you bought from the dealer I did not name you would get a better copy of the stamp than if you bought from the auction I found this on.

Final final comment.. and maybe this sums it up... the stamp did not sell.. and in my view appropriately so.

I have more stories.. maybe I will share another in a few days.. as I will be away from a computer for next three days.. have a great weekend... enjoy your stamps.. Michael

Grade a stamp Part IV

Hello, well for the past three nights I have had functions and apart from putting on weight I have not written my blog, my apologies.. I still want to write more on the Grade a Stamp topic ( see writing from a few days back and teh GB GV Seahorse) and use some of the excellent feedback I have had.

To start with, as many of you rightly - in my view - pointed out, the stamp being auctioned was not shown against a black background. I have to tell you when I saw the stamp wrote to the seller and asked for a scan against a black background, and I asked for a scan of the reverse of the stamp. I will show those scans tomorrow. Thanks for the input on that and for all of you reading who didn't think of this please always get a scan of the stamp against a black background and if possible a scan of the reverse of the stamp(s). You will see so much more. But even that is not enough. Some of you have pointed out what appear to be tears or lets say problems with the stamp.. my advice here is, if you have such a concern you must write to the seller and ask for an explanation of what you think you see.... it could be just bad scanning.. it could be worse, a damaged stamp.

More to come on this topic.. a final part will be tomorrow if I get home on time.. am out a lot at the moment.. I did get to the post office the other day and found this cover...

... quite nice.. if you collect flowers on stamps please drop me a line and if you can convince me this will be a fantatsic addition to your collection then you could well receive it in a few weeks.. email me at cddstamps@gmail.com and please include your mailing address... I print off the winner and if the mailing address is not there I go to the runner up.. I am sorry but I dont have time to go searching past emails for addresses.. I do hope you understand.. thank you

Enjoy your stamps.. best wishes.. Michael