leaving on a jet plane

wonderful song I am sure you will agree... or some such title.. and that describes me on Monday night at 00:50.

Yes a riduclous hour to fly but that is the departure time from Melbourne for the Singapore airlines flight to Singapore and then arriving in India on Salsette Island ( where...??? confused.. then read on)

I hope to post while I am away but I expect my postings will be brief "postcards" from anywhere I can access the internet, like airport lounges and hotels when I have the time.

This trip has been brought forward so I have to apologise yet again as there are emails I have not answered and stamp mailing which in all probability will be delayed until my return, around mid May. I am also out of town this weekend so no time to catch up, sorry.

If you are reading this from Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai or Macau and want to catch up I may have some free time in the evenings although my work days will be long. If you know of a good stamp shop in Bangalore (I have some free time on 6th May) or Macau ( I may have some free time 9th May) I would really like to hear from you as I want to visit some local stamp shops.
Please email me at cddstamps@gmail.com anytime as I do plan to check my emails.

But less of me.. how about some stamps.
Well this stamp was issued this week.

I have this FDC which I hope you like and which I will give away to .. lets say 5th person to tell me where am I flying to in India, just name the city that will be my first stopover. .. you will have to have been paying attention to know

I look forward to hearing from you .... enjoy your stamps... best wishes.. Michael

something peaceful...............

Hello everyone.. I was sorting through the mail I have received over the past few week,.. and yes I have still to reply to some 20 people.. apology but I will get round to the letters eventually,.. I did find the block of 4 shown below on one of the envelopes I received.. how peaceful. that is how I thought of it.. and it helps relax at the end of the day.. to look at stamps like this..

then I did get some absolutely fantastic scans of some absolutely aweful quality stamps currently being listed on eBay.. oh you will enjoy seeing these in the coming days ..

Until then.. relax and enjoy this...
best wishes.. Michael

2 stamps tonight..........

Hello, everyone. and firstly thanks for all your emails on the Chuck Yeager X-1 flight that broke the sound barrier in 1947.. so much information ( and not one of you has had a reply email from me to say thanks.. so please accept this as my thanks.. and special flight cover will be on its way to Mark in the US who pointed out that the original test pilot wanted $150,000 to fly the plane... I did not know that bit of trivia... Thanks mark.

Two stamps tonight.. I know this maybe boring in some respects but hopefully it will also be educational ( and fun) in others.. the first stamp (to the right) is obviously damaged yet advertised on an auction site as used.. dream on.. get new glasses.. or give up the booze.. well not the latter I wouldn't ask that of anyone.. would I but seriously this is being auctioned.. I often say, see my specials on http://www.cddstamps.com/

this and many or all and more of the hundreds of stamps this seller is auctioning off as individual stamps will be in a lot from me at I think 1/10th of the auction listing price.. and none of this torn corner perfs I can assure you.

What about this stamp below.. I recently sent this plus the other stamps in the set to three readers / people that wrote to me for free stamps.. and here is just one stamp from the set.. and is it collectable???? .. not be me.. it is ok for a space filler... and why is it not collectable?? .. if don't already know... it is because it has rust spotting on it.. and I bet the back is worse.. and whatever you do don't put something like this with your good stamps.. they too with eventually get rust.

Throw them out.. or keep carefully protected if they are your space fillers.. or, .... you could get really desperate and write to me to get a free copy (if I have any left) or be really generous and buy my GB special and ask nicely if I would include something you are really looking for I might just be in a good mood and help you out.

Enjoy your stamps. keep those emails coming and please accept I just cannot reply to all these days... but I do enjoy reading and learning from you all.
Best wishes.... Michael.

that dude........ and a plane.. for a change !!

Hello everyone.. well yes, who was that person on the stamps I showed .... I had such an excellent response.. I am amazed.. so many of you are so up on 1900 political history of south west India.. awesome.. and I think everyone - of all the replies I have read were correct... .. sorry not replied to anyone.. rather behind on my email yet again.

the answer you ask... Raj Rama Varma 1 (Raja of Cochin 1895 - 1914) or even King of Kochi state, Raja Rama Verma or Kerela Verma. there are various presentations although I think the first is the best. Anyway .. give me a few days and I will be mailing some GB QEII used .. I think you will be pleased.

Now your turn to respond ... hey am I buying votes.... have you voted for me at the new stamp listing TOP STAMPS SITES

To vote for me go to http://www.cddstamps.com/ and click the Top Stamps Sites logo. It works now.. ( well I think it does) Go on, amuse me.. I want to get to number one.. even if only for a few minutes.. will be an achievement and a half if that happens.. but please lets try ..

Ok back to stamps... Some of you know I have an interest in aircraft... how about this cover.. pretty cool me thinks.. I got it from a new site a friend of mine told me about...

Arrived this weekend..
do you know what this is?? yes an X plane.. and there have been a few of them.. some not quite aircraft but rockets .. but as for the aircraft the earlier aircraft were / was the first to break the sound barrier.. in what year was the sound barrier broken.. ...??


first 5 correct answers will recieve a flight cover of some sort...... write to me at cddstamps@gmail.com and if you have any interesting Flight covers I would really enjoy hearing from you.. and showing and sharing with others your covers..

Best wishes.. enjoy your stamps,.... Michael

who is that dude on the stamps........

Hello everyone.. well yes, who is that person on the stamps I showed last night???

First 5 correct answers will get some GB QE sets of some sorts.. used.. maybe even mint... as a clue the stamps were issued 1911-13.

Second, have you voted for me at the new stamp listing TOP STAMPS SITES ...?? if not then you get no prize.. if yes.. well thanks..

To vote for me go to http://www.cddstamps.com and click the Top Stamps Sites logo. Go on, amuse me.. I want to get to number one.. even if only for a few minutes

Have a great weekend, enjoy your stamps.. best wishes.. Michael

Cochin.......... where ??? :-)

Hello everyone.... do you know what is so excillarating about writing a blog.. .. well yes I get a lot of enjoyment from writing but I get even more from your emails.. and the fact that there is always someone out there who will know whatever it is I am talking about and be able to share with me information or scans of stamps that help me learn more. so to Cochin.. the clue to where it is, was in the fact I said Kerala State.. Which as many have pointed out is in India. It might have been obvious since I said was going to India.. but I know you know I can tease you at times as Cochin is also in China...

Anyway, thanks for the scans I received .. and I chose these stamps from Chris in the UK..

quite nice... dont you think.. hey... well compared to the souvenier stickers being issued these days by Royal Mail and Australia Post to name but two

If the scan is not too clear.. sorry but blogger sizes and if I enlarge it the definition goes blurred... have a look at my other blog http://blog.michael.dodd.com this is after all my backup site :-)

and have a look at http://www.cochin.org/ and also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kochi_(India) to learn more..

I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I have. On a personal note, I am having trouble getting flights to get me there on time.. given commitments here in Sydney... so will have to wait a while to see if I do get there.. Travel plans change so quickly... watch this space...

That is todays news from downunder... enjoy your stamps.. always good to hear from you.. Have you got any stamps that are really hard to identify.. from a place that no longer issues stamps... and with a story about your travels.. send me an email.. I'd be pleased to share with others
Best wishes.. Michael

Cochin.. where.. ???

Hello everyone, something different tonight.. today I was asked to go and speak at a function in Cochin end of next week.. sounds exciting and something I would really enjoy doing although don't get too excited as I am also being asked to speak at meetings here in Sydney.. guess which one will win out..????? well actually I honestly don't know.. I will see who has most clout.. so to speak..
Anyway.. it occurred to me.. where is this place.. and what stamps do they have.. I know I would like to visit Cochin as it is in Kerala and the state is supposedly one of the top three tourist destinations in the world.. so what do you know about the postal authority there. or.. that was there ... anyone able to send me any stamps I have seen some stamps but cannot copy the images to show you.. can you send me some images please.. .. I hope to be able to share some of the stamps with others...
hope to hear from you..... enjoy your stamps.. Michael

Nepal Orchids..on stamps..

Hello.. and I hope you had a good weekend.. I have spent my "allocated stamp time" watching some eBay lots.. I had to sleep and got outbid.. shucks.. then I was driving and got stuck in a traffic slowdown due road works on the freeway ( yes we call them freeways over here) and got home after the other lot I was going to bid on closed. So all in all a great weekend as I didn't spend a penny


I am watching two really nice lots at the moment.... one I am high bidder on but it closes at about 2am my time.. so could well lose out again.. even though I bid higher than I really wanted to.. and the other lot I am watching will close in 7 days.. so plenty of time for that .. lovely stamps.. I will show you in a weeks time.. and tell you what it sells for.. probably more than I can afford.. but hey it doesn't do any harm to look does it.



How about these.. what lovely stamps.. A reader from Nepal sent then to me.. well the scan.. I would have to buy the M/S or FDC covers.. might do at that.. will see what happens with this other eBay lot I am watching..

Have you bid on eBay recently.. tell me your experiences.. do you wait for the last 10 seconds?? or do you have a bidding strategy?? .. I'll share one of mine in a few days... you might be surprised.. and well informed if you read it... seriously.. I think I can save you money..
enjoy your stamps.. best wishes.. Michael

new stamp blog.. and the answer was US $60

You all know how I don't like competition just joking... smile .... I think it great that people start stamp blogs because it is so interesting and informative for us all to be able to read and share in others philatelic interests and thoughts.

so a new stamp blog for you.. and what a good start this is. I am looking forward to reading this one. Do have a look, especially for a really lovely copy of the 50c Bluenose issued in January 1929. the link will be in my favourites but here it is http://canadianphilatelist.blogspot.com/

Also.. the seriously damaged stamp I showed in my last writing sold for US $60... and am I upset.. no one wrote to me.. sad smile :-(

Finally, there are some really nice and collectable stamps on eBay.. watch this space.. if I win I think you might like what I have to show.. cannot tell you .. well can I.. I dont want you bidding against me now, do I

Have a great weekend.. enjoy your stamps.... Michael

torn in half space filler..........

Hello, yes that is how this stamp was described on eBay. I have to say (for a change ..... :-) big smile) this seller was describing the stamp very clearly, even though it did look rather worse for wear. The seller even said.. "torn in half and repaired with hinges. If you bid on this one you are desparate" well, how honest can a seller be.


What would you pay for this??? , even as a space filler.. did any of you see it on eBay??

I will give a GB FDC to the closest estimate.. I will tell you the value it sold for tomorrow night...

if any of you have the time to search eBay to find it well you could be closest but not fastest hee hee..

Don't you just love stamps.. Oh, and well done to Glenn from Canada for correctly getting the fact that last nights event / stamp was the maiden (and of course only) sailing of the Titantic from Southampton.

Thanks to all who emailed me and sorry you cannot all win. I do enjoy reading your email though. Enjoy your stamps... best wishes.. Michael

today in history and more ........

Hello, two topics tonight.. one of interest and the second a follow up to my last piece on stamp grading and listing descriptions.As for today in history ... do you know of something that happened today many years ago that might be of interest.. at the time of its happening it was quite a famous event.. lots of fanfare I guess.. some days later things were no so good for many people. And this stamp has something to do with the event some days later. Yes I am being obtuse, but you are all so bright I am sure it won't take you long to work out what happened this day 10th April some 100 plus years ago.... Nice stamp as well I think. I will send a GB FDC to the 5th correct answer. there is a clue in the stamp as well if you look carefully.My second topic picks up on my writing a few days ago. I wrote to the seller of that stamp. The person wrote back and said they agreed with me and would change the listing.

I cannot find the stamp so don't know if they did. Sadly what I have found is some 20 listings from this seller and every one of them had the grading as "used fine" Now I am getting a bit cheesed off here people because I now know this seller is just "copying" the listing text from stamp to stamp and not changing the wording for the stamp. Hey I have done this myself.. it saves time.. but only when the text one is copying is appropriate. Now I am not going to name the seller.. or the auction site.. yet.. well I don't blame the auction site actually.... but if I tell you one, you will find the other and I want to give the seller the chance to clean up their act.
Ok, so what about this for used fine... ok I know they are not saying fine used.. as would be the more correct language for respectable sellers conforming to generally accepted nonmenclature. Let see what happens when I send my next email. Message to you all, please be careful when reading these supposed grading description. I could show you other from this same seller with clipped perfs and missing corners and heavy frankings, all the same. listed as "used fine" . And in case you are wondering, I have no idea who this person really is. All I do know is they are not a member of the IPDA (Internet Philatelic Dealers Association) and if they ever applied to join they would not be accepted.

Hopefully I am not becoming too boring with this topic but it is a worry to me and my colleagues and all those dealers and reputable sellers... there is a book in this topic which one day I will write me thinks.. . enjoy your stamps and don't get ripped off best wishes.......... Michael

I am getting more angry by the minute

well only because my internet speed has slowed slowed down Hello... How are you all.. thanks for the replies to my last quiz,, someone won it.. I forget who.. too tired to check to be honest.. or what it was about,,,,,,, some aircraft eh!!!!!!!!! but will tell more in coming days..

I was just browsing through some autcion lots.. and you know me by now.. I am thinking to myself.. that is not a not very honest description etc.. one after another.. so thought hello I will go to bed.. then saw this... lovely stamp eh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! described as "Used Fine" ... YEAH GODS PEOPLE THIS HAS A BLOODY CORNER MISSING a few short perfs, another corner clipped and a postmark that obliterates the Queens Head.. albeit cleanly and with an identifiable what I think is double London chief office postmark. But the stamp is DAMAGED so WHY is the seller stating Used Fine. ????????? you ask him / her/ .. and they are asking for a starting bid of USD $18.50. Hopefully no one bids for this.. as a space filler ok.. but not at this price with this description.

Please tell your friends.. I really dont want to see collectors ripped off like this.. If I knew who the seller really was I would do something.. in fact I have written to them.. watch out for more news on this..

Have a great Easter weekend.. easter stamps??? read tomorrow.. Michael

horses and stamps......... maybe

Hello everyone. Yes I have been absent. As I said some weeks ago I am really stretched for time right now. Much to my chagrin I might add.

As for stamps I have had no time to reply to letters, emails or postings so if you are waiting on something from me.. please please be patient. I will get to your mails ..

Horses have been taking up some of my time so I thought it only appropriate to say something about horses in this piece. Like why would I think of horses apart from the fact I have a few around me.. well not as I write this :-) you know what I mean.



I like this cover, your thoughts? Why would I show it.. well because today, 3rd April, was, apparently, the day that a rather famous mail service started between Saint Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento. What was that mail service? I will find a cover to send to the 20th correct entry.. and hey don’t hold back forever before you send .. I feel bad sometimes when I say first or 5th entry as some of you are so fast off the mark so to speak.

Amazing when you think of it, how the mail was delivered back then, well in the USA anyway… .. and no stamps to show for it ( am I right???) … that I know of.. even though Great Britain was using stamps by this date :-)
Enjoy your stamps and I promise I will make time to reply to emails and send you the stamps you have won or I owe you for trades … eventually.. and to some of you who have sent donations to my childrens corner.. again many thanks.. ( I am even behind on those sendings but with the Easter weekend coming I think I will catch up) which reminds me.. stamps for Easter.. have to find something special to show you

Michael