if you read nothing else... read this

You all know my view on quality.. you know I also have to be careful when passing comment on others view of quality.

well the same goes for passing comment on something listed on an aution site. but look at this and you tell me (or just tell yourself for that matter) what this is.... eBay lot
200167234223

I have written to the seller asking some questions. I will tell more when I get a reply. oh, and there are four more.. with different pictures.. and when this first lots sells the next print off the laptop will go up for sale... no doubt.. Hey I am all for free enterprise and intiative.. but......................

Sadly in my view someone has already bid on this. Think about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
enjoy your stamps... Michael

your advice please..............

but before I get to that......... I had an email from my fan club.. I have one real cheeky fan that I know of , asking why I had not told you about the A380 flight.. of course the truth is there was a lot of champagne before during and after so I thought it best not to exaggerate... so.......in a few words or less.. flights were great, crew were brilliant, cabin was so noisey it was untrue.. well that was the noise of the 7 hour party., the plane itself was the quietest I have ever flown on, and whatever the publicity material says about how quiet the cabin is ........... it is true.. seats are great, leg room was better than expected and more than the usual 747, and the inflight video.. well excellent from content but even better than excellent if you measure it by the size of the screen you are looking at.

Being stamp people we are ok looking at postage stamp sized screens on 747s.. but these screens were so much larger.. I just wish I had not been partying so much and had time to watch more.. .. next flight
Ok so rather than show you another A380 cover or promote my First flight covers.. .. I don't need to there are only a few left and I am going to have to soon say sorry, the covers have been sold...

I thought I would ask your view on this stamp.. I am tempted to think it a gem to collect.. never seen one so off centre.. what do you think.. ???

Look forward to hearing from you,
even if you are only my fan club over there in the UK
enjoy your stamps.. Michael

more A380 covers for you to see..

Hello everyone. First if I have not got in touch with you yet re any order you placed don't fret.

You order is safe and there for you. I am a bit challenged with email and packing and posting and you know.

Hope you like this cover.. for my collection ... the crew were brilliant.. and not only for some of them signing a few of my covers

If you want to place an order for a cover please email me for details cddstamps@gmail.com

I only made 20 of each.. ( actually only 19 of this one as I donated one to someone but it did not have all the handstamps on it) .. many will stay in my collection, the rest ..one could be yours.. I even have some others I have not shown yet.. the Singapore Post issued FDC... again email me for details.. Enjoy.. Michael

only from cddstamps........

Hello everyone,. I am back in Sydney for a few hours.. I leave for the airport soon (to fly back to Singapore on the return A380 flight) .. so just a quick hello.. and I wanted to show you this cover... issued by Singapore Post.. so yes quite readily available and I bet they will be on eBay before long. But not these. Look carefully........... Read on for details

Yes this was flown on the A380 from Singapore to Sydney. Yes they have my own designed hand frank (front left lower corner) and yes they were back stamped on arrival in Sydney yesterday by me. I have 20. No more. A few will stay in my collection. Write me for details. I can also sign them if you wish.

I see lots of email in cddstamps@gmail.com Sorry not replied all orders will be handled in date timestamp order. and there are still a few of my cddstamps first flight covers still available.. so don't hesitate writing. I will get round to my email early next week..

more Competitions.... last article I asked, what was my seat number on the QF flight to Singapore to win a Singapore Post FDC - the one above with no special frankings.

Now two more competitions..

1) What was my SIN-SYD seat number, to win a Singapore Post A380 Mystamps Miniature Sheet, and

2) what was my seat number SYD-SIN.. winner will also get a Singapore Post A380 Mystamps Miniature sheet. No one can win more than once.. although the chances of that happen are pretty remote anyway I would think. All entries by email to cddstamps@gmail.com MUST have their mailing address included, please

Enjoy your stamps.. will write when get back on Sunday ..best wishes.. Michael

free A380 Singapore Post FDC

Hello everyone, Yes I am in Singapore. Good flight up here. Arrived on time. Well done Qantas !!!

Had an idea for a competition on the flight up.. whoever guess correctly the seat number I had will win a FDC from Singapore Post.. hopefully I will get the A380 one I understand is being issued tomorrow ... and please reply to cddstamps@gmail.com with your mailing address.. I only ask for that to save me the time seacrthing through previous emails if you have given me the address before... Thanks .. if no one gets it right... after all there are a lot of seats on the plane... it will go to the nearest guess

oh and it was not 1A - this time!!!! nor anywhere in First.. there .. that eliminates 14 seats ha ha
enjoy your stamps...Michael

A380 stamps for a change... :-)

if you are getting bored with this topic don't worry, only another 5 days to go.. I fly to Singapore tomorrow.. on one of those little 747-400s then the real plane back..

Have you reserved one of my limited edition First Flight covers? I am adding a free Singapore Mystamps A380 miniature sheet with every order.. I have worked out how to get them.. ( I think) email me for cover details.. cddstamps@gmail.com and after tomorrow morning I will not be accessing emails for some 24 hours.. but please keep checking as I will be writing about the journey, parties, and flights. photos to follow eventually.. and I may even pick up a few other Singapore news issues while there.

Best wishes.. and don't forget to reserve a cover .. I have only printed

A380.. good news...

I found my passport.... .. only joking.. I carry it all the time.. and it is valid.. actually I have two,, well one has to have a back up plan eh!!!

I leave for Singapore in less than two days.. and the schedule has got busier,.... with a few parties now confirmed.. in Singapore and Sydney.. not going to be much sleep the next week.. but lots of wondeful people to meet and some new stamps and historic postmarks.. this is my Sydney to Singapore cover..

I have printed 20.. and there will be no more, in fact some with have these stamps some will have a se-tenant strip of 5 50c stamps so really there will less than 10 of each. with my mark plus my signature plus commemorative hand stamp..

have you placed an order to reserve one? I have a few left unordered.. email me at cddstamps@gmail.com for more details.. first in first reserved and no payment until I can confirm the post marks ...

I will try to write while I am away.. so please keep reading for my news.. and please tell your stamp and aviation friends all about this historic event.
Best wishes... Michael

more A380 stamps for the First Commercial flight next week

Hello everyone.. been a busy day trying to finalise logistics for the A380 flights next week. Getting there though. Got my eticket today. So that is good.

Hope you like this ( facsimile) I'll no doubt be getting this miniature sheet in Singapore .. and these are the stamps I think I will also be using on my cddstamps covers. Some of my covers will have both $1 stamp and $1.10 stamp on.. these will be real special.. and at no extra cost..

Talking about my covers ........have you placed your order/ reserved a cover or two. I have to tell you I have only printed 20 of each.. I have not had time to do more and in fact I dont really want to do more as I want them to be special ..

I have a few envelopes left.. these are not just plain old stationery envelopes by the way they are quality envelopes.. .. so there will not be many more .. and I am going to kick myself for not making more given the demand I have.. but then as I say, I want them to be special, to be a few of a kind so to speak.. you might kick yourself as well, as I may well write back and say sorry you do not have a confirmed order.. waitlisted on a non payment .. well such is life I guess..

to reserve or get all pricing details please email me at cddstamps@gmail.com

Best wishes.. enjoy your stamps.. and covers... Michael

6 days to go...........

until I leave for Singapore. So have you sent me an email to reserve your cddstamps produced and carried A380 cover?

No.. oops.. well the email is cddstamps@gmail.com

I have only made 20 covers for each of the flights.. SIN-SYD; SYD-SIN, and for SIN-SYD-SIN email me for details. I am not making any more.. so very limited print run and I will be keeping a few for myself, and maybe giving one set to my mother

Here is one of the covers..
in fact I will be having even less covers of a kind produced, so to speak, because I will be using the new issue singapore Post $1.10 A380 stamps on some covers and this one below with a 10 cent stamp added or I may even just add another $1.10 stamp.. I'll see what happens on the day... either way you will be getting something very unique... ... I will be numbering the covers accordingly. I will also be taking photos at whatever opportunity I can and will be including a signed photo with all orders.

This is a historic event. That is not just me saying this but the view of many many others.. are you reading the news bulletins for this aircraft.. have you read about the reception it got on arrival in Singapore yesterday.. awesome stuff.. I just hope the plane doesn't leak.. we will be getting a fire engine reception I hear out of Singapore and maybe into Sydney.. ha ha ha ha ...

I look forward to hearing from you.. and only first in get reserved covers. write me for details. cddstamps@gmail.com
enjoy your stamps.. best wishes.. Michael

an interesting first flight cover .................. maybe

I have to apologise for being a few days late with this in memory and recognition.. just got carried away with the A380 didn't I... on October 14th 1947 Major Charles Yeager of the USAF flew the Bell X-1 faster than the speed of sound.

I showed a stamp back in April, ..........23rd from memory of an X aircraft.. not the same one right!!!

So as I keep awake at night thinking of the A380 flights next week it occurred to me I had not paid tribute to his awesome flying achievements. Are there flight covers from 60 years ago I wonder. if anyone knows of a source please tell us.

I am seeng covers now being prepared to commemorate 30 years since Concorde flights...... as they say.. time flies ...directly in proportion to the speed of the prevailing wind!!!
but back to the A380 again.. if you are interested.. have a read of this http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jKKH6YYEjGpc3eJcuvLxLmtiOJ5gD8SAPQAG0 yes a press release but still quite interesting.

and as for stamps... how about this cover ..........
... an interesting cover, if only because I can see no link between the cover and the postmark... help me please... am I that tired

email me at cddstamps@gmail.com.. ( will send ths cover to someone) and don't forget to include your order for the A380 covers I am producing.. see my posting a few nights ago... until I sell out with advance orders I will keep repeating this

Enjoy your stamps.. Michael

from my evening paper...

this picture.. anyone know what it is.. I assume it is for real.. not sure I will ever be able to confirm but will confirm lots more in not too long a time now..

this time next week I will be on approach to Singapore airport.. ....

I am still taking reservations for the A380 covers.. see previous posting.. or write to me at cddstamps@gmail.com

so what is this ..looks nice eh!!!!!!

enjoy your sleep ... Michael

8 days to go ..................

until I leave for Singapore. So I thought I would start to promote my A380 flight covers. Here is the one I have designed for the Singapore - Sydney flight. The world's first commercial flight of the A380.

I have made 20 copies so far. I may make a few more. No more than 30 in total though and a few will stay in my collection. So numbers will be very limited. They will be post marked in Singapore with the Changi airport postmark ( I hope .. I very much hope.. they will have a special commemorative handstamp as well, be signed by me and with my mark on the back, along with the Australia Post Sydney airport postmark on arrival in Sydney... I hope.. well that is my plan. I hope nothing goes wrong.

I am taking advance reserve orders.. on a first in first served basis. No payment until I confirm I have achieved all I set out to achieve. If you want details please email me at cddstamps@gmail.com

I have two other first flight covers. Details are in the mailing I send out. Oh, and there will be a certificate of authentication as well and if you are a blog reader I am going to try to put something special into the envelope / cover ....... a surprise I have in mind.. and a unique souvenier in my view.

So what are you waiting for .. just find some cash,.. put it away and reserve a rather special and very limited edition first flight cover . More news over the next week.

Oh, and if anyone in Singapore wants to catch up for a coffee.. I'd be pleased to try to meet up with fellow collectors on the 24th or when I am back there on 27th.
Enjoy your stamps... best wishes.. Michael

Canada - Queen Victoria stamp 2c

something different tonight.. I found some rather old covers while sorting through a box of stamps today... some I may put on eBay.. this is a giveaway.. as not the best I will admit because for starters you cannnot see the post mark clearly.. probably why it was in the box in the first place.. no one wanted it

Anyway.. It is a 1900 to 1902 or 3 franking judging by the others I found ..It is just a single piece of paper.. the one part of the envelope cover.. for some reason the rest of the cover was torn away...

Still the stamp is quite nice and clean, nice perfs.. although the bottom perfs seem short to me.. yet not cut or anything, just rounded shorter.. pretty common stamp but maybe some out there would like it.. just email if you want it.. cddstamps@gmail.com and include your post address.. first in gets it.

Talking about eBay.. I have listed two covers.. Sputnik covers, one with a set of the gummed stamps, and the other with a set of the self adhesive strip.. both covers have the $1 stamps as well.

I made a few covers for a few of you and mailed them.. but these are a one off.. I only made one of each .. Have a look ...in my view they should be collectable.. and in years to come the cddstamps name alone will make them collectable.. .I hope .. everyone has to start small right !!!! Covers are also signed by me.. hey, what more could you ask.. ok .. go check eBay..

Have a great weekend.. enjoy your stamps.. and may I ask.. if you have any spare stamps you want to donate to my Childrens Corner.. it could do with a few at the moment..

Best wishes.. Michael

A Penny Black

Hello, A few reasons for this.. I saw it on an auction site and liked it even though it has a "corner" missing, and I thought well here is an example where the quality - as in the defect - is perhaps worth accepting. The seller has not over described it.. and as you can see the condition is clear to see. In fact the seller shows the reverse as well. So well done to them.

I will see how it progresses and what it sells for - certainly a chance perhaps to pick up a very good space filler.

But what about the Penny Black. It has always been one of my favourite stamps.. but I am not sure why, maybe because it was the first stamp ever issued... Also, when you think about it, a very clever design as well.. with the lettering decribing exactly where the stamp was on the printed sheet of stamps. AA AB AC etc... and of course before the perforation was "invented" so a stamp with four good margins is always good to find ... as in this one.

But time for a quiz... How well do you know your Penny Black history.... we all know that Rowland Hill had something to do with the stamp.. but do we know
1) whose design sketches influenced Hill? and
2) who was the Chief Engraver at the Royal Mint whose engraved design Hill recommend be used ?

A cover of some sorts.. to the 10th correct entry... enjoy your stamps
Best wishes...Michael

a rather nice miniature sheet

well if you are interested in rugby,, and support England.. and know that England won the 2003 World Cup here in Sydney when they beat Australia ( a game at which I was fortunate enough to be at even though I know zilch about the game)
and................ wait for it.......... England beat Australia again last night.. in the quarter finals of the 2007 world cup.. yes I was as surprised as you are... I sadly have to admit.. but the news gets better.. New Zealand - had to be THE team... lost to France in one of the other quarter finals .. so England play France in the semi finals... England have to have a chance for the Finals...again.. please don't let me down.. even as I say.. I really don't follow the sport..just another stamp issue is all I am after... ha ha ha ha .. oh dear do I have French readers.. oops sorry.. but hey sport is sport... and while I might support Australia at what I cannot think of right now.. I have the homesick longing to see England win, be it at cricket (some chance) soccer..(maybe less chance), field hockey (little chance) , ice hockey (no chance).. you get the idea.... :-)
Anyway.. let's look forward to whatever new stamp issues come about from this sporting extravaganza..
........... oh,, and yes Liberace was never shown on a US stamp.. given that many of the 400 who have been featured are probably unknown to most of us I think that is sad.. A very talented guy in my view.. lets admire people for their talents,.. not who or what they are.
Enjoy your stamps .. and the knowledge that stamps can bring to us all.. Michael

stamp trivia..................

I am out of town this weekend and with no access to a scanner… so thought I would write about stamp collecting.. in particular, how many of you really know what the meaning of stamp collecting is.. ?? The collecting and study of postage stamps and related items is known as philately, yes we all know that … but what about the Greek derivation of the word… in fact a coined Greek word meaning, literally, "love of what is free of further tax"

Well that is what I have read…... does anyone have a different view? Send me an email.. best, most entertaining, most original maybe… entry.. my decision is final ….will get a free cover… could be something quite special.. if I get my act together.. or just a plain old GB FDC :-)

And some more trivia for you.. how about this… Since the United States Post Office issued its first stamp in 1847, over 4,000 stamps have been issued (up to about today more or less !!!! and with over 800 people featured. Many of these people (especially the earlier Presidents) have been featured on multiple stamps……... "featured" may mean because there is a likeness of a person, the name of a person is used, or the person is documented by the USPS as being the subject of a stamp.

So a second quiz question I just thought of….a famous American.. Liberace.. is he featured on a US stamp? First correct answer will get a cover of some sorts. Assuming you agree with me and my limited knowledge of US people featured on US stamps. :-)
Enjoy your weekend, enjoy your stamps.. best wishes.. Michael

50 years ago today

history was made.... with the launch of the first man made object to orbit the earth.

Seems quite trivial now given the awesome space exploration achievements of the past 50 years.. and a few sad failures I have to acknowledge.

Hope you like this cover.

Now, the next Australia new stamp issue is Caravans... or more corectly " caravanning through the years". I don't know about you but I ruled out caravans and tents as forms of accomodation many years ago.. as in when I realised there were such things as four and five star hotels. But everyone to their own I say; and lets face it some caravans are pretty sumptuous vehicles these days.. but they dont have room service do they I ramble.. should I do a special cover for caravanning... let's have a vote? I am excited with the prospect ... :-(

Enjoy your stamps... Michael

Space on stamps

I was thinking of all the subject headings I could give this piece, and all sounded so cliched.. so just Space on Stamps,, and Australian stamps. Hope you like these...

many of you will get to see the stamps.. some of my readers will even own them in a few days time ... I am too generous I know.. but hey isn't this is a wonderful hobby and I know you will reciprocate ( I am nearly out of stamps again for my Childrens Corner.. having mailed some 1000 this past weekend)

...anyway.. Space ... I really like this gutter pair.. I have copies for sale.. email for details.. and some miniature sheets and covers.. and if you want to read a really good article - in my view - on Space, try this http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/10/02/MNLJS9M3K.DTL

More later, as 4th October is the 50 year anniversary of Sputnik
Enjoy your stamps... Michael