cinderallas........... for A380 flight covers ....

Buyer Be Aware

I wrote about this a few days ago. You know I am a Director of the IPDA. That is the Internet Philatelic Dealers Association. We promote honest and fair trading and selling of stamps on the internet. That means no fraud, no misrepresentation, no trickery, no deceit and no poorly described stamps and no wrongly described stamp quality. It means someone who is a member of the IPDA is honest. You get the message I think.

I was just browsing eBay and well..I have to write again on this subject.

You can see the lots for yourself if you are interested in A380 souvenirs

So, let me ask you the following questions, these are some of the questions you should be getting answers to when you view a lot on any auction site, especially when you are viewing “covers” as you may see on eBay at the moment for A380 covers….

1)Who produced this “cover”?

2) How many were made? Are these limited edition and numbered?

3) Did the “cover” fly on the aircraft? ( assuming a flight cover) Who authenticates that?

4) Where did the piece of paper stuck in top right corner that is imitating a postage stamp come from?

5) Where did the hand frank come from – it is presented to imply a postage franking is it not?

6) what quality envelope is being used

When you buy something that is described as a First Flight Cover what do you think you are buying? Do you think it is something you could make yourself on your computer? I don't think so.............

If you answered don’t know or no to the above there is a strong probability you are buying a Cinderalla… an envelope made up buy someone, with a stamp made up by someone with a hand frank made up by someone. Actually I print onto purchased quality envelopes and I have the hand franks produced for me to my design. But I also have the recognized postage stamps of the country officially cancelled by the post office and in my flight cover cases they are carried on the aircraft. That is a first flight cover.

I wonder if the people buying Cinderallas know what they are buying. Do they know they could make these on their computer on their own? Maybe they don’t care. All well and good. Many would say that in today’s world everyone is entitled to be creative and exploit whatever selling opportunity they can create. And believe me the internet offers an enormous medium to exploit the being exploited doesn’t it.

So Buyer Be Aware . If you know what you are bidding on that is good.. if you know you are buying Cinderallas then that is good.. I just hope you don’t think you are buying First flight covers.

Oh and finally, I saw a Singapore Post A380 FDC, issued on 25th October with a starting price of US$25.

Very nice. If you want one that has been actually flown on the aircraft and has the arrival Australia Post office cancellation at Sydney International Airport just keep reading the blog, or write to me. Had to exploit the opportunity didn’t I. LOL J but no Cinderallas from me, of that I can assure you. Oh yes, and I have listed some A380 First Flight Covers on the web site.. enjoy the pictures if nothing else.

Best wishes.. enjoy your stamps.. hopefully real one J Michael