cddstamps on stamps

my thoughts on stamps, stamp collecting, philately in general and maybe a few other topics !

Friday, August 29, 2008

I got mail... and then some

Hello, Friday night, a glass of Australian Shiraz ( and as cheap as in Sydney I might add) and my mail for the day. Had a good week. Three items of mail. This is one. Thank you. Adrian, Big thank you. :-) Apart from writing a good blog http://akphilately.blogspot.com/ he is a great guy.


I wrote about a week ago about the GB high value definitives that I had not seen.. well here is one.. and all things considered not too bad a postage.


Oh, and people, please note how the stamp is not stuck right in the corner.. so has not been bent through various postal handlings.. Well done Adrian... Many thanks.


Tomorrow, something else I received this past week.

Enjoy your stamps.. Michael

Thursday, August 28, 2008

looking ahead ....and then some...

I think of myself as one of those people that look ahead... I don't often look back, if you know what I mean. What is to come needs planning for. Whether it be work or home activities. And I think I am pretty good at that. My detailed time frames are usually 3 to 6 months. Sound reasonable?

Then I saw this http://www.ny2016.org/ Well I guess someone has bigger horizons than me. Many do of course. My current horizon is mid 2010 because of my work, although I am thinking of how to bring that forward :-)

So did you even know about NY2016. I may even think of exhibiting. I have enough time to plan.... don't I? Of course I have to be around then.. And be able to complete my GV Downey head collection. Which has me thinking..... are you bidding on my stampoffer.com lots.. I need the funds people to get to NY2016..... am starting early :-)

Enjoy your stamps.. Michael

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

another cover tonight


Hope you like this one.. sadly not flown.. logistic problems.. oh well we tried..



Michael

and do have a look at stampoffers.com

user id cddstamps.. still some lots there starting at 99c :-)

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Manchester United

Hello, well after two wonderful days in the Hunter Valley, yes that is in Australia, I was there for the weekend, I am back in Seoul and looking at stamps. I received this cover in the mail today. How good is this.


Hope you like it.
Big thank you to Tony and Tracey and the team at http://www.buckinghamcovers.com/

I hope you enjoy looking at the site. Enjoy your stamps.. Michael



Thursday, August 21, 2008

40 years ago today

Love that title.. some Beatle memories eh!! but I was just listening to the BBC news - well it is an English TV channel here in the apartment. I hear the news that 40 years ago today Russia invaded Czechoslovakia. I was there. I remember waking up in my hotel room to the sound of helicopters and tanks. Nothing to do with stamps but I found this cover and Vienna was the city we got to when we finally got out of the country.

Oh, and for the real nostalgia, the coach driver we had was the driver for the Beatles Magical Mysteries Tour Bus.

Enjoy your stamps and all they mean to you
I'll be offline for a few days as am flying to Sydney for the weekend.
See you next week and don't forget my auction lots on eBay and Stampoffers.com, someone is going to get a deal :-( ha ha ............Michael

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

postal history................

A bit of history tonight. There is more to stamps than just the stamps themselves. Well that is my view.

I hope you enjoy reading the attached link - well I hope it links - or just copy to your address bar. http://stamps.about.com/od/history/a/Postal_History.htm
I have not had a competition question for a while. So here is one. When was the first privately owned postal type delivery system started, what year please, by who and from what city?

I have a a mint unhinged set of GB to give away - SG 1075 - 1078 email me at cddstamps@gmail.com and you must include your mailing address. 4th correct answer wins these. Oh! and did I tell you about my auction lots on http://www.stampoffers.com/ :-) user id cddstamps :-)

Tuesday, August 19, 2008


I was reading a few other blogs tonight - looking for inspiration maybe - I was going to write about Machins as I found a few nice high value ones while sorting over the weekend.

I read Adrian's http://akphilately.blogspot.com/ always an informative read in my view and there was a very good piece on Machins with some excellent pictures, and of course my mate Roy's Machin Mania at http://machinmania.blogspot.com/. I cannot compete with these guys, so thought I'd look for another topic. Just happened to get a link to a Royal Mail page and came across these high value Machins I have never seen before. Maybe I have been living under a rock here in Seoul, or just forgot. Anyway they seem to be selling only in pages of 100, from what I could see from a quick look. Have to have a look in more detail as I don't have these Machins. New colours to me. Here is the ₤5 Machin. Hands up if you have a copy. Ok no one :-) me neither. Have to rectify that somehow. Maybe my pilot friend will get me a copy next time he is in London and mail it to me :-)

Enjoy your stamps, oh and I did I tell you I have a rather nice starter lot of 150 plus machins, 80 at least different, on eBay :-) opening bid 99c - user id michaelatcddstamps, as if you didn't know by know.

Michael

Monday, August 18, 2008

Hello, thanks for your responses to yesterdays stamps with faults. Good to see so many observant people out there. As promised, my view of the stamp - and a very picky view for you - just to get the message home - is shown below. Congratulations to Arianna and Fabio from Italy for being first with email and the faults, stamps in the mail to you.

Oh and don't forget to look at http://www.stampoffers.com/ to see my latest auction listings. check user id cddstamps. I loaded some more lots last night most starting at 99c. If you want to GB please look. I hope to get some bidding but if not then you could pick up some cheap additions for your collections.

enjoy your stamps, best wishes Michael

Saturday, August 16, 2008

faults by example

I have been sorting more stamps and listing more on eBay and Stampoffers.com

I do hope you have a look me on eBay - michaelatcddstamps is user ID - Just listed some Machins, 99c opening bid, excellent lot, over 150 stamps, and some Wilding high values, and on Stampoffers a few lots as well; my user id there is cddstamps.

While sorting I came across these and since I have been talking quality lately and I don't want anyone out there to get ripped off, I thought I'd show you these three stamps. They are yours along with a few extra copies of the 2/6 stamp, as space fillers, to first email to answer the question after the scan































The question - how many faults can you see in the 2/6 stamp - email me at cddstamps@gmail.com and describe them. There are no tricks - just observe as you would if you were buying off an auction site - because I assure you the equivalent of these are being listed, and sadly, silly bunnies are buying them!! :-)

Enjoy your stamps... Michael

three stamps tonight


Hello, Last night I wrote about stamp quality, and of course my eBay and Stampoffer listings. I put a few more lots on Stampoffers today - hope you have a look at them - check user cddstamps at http://www.stampoffers.com/

Ok for the stamps. First the rather poor copy of the 1980 12p Runner (SG 1134) I showed last night. Here is what it should look like. This from a few I have sorted while here in Seoul. Big difference eh!! And in my view not a stamp one would try and sell as single. Postage would cost more than the catalogue value :-)


Now to another view of quality. I had a comment about perforations. Well here are two stamps one with good perfs and another with very short, actually non existent perfs on one margin. Would you throw away the one with no perfs. Well no actually you wouldn't. Why? Well because it is SG 542 watermark inverted. And often these inverted watermarks have very short perfs. It is not an award winning copy by any means but since it is an inverted watermark copy it is worth keeping for your collection. Well that is my view. Catalogue value is not high but it is still nice to have a copy even as a space filler, until you can find a better full perf copy.

So my message on this is, check watermarks, and shades and varieties even, before throwing away what could be a useful addition to your collection. As for the SG 1134 Runner stamp. Well there were no varieties for this, other than a copy with the Queens head missing. Now that would be worth keeping in any condition :-)
Enjoy your stamps, Michael




Friday, August 15, 2008

time to talk quality I am afraid, and a sales plug

Hello, I decided it was time for me to try to auction some stamps - raise some cash again to fund my postage costs. and anyway my Paypal account is low.

So I listed a few lots on eBay - see me at michaelatcddstamps, some nice first flight covers and a few other lots, and starting prices at 99c. I had a look around eBay. Pretty good quality being offered for sale.
Then I decided to list a few lots on Stampoffers.com. Cheaper to list and the material - GB Commemoratives - might not attract much interest on eBay - three lots listed - again all starting at 99c. You can find my listings under seller "cddstamps"
Then I had a browse at some of the GB for sale. Much ok.. if you want to waste your time buying single items for 5c or 25c when the cat is same as the asking price. My special offers on the web site will be a steal - unless these sellers are buying them derrgghh!!! :-)
"I gotta tell you" there are some shonky sellers there. Definately not IPDA members. I found this one for sale. I throw these away when I am sorting. Please don't buy this rubbish ( look at botton right hand corner for starters, and then notice the seller has scanned on light green background... to further hide the bad perfs) . Have I told you all this before. Sorry for repeating myself, but someone is buying this because the seller has many thousands of sales to their name. and some poor beginner out there is likely getting ripped off big time.




Then this one. Sad but true. This is rubbish. I am embarrassed that someone purporting to be a stamp dealer is offering to sell this. He or she is a disgrace and not a reputable seller in my view. I have seen this seller many times offer this lack of quality - this absolute junk - for sale. There is nothing I can do about it except tell you and say please tell anyone you know that this is a garbage piece of paper that was a collectable stamp before it got damaged. And for the record the background to my stamps on Stampoffers is blue, only because I don't have any black paper. Am going to get some tomorrow, but I think my reputation and being a member and Director of the IPDA stands for something.
:-) Big smile.
Have a great weekend everyone. Anyone got a real doozy of a stamp they saw on an auction. Send me a scan please and I'll show others.
Michael


Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Aviation on Stamps - Australia

Hello, yes it has been a while since I wrote. Yes been travelling. Yes been busy with work, and yes had so little time for stamps. Miss them as they help me relax. As you will deduce from the cover I show, I was in Australia last week (am back in Seoul now) and was fortunate enough to be there when the Aviation issue was released. My interest of course being Aviation on stamps and in particular the A380 on stamps. And here is another A380 on a stamp in this issue.
I have to tell you the opening lines from Australia Post about this issue.
"The Aviation stamp issue looks at the role of aircraft in carrying airmail and passengers in Australia since the beginning of civil air transport in 1921"
Don't you just love the statement of the obvious. Of course you only get to appreciate this if you actually possess a copy of the rather nicely produced Prestige Booklet. The stamps themselves are just good pictures of aircraft on stamps. Interesting aircraft and a good selection in my view. Hope you like them.

The issue was released to coincide with the launch of the Qantas A380, so say Australia Post even if the Aircraft won't actually be flying for Qantas on commercial service until October I believe. I could be wrong, even I have not had time to follow the schedules, and sadly won't be on the first flight.

Anyway, enough for now, enjoy your stamps. First person to send me some stamps showing the A380 - will get a free copy of this FDC. Address.. Apt 119-1401, #1159 Hwagok-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul 157 015.
Best wishes... Michael

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