cddstamps on stamps

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

Saturday, November 22, 2008

still on the ground...!!!

Hello, not had time to write until now. Just thought I'd add a twist to my latest competition.. yes you still have time to enter.. read previous postings.. but basically it is. tell me... How many hours will I spend on planes between now (that was a few weeks ago I think... you will have to read the previous posts) and 5th December? email me at cddstamps@gmail.com

Well my plans have changed a bit but that shouldn't worry you.. am on the ground at the moment, in the Malaysia Airlines business class lounge in Sydney. Which sounds ok except for the fact three hours ago I left Sydney on a flight to KL, yes you guessed it on MAS. less than an hour out of Sydney we turned back. So add another 90 minutes flying to your new guess hee hee.. if you are going to guess and enter my competitrion.

back to stamps next weekend I am sure. I'll be in Seoul then.

Best wishes .. anyone got any good stamp news to send me that I can share with others.
.......... Michael

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

thank you

Thank you to everyone who bid on my Stampwants lots... sold 16 lots.. will relist some and look for more of what it seems you like....maybe in December for Christmas :-)

Am travelling for the next three weeks so thought I'd have another competition. Will give away 3 prizes.. Some GB presentation packs.. two to each winner ... to the three closest answers to this questions

How many hours will I spend on planes between now and 5th December? email me at cddstamps@gmail.com clues???.. no that would make it easy wouldn't it...but I am in Singapore right now and I will be visiting more than one country OK :-)

Nothing to do with stamps but I will be in Sydney :-) next week so may try to find some time to scan a few and show you some new Australia stamps.

Enjoy your stamps

Monday, November 10, 2008

1 day to go

on my GB lots on www.stampwants.com auction

I really want to move all these duplicates.. so if you bid and you are winning bidder and tell me you knew of the auction from my blog I will send 2 free presentation packs ( my choice) with your stamps. This is only available to readers of my blog obviously and I have promoted this nowhere else.

Enjoy your stamps while I am suffering the warmth of Singapore :-) ha ha

Michael

Saturday, November 08, 2008

stampswants lots closing in 3 days

Hello everyone, hope you are all well.

Just want to remind you of my Stampwants auction lots... Remember, no postage on any lot sold for over USD $5, and no postage on any 4 lots purchased irrespective of price of the total, and postage for any lot sold under USD $5 is only $2.00. I just listed 53 lots on stampwants All GB, from GV, GVI mix, to Wilding definitives, Wilding High values, QE II MUH by years from 1970 to 1979 I think, and Presentation Packs from 1970 to 1980. Lots to see and most starting at USD $0.99 search my user id of michaelatcddstamps.

And just one note, if you bid and win I apologise in advance for late mailing as I am working in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur these next two weeks and have a visit to Sydney straight after that. Best wishes and hope you find something that will cheaply add to your collection

Enjoy your stamps.. Michael

Sunday, November 02, 2008

weekend in the apartment so time to write.....

Hello, well to start with I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Weather here has been brilliant. Cool but sunny as we are well into autumn now.

Second a big thank you to those who completed my survey. I found time to have a look at the results so far. I’ll share a few of the more common responses. If you have not had a look at the survey here it is again. Click Here to take survey

Overall results: More than 50% are collecting world stamps; there was a mixed response to how you collect but a good % do buy from auctions although I noted that circuit books were still used. What motivates you to buy? This had a mixed response but it seems there are more than I expected who just randomly browse looking for good deals. Paypal got a positive overall as being easy and convenient. There was a mixed response to what I have to do (or other sellers I take it to mean as well) to attract you to buy, obvious response was good price and making sure postage costs don’t make the purchase of the stamp(s) uneconomical. And finally it was good to see that the majority of respondents thought that it was “very important” that the sellers had some philatelic association pedigree shat I say.

Ok. What next. Well I have listened and re listed all my lots, and more, that did not sell from my last auction listings. I don’t want to be too philanthropic you understand but I do want all the material to go somewhere and at least cover my costs and give you the collector something extra in your collection. So I have said no postage on any lot sold for over USD $5, and no postage on any 4 lots purchased irrespective of price of the total, and postage for any lot sold under USD $5 is only $2.00. I just listed 53 lots on stampwants All GB, from GV, GVI mix, to Wilding definitives, Wilding High values, QE II MUH by years from 1970 to 1979 I think, and Presentation Packs from 1970 to 1980. Lots to see and most starting at USD $0.99 search my user id of michaelatcddstamps

From my previous listings I wrote this on the subject of postage … “Value - I realize postage for single items can be a deterrent to bid but for example, if you just bought one lot at USD $0.99 plus postage, to equal $3.49, (my postage was US $2.50) and catalogue value was ₤6.00, the lot would still be only 35% of catalogue.

If you bought 4 items, each with catalogue value of ₤6.00 you would be getting the items at about 9% catalogue” ……. so people, I am now making the price even cheaper. Sadly I cannot afford to be 100% philanthropic, or at least not until I win that big lottery :-) And don’t forget I do have to pay Paypal costs and postage and packing. And I use stamps on the mailings. Sounds obvious, but not all sellers do.

Too much writing and nothing on stamps. So just to let you know, if you didn’t, that Gibraltar has started to sell CTO 'Theme' Packs. A cancelled to order (CTO) postage stamp is one that has had its cancellation applied by the issuing postal administration before being sold to stamp collectors or dealers. Now it is only my view I must say but I wouldn’t waste my money on CTO. Mint yes (hey you can always use for postage, and used, well they are collectable and salable as well, one hopes. But CTO. Sorry people. Waste of money. But then if that is what you collect and the themes are what you collect, have a look. They have CTO Packs on the following themes 'Views of Gibraltar'; 'HM Queen Elizabeth II'; 'Football' (2 packs); 'The British Royal Family' and 'Animals in Gibraltar'. Each pack costs £5.50.

And finally, it might be to your advantage if you have read this far and are the person who responded to my survey “ they were a new collector , collects from donations” drop me an email at cddstamps@gmail.com and I’ll get a few world mixed in the mail to help you along with your collection.

Best wishes……… Enjoy your stamps

PS the reason the web site cddstamps is still dated July is because I cannot access to update it. Lots for sale are still available though.

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