Hello,    this lovely MS from Hong Kong..  from a lovely person :-)   Thank you so much.. and a view for you of just one stamp from it for your enjoyment. Mine will come when I get to Hong Kong in two weeks :-)

Enjoy your stamps... Michael       www.cddstamps.com      

          

Hello,  sorry not written for a few days. Been busy listing my Bidstart Store items.  see previous writings for details.

One subject comes to mind, are pen cancels collectable?  I have to say yes because I am listing some in my Bidstart Store,  but that is a yes with a proviso,  yes, provided the cancel, is not really damaging to the stamp(s). I have had so many where I really believe there is malicious behaviour on the part of the postal work, and as many of you will know I have vented my concern and frustration to the respective Post offices ( yes mostly Australian closely followed by Royal Mail)  They, the Post Office administration, don't care and never will and will never address the problem, so as one person said to me maybe pen cancels will be collectable.  What is your view? Would you collect a really nice clean copy if it just had a clean pen cancel through it?  See above for example.  And consider, there are probably not that many higher value stamps around..  as per above,  in postally used condition. Everything these day is Mint and wasting in collections :-)   seriously that is where the hobby is at for new issues, so to get a postal used copy, in whatever condition is probably worth having. My own collection is Used and it will stay that way.

Some thoughts?     I look forward to hearing from you  

Enjoy your stamps.... Michael                   www.cddstamps.com

Hello  tonight a blatant plug for my Bidstart Store.    Nearly 2000 lots listed, all with a scan of the stamp(s) and mostly between Fine to Very Fine Used at  between 5% and 25 % of  catalogue, including stamps from GB, Canada, USA, Rhodesia, Fiji, Norfolk Island, Nyasaland, New Zealand, Papa New Guinea, and various others.  The above MS is there at 25% cat because of the heavy franking but the stamps are still pretty clear.    You can find me at seller ID michaelatcddstamps..at Bidstart   or click this link My Bidstart Store listings   ( or copy to address bar if link doesn't show live when I publish)

Enjoy...  Michael   www.cddstamps.com

Hello,  Thought I'd challenge a topic tonight. I was looking at GB EDVII today and while many years ago I studied these and catalogued these I am still questioning if I got the stamps catalogued correctly. Anyone any tips or helpful ideas.???    The above is SG 230 and SG 284.. ( maybe not best reproduced in scans but there is a real colour difference)

Sometime it is easy if there is a clear date on the post franking. Yet more often than not it is difficult, in my view, to determine a De La Rue printing from a Harrison or even Somerset House printing. Yes perforations can help. But that is about it, or is it?  Anyone with more experience than me who can offer a comment on these. Sometime the catalogue value can be significantly different.
I catalogued hundreds many years ago, and by shade and am now questioning how accurate was I

hope to hear from you if you know about these issues. And if you are collecting them just give some thought to those stamps where there is an significant price difference between issues.

Michael

Hi, it has again been raining most of the day so I just had to stay indoors, forget the garden,  and the grass that just keeps on growing, and work on my stamps.   I spent time with Fiji today, again. Hope you like these.

Issued in 1983, because they could I suppose. No commemorative reason that I know of.

I thought of these because while eating my lunch I saw a pair of parakeets eating the figs on my fig tree.

Oh well, I am sure they were nice figs!!!

Have a great weekend........   Michael     www.cddstamps.com -  do have a browse when you have time  :-)

Hi, just a short hello tonight.. Valentines Day... what surprises did you get.. mine was loading 192 lots to Bidstart, including this lovely HK $50 stamps, and a lovely bottle of Taylors shiraz I bought :-) tiem to sleep I think

Enjoy your stamps   ... Michael

Hi,   I got some mail from Hong Kong today and how considerate of the sender  :-)  ..  some lovely stamps including the Year of the Dragon MS in lovely condition, but I have shown that before and anyway it is the Year of the Snake now and I have shown that I seem to recall. So this lovely block of 6 with nice franking.

Not much new really.....  unless you are interested in the stamps in my Bidstart Store   nearly 1700 lots listed all with pictures and majority are VFU or MUH   some others of course but I try to only list the best. I have a very good table light I use to check every stamp before I scan it so I am very confident of the quality I list.

FYI I now have a very good listing selection  for Australia, Great Britain (old and very new and some more 200 very modern ones I am currently scanning to list in coming days)  Papa New Guinea, Canada, USA, Norfolk Island, Hong Kong ( more to come also in coming days)  and more.

Please have a look. Everything is priced to help you fill gaps in your collection  my Bidstart store is at here

Enjoy     Michael

Kung Hei Fat Choy

 Happy New Year..

Just wish I was there  in TST this weekend :-)   Have a great one  

Michael

Hi.    Hope you like this. MS..   not sure how many copies I will get  but maybe do this as a prize. Lovely isn't it

Michael

Listed this on Bidstart Store today.  Lovely design I hope you will agree. and the following is something I posted to a few people and a few boards..   so sharing with you all FYI as well..

The reason I am writing is to let everyone know I am alive and well, been busy with work  (past 2 1/2 years in Hong Kong and more recently Brisbane)  but now finding more time for stamps. And, I really am trying to find ways to let people know what I am doing in the stamp world.

My latest activity is  a Bidstart Store that I have started.  So far I have listed over 1000 items - all with scans of the stamps - covering mainly Australia, Great Britain and Canada, but with various others as well.  If you have gaps in your collections this is a great and cheap was to fill them, as my prices are mostly 5% to 25% of catalogue. I won't get rich selling here :-) but it will offset the costs I have sending free stamps to children, and others, every month.  Here is the link to the Store  http://stampwants-stamps.bidstart.com/Stamps-/1/c.html?username=michaelatcddstamps&keywords=

I hope you enjoy looking and perhaps will tell friends about it.

On the Aviation front, I flew more A380 inaugurals over past two years,  Korean Air, China Southern and Malaysia Airlines. Sadly I missed the Thai A380 inaugurals flights because of work commitments although I did have covers carried on those.  All my A380 covers are listed ( some still to be listed) on my web site at http://www.cddstamps.com/new_page_11.htm   Yes prices are high but these are genuine flown covers with documented proof, including pictures of the crew and crew signatures, not like some of the alleged A380 FFC covers you see on eBay from countries that have never seen an A380 except from 39,000 feet. I am of course saving like mad because I want to fly the BA A380 inaugural later this year. Watch this space!!!!

My web site as I mentioned earlier is still there and with some very good offers in the Online Shop, and often on the Home Page - Currently a Valentines days special if you collect GB Commemoratives.

I am still a Director of the IPDA (Internet Philatelic Dealers Association) and the Newsletter Editor.  We continue to promote the IPDA and try hard to get across the message that buyers should buy from accredited sellers, whether it be an IPDA member or a seller accredited through another recognised organisations. 

And finally, I started to write on Twitter and with 160 followers so far , I  feel this is yet another forum to keep people informed, as I myself keep informed on topics and organisations I like to keep up to date on.  You can follow me on Twitter - I am cddstamps, - and if you visit my web site at http://www.cddstamps.com there is a link to click on to follow me.

Thanks for reading, thanks for following my blogs, and thanks if you do visit my Bidstart Store, and even more thanks if you find something to buy. And perhaps if nothing else you can forward my details ( this email perhaps) to a friend and / or  fellow stamp collector who may get value or be interested to know about cddstamps.

Best wishes. Enjoy this wonderful; hobby

Michael

Hello, I have come to the conclusion, after minutes of thought :-) that I really only enjoy seeing the older - lets say pre 1960  - stamp designs,  To me they just had more artistic and design character. I was looking through Canada stock today ( yes it was raining again!!) and it seemed to me that as soon as I got to the 1970 material I started to lose interest.  Sad really, as the later issues have a much higher catalogue value then the earlier issues. Well so it appears to me. I will be listing more Canada items  on Bidstart over coming days, mostly the higher cat values as I assume everyone has the easy to find lower priced copies.  This is SG 366 and has a catalogue value of   £16.00... now that surprised me.   have you got a copy? check out my Bidstart store (seller id michaelatcddstamps)  if you want one.  But more importantly do you know the scene.  Quite beautiful, I have been there. For a surprise prize,  to 5th correct answer, write to me and tell me the view. cddstamps@gmail.com with your mailing address please.

Best wishes.. Michael

Hi,   how was your day?  Good I hope. Been raining again here so that meant I could do stamps and more stamps and more stamps :-).

I won't tell you how many great lots there are in my Bidstart Store now but I will show you a few of the lovely stamps I came across while sorting and cataloguing some old material today. So much has accumulated I just have to try to clear my study and old albums: thus my Bidstart Store.

I also spent many hours writing the IPDA (Internet Philatelic Dealers Association) monthly newsletter. That was completed and emailed to members. Some already replied they enjoyed reading it. Are you an IPDA member I wonder. Probably not if you are reading this as you will have been bored to death already today with my ramblings :-)  Only joking.  but seriously, if you are a seller, please write to me at cddstamps@ gmail.com and ask for a free copy of the February Newsletter.

Are you a seller? and if yes why are you not an IPDA member. Worth it if only to let buyers know you are accredited to an organisation. I was reading some auction lots today. Obviously not IPDA members given the poor quality / descriptions I was seeing. I've written about this time and time again but little seems to change. Make a difference and look at our website www.ipdaonline.org.

Ok, off my soap box. Hope you all enjoying your stamps. The above pair is from the 1979 National Parks issue. Nice pair I think you will agree and not one easily found these day in such nice condition. There is also a se-tenant strip of 5 which you can see in my Bidstart Store.  The stamp below is from the 1980's Wildlife series and has a catalogue value of £2.00. That surprised me when I was listing this and others. Lovely series of stamps I think.

Best wishes...................   Michael                  www.cddstamps.com

Hello, Are you getting bored with me telling you about my Bidstart listings :-)   If I don't tell you you wont know and will miss out. Most of you already have as I have had two buyers take over 60 items recently. Must be pricing right with plus the quality of course, Anyway .. I am still listing Australia and have a way to go given the stock I somehow seemed to have accumulated. Where did it come from I wonder. :-)   Canada next.. Got so much of that having lived there for a long time.

Anyway, what about this stamp above issued in 1979 and, I will be surprised if you have a copy. As I have been listing stock I have been pretty impressed with the lovely stamps Australia Post issued back in the 1970's and 80's.   What went wrong  I wonder. The rubbish we generally see today. Artistic design standards have either changed or the talent is just not there anymore. Thoughts? :-)

have a great weekend and enjoy your stamps... Michael

PS and just a thought..Bidstart.com   seller ID michaelatcddstamps :-)    go on have a look. Be surprised. :-)