Hello, bet the stamp image above surprised you. Well time for a reminder, one I am a bit annoyed about myself of course, but carelessness happens to us all I guess.  These are 4 recent  GB Royal mail stamps. They accidentally got into the sink in which other stamps were soaking.

I have said in many forums do not soak stamps from envelopes when the stamps are non-soluble gum, or try any method to get the stamps from the envelope. This is what can happen, and it would seem Royal Mail have become even more devious, can I think that out loud, and found a way to make sure the stamps are destroyed if there is any attempt to remove them from an envelope.

I usually cut the stamps with nice a margin and store them in albums on piece.  I have been doing that for many years now, especially with the Security Machins. I have written this many times. This is just a reminder to us all I hope.

Now to the next point. If you are sending an envelope to someone and you are using non-soluble gum stamps please be considerate and do not place the stamps touching each other, or too close. Leave a nice space between the stamps so the receiver can cut them from the envelope with nice margins around them. I received a parcel the other day and the idiot,  is that too strong a term, knowing I collect the stamps I might add, had placed the stamps touching each other.  So inconsiderate.

And for anyone suggesting you keep the envelope in one piece, yes sometimes that is worth it but with general run of the mill stamps I don't think so these days.

Best wishes, enjoy your stamps.

Michael
www.cddstamps.com    where you can complete that gap in your collection by buying just the one stamp you need, with ease and at a competitive price.  Have a look at the website and look at my Bidstart Sales. You just might be surprised and able to fill a few gaps in your collection.

Hello, I hope you like the MS shown above. Hong Kong Post issued a set of six Chinese Dinosaur Stamps this week. Really nice issue, especially for the Thematic collector.  One special feature is that the stamps are printed with a luminous effect that makes the unique features of the dinosaurs glow in the dark. Click image to enlarge.

I will be using some of these stamps on the orders I mail over the coming weeks, until my supply runs out.

Hey, place a large order, maybe for Hong Kong FDCs, of which I have a nice collection from the 1980s and 90s,  and I will use a full set of six.  Just have a look at the countries I have in stock in my Bidstart Shop here  select the country you collect and enjoy browsing the Shop

Have a great weekend..  Michael
www.cddstamps.com

     

Hello, tonight a different Machin I received on an envelope recently . I have many of these collected over the last few years. Not even sure where they all are to be honest. Never really paid any attention to them. Quite collectible I guess.  This one has a postal value of £20.70   Anyone collect these or even have any idea how to find a catalogue value - if there is such a thing?

Look forward to hearing from one of my readers

Best wishes.. Michael

www.cddstamps.com

Hello, another letter received in the mail today. Amazing that this is unfranked..   Just proves that it is not Hong Kong Post that obliterates stamps with pen cancels.   And, nice to see dealers using stamps and not those white labels :-)

Best wishes...  Michael
www.cddstamps.com

PS  if you are looking to complete or fill some gaps in your Machin collection please have a look at http://www.bidstart.com/search_results.php?username=michaelatcddstamps&keywords=machin&category   I have over 600 Machins listed..      nice selection of some copies.and as a special I am offering these, mostly at 10% of cat.

Hi, happy weekend. Look at what I found in my mail last night. Are Australia Post,, and I guess Hong Kong Post trying to be nice to me for once. This mailed from Australia and it has got through the Australia Post system with no stamp, and of course no postal cancel. Now I know I am not happy with Australia Post but surely they are not trying to be nice to me.  More like their usual incompetence I would think.

This something I purchased on eBay. Perhaps I should also ask the send for a refund of the Postage charge I paid  hahahahahahahaha...  Nice move if you can get away with it.

Have a great Philatelic weekend

Michael
www.cddstamps.com

Hello, hope you enjoy seeing these. Can you spot the difference. Worth spotting. Why? because the one on the left, with the elliptical perforations, is catalogued at £10 and the other at £2.  SG 2693 versus SG 2569.

Enjoy sorting those stamps.

Michael
www.cddstamps.com

Sunday evening here and as it was a rainy and cold day I spent a lot of time with my stamps.  sorting these Machins today, as well as many others.

Again, as you might see, there are quite a few differences I noted The colour shades do not show too well in the scan but I can assure you there were there, different printer, and different paper as well as different font sizes . Must find my Deegams. :-)

Hope your weekend was good

Michael

www.cddstamps.com

Hello, Friday again. where does the time go?  I am back sorting stamps and just noticed these. Lots of these actually but selected three to show.  I do not have my Deegams on this laptop so cannot check further. Note the left hand stamp is lighter in shade. I think the perforations are different as well? Main difference apart from colour shade is the middle one has a thinner Ist  than the others. My SG Concise, as far as I can see, does not show this variety / printer detail so thought I would show you and see if a reader can help me with cataloguing them.

Have a great and interesting philatelic weekend.

Michael

www.cddstamps.com

Hello, tonight a stamp I recently listed in my Bidstart Store. I think Canada have, over the years and especially in the 1980s and 90s, issued some rather nice looking stamps. And, I think they did not flood the market with their issues, so from what I read they seem to have a good catalogue value now, some 20 plus years later.

This from a 1991 issue of Small Craft of Canada issue ( 3rd in a series) is SG 1428 with a catalogue value of £1.40.  Obviously I am not listing it at that, in fact as you might know, most of my listings are priced from 5% to 35% of cat. I think that reflects a competitive price and is reasonable.
To see more have a look  here   where I have 850 Canada stamps listed. Maybe fill a gap or two or more I hope, in your collection.   Just type the SG number into the "Search Store For" field and see if I have what you are looking for.

Enjoy your stamps.. Best wishes.. Michael

Happy (Chinese) New Year, from Hong Kong. Last night I spent a very enjoyable evening watching the fireworks from the Kowloon side. Wonderful display that lasted 22 minutes.

As for stamps. I hope you have time to look at my Bidstart Store listings where I have now over 8800 lots available. Just finished listing some more GB Machins and Canada (late 1980s and early 1990s issues)

My Machins of include a wide range of copies, including postal cancels that offer you a good choice and are priced at just 10% of catalogue. I hope this helps you fill some gaps in your collection. I  have not sorted by paper, phosphor, gums or perforations as they would be so difficult but I have tried to describe as best I can. Definitely some good opportunities there.

Have a look at http://www.bidstart.com/shop.php?keywords=canada&category=0&userid=105545&advsrc=&submitsearch for Canada, some 800 lots to chose from.

And, http://www.bidstart.com/shop.php?keywords=great&category=0&userid=105545&advsrc=&submitsearch for GB, just type Machin, or the denomination value you are looking for 9 for (exampe 41p) in the  "Search Store For" field.

or visit http://cddstamps.com/bidstart-sales/ for a listing of all teh countries I have in stock.

Best wishes..  I hope you are having a great weekend     Michael    www.cdddstamps.com