cddstamps on stamps

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

Thursday, November 19, 2009

GB SG 1469,1470, 1476 and 1478

Hello, have you looked up what these stamps are? see scan below. A reader sent me a link with pictures of two stamps, asking why / what was the difference? Well actually there are more than a few different stamps and I thought it would be interesting to start to tell you about them. The scan below shows - my understanding I will admit - the 20p stamps for the 150th Anniversary of the Penny Black. I will try to show later week after next (I am away overseas and won't be writing for a while, sorry) some other differences when I get time to scan on my little microscope.

Anyway.. Hope you find the following interesting.. perhaps check what you have, at least the perforations and phosphor bands, which are the easiest to identify

I'll be back around 1st December, am in Las Vegas next week for American Thanksgiving with various family members and any other celebrities that care to gatecrash :-)

Best wishes.... Michael

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

do you use auction sites on the web?


Hello, why do I ask? well I found a new site today.. don't think I will go back there mind you but thought it would be interesting to know if you look at auction sites and which ones?

This is one... I won't say which one because I don't want to encourage you to go somewhere that has no description of its stamps.. look carefully.. no description.. who is trying to sell this? could be any one of at least 6 stamps... by watermark, phosphor, variety etc etc etc .......seems a bit far fetched to me.. so what online auction sites do you use, if any, or would you consider using? I would really appreciate hearing from you.. may do a poll even.. if get time tomorrow.

Enjoy your stamps.. best wishes.. Michael
and PLEASE READ THE WEB SITE :-) cddstamps.com :-) might be worth your while for Christmas :-)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

your Christmas present to yourself


Hello, if, like me, you enjoy buying something for yourself at Christmas - well it makes it sure you will get exactly what you want - then now is the time to think of a treat for yourself, so have a look at my lots on eBay and Stampwants.com I've listed plenty of material as I've finally had the time to do so.

check me out .. user name at both eBay and Stampwants.com is michaelatcddstamps everything (except one lot on eBay) starts at 99c. The cover above is on eBay, opening bid 99c. Free postage in Australia and postage capped to maximum of AUS $4.20 worldwide no matter what it costs me. Treat yourself, or enjoy looking at the listings.

Best wishes, enjoy your stamps, Michael

Saturday, November 14, 2009

eBay on a lazy Sunday afternoon

Hello, I have had a really lazy day. Just too hot to do anything, except sort some stamps :-) So since eBay here has a free listing for 99c listings I thought I'd put some lots up. Maybe useful for someone, or a Christmas present or two. Free postage within Australia and postage capped to a max of AUS $4.20 world wide, or at cost if less. What is there? Well GB Royal Mail Presentation Packs from 1976 to 1979 inclusive at the moment. I may list some more if I get time tonight. Find them by searching for user michaelatcddstamps.

Enjoy ....Michael

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Quality Check Part III

Hello, actually not so much about quality but more about knowing what you are looking at. I got the idea for this from the emails and comments received to previous articles, so thanks to you all for responding.

This is about having a good catalogue. I am certainly not the first to say this and I won't be the last but you must have a good catalogue. Since I was showing GV in previous articles and since I saw this catalogue today I thought I would share it with you in case you are not aware of it, or are looking for a Christmas present for yourself :-)

Issued a few weeks ago now by SG and available at £39.95. This catalogue is the standard reference work for specialist collectors of the "Four Kings" period of British Philately, from 1902-1952. Background information is given for all issues, with full details of plate markings, sheet arrangements, inks, papers and shades, with helpful guidance on identification. Essays, proofs and colour trials are listed and priced. Many plate flaws are illustrated and priced as are shades not listed in the GB Concise catalogue. Detailed listings of control numbers and marginal plate markings are provided. Booklet panes, postage dues, officials and Channel Island occupation issues are all fully listed. Appendixes cover perforators, booklets, specimen overprintsw, protective underprints and inland postage rates. Prices are given for mounted, unmounted and fine used examples for the period from 1902 to 1935 and for unmounted and used thereafter. On cover prices are also given for Edward VII issues. More details at Stanley Gibbons

Best wishs.... Michael

Monday, November 09, 2009

Time for a Quality Check - Part II


Hello, I thought I would continue this topic with a few other points.

First the stamps I show. While the stamps I showed last night were from an Auction listing I did not tell you that they were Scott 159-162, or better known as SG 351 - 368. :-) Mind you having said that, there are quite a few colour and error varities of each of these stamps: just listing as Scott 159 -162 is saying these are pretty basic stamps. But then again anyone listing them with the torn corners they have may not know much more and there could be a 10 million to one chance there is sleeper variety there; But I doubt it. As for my stamps above, I quickly picked from my stock without studying them until I saw them on the screen. I have 100s of these. Not all perfect by any means, but good for checking shades and for varieties. There are a few short perfs I note now I have scanned them, but nothing as bad as the short corners on the ones I showed last night. Hope you can see this. And you can appreciate that there are watermark varieties of these stamps, as my scan shows both a Royal Cypher and Block Cypher grouping. Not that you can see the difference :-)

Thought you might also like to know the ones last night were listed to start bidding at $1.49 - US that is -...... you can buy these in very nice condition off a very respectable UK dealers web site for less than a dollar - excluding postage cost I will add, for both. So don't be deluded by Catalogue Value. I know the catalogue value from SG 2009 is £6.50, and the dealer selling price is about 60p GB. Bear that in mind. For material like this try swaps and exchanges through stamps boards. I am sure you will get so much more, or, dare I say it, buy from my website cddstamps and get many many many times the value you would get from these item by item auctions. Ok yes I am plugging myself but that is not really the point ............ the point is you will not necessarily get what you should be getting when you buy these item by item auction lots.

Enjoy your stamps.................. Michael

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Time for a Quality Check


Hello, I was talking to a friend this afternoon about IT system Health Checks and it got me thinking, I should check out some auction sites again and see what the stamp quality is like these days. I have a few sellers I watch occassionally..only because in the past they have put up some real garbage. But tonight I have been pretty impressed and seen very few poor quality or poorly described stamps. This is good news for collectors and I am very happy to see this.

I cannot be too "all good news" can I - GOM that I am hee hee :-) so a few words of advice.
1) Please don't only rely on the sellers description. Many sellers have absolutely no clue, and just because they have hundreds or thousands of sales to their name is not proof they know what they are selling.
2) Study the picture and if in doubt ask for a large scan.. of the front AND back of the stamp(s). Read first point again because if you dont get the scan don't bid. You are likley wasting your money.
3) Finally, yes it is ok I guess to buy single stamps which are being listed at 5c or 7c, or some such apparently very low amount, but remember you can probably get these for free from a decent trade..... the stamps I see listed for these sums I give away in the hundreds. In fact I think I gave away to some of these sellers the stamps they are now selling, individually selling each stamp that is. Oh the joy of free enterprise.

FYI, I sent 100+ stamps to a letter from a child the other day, from my Children's Corner Box.. the letter I got was a child's handwriting and I am hoping I wasn't being conned because I saw many of the same stamps listed for 5c and 10c. My stamps will not have arrived yet so this is just coincidence, but it goes to show there are sellers out there doing it for themselves and only themselves. hey that is ok too.. but that doesn't mean you have to help them does it. Look for alternative sources rather than paying over the top for the odd stamp, is my advice.
4) I add this. Is the seller a member of the IPDA - Internet Philatelic Dealers Association????? If not why not. You be the judge.

Oh and the stamps I showed you above..... Lovely selection .. NOT you tell me what is wrong with them..

I'll send these stamps (from my collection spares but without the faults) for free to the first 4 of you with correct answers. email me at cddstamps@gmail.com :-)

Enjoy your stamps... Michael

Friday, November 06, 2009

Children's Corner... update

Hello, today I soaked a few more stamps - with ease I might add :-) These are two I noticed that I thought you might enjoy seeing. These are included in my Children's Corner box now, along with hundreds more of equal quality.


A few reasons for showing. Obvious one is they are rather attractive don't you think. Also they have a clear postmark. How good to see such postally used in this condition. I have sorted and soaked over 1000 stamps recently and many from my wonderful friend in Germany and all used with good postal frankings. Also to let you know that my first sending of free stamps from the new collection.... all donated by many of you..... has gone out today. Thank you to everyone who donated stamps.. Germany, Canada, UK, Australia, USA, Hong Kong.. oops, who have I forgotten :-) sorry

Anyway, Thanks everyone.... there will be a lot of happy children collectors in the days and weeks ahead.

If you know children who would like some free stamps.. just get them to write to me - real mail only please... to Michael, cddstamps, PO Box 3482, Dural, NSW 2158, Australia.

have a great weekend, ... Michael

Thursday, November 05, 2009

a really beautiful stamp in my view


Hello, Today a friend here in Sydney gave me some stamps. He collects them from letters he receives and every now and again we meet up for lunch and exchange stories, and I get a few stamps. Of course the stamps are all modern, current issues and from a few countries, including the US and Great Britain, as well as, and mostly, Australia. I decided to sort and soak them as soon as I got home. Reason I am telling you this? Well I have not much more than 60% of what he gave me. Most stamps do not soak off these days. You knew that right? So is this the end of collecting modern issues? Of course it is. I've been saying this for a few years for a number of reasons actually. And, added to my reasons, is this use of non soluable gums. Really a way to stop stamp collecting as we have known it for the past 100 years. Why? because no one will be soaking stamps and enjoying the relaxation etc that gives, and then placing the stamps in albums. That is a dead past time, a dead hobby. Don't try to soak modern stamps. GB, Australia, US.. maybe others I do not see. You will have little to no success. Collecting from now on - actually from a few years back I started this with my own GB collection - will be with the stamp still on envelope, or at least a portion of the envelope.

So that is my ramble and rant. Your views? or have you given up collecting new issues used? Using GB as an example even as far back as 1960(the year, not the SG number) you will find used stamps are catalogued more than Mint. I've been saying for some years now, collect GB commemoratives postally used - if you can find them. :-)

so back to the stamp I showed. What a surprise to find this. How lovely a stamp is it? Brilliant in my view. But what is missing? Yes there is no postal franking. What is even more amazing is that a GB Commemorative was actually used on a letter..... :-) unexpected I am sure as Royal Mail seem to think these are issued for collectors of mint stamps only, many Post Offices do not even sell the commemoratives, so I have read.. or seen implied... Anyway, rather than get systems that work ( re franking) the Royal Mail now produce stamps with non soluble gum..... hopefully the commemoratives will still be sold in regular gums for a while, but I doubt it given the total (it would appear from anecdotal evidence) incompetency of the Royal mail franking processes. So even less chance of used commemoratives saved as stamps should be saved :-)

write to me at cddstamps@gmail.com or post a reply / comment here. If we want stamp collecting to continue as a hobby for generations to come something will have to change; either the way we collect and mount / store our used stamps, or the Postal Authorities view towards collectors, and I wouldn't back the Postal Authorities if I were you.

Enjoy your stamps.. if you enjoyed reading this, and agree, write to me. If you didn't enjoy and don't agree, write to me. I welcome all points of view.

Michael

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Australia Christmas stamps Part II

Hello, here are the other Australia Christmas stamps - for local postage. A strip of 5. Very nice :-)


Australia post have once again produced a description in their latest stamp bulletin that has to impress even the most politically sensitive of persons. Quite frankly I think all this political correctness is just moron stupidity, but sadly there are lots of them about.

Australia Post say these stamps offer a "...secular alternative to the religious stamps..." WHAT!!!!!!!!!! then, believe it or not, they go on to say what each stamps depicts, with religious conotations... not that it worries me.. and.... wait for it.. they conclude with the comments "while the figure of Santas Claus ultimately derives from Saint Nicholas, the modern version of the white bearded man in a red suit owes more to the 19th century American cartoons" ... don't you just love Australia Post. I do :-)

Ultimately nice stamps, for a nice friendly lets all be friends and happy together season. If you want political correctness I suggest you get a life :-)

Enjoy your stamps and stamps colleagues ........ Michael

PS..anyone waiting on mail from me.. it is in the mail..as of today.. I finally caught up I think :-)

Monday, November 02, 2009

Australia Christmas issue MS

Hello, hope you like this MS.


I have one extra copy.. will use on first purchase of my A380 covers :-) see cddstamps A380 Catalogue index

bst wishes.. Michael

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