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What we collect!
What we collect!


General Philatelic/Gen. Discussion :  It happens !

 

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philb
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27 Jun 2019
10:25:13am

Auctions
i would like to start a thread so we can share similar experiences. Years ago i purchased a inexpensive(ok cheap) box of remainder albums..some literally in pieces. when i opened one really rough album..this stamp dropped out .....i had never seen a stamp of this value before..unused just waiting for me...could it possibly be real ? Its real..verified by a fellow in our club from Australia. Image Not Found

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"And every hair is measured like every grain of sand"
Brechinite

27 Jun 2019
10:51:17am
re: It happens !

I went to an auction and bought a mixed box lot, there was nothing much of value in it, but I filled quite a few holes in my collection.
At the very bottom of the box tucked into a corner was a very small glassine envelope which contained 6, yes SIX Penny Blacks, all 4 Margins with numbered Maltese Cross cancellations!!!!
You could have knocked me down with a feather!!


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DaveSheridan
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27 Jun 2019
11:21:29am
re: It happens !

I bought a used catalogue from a second hand bookshop for $10, thinking to myself "I'm going to find a Penny Black in one of these one day".

Out dropped a Penny Black, 4 margins, red MX. Surprise

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philb
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27 Jun 2019
01:36:41pm

Auctions
re: It happens !

Methinks Brechinite has the unbeatable hand (so far.)

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"And every hair is measured like every grain of sand"
michael78651

27 Jun 2019
01:44:22pm
re: It happens !

Lightning has struck at least three times for me.

In an auction box lot that I paid $10 for, I found an unused US Washington Type II (Scott #634A).

In an APS sales book I found and bought a MNH People's Republic of China Year of the Monkey Scott #1586 (verified as genuine) for $168.00 against a $400 Scott value. In the next year's catalog, the value shot up over $1000. It's valued at $2150.00 in the 2020 catalog.

The crowning jewel was when I bought an upright Jenny sheet at a post office.

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51Studebaker
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Dialysis, damned if you do...dead if you don't

27 Jun 2019
03:12:42pm
re: It happens !

I dislike telling this story and when I do I then feel partly responsible for answering the 100,000 “hey look! I found a rare stamp” threads; but since I often end up replying to those threads anyway I guess it does not matter if I fuel the overwhelming number of misconceptions about treasure hunting rare stamps.

A number of years ago I purchased an US accumulation from Europe, most for a single cover I wanted; it also had the usual assortment of faked/altered Washington-Franklins. As I was quickly sorting them, I found what appeared to be a 1914 12x10 (#423B) compound perforation stamp. I took a closer look and while it looked convincing to my hobbyist eye I simply mounted it in my album and penciled in ‘fake’ beside it. After all, at the time there was only 30 known stamps and it had a catalog value of $24,000.

A few years later as I was scanning all my album pages, I revisited the stamp with a higher resolution image. I really could not find any clue which indicated fake so I decided to post the image and ask some of the W-F experts to take a look. All of them said I should send it in for a cert. I did, it came back as legitimate. I later sold the stamp to cover some of my medical bills.

But for all the treasure hunters out there…the hobby has far better rewards than money. Rewards that can be guaranteed; like history, culture and comradery. If you want to gamble, try lottery tickets. If you want to make investments, try real estate or vintage Dennison stamp hinges.

But making stamp collecting about finding a stamp rarity is a fool’s errand, it is like taking up fishing in hopes of landing a world record fish. Fishing offers a lifetime of enjoyment by just getting out in nature and catching a few tasty fish. Setting your expectations that you might catch a world record fish will bring years of frustration and disappointment. Enjoy the hobby for what we know it can deliver.
Don

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philb
Members Picture


27 Jun 2019
03:24:50pm

Auctions
re: It happens !

I just would like to mention i did not start this thread as a contest but for folks to mention unexpected pleasant surprises.

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"And every hair is measured like every grain of sand"
Brechinite

27 Jun 2019
03:42:25pm
re: It happens !

I love buying mixed boxes at auction.

Due to the limited time you have for viewing these lots you can only roughly see what they contain. It is only when you get the box home that you can really find out what is inside.

There was one box that contained, among other things, a bundle of about 500 envelopes advertising the 2012 London Olympics. When I got them home I discovered that the majority of the envelopes were empty but 29 contained the Gold Medal Winners Minisheets.

However I have bought some "rubbish" in the past as well!!

Ah well that's life!!

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"Gonnae no dae that!..........Just gonnae no!"
Harvey
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!

27 Jun 2019
03:45:46pm
re: It happens !

A question - How come none of this s*** ever happens to me??? All kidding aside, I'm glad for everyone who has found the hidden treasure! I've had a few good finds over the years, but am still waiting for the big eureka moment!!! Any minute now, I can smell it comin'!

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""We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living but not a life. We’ve added years to life, not life to years." George Carlin"
Brechinite

27 Jun 2019
03:55:15pm
re: It happens !

Harvey:-

My dear old mum had a saying which she used on many, many, many ocaissions. Whatever the question or statement it was :-

"Darling, you just never went to the right school."


Rolling On The Floor LaughingRolling On The Floor Laughing

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"Gonnae no dae that!..........Just gonnae no!"
philb
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27 Jun 2019
04:40:25pm

Auctions
re: It happens !

I don't know...i was 26 when my wife appeared..by then i was ready !Happy

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"And every hair is measured like every grain of sand"
cougar
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27 Jun 2019
05:34:24pm
re: It happens !

"How come none of this s*** ever happens to me???"

Harvey, by the time you and me get a kick at the can, someone has already went through the lots with their expert eyes wide open.

But I know there are dealers out there who make a living by just buying and re-selling old collections. I know some of them are even taking flights to visit the estates of recently deceased affluent stamp collectors.

As mentioned earlier, for most of us (fortunately) it is all about the hobby and the enjoyment it brings.

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Harvey
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!

27 Jun 2019
06:15:21pm
re: It happens !

I'm also an antique dealer and have been for about thirty years. There are many unsavory dealers out there. I know of some pickers who will do anything (or anyone) to make a profit. I bet there are people in the stamp business who are the same!

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""We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living but not a life. We’ve added years to life, not life to years." George Carlin"
Harvey
Members Picture


This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!

27 Jun 2019
06:55:15pm
re: It happens !

I was thinking about what makes a stamp valuable. In a lot of cases it seems to be a different perforation, paper, watermark or a slightly different colour shade. It makes me think of the thousands of early American stamps that are sitting in collections that are either improperly identified or not identified at all. Consider Canada #32 which is different from other stamps because of the laid paper. Three have been found so far, but how many people actually can tell the difference between wove and laid paper? A lot of stamps which are valuable because of watermarks are also a problem - some watermarks are almost impossible to find. Colour shades are an other problem since colours oxidize or fade. I bet there are many rare stamps out there just waiting to be found!!

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""We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living but not a life. We’ve added years to life, not life to years." George Carlin"
michael78651

27 Jun 2019
07:48:03pm
re: It happens !

The introduction to the Scott catalogues has a section on paper types.

Wove paper is a writing paper with a uniform surface, not ribbed. The papermaking mold's wires run parallel to each other to produce laid paper (will look like vertical or horizontal ribs), but they are woven together into a fine wire mesh for wove paper.

Examples of Laid Paper

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Harvey
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!

27 Jun 2019
07:57:07pm
re: It happens !

Hi Michael. I know the differences and always try to check, but how many collectors do that? I've run into albums from beginning collectors where the stamps are not numbered and they might have 20 stamps that look the same to them. I bet there are a lot (or some anyway) of stamps out there in albums that are fairly scarce varieties. That's half the fun of collecting, I remember taking major time trying to figure out exactly what a certain stamp is. That's especially true of early US.

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""We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living but not a life. We’ve added years to life, not life to years." George Carlin"
Jansimon
Members Picture


collector, seller, MT member

28 Jun 2019
07:39:18am

Approvals
re: It happens !

I once found a San Marino Sc. 133 in a batch of 100 San Marino stamps I bought for just a bit over 1 Euro. Another time I got a Cape triangle in a lot full of oddities from the same dealer. This time I paid a bit more. 4 euros I believe. I love going through that kind of assorted lots.

Image Not Found

Not the best condition, but still it is a nice one to have.

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ikeyPikey
Members Picture


28 Jun 2019
08:25:41pm
re: It happens !

'
I was pawing my way thru a three-for-twenty-dollars box at NAPEX, and found a pretty little cover with a Penny Black; I did not dwell on it, but can conjure-up an image of three one millimeter margins (and one close call) and a legible postmark.

Knowing that the person sitting next to me was looking for 19th Century classics - and that I'm not looking for yet another Rabbit Hole, let alone a very wide & very deep rabbit hole - I ducked the threat, passed the cover over and asked: "Is this what I think it is?"

I like being nice, so we both went home happy.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey (who has no idea what that cover would sell for, but is sure it will be off the market for years to come)

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"I collect stamps today precisely the way I collected stamps when I was ten years old."
        

 

Author/Postings
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philb

27 Jun 2019
10:25:13am

Auctions

i would like to start a thread so we can share similar experiences. Years ago i purchased a inexpensive(ok cheap) box of remainder albums..some literally in pieces. when i opened one really rough album..this stamp dropped out .....i had never seen a stamp of this value before..unused just waiting for me...could it possibly be real ? Its real..verified by a fellow in our club from Australia. Image Not Found

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"And every hair is measured like every grain of sand"
Brechinite

27 Jun 2019
10:51:17am

re: It happens !

I went to an auction and bought a mixed box lot, there was nothing much of value in it, but I filled quite a few holes in my collection.
At the very bottom of the box tucked into a corner was a very small glassine envelope which contained 6, yes SIX Penny Blacks, all 4 Margins with numbered Maltese Cross cancellations!!!!
You could have knocked me down with a feather!!


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like this post.
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"Gonnae no dae that!..........Just gonnae no!"
Members Picture
DaveSheridan

27 Jun 2019
11:21:29am

re: It happens !

I bought a used catalogue from a second hand bookshop for $10, thinking to myself "I'm going to find a Penny Black in one of these one day".

Out dropped a Penny Black, 4 margins, red MX. Surprise

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like this post.
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www.b1d.com/store/gl ...
Members Picture
philb

27 Jun 2019
01:36:41pm

Auctions

re: It happens !

Methinks Brechinite has the unbeatable hand (so far.)

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"And every hair is measured like every grain of sand"
michael78651

27 Jun 2019
01:44:22pm

re: It happens !

Lightning has struck at least three times for me.

In an auction box lot that I paid $10 for, I found an unused US Washington Type II (Scott #634A).

In an APS sales book I found and bought a MNH People's Republic of China Year of the Monkey Scott #1586 (verified as genuine) for $168.00 against a $400 Scott value. In the next year's catalog, the value shot up over $1000. It's valued at $2150.00 in the 2020 catalog.

The crowning jewel was when I bought an upright Jenny sheet at a post office.

Like 
2 Members
like this post.
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Members Picture
51Studebaker

Dialysis, damned if you do...dead if you don't
27 Jun 2019
03:12:42pm

re: It happens !

I dislike telling this story and when I do I then feel partly responsible for answering the 100,000 “hey look! I found a rare stamp” threads; but since I often end up replying to those threads anyway I guess it does not matter if I fuel the overwhelming number of misconceptions about treasure hunting rare stamps.

A number of years ago I purchased an US accumulation from Europe, most for a single cover I wanted; it also had the usual assortment of faked/altered Washington-Franklins. As I was quickly sorting them, I found what appeared to be a 1914 12x10 (#423B) compound perforation stamp. I took a closer look and while it looked convincing to my hobbyist eye I simply mounted it in my album and penciled in ‘fake’ beside it. After all, at the time there was only 30 known stamps and it had a catalog value of $24,000.

A few years later as I was scanning all my album pages, I revisited the stamp with a higher resolution image. I really could not find any clue which indicated fake so I decided to post the image and ask some of the W-F experts to take a look. All of them said I should send it in for a cert. I did, it came back as legitimate. I later sold the stamp to cover some of my medical bills.

But for all the treasure hunters out there…the hobby has far better rewards than money. Rewards that can be guaranteed; like history, culture and comradery. If you want to gamble, try lottery tickets. If you want to make investments, try real estate or vintage Dennison stamp hinges.

But making stamp collecting about finding a stamp rarity is a fool’s errand, it is like taking up fishing in hopes of landing a world record fish. Fishing offers a lifetime of enjoyment by just getting out in nature and catching a few tasty fish. Setting your expectations that you might catch a world record fish will bring years of frustration and disappointment. Enjoy the hobby for what we know it can deliver.
Don

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"Current Score... Don 1 - Cancer 0"

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philb

27 Jun 2019
03:24:50pm

Auctions

re: It happens !

I just would like to mention i did not start this thread as a contest but for folks to mention unexpected pleasant surprises.

Like 
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.

"And every hair is measured like every grain of sand"
Brechinite

27 Jun 2019
03:42:25pm

re: It happens !

I love buying mixed boxes at auction.

Due to the limited time you have for viewing these lots you can only roughly see what they contain. It is only when you get the box home that you can really find out what is inside.

There was one box that contained, among other things, a bundle of about 500 envelopes advertising the 2012 London Olympics. When I got them home I discovered that the majority of the envelopes were empty but 29 contained the Gold Medal Winners Minisheets.

However I have bought some "rubbish" in the past as well!!

Ah well that's life!!

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Gonnae no dae that!..........Just gonnae no!"

This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
27 Jun 2019
03:45:46pm

re: It happens !

A question - How come none of this s*** ever happens to me??? All kidding aside, I'm glad for everyone who has found the hidden treasure! I've had a few good finds over the years, but am still waiting for the big eureka moment!!! Any minute now, I can smell it comin'!

Like 
3 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.

""We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living but not a life. We’ve added years to life, not life to years." George Carlin"
Brechinite

27 Jun 2019
03:55:15pm

re: It happens !

Harvey:-

My dear old mum had a saying which she used on many, many, many ocaissions. Whatever the question or statement it was :-

"Darling, you just never went to the right school."


Rolling On The Floor LaughingRolling On The Floor Laughing

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"Gonnae no dae that!..........Just gonnae no!"
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philb

27 Jun 2019
04:40:25pm

Auctions

re: It happens !

I don't know...i was 26 when my wife appeared..by then i was ready !Happy

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"And every hair is measured like every grain of sand"
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cougar

27 Jun 2019
05:34:24pm

re: It happens !

"How come none of this s*** ever happens to me???"

Harvey, by the time you and me get a kick at the can, someone has already went through the lots with their expert eyes wide open.

But I know there are dealers out there who make a living by just buying and re-selling old collections. I know some of them are even taking flights to visit the estates of recently deceased affluent stamp collectors.

As mentioned earlier, for most of us (fortunately) it is all about the hobby and the enjoyment it brings.

Like 
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.

This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
27 Jun 2019
06:15:21pm

re: It happens !

I'm also an antique dealer and have been for about thirty years. There are many unsavory dealers out there. I know of some pickers who will do anything (or anyone) to make a profit. I bet there are people in the stamp business who are the same!

Like
Login to Like
this post

""We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living but not a life. We’ve added years to life, not life to years." George Carlin"

This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
27 Jun 2019
06:55:15pm

re: It happens !

I was thinking about what makes a stamp valuable. In a lot of cases it seems to be a different perforation, paper, watermark or a slightly different colour shade. It makes me think of the thousands of early American stamps that are sitting in collections that are either improperly identified or not identified at all. Consider Canada #32 which is different from other stamps because of the laid paper. Three have been found so far, but how many people actually can tell the difference between wove and laid paper? A lot of stamps which are valuable because of watermarks are also a problem - some watermarks are almost impossible to find. Colour shades are an other problem since colours oxidize or fade. I bet there are many rare stamps out there just waiting to be found!!

Like
Login to Like
this post

""We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living but not a life. We’ve added years to life, not life to years." George Carlin"
michael78651

27 Jun 2019
07:48:03pm

re: It happens !

The introduction to the Scott catalogues has a section on paper types.

Wove paper is a writing paper with a uniform surface, not ribbed. The papermaking mold's wires run parallel to each other to produce laid paper (will look like vertical or horizontal ribs), but they are woven together into a fine wire mesh for wove paper.

Examples of Laid Paper

Like
Login to Like
this post

This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
27 Jun 2019
07:57:07pm

re: It happens !

Hi Michael. I know the differences and always try to check, but how many collectors do that? I've run into albums from beginning collectors where the stamps are not numbered and they might have 20 stamps that look the same to them. I bet there are a lot (or some anyway) of stamps out there in albums that are fairly scarce varieties. That's half the fun of collecting, I remember taking major time trying to figure out exactly what a certain stamp is. That's especially true of early US.

Like
Login to Like
this post

""We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living but not a life. We’ve added years to life, not life to years." George Carlin"
Members Picture
Jansimon

collector, seller, MT member
28 Jun 2019
07:39:18am

Approvals

re: It happens !

I once found a San Marino Sc. 133 in a batch of 100 San Marino stamps I bought for just a bit over 1 Euro. Another time I got a Cape triangle in a lot full of oddities from the same dealer. This time I paid a bit more. 4 euros I believe. I love going through that kind of assorted lots.

Image Not Found

Not the best condition, but still it is a nice one to have.

Like 
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.

www.etsy.com/nl/shop ...
Members Picture
ikeyPikey

28 Jun 2019
08:25:41pm

re: It happens !

'
I was pawing my way thru a three-for-twenty-dollars box at NAPEX, and found a pretty little cover with a Penny Black; I did not dwell on it, but can conjure-up an image of three one millimeter margins (and one close call) and a legible postmark.

Knowing that the person sitting next to me was looking for 19th Century classics - and that I'm not looking for yet another Rabbit Hole, let alone a very wide & very deep rabbit hole - I ducked the threat, passed the cover over and asked: "Is this what I think it is?"

I like being nice, so we both went home happy.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey (who has no idea what that cover would sell for, but is sure it will be off the market for years to come)

Like
Login to Like
this post

"I collect stamps today precisely the way I collected stamps when I was ten years old."
        

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