Replicas - really? Never heard of Zep repos before you mentioned them. Who makes these replicas?
From eBay: US Stamps #C13 C14 C15 C18 Graf Zeppelin Air Mail NG Perf High Quality Replicas
I'm assuming that David's being a bit sarcastic, I assume every US collector is familiar with these repros - they're everywhere on line for a few bucks each. My comment was not really about the stamps, but mainly because someone marked them as such on the back. If David honestly didn't know about the repros, fine, he does now. If he was making fun of me for mentioning them ... well, then, as Queen Victoria used to say (supposedly), "We are not amused"!
another David who had never heard of these repros
but now I have
and i applaud those who would mark the "stamp" with some indelible description that it's a repro, fake, facsimile, or.......
I really apologize, I thought everyone knew about them. If you look on E-Bay, and probably other sites as well, you see a whole bunch of C13 to C15 and the smaller C18 as well that are much cheaper and usually sold as repros. The easiest way to tell is the design size - they are larger than the original. I saw quoted somewhere that they are 54.5mm by 24.5mm as opposed to 49.5mm by 22mm. Sellers either call them reproductions or replicas and they have been around for a while. I have no idea where I got the size information but I have it written in my album. So, if you really didn't know, keep your eyes open. The perfs also look different to me and I thought I could remember seeing them as something resembling a souvenir sheet. That last thing I'm not sure about!
EDIT: Wouldn't it be a real pain to spend almost a thousand dollars for a mint C15 only to discover later it's a fake worth a few bucks? Getting your $$$ back could be a challenge!! Here's a link to someone with a whole sheet of C15 for sale with it identified on the back. https://www.ebay.com/itm/122031517957 Again, I forget how to make it live - sorry!
(Modified by Moderator on 2021-09-03 06:05:43)
"....If you look on E-Bay...." I rarely look on eBay for stamps. I mostly use a few trusted auctions sites.
Harvey, I was not mocking you above. As Ian said in a topic thread elsewhere: "Aye with just the written word it is easy to "take things the wrong way" or read into things that are not there." Actually, as you can see, I went on eBay to find an example after you mentioned repros for sale.
I am surprised anyone would print for sale repos of stamps, spend money to put them on eBay, and even more surprised people would pay for them when you can just copy and print your own repros from any on line catalog (or eBay listing) for free.
Sorry David, I realize now you weren't mocking me. I just thought at the time that everyone knew about these reproductions. I've had good luck with E-Bay but I tend to stick with a small group of buyers that I do well with. One of my favorites is Dan-the-stamp-man. I've got some great lots and items from him over the last few years. I bought a large lot of Russia from him a couple years ago for a very fair price that almost doubled my collection. He had a large lot in a Minkus Russia album. It's the same album I use and he showed every page which really helped me decide what to offer. There's about a dozen others I have had no problems with. My rule is - if it looks too good to be true it probably is!
I am missing one US airmail in the period I collect - cut off 1977. It's the higher denomination of the Zep. stamps, C15. I will not use repros and I know they exist for this series and I think the image size is different. I noticed someone had the set on E-Bay identified as reproductions in the description. When I looked at the picture showing the backs the word "COPY" was written in ink on the back of each stamps. I know a lot of you object to writing on the backs of stamps. Does this example bother any one reading this, I think it's a great idea?
re: US airmail repros
Replicas - really? Never heard of Zep repos before you mentioned them. Who makes these replicas?
From eBay: US Stamps #C13 C14 C15 C18 Graf Zeppelin Air Mail NG Perf High Quality Replicas
re: US airmail repros
I'm assuming that David's being a bit sarcastic, I assume every US collector is familiar with these repros - they're everywhere on line for a few bucks each. My comment was not really about the stamps, but mainly because someone marked them as such on the back. If David honestly didn't know about the repros, fine, he does now. If he was making fun of me for mentioning them ... well, then, as Queen Victoria used to say (supposedly), "We are not amused"!
re: US airmail repros
another David who had never heard of these repros
but now I have
and i applaud those who would mark the "stamp" with some indelible description that it's a repro, fake, facsimile, or.......
re: US airmail repros
I really apologize, I thought everyone knew about them. If you look on E-Bay, and probably other sites as well, you see a whole bunch of C13 to C15 and the smaller C18 as well that are much cheaper and usually sold as repros. The easiest way to tell is the design size - they are larger than the original. I saw quoted somewhere that they are 54.5mm by 24.5mm as opposed to 49.5mm by 22mm. Sellers either call them reproductions or replicas and they have been around for a while. I have no idea where I got the size information but I have it written in my album. So, if you really didn't know, keep your eyes open. The perfs also look different to me and I thought I could remember seeing them as something resembling a souvenir sheet. That last thing I'm not sure about!
EDIT: Wouldn't it be a real pain to spend almost a thousand dollars for a mint C15 only to discover later it's a fake worth a few bucks? Getting your $$$ back could be a challenge!! Here's a link to someone with a whole sheet of C15 for sale with it identified on the back. https://www.ebay.com/itm/122031517957 Again, I forget how to make it live - sorry!
(Modified by Moderator on 2021-09-03 06:05:43)
re: US airmail repros
"....If you look on E-Bay...." I rarely look on eBay for stamps. I mostly use a few trusted auctions sites.
Harvey, I was not mocking you above. As Ian said in a topic thread elsewhere: "Aye with just the written word it is easy to "take things the wrong way" or read into things that are not there." Actually, as you can see, I went on eBay to find an example after you mentioned repros for sale.
I am surprised anyone would print for sale repos of stamps, spend money to put them on eBay, and even more surprised people would pay for them when you can just copy and print your own repros from any on line catalog (or eBay listing) for free.
re: US airmail repros
Sorry David, I realize now you weren't mocking me. I just thought at the time that everyone knew about these reproductions. I've had good luck with E-Bay but I tend to stick with a small group of buyers that I do well with. One of my favorites is Dan-the-stamp-man. I've got some great lots and items from him over the last few years. I bought a large lot of Russia from him a couple years ago for a very fair price that almost doubled my collection. He had a large lot in a Minkus Russia album. It's the same album I use and he showed every page which really helped me decide what to offer. There's about a dozen others I have had no problems with. My rule is - if it looks too good to be true it probably is!