I've seen listings for mixes of "Caribbean" stamps where if you look at the pictures they are all from Cuba (same with "Middle Eastern" for Iran).
Josh
Mint Cuban stamps issued after 1961 are illegal to import due to the still-standing embargo on them. Recently, "used" or "cancelled" stamps have been allowed to be imported. I've seen an ad where one of the big "approvals" companies sells the "used" stamps.
An excerpt from Linn's dated May 3, 2021: "...eBay implemented a blanket policy in 2013 that prohibits “all such Cuban-origin items from being sold.” In other words, they took the easy way out."
The Linn's article further mentions that unused stamps can be imported for personal use, but cannot be resold.
I've also seen them listed as "Spain Cub" or "Spain C"
-Paul
The implication is that only post-1961 stamps are banned. To me it appears much broader than that. It seems like almost none of the early stuff is there either. Most of the Cuba I buy is either from StampoRama sellers or Hipstamp. I know there are other selling sites out there but I don't tend to use them. The one airmail I am missing hardly ever shows up anywhere, at least as a single. I really don't want a mint block of four for a huge price, all I really want is a mint or used single. I really don't want to mention the number of the stamp or this should be in another area. The only point I'm trying to make is the lack of E-Bay coverage.
I just bought a 1930s set of Cuban stamps listed as "Spanish Caribbean"
ebay will ban anything with "Cuba" in the title, even though only post-1961 items are subject to the actual US import ban.
That's why sellers use all the work-arounds in the listing titles. Even applies to "US Administration in Cuba (i.e. c1898-1900). For those, I use "US administration in Caribbean".
As a matter of interest, the same ebay ban applies to anything using "Iran". The workaround for that used to be "Persia", but that is now being caught too, but maybe not 100% consistently ... but I had a couple early Persia bounced from listing.
Ebay embargoed goods policy
Roy
I also discovered "Spanish West Indies", "Spanish Antilles" and a few others as other ways to spell C...U...B...A. It does make it difficult to look for individual Scott numbers. I tried just putting in the number of the stamp, C78, in a search and of course got a whole bunch of US stuff. I understand the reason for the ban, but it is a bit of a pain! I listed the number of the stamp, but please don't change position of the thread!!
Bob - I'll keep my eyes open for you. That set of 2 stamps is hard to find at fair prices, the other one I had some trouble with was C126. Did you collect the airmail souvenir sheets as well, they are very hard to find at reasonable prices, especially C49a,b and c? Some sellers, especially one on SoR, want way too much for them. I managed to eventually find all of them at reasonable prices. Now, like you, just one to get.
No, thank goodness I never started on the Cuba S. Sheets! I only collect it up to 1960 so its not daunting to get most of the issues. I dropped the pages for the US overprints as finding any that aren't suspect was too much of an effort for me. All the rest have been a fun chase though.
Good luck on that C78
Bob
My cut off is 1955, up to the end of Vol 111 of Scott's International. I have 4 of those crazy US overprints - one I got from Greg that I'm pretty sure is OK and 3 I got from my local dealer that are probably bogus - he realized that and just charged me a minimal amount. Except for those overprints I am missing 31 stamps from #1 to 1955. The Puerto Principe issue (#176 - 220) don't even enter into it since almost every one out there is probably fake. Except for a few very early stamps most of what I have left are quite affordable! If I see a #C121 I'll get back to you.
Question to Cuba collectors in general: I have 4 in the Principe series. The one I think is real has a nice distinct overprint, the other three are smudged and irregular. Is this a way to tell?
You're way ahead of me - I need 73 more to finish it up to 1960. Its more a matter of just finding most of the missing issues rather than the price. I tried looking at the offerings from the CUBA collectors club website in Florida but they are way out there as well as to price.
I guess we will just have to keep looking in the Stamporama approvals ( and hope I see the book before you do ! )
Bob
I check the approval books whenever I pass by the computer. I've got lucky a few times! I remember the day several months ago when someone put up a whole book of the early Ireland overprints. I was almost the first person in and bought almost the whole book. I now have all the small Ireland overprints complete except for 11A. The overprinted Seahorse stamps will be much slower. I remember another book that had a whole bunch of Russia BoB I needed...but one of you beat me to most of them. Timing really is key!!!
Keep in mind that you can exclude terms from a search by using the minus sign. And, you can search for (or exclude) multiple terms by using parentheses and commas.
For example, when I search for US 39, I use this search string:
US 39 -(mint,revenue,revenues,unused,specimen,trial,block,MLH,MNH,MNG,MH,OG,hinged,proof,
gum,cover,FDC,commemorative)
The minus sign in front of the terms in parentheses removes all those items from the Search result that contain any of those terms.
Here's another search string I commonly use, to find town cancels I'm interested in collecting:
(iowa,ia,ioa) (Anamosa,Amber,Center Junction,Onslow,Monmouth,Baldwin,Nashville,Maquoketa,Delmar,Charlotte,Bryant,Almont,Lyons)
This search catches the common abbreviations of Iowa, and all of the town names in parentheses. Each Search result will contain both a term from the first set of parentheses AND a term from the second set of parentheses.
Good Searching to you.
-Paul
On Ebay homepage, I go to 'shop by category', 'stamps', type in 'cuba stamp' and up comes 534 results of stamps and covers from Cuba.
Looks like many of these are NOT Cuba stamps/covers, but some are.
It appears if you type "1CUBA" it does a different search.
Bob, there is a mint set of C120 and C121 on Hipstamp now for about $90. It seems a bit high but I thought I'd pass it on. It's really hard to find some of these stamps alone and used, I guess people try to sell the more expensive options instead!
What is E-Bay's policy on Cuba stamps? There are some there but very few. Is there a ban, and if so, why are there some there? Just curious. There is only one Cuba airmail I'm missing and I've got a better chance on Hipstamp than E-Bay!
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
I've seen listings for mixes of "Caribbean" stamps where if you look at the pictures they are all from Cuba (same with "Middle Eastern" for Iran).
Josh
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
Mint Cuban stamps issued after 1961 are illegal to import due to the still-standing embargo on them. Recently, "used" or "cancelled" stamps have been allowed to be imported. I've seen an ad where one of the big "approvals" companies sells the "used" stamps.
An excerpt from Linn's dated May 3, 2021: "...eBay implemented a blanket policy in 2013 that prohibits “all such Cuban-origin items from being sold.” In other words, they took the easy way out."
The Linn's article further mentions that unused stamps can be imported for personal use, but cannot be resold.
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
I've also seen them listed as "Spain Cub" or "Spain C"
-Paul
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
The implication is that only post-1961 stamps are banned. To me it appears much broader than that. It seems like almost none of the early stuff is there either. Most of the Cuba I buy is either from StampoRama sellers or Hipstamp. I know there are other selling sites out there but I don't tend to use them. The one airmail I am missing hardly ever shows up anywhere, at least as a single. I really don't want a mint block of four for a huge price, all I really want is a mint or used single. I really don't want to mention the number of the stamp or this should be in another area. The only point I'm trying to make is the lack of E-Bay coverage.
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
I just bought a 1930s set of Cuban stamps listed as "Spanish Caribbean"
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
ebay will ban anything with "Cuba" in the title, even though only post-1961 items are subject to the actual US import ban.
That's why sellers use all the work-arounds in the listing titles. Even applies to "US Administration in Cuba (i.e. c1898-1900). For those, I use "US administration in Caribbean".
As a matter of interest, the same ebay ban applies to anything using "Iran". The workaround for that used to be "Persia", but that is now being caught too, but maybe not 100% consistently ... but I had a couple early Persia bounced from listing.
Ebay embargoed goods policy
Roy
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
I also discovered "Spanish West Indies", "Spanish Antilles" and a few others as other ways to spell C...U...B...A. It does make it difficult to look for individual Scott numbers. I tried just putting in the number of the stamp, C78, in a search and of course got a whole bunch of US stuff. I understand the reason for the ban, but it is a bit of a pain! I listed the number of the stamp, but please don't change position of the thread!!
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
Bob - I'll keep my eyes open for you. That set of 2 stamps is hard to find at fair prices, the other one I had some trouble with was C126. Did you collect the airmail souvenir sheets as well, they are very hard to find at reasonable prices, especially C49a,b and c? Some sellers, especially one on SoR, want way too much for them. I managed to eventually find all of them at reasonable prices. Now, like you, just one to get.
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
No, thank goodness I never started on the Cuba S. Sheets! I only collect it up to 1960 so its not daunting to get most of the issues. I dropped the pages for the US overprints as finding any that aren't suspect was too much of an effort for me. All the rest have been a fun chase though.
Good luck on that C78
Bob
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
My cut off is 1955, up to the end of Vol 111 of Scott's International. I have 4 of those crazy US overprints - one I got from Greg that I'm pretty sure is OK and 3 I got from my local dealer that are probably bogus - he realized that and just charged me a minimal amount. Except for those overprints I am missing 31 stamps from #1 to 1955. The Puerto Principe issue (#176 - 220) don't even enter into it since almost every one out there is probably fake. Except for a few very early stamps most of what I have left are quite affordable! If I see a #C121 I'll get back to you.
Question to Cuba collectors in general: I have 4 in the Principe series. The one I think is real has a nice distinct overprint, the other three are smudged and irregular. Is this a way to tell?
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
You're way ahead of me - I need 73 more to finish it up to 1960. Its more a matter of just finding most of the missing issues rather than the price. I tried looking at the offerings from the CUBA collectors club website in Florida but they are way out there as well as to price.
I guess we will just have to keep looking in the Stamporama approvals ( and hope I see the book before you do ! )
Bob
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
I check the approval books whenever I pass by the computer. I've got lucky a few times! I remember the day several months ago when someone put up a whole book of the early Ireland overprints. I was almost the first person in and bought almost the whole book. I now have all the small Ireland overprints complete except for 11A. The overprinted Seahorse stamps will be much slower. I remember another book that had a whole bunch of Russia BoB I needed...but one of you beat me to most of them. Timing really is key!!!
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
Keep in mind that you can exclude terms from a search by using the minus sign. And, you can search for (or exclude) multiple terms by using parentheses and commas.
For example, when I search for US 39, I use this search string:
US 39 -(mint,revenue,revenues,unused,specimen,trial,block,MLH,MNH,MNG,MH,OG,hinged,proof,
gum,cover,FDC,commemorative)
The minus sign in front of the terms in parentheses removes all those items from the Search result that contain any of those terms.
Here's another search string I commonly use, to find town cancels I'm interested in collecting:
(iowa,ia,ioa) (Anamosa,Amber,Center Junction,Onslow,Monmouth,Baldwin,Nashville,Maquoketa,Delmar,Charlotte,Bryant,Almont,Lyons)
This search catches the common abbreviations of Iowa, and all of the town names in parentheses. Each Search result will contain both a term from the first set of parentheses AND a term from the second set of parentheses.
Good Searching to you.
-Paul
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
On Ebay homepage, I go to 'shop by category', 'stamps', type in 'cuba stamp' and up comes 534 results of stamps and covers from Cuba.
Looks like many of these are NOT Cuba stamps/covers, but some are.
It appears if you type "1CUBA" it does a different search.
re: Cuba on E-Bay??
Bob, there is a mint set of C120 and C121 on Hipstamp now for about $90. It seems a bit high but I thought I'd pass it on. It's really hard to find some of these stamps alone and used, I guess people try to sell the more expensive options instead!