Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
03:15:45pm
Thanks in advance.
Kelly
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If you look in Gibbons or Scott at the set listings for stamps issued during this period you will find one stamp (sometimes two) that have a catalog value far in excess of the other stamps in the set. (This also applies to Czechoslovakia).
What happened is that the DDR and Czech postal services picked out a stamp from each set that would be printed in very limited quantities and sold on a restricted basis compared to the rest of the stamps in the set. This was intentional and required dealers to go directly to the main postal outlet (bad choice of words on my part)in order to get complete sets of the stamps as the restricted stamp would not be available in the general post offices in the country. Meaning that if you were living in those countries at the time, you would not be able to buy complete mint sets and send them off to people in other countries, or worse (from those two government perspectives) sell the complete sets to collectors or dealers. The governments wanted the money directly.
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08:30:39pm
A good question Kelly, as time has proceeded its inexorable path blindly the future, some of these terms slip from the cumulative memory of modern collectors.
In the '50s and '60s, and technically between 1945 to 1991 when the Soviet system imploded, the nations under its "Sphere of Influence" engaged in several unfortunate excessive stamp producing policies. For one thing they produced a massive quantity of stamp issues commemorating virtually any event of note or any potentially attractive example of flora and fauna to sell to topical collectors. Many of these issues were simply never truly available for the regular citizen to use on routine mail. A seeingly equal proportion of those stamp issues were cancelled during the printing process and sold on the philatelic market in such volume that many collectors avoided collecting them. For about twenty years most of these issues, as well as the infamous Jam Jar Labels produced by other countries, were awarded a "Black Blot" as they were, and are still considered a stain on the hobby.
Black Blot: American Philatelic Society program; 1962-79: offered guidance on the world's new stamp issues as to what issues they considered as unnecessary. (Ask Phil)
This kind thinking led to another money making scheme of restricting the sale and printing number of one or two stamps in a particular set as Michael has explained.
Blocked value: one value in each set of stamps issued by the German Democratic Republic; 1955-1982: the sale of which was restricted to control the philatelic traffic in these stamps, prevent speculation and maintain a high sales value. (ask Phil)
Eventually the APS suspended the Black Blot program as it became too unweildy in the light of other nations (The US and UK included.) beginning to issue excessive stamps and fail to provide access to their citizens so they could purchase examples either for use or to fill blank places in their albums.
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10:44:04pm
Thanks Michael and Charlie. That's what I thought but I wasn't completely certain. After this response I went through my SG & did notice the difference in values for various stamps in a set & now I know how to identify the blocked values.
One great thing about this hobby is that we can continue to learn so much more everyday.
Thanks for the help :-)
Kelly
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A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
26 Jul 2012
03:15:45pm
Can someone explain what "blocked values" are on the East German issues from 1955 to 1983? I've never heard of them before but my Stanley Gibbons cat has an info box that mentions them.
Thanks in advance.
Kelly
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03:23:39pm
re: East Germany - blocked values
If you look in Gibbons or Scott at the set listings for stamps issued during this period you will find one stamp (sometimes two) that have a catalog value far in excess of the other stamps in the set. (This also applies to Czechoslovakia).
What happened is that the DDR and Czech postal services picked out a stamp from each set that would be printed in very limited quantities and sold on a restricted basis compared to the rest of the stamps in the set. This was intentional and required dealers to go directly to the main postal outlet (bad choice of words on my part)in order to get complete sets of the stamps as the restricted stamp would not be available in the general post offices in the country. Meaning that if you were living in those countries at the time, you would not be able to buy complete mint sets and send them off to people in other countries, or worse (from those two government perspectives) sell the complete sets to collectors or dealers. The governments wanted the money directly.
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
26 Jul 2012
08:30:39pm
re: East Germany - blocked values
A good question Kelly, as time has proceeded its inexorable path blindly the future, some of these terms slip from the cumulative memory of modern collectors.
In the '50s and '60s, and technically between 1945 to 1991 when the Soviet system imploded, the nations under its "Sphere of Influence" engaged in several unfortunate excessive stamp producing policies. For one thing they produced a massive quantity of stamp issues commemorating virtually any event of note or any potentially attractive example of flora and fauna to sell to topical collectors. Many of these issues were simply never truly available for the regular citizen to use on routine mail. A seeingly equal proportion of those stamp issues were cancelled during the printing process and sold on the philatelic market in such volume that many collectors avoided collecting them. For about twenty years most of these issues, as well as the infamous Jam Jar Labels produced by other countries, were awarded a "Black Blot" as they were, and are still considered a stain on the hobby.
Black Blot: American Philatelic Society program; 1962-79: offered guidance on the world's new stamp issues as to what issues they considered as unnecessary. (Ask Phil)
This kind thinking led to another money making scheme of restricting the sale and printing number of one or two stamps in a particular set as Michael has explained.
Blocked value: one value in each set of stamps issued by the German Democratic Republic; 1955-1982: the sale of which was restricted to control the philatelic traffic in these stamps, prevent speculation and maintain a high sales value. (ask Phil)
Eventually the APS suspended the Black Blot program as it became too unweildy in the light of other nations (The US and UK included.) beginning to issue excessive stamps and fail to provide access to their citizens so they could purchase examples either for use or to fill blank places in their albums.
Login to Like
this post
A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
26 Jul 2012
10:44:04pm
re: East Germany - blocked values
Thanks Michael and Charlie. That's what I thought but I wasn't completely certain. After this response I went through my SG & did notice the difference in values for various stamps in a set & now I know how to identify the blocked values.
One great thing about this hobby is that we can continue to learn so much more everyday.
Thanks for the help :-)
Kelly
Login to Like
this post