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On this page you will find articles written about stamps and stamp collecting which may be useful or helpful to a collector or someone with a general interest in stamps. The gauge of the perforation is always counted in a length of two centimeters, and not along the whole length of a stamp; so that all stamps perforated by the same machine will gauge the same, irrespective of size. In compound perforation, the needles for the vertical rows of holes are not the same distance apart as those for the horizontal rows. Compound perforations are always measured first at the top (or bottom), and then at the sides. For instance a gauge given as “perf. 14 x 12 1/2” means that the top and bottom of the stamp have fourteen holes to the two centimeters, and the sides only 12 ½ in the same distance. Hindi/Arabic
Chinese
Keeping Your Australian Collection Up To Date | Australia's Most Collected Stamp | Mint or Used? | Selling and Buying from eBay | Negative Aspects of Buying/Selling on eBay | The World's Favourite Stamp The
Worlds Favourite Stamp After receiving many requests from around the world asking if it would be possible to post a more detailed article on the 1d red KGV side-face issue on our web site, I have finally found the time, but this is a very complex stamp issue and space and my knowledge are limited, however I will do my best. This is the most collected single-issue stamp in the world and considerable interest has been stirred up by the sale in October 2003 of a dull red example, imperforate at base. Offered for sale by Philatelics (Australia) Pty Ltd with an estimate of $AU30, 000 it realised $AU44, 000, it was not a perfect example, having some stains and heavily hinged. This was a world record price for a single Australian stamp, apparently bidding was spirited and from all four corners of the globe. Previously unrecorded in mint condition, the only other example being a used block of four imperforated at base and cancelled at Mackay, Queensland, March 5, 1914. In March 2003 Spink Stamp Auctions of London sold a 1930 2d red KGV side-face tête-bêche mint pair for $AU217.898, a record for any Australian philatelic item, this also stirred up interest in the KGV side-face issues. As mentioned in a previous article, there were three types of perforation for the 1d red; the single line perf 14.2 and the comb perf 14 both include dies 1 and 2, with experience the two perfs can be identified by sight, line perf normally having several rounded corners where as the comb perf have all four square corners with a distinct perforation. The die 2 (not a genuine die) can be identified by a white spur in the left value tablet, located at the bottom right side, there are 20 variations in the angle of the spur and these can be identified and positioned. The die 3 (a genuine die) with comb perforation 14.25x14, the die 3 is easily identifiable by a horizontal white line towards the bottom of the kings neck as well as other less easy to see differences, they were printed on rough paper only. The two types of water mark are also easily identifiable, the single type having a crown over A, the multiple having a similar design only showing multiples, usually one complete and two halves which are either higher or lower than the complete crown A. The single watermark types have many shades ranging from pink to a quite deep maroon and some of these shades are very scarce, the most notable being Salmon Eosin. All up there are twenty eight listed shades but many of these can be split up into sub groups, pale and deep shades etc. There were two types of paper used, smooth and rough, with practice these are also easily identifiable. Countless varieties also exist (listed and unlisted) and some of these are very scarce, the better one’s include; CNE PENNY, PENAVY, rusted cliché and the substituted cliché in both dies 1 and 2, and the list goes on. Now combine the die, perforation, shades and varieties and the mind really starts to boggle and I haven’t mentioned inverted watermarks which also need to be included as well as those with perfin OS, and you could take this even further by adding unofficial perfins. The large multiple watermark issue also has many varieties but none of those mentioned above as this was a later printing and many of the early varieties had been corrected, however, varieties such as; Dot Before One, Secret Mark, Neck Flaw etc, persisted. Die 2 doesn’t appear, as the left plates weren’t used for this printing. There are also several shades in this watermark, with two different printers these can be identified and placed into two groups. The early Cooke printings of; Rose Red, Deep Red and Carmine Pink being the best, the later Harrison printings were all in the carmine shades. Inverted watermark can be found in both printings but perfin OS only in the Harrison. This watermark had a comparatively short life, designed to replace the two different single watermarks found on the kangaroo and KGV issues, however, the printing was considered inferior and the single watermark was reintroduced. Die 3 stamps also have shade and varieties, including inverted watermark and perfin OS, some of these are very scarce. Imperforate at base has also been recorded in this die. Because of a shortage of paper caused by world war 1, this die was produced for printing on war saving stamps paper, of which there was a surplus, a total of 13,080,000 die 3’s were delivered into stock. If all of the above is not enough for you then I should mention monograms and imprints, these were added to identify the printer and are found on the selvedge. Monograms were located at the bottom of the sheet below unit’s 57L (left pane) and 58R (right pane). The first monograms were inserted by Cooke in late 1914, contained in a circle were, CA for Commonwealth of Australia under 57L and JBC for J B Cooke under 58R. When Harrison took over the printing he substituted the JBC monogram to CA, hence there are two CA monograms at left and right and these are extremely rare. Shortly after Harrison took over the printing he introduced the imprint, firstly in one line reading; T S Harrison Commonwealth Stamp Printer, then in two lines, reading; T S Harrison – Australian Note and Stamp Printer. Imprints are found at the bottom of the sheet below the central gutter. The original printing plates were imported from England and arrived in Australia in 1914, the first printings were sent to post offices on the 14th July 1914, the plates were designed to print one million stamps a day. A total of 3,720,043,100 1d Reds were printed, this includes all dies, watermarks and perforations, and it remains as one of the world’s largest printings of a single-issue stamp. Serious study of the 1d red didn’t start until the 1920’s and it is for this reason that there is such a disparity in retail prices between used and mint copies. A simple comparison is for a die 2, used it retails for about $10 yet a mint never hinged copy can cost you $700+, with many of the early shades and varieties this disparity can become even greater. Many collectors kept used copies in large quantities but didn’t bother with mint copies, basically, collectors became complacent about this issue because there were so many available, almost every-time they purchased a 1d stamp it was a 1d red KGV and the same when they received a letter. For the more advanced collector it quickly becomes apparent why this issue is so popular, it offers a challenge rarely found in any other stamp issue. Any one area, be it shade, variety or whatever can easily be assembled into a collecting field of interest and rapidly fill an album. The availability and low price means that it is still affordable and scarce items can still be found regularly when buying bulk lots.
A few negative aspects of buying and selling stamps on eBay. by Alan Sparks December
2003 On a recent trip to Sydney I had the opportunity to meet up with some established stamp dealers and asked for their opinion on selling on eBay, overall their comments were not very kind. The biggest dislike was that the bidding was to low and items often sold for less than they had originally paid for them, add to this the costs involved and the loss becomes even greater. All those I spoke to have shown considerable losses and had no intention of listing on eBay again. This is a shame as what eBay really needs are quality sellers that buyers can trust, and for buyers who are prepared to spend a little extra for quality items and give support to better sellers.
I took a look through some Australian stamps listed on eBay just before Christmas 2003 and I soon realised some of the main reasons for such low prices were; There was a seller with two separate lots, each for a 4d single watermark Lemon, KGV head, fine used with a starting of $AU26.00 each, the problem was that both units were clearly an Olive colour, sadly one unit had a bid on it. I emailed this seller and advised of the mistake, however, I haven’t received a reply to-date, and don‘t expect one. KGV head shades are of considerable concern as they are constantly misidentified particularly the 1d reds and 4d yellow shades. Five listings further down was another beauty, this one was advertising a mint 1937 3d blue KGVI white wattles variety in die 2 with a stain at top for $AU55.00, and very rare! The white wattles variety is just that and has little to do with the ink stripping of the wattles at upper left and right (ink stripping is quite common in KGVI issues, the most notable being the white face types), the correct variety is identified by two tiny dots located at the edge of the frame at lower left and the variety only occurs on die 1 stamps. I didn’t bother looking any further as I felt I had seen enough, however, it’s fair to say that it’s not only private sellers that are making these sorts of mistakes. Recently I noticed a well-known Brisbane dealer had made several misidentifications, though in fairness he is a bulk lister and these were probably an honest mistake (and I feel the private sellers are not intentionally trying to mislead, it‘s just that they don‘t know enough about what they are selling). This same dealer lists all of his lots at $US0.01 with many being worth $100s, this would certainly stimulate bidding, but may contribute to low realisations for other sellers.
There is no doubt that misidentification of stamps that are listed as genuine and offered at low prices can contribute to the problem and lots offered at ridiculously low prices may also contribute. In my opinion the obvious answer to this is for buyers to stick with sellers they trust, which unfortunately is rarely the case as financial restrictions often get in the way of the buyers judgement and these low priced items catch their eye. This does not help those dealers who are listing on eBay, especially those listing for the first time and have little or no feedback for buyers to view and access their performance, even though they are well established and respected in the stamp trade. I have noticed several better dealers offering top quality items at reasonable prices and not attracting a single bid, it’s obvious that they won’t be listing for long.
My answer to the above is to have my own email sale, similar in every way to a postal bid sale except that nearly every item offered has a scan (in full colour) and the sale is emailed instead of being posted via snail mail. Its been a lot of hard work and there’s still some way to go but all going well I expect to have the first sale ready in early January 2004, then at regular intervals after that, if you would like a copy, please email me at; alan47@bigpond.com. I consider that selling via the internet is the way of the future, buyers can see what they are buying before parting with their hard earned cash and do it all from the comfort of their home etc; sellers can reduce overheads and much, much more. For those of you who feel that the Internet is impersonal (I was also told that it’s also too anti-social; and that came from one of the most anti-social dealers I have ever met!), I say stick to your old ways because you are obviously set in them and you could do more harm than good on the Internet. Politeness and good manners are always appreciated, if your personal manner is impersonal then it will shine through when using this medium, and vice-a-versa.
Selling
and Buying from eBay After an article appeared in the August edition of Stamp News Australasia I felt compelled to write this article. As many of you know I have been selling stamps, coins and bank notes on eBay for the past 2 years with some considerable success, though admittedly I had some major failures at first. With the release of the above article I thought a few helpful hints on buying and selling on eBay would go a long way to resolving the negative impression many have about this form of selling and with a little luck will encourage more quality sellers to use eBay with the obvious flow on effect of more buyers. With your first listings you will find that you need to list one item at a time, which is fine if you only intend to be a part time seller, if on the other hand you are a dealer and want to list multiple items then this method is cumbersome and time consuming. What you need to do is get a positive feedback rating of ten or more, positive feedback means that someone is happy with your performance, whether buying or selling, you need ten of these from different people. Once you have the required feedback you can download “Turbo Lister”, this allows you to list multiple items off line and gives you a template to work with. Once you have done this things become much easier, now you need to make a template of your own for insertion into the item (s) description page, using Works or Office Works make a general template to outline your selling policies, leave blank spaces where the item description goes and fill these in later for each individual item. Remember to keep it simple and to the point, and as the author of the Stamp News article rightly points out, use lower case lettering, the use of upper case means you are shouting. With this done you are now ready to list, if you are a dealer with many items to list group your items i.e.; pre decimal Australia mint never hinged - used, British Commonwealth etc, doing this means you do not need to constantly alter your template and its been my experience that listing groups of the same sort of item at the same time encourages buyers to bid on more than one item in order to save on postage. Always keep in mind that eBayers are not stupid, sell only quality items, if you have quantities of lessor items bulk them up into one lot and list them as such, remember this is an auction not unlike a regular public auction with the added bonus of having a wider clientele who can view your lots from their homes. With your first listing using turbo lister you start with the items title, this is the first thing buyers see as they scroll down the listing page, what you need to do here is catch the eye as there is so much to choose from, you can do this in many ways including (at extra cost) adding a highlight or picture gallery, though my preferred option is the use of upper and lower case lettering at no extra cost (the shouting rule doesn’t apply here), an example of one of my listings would be; AUST:1964-5 NAVIGATORS set of 8, MNH Remember you have little space here and any abbreviations like MNH should be explained fully on your description template, to find more ideas scroll down an eBay page and see what catches your eye and adapt the parts you like for your own individual style, and you will need to have your own style because if you copy someone else’s buyers can become quite annoyed with you even if you have the item they want. Below the description you will find the listing category, this is obvious and no problems here. Below it comes the eBay shop category, if you open a shop (at no cost) then this will become obvious too. On the next page you need to paste your item description template into the allotted space and fill in any blank spaces, next you insert your scan, this is the picture your buyers will be most interested in so make it good, after much experimentation I settled on a white background as being the most effective, again have a look at what others are doing. On the next page you need to give the price you want for your item, keep in mind here that to attract 2 or more buyers to your item you have an auction and that’s what its all about, its my policy to price the item at the lowest I am willing to accept, the only time I list at $1 no reserve is during promotions, once bitten twice shy. Next you need to decide how long you want to list your item for, my preferred option is ten days, which is the maximum. Postage costs follow and here you need to decide what is a fair rate, I make it clear in my description page that I charge a packing fee, all stamps are mounted on card and wrapped in lightweight cardboard, my standard cost for domestic is $1.50 and international $US2.00, you will need to decide for yourself what (if any) charges are to be made. If you are a dealer then international listings are vital, I would suggest you use PayPal as a payment option, even if you have credit card facilities many buyers don’t like to give out their details through unsecured emails. With only 2 years experience listing on eBay I still have a long way to go and have a lot to learn, however, you are welcome to go to any of my listings to get some ideas on how to list, I believe that with more quality sellers, buyers will have more confidence with their purchasing and this will benefit all and hopefully drive out the less desirable elements that exist at the moment. If you are a buyer there are some simple rules to follow, when you find an item you are interested in check the sellers credentials, look at their feedback rating, have a look at what others have had to say about this seller and check their selling policies. If an item is priced to low then beware, if in the items descriptions are the words “could be” or no comment at all, use extreme caution, never speculate as disappointment usually follows. Look for sellers with good feedback, 200 with 100% positive is good the higher it gets the better it gets, though remember, someone with 500 and 98% positive is also very good as we all make mistakes sometimes. Its usually best to avoid sellers who use upper case lettering in their items descriptions (SHOUTING), it makes me think they could be unstable of mind or just plain desperate. If you are looking for a bargain then look for a mistake, often I unintentionally forget to change the preset price in the template resulting in the wrong price being displayed, recently I listed an item at $4 that should have had a starting price of $15, it eventually sold for $11,the sale was honoured as it would have been if it had sold for only $4. So keep your eyes open and good luck. I hope that this article proves helpful to you and that your future buying or selling on eBay will be a pleasant experience. Alan Sparks. Keeping
Your Australian Collection Up To Date With my association with the wholesale and retail sections of the stamp business, and my contact with collectors, it surprises me at how much I take for granted. There are many facets of collecting recent Australian issues that the average collector knows little about, so I thought an article detailing with lessor known facts was overdue. It’s
hard to believe that a recent issue could be considered scarce. Even harder to
believe, is that one such issue is a 2002, 45c peel & stick, used stamp! The
stamp in question is the Australian Legends set of 4 issue, though you may have
a booklet or strip in your collection already, try obtaining a fine used set.
Dealers are searching everywhere for copies of this issue in fine used
condition, though without a doubt, many are shaking their heads in disbelief at
not being able to obtain them and wondering why. And that’s a good question,
but sadly one that I cannot answer. For the benefit of overseas visitors to this
site, peel& stick stamps are gummed without the need for a wetting agent and
usually come in booklets or rolls, these are normally the most common type in an
issue. Another
recent issue that will be missing from most collections is the 2002 Lighthouse
series. A lot of you will be thinking that I am talking a load of rubbish, but
did you know that this complete set was issued in a booklet, with the four
stamps joined in a block, the 45c, both 49c and the $1.50. These were only
available in the $9.95 prestige booklet. If you were lucky enough to obtain a
few of these, I strongly advise you to hang on to them. What
I have said before and will continue to say, is that all high value
international issues, in fine used condition, are scarce, by high value I mean
$5.00 and up. All commemorative international issues, are very hard to come by
in fine used condition, though it must be remembered that international issues
are readily available unused. These issues fine used, command prices almost
equal to mint, and in the case of commemorative issues equal, if not more. When
I mention fine used, that is exactly what I mean. Most of you already know how I
feel about cancelled to order stamps, just the sight of a laser printed postmark
sends a shiver down my spine, to me they are nothing more than glorified
specimens and should always be rated below a fine used example. A good way to
obtain fine used stamps, especially the international issues, is to use them on
your own postage, to friends etc, who will send them back to you. Remember
though, that when you use international stamps for domestic postage you will be
charged an extra 10% GST. To obtain a nice circular date stamp on a letter,
position the stamp(s) down, away from the top right corner, this is to avoid a
machine type slogan cancel, which often obliterates. If
you can, take the article to the post office personally and ask the counter
staff to postmark it for you, they are usually very happy to do this and it’s
a good idea to get to know them. Another thing to remember is to make sure the
stamp(s) are properly stuck down, especially the corners; its always
disappointing to find a corner has lifted and become creased. The use of two
$1.50 commemorative international stamps on a registered letter is a good idea,
registered articles are usually not put through the cancelling machines, try to
use gutter pairs etc, these can usually be found displayed in glassine bags at
most post offices, if not ask counter staff if they have any. Be sure to check
the perforations, make sure they are intact (be fussy), remember that in a
hundred years or so down the track philatelists will be looking at your handy
work and you will have made history. Speaking of
history, for those of you who feel that stamps and stamp collecting are coming
to an end, I would remind you that even if the issue of postage stamps became
extinct, there would still be plenty of collectors around, it is an historical
fact that humans have a need, to know about their past. What better way to
illustrate history than through a postage stamp, to have the pleasure of being
part of that history by collecting, with the added bonus of learning and having
fun at the same time? To keep up
to date on new issues, be sure to obtain the Australian stamp bulletin, these
are available at most post offices or you can phone them on 1800 331 794 to
arrange to have one posted to you every two months, this is a free service from
Australia Post. Should you decide to order a new release and you are looking for
something above the norm, look for the unusual, like the prestige booklet
mentioned earlier, get in quick though as these issues are normally a limited
print. If you are on a limited budget, get these issues first, (they are rarely
made available at post offices, especially here in the far north) the others in
the series will usually be available for at least a year and can be purchased
later. Australia's
Most Collected Stamp
To give a detailed explanation to this question would mean writing a book, and there are already some fine publications available. However I will try and briefly give you a general outline on why this issue is so popular. With the printing plates being delivered from England, the first stamps were issued in 1914. There were several varieties available already in the new plates, the most notable being the so called Die 2 (which is a white spur in the left value tablet). With the long life of the issue, and the outbreak of World War I, these factors led to many more varieties. Supplies of paper and ink, imported from England, were in short supply resulting in the use of rough and unsurfaced Australian paper. Many different shades of ink appeared, ranging from pink to maroon. With the constant use of the plates for such a huge printing meant many more flaws appeared, including the rusted plates which were thought to have been caused by rats exposing the steel surface whilst the plates were in storage. There are also compartment lines, thought to be caused by a build up of ink, and creating a line around the outside of the frame. The Tin Shed flaws appear on some rough paper issues, these are irregular flaws thought to be caused by gum falling onto the side of the paper to be printed, when the stamp is soaked the gum comes off along with any ink that was over it. The Die 3 (a genuine die) is thought to have come into existence as a back-up plate, with the irregular supplies of paper coming from England, this dye could be used on war saving stamp paper, of which there was a surplus. There are also two types of watermark, a single crown over A and a large multiple crown over A. There are also two types of perforation (both are on the single crown over A watermark stamp), the single line perforation 14.2 and the comb perforation 14.25x14. With a large range of varieties, flaws, shades etc. it's availability (with such a huge printing) it's no wonder this is Australia's favourite stamp. Mint or Used? This is a question that I am frequently asked and it is a debate that has been going on since the first philatelists entered this world. Really though, it's a matter of choice, whatever you prefer, though for the beginner this choice can be quite daunting so here are a few tips that may be helpful. When obtaining mint stamps it is especially important to remember that the correct storage is vital (particularly here in the tropics!). Damage caused by humidity can deface as well as devalue your collection in no time at all. So the extra costs in collecting mint stamps should be considered. On many occasions I have been asked to estimate the value of mint collections only to have to give them the sad news - 60% of face value at most, even though they may have been collecting them for 30 years. Used stamps on the other hand are a little easier to care for, though correct storage is still recommended. They are also (in most cases) cheaper to obtain, readily available on your mail from friends and relatives etc, and when purchasing from a dealer, though not always as I will point out in the next paragraph. Mint stamps are more valuable and appreciate more A few weeks ago at a market where I was selling stamps, a young chap with an American accent approached me, pointed to a stamp that I had on display and said "You can't sell that, it's worthless. It has a postmark on it". The stamp was a fine, postally used example of a 5 shilling Sydney Harbour Bridge. For the benefit of those who don't realise it, any copy of this stamp is scarce but a fine postally used example is very scarce indeed. Though most older stamps in mint unhinged condition are more valuable and do appreciate more, it is not always a correct assumption. This rule of thumb can also be applied to recent Australian issues, take for example the commemorative international post issues, in mint condition they are readily available, even after they have been out of issue for some time. Not so a fine postally used example, these are very under-rated along with the high-value definitives which also fall into this category. So the choice is yours, Mint or Used. I hope these articles have been helpful. Should you have any questions please feel free to contact me at alan47@bigpond.com There will be regular articles on this site, so please check back soon. If you are interested in contributing, please contact me on the above address.
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