New Wholesale-Priced Stamps at The Stamp People

The Stamp People, an online stamp shop that sells wholesale-priced bulk stamps as well as vintage and recent stamp sets and singles, received several new shipments of US kiloware and US bulk off paper stamps within the last few days. These stamp mixtures are now available at great prices on their website at www.thestamppeople.com

The new stamps, which came from several different suppliers, are from a wide time period and include stamps from the 1800s all the way through 2009.

The Stamp People are known for providing stamp collectors with bulk stamp mixes that have far fewer duplicates than the mixtures that can be bought from other stamp dealers. Stop by their website today. You'll be sure to find something you'll want.

Aerophilately and the Famous Graf Zeppelin Stamps

Aerophilately is the study of airmail stamps - stamps specifically designed to pay postage for the transport of mail by airborne mail carriers. Some early airmail was carried by balloons, while other airmail was carried by zeppelins, rockets, and later by fixed-wing aircraft, both propeller planes and jet aircraft. These different modes of air transportation result in different sub-specialties of aerophilately: balloon mail, zeppelin mail, rocket mail and so on.

Zeppelin mail, carried by lighter-than-air German airships similar to dirigibles, is a fascinating and popular division of aerophilately. Zeppelins were first used to carry mail in 1908. Most carried mail on every flight, and the covers received special postmarks applied on board the zeppelins in their own small post office areas. Many countries, including the US, issued airmail stamps to be specifically used for zeppelin mail. The US zeppelin stamps feature the famous Graf Zeppelin airship, named after its designer.

Zeppelins captured the public's imagination with their successful trans-Atlantic flights, at least until the tragic explosion of the Hindenburg in 1937. Some flew for a few more years, but not long after the Hindenburg disaster they fell into disuse.

The relatively short window of their use, together with the popularity and mystique of the zeppelins and the relatively small quantities of zeppelin stamps that were issued, makes zeppelin covers and the stamps themselves popular with collectors.

The US Graf Zeppelin stamp set is one of those magical stamp sets that fetch very high prices when they're sold.

Legendary Stamp Collectors - Ferrary

Philipp von Ferrary, probably the world's foremost stamp collector with the possible exception of Queen Elizabeth II, assembled the most complete stamp collection in the world. A member of the French nobility, he eventually renounced his titles and asked to simply be known as "Ferrary," which is how most stamp dealers and collectors refer to him even today.

Stamps were Ferrary's passion, and he began collecting at a young age. Eventually it became so large that he hired people to maintain it. His worldwide stamp collection was amazingly complete, and included true stamp rarities such as the unique Tre Skilling Yellow of Sweden, the 1856 one cent "Black on Magenta" of British Guiana and an unused copy of the two cent Hawaiian
Missionary stamp of 1851, for which its previous owner had been murdered by a fellow stamp collector.

After the outbreak of World War I, Ferrary willed his stamp collection to the Berlin Postmuseum in hopes that it would be made accessible to the public after his death. Late in the war he moved from France to Switzerland, leaving several hundred stamp albums in the safekeeping of the Austrian embassy in Paris. He died shortly after moving, so he was fortunate to not witness what happened next. After the war's end the French government seized his incredible collection, claiming it as reparations for the war. It was broken up and sold off, bit by bit, over the next several years for a total of around 30 million francs.

His legacy lives on, however: many rare stamps proudly bear an "ex-Ferrary" in their provenance. Ferrary compiled an unequalled collection, and his name will live on in philatelic history for as long as the hobby exists.

Invert Stamp Errors - Collectible and Valuable Stamps


One of the attractions of stamp collecting is its potential for profit down the road. Stamps as investments are currently outperforming the stock market by a wide margin.

We've already discussed some of the most valuable stamps in the world, including the one cent British Guiana black on magenta, the Treskilling Banco Yellow stamp and the US Benjamin Franklin one cent Z Grill. But many other stamps are valuable too. Some of the most interesting valuable stamps are invert errors.

Invert stamp errors are stamps where part of the image is accidentally printed upside-down. They occur (very rarely, hence their high value) in multi-color stamps that are printed by passing the stamp paper through the printing press more than once. After one or more passages through the press (each passage prints a particular color used in the stamp), someone accidentally feeds the paper through the wrong way for the next color, and that part of the image is then printed upside-down relative to the other image components. The invert stamps are usually caught almost immediately and destroyed by the printer before they ever reach the public. But every so often a glorious moment (for stamp collectors) occurs, and invert stamps are purchased by the public before the mistake is ever noticed. Because they're so rare, many are worth a small fortune.

A few famous invert errors include the US "CIA Invert," Scott 1610c, the Canadian "St. Lawrence Seaway Invert," Scott 387a, and the US "Inverted Jenny," Scott C3a, but there are others.

Stamp Mounts - Safe and Beautiful

Stamps can be mounted in a stamp album in several different ways, but the two most common methods are (1) by using stamp hinges, and (2) by using stamp mounts.

Stamp hinges, which have been around in one form or another for almost as long as stamps themselves, are extremely inexpensive and very easy to use. With one exception, they're an almost perfect choice for mounting used stamps, mint stamps that have already been hinged at least once, and inexpensive stamps. But for mint never hinged stamps and stamps that have some significant value,
aren't such a hot choice.

Why?

Hinges, no matter how lightly applied, always leave a mark on the gum side of a stamp. You don't want that to happen if you're mounting mint never hinged stamps because using hinges will significantly devalue the stamps. This isn't a concern with used stamps because they have no gum to leave a mark on, and it isn't really a concern for mint stamps that have already been hinged, because a hinge mark is already there. But you also shouldn't use hinges on expensive stamps, even if they're used or have been hinged already: hinges allow the mounted stamps to move a bit, and sometimes they can get tangled up with each other with the potential for damage. So our advice is to only use hinges to mount used or mint hinged stamps that are common or fairly inexpensive.

Stamp mounts provide more protection for your valuable stamps, and they're also more appealing to look at. They preserve the pristine state of mint never hinged stamps because unlike hinging, no salvia or hinge material is ever applied to the stamp itself. And when mounts are used, the stamps don't lift up from the stamp album pages as much as they can when hinges are used, so the potential for damaging valuable stamps is significantly reduced.

Appearance is another factor in favor of stamp mounts. Appearance is important for two main reasons: (1) the sense of pleasure a stamp collector experiences when looking at an attractively presented stamp collection; and (2) if the stamps are eventually to be sold, an attractively and safely mounted collection will almost always fetch a higher price than a collection that's been haphazardly or
unsafely mounted. And stamps are an investment that sometimes require waiting several years before a significant profit can be made. Keeping the stamps in a collection in their best condition during the waiting period is essential. Mounts are ideal for these purposes - they provide an attractive little frame for the stamps and they protect them at the same time.

All stamp mounts have a clear front, but some come with a black background (our favorite) and others with a clear background. Other than that, there are two styles of mounts: top-opening mounts and center-opening mounts. The top-opening style might be slightly easier to use, because you can easily slide a stamp into the mount from the top, using your stamp tongs. But the center-opening mounts are better: although you have to lift up both ends of the mount in order to insert a stamp, there is almost no chance that the stamp will ever
slide out of the mount and become damaged. Whether you use top-mounts or center-mounts, the backs of the mounts are pre-gummed and ready to be applied to stamp album pages once the stamps are inside.

Stamp mounts are sold in pre-cut sizes to fit individual items and also in strips of varying sizes, from sizes to fit the smallest stamps to large souvenir sheets and mini-sheets. Mounts can be trimmed to size with a guillotine-type mount cutter, an inexpensive but essential tool.

Safe and beautiful, mounts are well worth their extra expense, protecting your treasured stamp collection over the years.

Canada's Diamond Jubilee Stamps


The British Empire celebrated the 60th year of Queen Victoria's reign - her Diamond Jubilee - in 1897. Her incredibly long reign lasted 64 years, from 1837 until her death in 1901. When you see the terms "Victoria Era," "victorian Period" or the like, those terms are referring to Queen Victoria, the influences her rule had over much of the world, and the industrial, political, social, economic and military changes that occurred during her reign.

The Diamond Jubilee celebration was a major event, with holidays declared in Great Britain and its colonies, including Canada. Empire countries, including Canada, issued a series of stamps in connection with the Jubilee celebrations.

There are 16 stamps in the Canadian Diamond Jubilee set, and they are some of the most beautiful and collectible stamps that Canada has ever issued. They are Scott # 50-65, Unitrade # 50-65. The first Canada commemorative stamps, each of the 16 stamps is a different denomination, all the way up to $5. Each features two portraits of Queen Victoria, one as a young woman and the other in her maturity.

A complete set of Canada Diamond Jubilee stamps in mint never hinged condition has a catalog value of more than $34,000.

Stamp Finds


Some people say that stamp box lots and mixtures never contain any good finds. We guess everything is relative, but considering the low cost of most box lots, it's our opinion that the potential for finding quality stamps and uncommon stamp varieties in stamp mixtures, for a very low price, is surprisingly high.

The Stamp People sell low-priced stamp kiloware and stamp mixtures and assortments along with classic stamps, vintage stamps and recent stamps and sets from the US and around the world. One of their customers recently wrote to inform us of a nice find that was in a box lot purchased from The Stamp People.

The stamp was Scott # E1, the first Special Delivery stamp issued by the US, from 1885. It's not extraordinarily valuable - it's catalog value is about $60 - but the buyer only paid about $10 for the US stamp assortment it was found in.

We'd say that was a pretty good return on the buyer's investment.

Collecting Rare Stamps


Investing in rare stamps is a normal occurrence that's undertaken by intermediate to advanced stamp collectors. Rare stamps are tangible investments with potential similar to collecting art. But in addition to their investment potential, rare stamps also give their owners a great deal of pleasure. A sense of accomplishment. A sense of completion.

The value of any given stamp is directly proportional to its scarcity, in other words, how rare (or not) it is. Many stamps, such as the one cent British Guiana black on magenta, the Treskilling Banco Yellow stamp or the US one cent Z Grill, are extremely rare because only one (or just a few) were ever produced, and even fewer survive today. Because there are so few, and because so many stamp collectors covet them, the value of these stamps - and those in similarcircumstances - is very high.

Collecting rare stamps is a challenge, and can be quite expensive. But not always - some are found in a neglected old desk drawer or in an attic. Rare stamp varieties can even be found in stamp kiloware or off-paper stamp assortments. The lucky collector who finds a rare stamp this way is lucky indeed - if he or she decides to sell it, they might be able to live out their lives on the proceeds.

Postage Due Stamps


Postage Due stamps are sometimes neglected by stamp collectors. Their designs are usually not very exciting and some consider them a boring philatelic item to collect. The fact that they are almost always located in the back of the stamp album (and thus are one of the types of stamps known as "back of the book stamps" or "bob stamps") doesn't help create demand for them - sometimes they are totally overlooked.

But many vintage postage due stamps are beautifully engraved with harmonious designs, and some are quite valuable and rare. Cover collectors find them very collectible when they're properly used on cover.

So don't overlook the charms of postage due stamps. Collecting them can be an interesting philatelic sub-specialty, but even if you don't specialize in them, they'll round out your country collection.

Some Fun Facts About Stamps


Stamp collecting is an educational, engaging hobby that is enjoyed all over the world by people of all ages, young and old. It can be the hobby of a lifetime or a means of investing money that's relatively safe since it's not subject to the ups and downs of the stock market.


Here are some fun facts about stamps and stamp collecting:


Postage stamps are currently produced by more than 200 countries, and despite the advent of the Internet and email, more and more stamps are being issued each year.

Many children collect stamps, but even more stamp collectors are adults.

Stamps come in a variety of shapes, including rectangular, square, round and triangular. Tonga issued banana-shaped stamps, and Bhutan produced circular stamps that looked like vinyl records. If they were put onto a record player, they played the Bhutanese national anthem!

The world's first self-adhesive stamp was issued by African country Sierra Leone in 1964. Now, only 45 years later, it almost seems like every new stamp is a self-adhesive.

The world's first adhesive postage stamp was issued by Great Britain in 1840. It's known as the "Penny Black" because it's black and it's original cost was one penny. Nowadays it's worth a lot more than that.

Stamp Collecting in the Internet Age


A recent blogger suggested that with the advent of the Internet, email, texting and tweeting, stamp collecting is essentially dead, with the stamp collecting hobby holding little appeal for today's youth.

If this is true it's a shame, because boys and girls all around the world used to collect and trade stamps, some keeping their stamp collections into adulthood. Many young stamp collectors would set their collections aside when the responsibilities of adulthood came calling, but resurrected their interest once their children grew up and they had more leisure time to work with stamps again.

The implication of the blogger's post is that the Internet has "killed" stamp collecting. But is this really true? We believe that the Internet may have changed stamp collecting, but it certainly hasn't killed it off. Take a look at all the philatelic websites that are available nowadays. Check out the number of virtual stamp clubs on the Internet. And what about all the successful online stamp auctions and stamp shops? Sales of stamps are actually up, not down, and some stamps are fetching record prices.

So in the end, we think the stamp collecting hobby is re-inventing itself as a result of the Internet, email and all the other new-age electronic communication modes. It's not dying, not even a little bit.

US Postal Rates Going Up Soon So It's Time to Talk About the Forever Stamp Again!

The US Post Office has been selling the "Forever Stamp" for the past couple of years now, first for 41 cents and then, when the first class one ounce rate went up last May, for 42 cents. Well, the rate is set to go up again in a few days, this time to 44 cents. The USPS has promised that the Forever Stamp will be good for mailing one ounce first class letters at anytime in the future, regardless of rate increases.

The inevitable result is that Forever Stamps are irresistible to millions of Americans trying to save money anywhere they can in today's tough economy. And as the newest rate increase approaches, a new round of Forever Stamp stockpiling will occur, with Forever Stamps becoming even more popular than they already are.

But it seems that not quite everyone understands the concept of the Forever Stamp. People know that when they buy Forever Stamps they pay whatever the going rate is for first class one ounce stamps: currently 42 cents, but soon increasing to 44 cents. Even though the stamps have no denomination printed on them, they know their cost because that's what they're charged by the post office when they're bought. The confusion sets in when they're used after a rate increase: we've seen many a time when additional postage has been added to a Forever Stamp, apparently because the mailer didn't understand that what they paid for the stamp would still be enough despite the rate increase.

Just to eliminate the confusion, as long as the mailed piece is a first class one ounce piece, no additional postage needs to be added to a Forever Stamp. Doing so just adds to the coffers of the USPS and wastes the money of the person doing it. It may only be a couple of cents, but it all adds up.

Does the same kind of confusion surrounds the Breast Cancer stamp, since it is also non-denominated and satisfies the first class one ounce rate, no matter what was paid for the stamp at the time it was bought? We rarely see additional postage added to it, but we'd appreciate your comments.

Tips For Working on Your Stamp Collection


Some stamp collectors work on their collections in a small corner of their bedroom or their living room, or on the kitchen table. Although providing a work space, doing this does have its disadvantages - namely the need to clear the area at the end of the day and then replace the philatelic material (hopefully the way it was!) before beginning the next work session. I used to do this myself, and it can get confusing, trying to put everything away so that it makes sense and then replacing it in a way that let me start up again about where I left off. Truly, once an ongoing stamp project is boxed up and put away for a while, it takes twice
the effort to unpack it, spread it all out and figure out where and how to begin working on it again.

I don't do that anymore - my "kitchen philately" days are over. Now I'm one of the lucky stamp collectors that's been able to set aside a room just for working on stamps. Now I don't need to go through that never-ending confusing cycle of pick-up-and-replace, pick-up-and-replace, pick-up-and-replace. When I'm done for the day, I just walk away, leaving all my stamp material right where I want it, ready for my next session.

But not everyone is so fortunate. And stamp collectors who are kitchen philatelists can reduce some of their frustration and problems caused by the endless pick-up-and-replace cycle - just follow some of these tips.

Find an area where you can "permanently" keep the vast majority of your stamp collection and all the material related to it, including your stamp catalogs, stock pages, tongs and other tools. This area may be a bedroom closet, under your bed or some other place - only you know where you'll be able to safely store it and not need to move it. From this "stamp storage area" you can bite off small projects one at a time. That way you'll only need to move a small amount of material to your kitchen table or bedroom stamp area: just whatever you'll need to work on your current small project. And when you have to pack it all back up again at the end of the day, put all the material for that project into its own box, briefcase or small suitcase so that it's ready for you to spread out again, already separated from the bulk of the rest of your material, the next time you're ready for it. The small projects you bite off are up to you - stamp sorting, identifying, mounting or whatever - just bite off something small enough that you can easily pack it up at the end of the day if it's not completed.

Revenue Stamps


Revenue stamps, sometimes called tax stamps or fiscal stamps, are adhesive labels that can be very similar in appearance to postage stamps. But instead of being used to indicate payment for mailing an item, revenue stamps are used to indicate the payment of taxes or fees. Revenues have been used by many countries throughout the world, including the United States, Canada and Great Britain. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes - some are the size and shape of a regular postage stamp, while others are very large rectangles; still others are very long but narrow strips.

Revenue stamps have been used to collect taxes or fees on wines, beer, playing cards, hunting licenses, cigars, cigarettes, drugs, the recording of documents, stock certificates and many other types of items. They are normally affixed to the item being taxed.

Some revenues have cancellations, often the signature or initials of the person collecting the fee along with the date. But some cancellations are hand stamped and others are simply punch marks.

The use of revenue stamps is much less common now than it was in the 19th and 20th centuries. But they are extremely popular with certain stamp collectors, and they make for a colorful, intriguing and challenging specialty collection. Prices for revenue stamps range from the minimum catalog value to very expensive.

All About Stamp Tongs


Stamp tongs may superficially resemble the tweezers that are sold in drug stores or for beauty care, but they are different, and regular tweezers should never be used to handle stamps - proper stamp tongs should always be used. They are an essential tool for every stamp collector, from beginners through the most advanced, sophisticated collectors. Stamp tongs help collectors handle their stamps safely and when used properly they reduce the chances of causing damage to stamps. They work like tweezers, being made of two flat metal arms that are joined at one end, with a spring action that allows the free ends of the arms to be pinched together.

Unlike tweezers, stamp tongs have rounded, polished tips that make them safe for handling stamps - tweezers have sharpened edges that can cut into or poke through stamps. Tongs with pointed tips are designed for precision work (and should probably not be used by beginning stamp collectors), while stamps with flat or spade tips are good for beginners and for holding larger items such as blocks or souvenir sheets.

Postage stamps can be damaged by oils in the skin if they are held in the fingers; even if the collector's hands have just been washed, the oils are not entirely removed and some can transfer to the stamp. When oils are deposited on stamps, the surface can end up being stained - the oils will react with the stamp ink over time. Stamps can also be damaged when they are picked up by the fingers: it's not difficult to damage perfs or cause bends or creases when doing this. And you certainly don't ever want to pick up mint stamps with your fingers no matter how careful you are, because fingerprints can be left on the gum and substantially reduce the value of the stamps. Stamp tongs were designed to eliminate all of these problems.

Stamp tongs allow the collector to slide a tip underneath a stamp and then securely grasp it by pinching the two tips together. It sounds a bit more complicated than it is - it's incredibly easy to operate stamp tongs after only one or two tries.

Stamp tongs come in several tip styles and also a couple of different lengths. They're not expensive and generally sell for somewhere between $3 and $7, depending on the style, length and manufacturer. They should be regularly
inspected and cleaned to protect your stamps, but if they're properly handled they'll last for years and years. Stamp tongs are a small but essential tool for stamp collecting, and their low cost will pay off time and time again.

Simpsons Stamp to be Issued by the United States


I heard about the United States Postal Service's intention to issue a commemorative stamp for The Simpsons TV show over the weekend. I'm wondering what you all think about it.

The stamp will be the latest in a series of stamps that honor pop culture, including Comic Book Heroes and Star Wars.

Here are my thoughts: I know that The Simpsons have successfully invaded American culture, but I don't necessarily think that's a good thing, or that the show is a good influence. Although they can be funny at times (and just plain stupid at others), The Simpsons really boils down to the tales of a dysfunctional family. Honoring that just seems a bit crazy to me. I can't make the same accusation about stamps featuring Comic Book Heroes or Star Wars characters, but honoring them with stamps does strike me as a bit frivolous. It seems to me that there are enough genuine heroes out there that we don't need to honor fictional ones.

What do you think?