Self-Stick Stamps (Self-Adhesive Stamps)
Until very recently, almost all stamps printed from every country throughout the world came with adhesive gum on the back. These traditional adhesive stamps are easy to lick or otherwise moisten, but the gum that's been used on stamps hasn't always been of the highest quality. Throughout the years gum has been made from various plant products such as cornstarch, gum Arabic, sweet potatoes and sugar, and sometimes stamps fell off letters.
The United States Post Office tried various experiments to improve the "stickiness" of the stamp gum used on United States stamps, inluding trying a special "summer gum" that was intended to resist high humidity and a special "winter gum" that was intended to resist cracking in cold, dry winter air.
The small South Pacific kingdom of Tonga came to the rescue. Although the source was unlikely, being such a small and undeveloped country, the solution was brilliant. Tonga printed the world's first self-adhesive stamps in the 1960s, including stamps that were appropriately shaped like bananas. These stamps were so unusual, both for their novel self-sticking ability and their die-cut shapes, that they became a big hit with stamp collectors around the globe. Since then, many countries have joined Tonga in printing self-adhesive stamps. Peel-and-stick stamps are now the most common type of US stamps.
Showing posts with label collectible stamps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label collectible stamps. Show all posts
Friday, September 04, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Some Food For Thought On Collecting Stamps
Where is philately headed? Are postal administrations going to kill off the postage stamp as being too expensive to produce? Will the value of collectible stamps go through the roof because of this? Will philately itself become extinct? Where will philately be in 50 years?
Our thoughts are that stamp collecting will be around for a long time, even if stamps are no longer produced sometime in the future.
1. Adhesive postage stamps have existed for almost 170 years - since 1840. Millions of collectible stamps from the 1800s still exist, and many stamp collectors still avidly desire stamps that were produced 100 or more years ago. We believe that will still be the case even if countries stop printing new stamps in the future.
2. If new stamps are no longer produced, this may well make existing postage stamps even more desirable than they are now. If that occurs, the values of collectible stamps will rise as a function of supply and demand.
The main problem for stamp collectors going forward is that nowadays, stamps rarely turn up on letters and parcels any more, as post offices prefer to stick cheaper, computer-generated labels on them when the people mailing them bring them in to the post office to be franked and mailed. And in many cases, when stamps are used, they are the same definitives over and over again. Commemorative stamps are just as attractive as they ever have been, but hardly anyone uses them. Another problem for collectors are the peel-and-stick self-adhesive stamps. Some are almost impossible to soak off paper, while the better ones are merely difficult.
Does anyone have an opinion on this situation?
Where is philately headed? Are postal administrations going to kill off the postage stamp as being too expensive to produce? Will the value of collectible stamps go through the roof because of this? Will philately itself become extinct? Where will philately be in 50 years?
Our thoughts are that stamp collecting will be around for a long time, even if stamps are no longer produced sometime in the future.
1. Adhesive postage stamps have existed for almost 170 years - since 1840. Millions of collectible stamps from the 1800s still exist, and many stamp collectors still avidly desire stamps that were produced 100 or more years ago. We believe that will still be the case even if countries stop printing new stamps in the future.
2. If new stamps are no longer produced, this may well make existing postage stamps even more desirable than they are now. If that occurs, the values of collectible stamps will rise as a function of supply and demand.
The main problem for stamp collectors going forward is that nowadays, stamps rarely turn up on letters and parcels any more, as post offices prefer to stick cheaper, computer-generated labels on them when the people mailing them bring them in to the post office to be franked and mailed. And in many cases, when stamps are used, they are the same definitives over and over again. Commemorative stamps are just as attractive as they ever have been, but hardly anyone uses them. Another problem for collectors are the peel-and-stick self-adhesive stamps. Some are almost impossible to soak off paper, while the better ones are merely difficult.
Does anyone have an opinion on this situation?
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Australian States Stamps
Highly collectible. some of the stamps issued by the various Australian States - the forerunners of Australia - are quite affordable while others are quite expensive. But all are highly collectible and they form a very interesting piece of Australian history. Australian States stamps can also be challenging to collect due to a variety of watermarks and perforation varieties.
The Australian States are:
New South Wales
Queensland
South Australia
Tasmania
Victoria
Western Australia
Highly collectible. some of the stamps issued by the various Australian States - the forerunners of Australia - are quite affordable while others are quite expensive. But all are highly collectible and they form a very interesting piece of Australian history. Australian States stamps can also be challenging to collect due to a variety of watermarks and perforation varieties.
The Australian States are:
New South Wales
Queensland
South Australia
Tasmania
Victoria
Western Australia
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Vintage Stamps (continued)
We left off at "what is a vintage stamp?" The general consensus is, a vintage stamp is a postage stamp that's more than [x] number of years old, but the meaning of "x" (how many years back we should go) is up for some debate.
Our personal feeling is that a stamp isn't a vintage stamp until it's at least 70 or 80 years old. Many stamp collectors and stamp dealers agree with us, but a few do not.
But is it important? Is there some inherent value in being a vintage stamp?
Many vintage stamps are valuable. But just because a stamp is a vintage stamp does not automatically mean it's also a valuable stamp. We could give you hundreds of different examples of stamps that are more than 100 years old, but because so many were printed and still survive today, they aren't worth more than 5 or 10 cents.
In the end, a stamp has a better chance of being valuable if it's vintage, but that's certainly no guarantee. And it works the other way too - many recent stamps have little value because they're so easy to find, but some recent stamps buck this trend and are fairly pricey. So keep in mind that there is always more than one factor at play in the value of a particular stamp - condition, scarcity, and age.
We left off at "what is a vintage stamp?" The general consensus is, a vintage stamp is a postage stamp that's more than [x] number of years old, but the meaning of "x" (how many years back we should go) is up for some debate.
Our personal feeling is that a stamp isn't a vintage stamp until it's at least 70 or 80 years old. Many stamp collectors and stamp dealers agree with us, but a few do not.
But is it important? Is there some inherent value in being a vintage stamp?
Many vintage stamps are valuable. But just because a stamp is a vintage stamp does not automatically mean it's also a valuable stamp. We could give you hundreds of different examples of stamps that are more than 100 years old, but because so many were printed and still survive today, they aren't worth more than 5 or 10 cents.
In the end, a stamp has a better chance of being valuable if it's vintage, but that's certainly no guarantee. And it works the other way too - many recent stamps have little value because they're so easy to find, but some recent stamps buck this trend and are fairly pricey. So keep in mind that there is always more than one factor at play in the value of a particular stamp - condition, scarcity, and age.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Upcoming Subjects That We'll Be Discussing In The Next Few Days:
1. Postally Used Stamp Collections - More Popular Than Ever, or Falling Into Disfavor?
We've recently read that the number of stamp collectors who focus on postally used stamps is decreasing. We beg to differ. In fact, we disagree quite strongly.
2. Type of Stamp Collections.
Stamp collectors can make their collections be anything they wish. Are you a country collector, a worldwide stamp collector, or a topical or thematic stamp collector? Do you limit your collection to a particular range of dates? Do you only collect mint never hinged stamps, or do you prefer postally used examples?
1. Postally Used Stamp Collections - More Popular Than Ever, or Falling Into Disfavor?
We've recently read that the number of stamp collectors who focus on postally used stamps is decreasing. We beg to differ. In fact, we disagree quite strongly.
2. Type of Stamp Collections.
Stamp collectors can make their collections be anything they wish. Are you a country collector, a worldwide stamp collector, or a topical or thematic stamp collector? Do you limit your collection to a particular range of dates? Do you only collect mint never hinged stamps, or do you prefer postally used examples?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Theft of Collectible Stamps While Still in the Mailstream.
We've been hearing more and reports of collectible stamps being removed from their covers before the mail has even been delivered.
We've also had this happen to us personally - expensive, collectible US Express Mail and Priority Mail stamps, as well as commemorative stamps from other countries that were used on mail that we've received, have been carefully removed from their covers before the mail was delivered. Most of the time the envelope is cut right around the stamp that's being removed, without damaging the contents of the envelope. Other times the stamp is peeled off the cover.
Our Canadian and British correspondents report that this happens to them as well.
This practice of removing valuable and collectible stamps before the mail is delivered is theft. We don't know who is doing it, only that the mail is still delivered even though the stamp is now gone. Are postal employees doing this? We don't know, but who else has access to undelivered mail?
We've been hearing more and reports of collectible stamps being removed from their covers before the mail has even been delivered.
We've also had this happen to us personally - expensive, collectible US Express Mail and Priority Mail stamps, as well as commemorative stamps from other countries that were used on mail that we've received, have been carefully removed from their covers before the mail was delivered. Most of the time the envelope is cut right around the stamp that's being removed, without damaging the contents of the envelope. Other times the stamp is peeled off the cover.
Our Canadian and British correspondents report that this happens to them as well.
This practice of removing valuable and collectible stamps before the mail is delivered is theft. We don't know who is doing it, only that the mail is still delivered even though the stamp is now gone. Are postal employees doing this? We don't know, but who else has access to undelivered mail?
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