Unique Mickey Mouse 50th Birthday Walt Disney World Special Event Cancelled Postcard from 1978

The postcard has a Lake Buena Vista cancel tied to two stamps, the 6c Walt Disney and the 5c Settlement of Florida.  A very unique Disney collectible in excellent condition.

Photochrome postcard published by Walt Disney Productions in 1978.
Below is the front side of the card.
 

For this and more interesting collectible Florida postcards check out http://theoldcollector.com

US Forever Stamps are Now Forevermore 

Recently, the United States Postal Service (the “USPS”) announced an important new policy regarding the First Class postage stamps used to mail one ounce letters.  From now on, all new one-ounce First Class stamps will be “Forever Stamps.”  
 
In other words, no matter how much you pay for them today, these stamps will always be worth whatever the one-ounce letter rate is in the future.  Currently, the one-ounce rate is 44 cents, but even if it rises to $2 in the future, today’s Forever Stamps will be worth enough to pay it.  This is why the USPS will not mark the Forever Stamps with any particular denomination (face value).

These new stamps will probably be a welcome sight to non-stamp collectors.  Now, as long as you have some of the Forever Stamps, whenever the postal rates go up (as they inevitably do), you won’t need to buy new, more costly one-ounce stamps or small-value stamps to make up the difference between the old and the new.

Of course, these new Forever Stamps won’t be the first ones used by the USPS for First Class mail.  However, up to now, there’s only been one.  That first Forever Stamp first came out in April 2007 and shows the Liberty Bell.  Originally selling for 41 cents, it now sells for 44 cents.  It, too, will be good to use on one-ounce First Class mail “forever.”  Like the Forever Stamps that will be coming out this year, the original Forever Stamp is marked “Forever” instead of with any face value.

The original Liberty Bell Forever stamp is a definitive (regular) stamp.  As part of this significant expansion of its Forever Stamp program, the new Forever Stamps will also include commemorative stamps – the stamps that are issued to commemorate or celebrate a particular person, historical event, or place.  For example, Forever commemorative stamps honoring the Lunar New Year (this year is the Year of the Rabbit) will be available for sale on January 22, 2011.  Additional Forever commemorative stamps announced for 2011 include a stamp honoring the American author Mark Twain and a set of five stamps featuring characters from Disney animated films, among others.

It’s likely that some non-stamp collectors will buy stocks of these Forever Stamps as a hedge against future postal rate increases.  The effect of this new stamp policy on stamp collectors and stamp collecting as a hobby is currently unknown, however.  It’s possible that the new stamps won’t discourage stamp collectors at all.  Stamp collectors are much more concerned about condition and scarcity than a particular stamp’s face value.  

Clearly, this new policy of the USPS will make life easier for users of the mail.  Its effect on stamp collecting remains to be seen.

We're Proud to Announce Our New Stamp and Postcard Shop!

We've been hard at work launching a new online shop where collectors can buy a wide assortment of stamps and vintage postcards to add to their collections.

We hope to become one of your main sources for wholesale stamp mixtures, individual stamps and stamp sets, ranging from classic stamps to much more recent.  We also offer a wide assortment of fine vintage postcards.  It will take us some time to get everything listed, because we have tens of thousands of stamps and postcards for sale.

From time to time we'll also be selling collectible vinyl records, cassette tapes, music memorabilia, books and audio books, magazines, paper ephemera and other collectible items.

Please check out The Old Collector whenever you're looking for these types of items!

Buying Stamps Online For Your Collection:  Some Stamp Purchasing Tips

Many stamp collectors build their collections by purchasing stamps online.  After all, it’s easy and convenient, and prices are often better.  Are you thinking about joining them and buying stamps for your collection on the Internet?  If you’ve never done it, you might be a little lost on how to go about it.  Here are a few guidelines that should help you pursue what can become an exciting avenue to add new material to your collection.

Tip Number 1:  Read the complete description and thoroughly study any and all pictures that are available.  Carefully consider these vital pieces of information about every stamp you're interested in.

How else could you learn pertinent details about a stamp such as its gum condition (never hinged, lightly hinged, hinge remnant, etc.), centering, perforation condition, and any faults (thins, tears, creases or bends)?  You’re not in a stamp shop and you don't have the stamp itself right in front of you.

Tip Number 2:  Find one or more online stamp dealers that you trust, and then stick with them.

It might take some trial and error to find them, but many reputable stamp dealers have websites.  One tipoff that indicates whether a dealer is trustworthy is the type of descriptions and stamp images the dealer’s website furnishes.  Good stamp dealers will post thorough and accurate descriptions and provide high-resolution images that accurately portray their stamps.  They also provide superior customer service by responding quickly to any questions you might have, acknowledging your order and your payment, and letting you know when your stamp order has been shipped.

Try to build an ongoing relationship with this type of stamp dealer.  You'll be able to trust the accuracy of their descriptions and pictures, and if you buy from them repeatedly, you just might get more favorable prices as well.

Tip Number 3:  When in doubt, ask questions before buying.

This will actually serve two purposes.  The first, of course, is to receive the answer to your question before you send your money.  For example, you can avoid an unpleasant surprise about a stamp’s condition by asking about it before you buy.  A reputable stamp dealer will always answer your questions honestly, even if it means losing a sale. 

You can also ask questions for a second reason:  to determine how responsive a particular dealer is.  A good online stamp dealer will respond quickly, professionally and as thoroughly as possible.  However, some stamp dealers may not respond at all, may take an undue amount of time to reply, or otherwise not provide good customer service.

Keep the first type (the good stamp dealers) on your short list of stamp sources. Don't bother ordering from the unresponsive ones.

Tip Number 4: When you find good online stamp dealers, don’t abuse them.

Recognize that good online stamp dealers are worth their weight in gold to your stamp collection.  By definition, they're trustworthy and reliable stamps sources. But in addition to those golden qualities, they will often go out of their way for you. Don't abuse this valuable relationship.

Follow these tips and you’ll be on the right path to an exciting new way to add stamps to your collection.

How to Grade the Condition of Stamps


Stamp collecting is a fun, educational hobby that always provides pleasure.  And it can, at times, be lucrative.  Serious stamp collecting requires a certain amount of knowledge.  This knowledge will allow the collector to build a strong stamp collection, not overpay and know the value of the collection.  A stamp collector should always determine the grade and condition of the stamps in his or her collection.

Stamp catalogs provide basic guidance on the grade and value of stamps, but all collectors should be aware of stamp varieties (almost always much more valuable than the most common version of a stamp) that in many cases can be detected only through a magnifying glass, watermark detector or perforation gauge.  It is therefore critical that collectors examine their stamps with these stamp collecting tools.  But that's not the only purpose of a close examination:  some stamp faults that seriously detract from the value of stamps can only be seen this way. 

Evaluation of condition and stamp grading involves centering, gum condition and cancellations.  Centering describes how well the stamp design is located:  ideal centering occurs when the design is smack in the middle of the stamp, mid-way between the stamp's perforations on all sides. 

Superb stamps feature centering that is as close to perfection as is possible. The margins between the design and perforations are precisely the same in each direction, all the way around the stamp.  The color of these stamps should be fresh and bright and of course no faults, even microscopic, should exist.

Extremely Fine stamps are close to perfection, with well-centered designs.  The color of these stamps should be fresh and bright and of course no faults, even microscopic, should exist.

Very Fine stamps are slightly less well-centered but still balanced.  This is the stamp grade used by many stamp catalogs, including those by Scott, for their stamp values.  The color of these stamps should be fresh and bright and of course no faults, even microscopic, should exist.

Fine, Good and Poor stamps feature increasingly more off-center stamp designs.  In poorly centered stamps the design there may be no margin on one or more sides, with the design entering into the perforations.  No faults should exist in Fine stamps.  Stamps may be graded "Good" or "Poor" because of centering, blurred or very heavy cancels, or the presence of a variety of faults.

Stamp Expertizing Certificates


Stamp collecting has been an extremely popular hobby for several generations - almost since the day the world's first postage stamp was issued, in 1840.  Stamp collecting is fun, educational, and not at all stressful; in fact it can be quite relaxing and rewarding in a laid-back way.  But in addition to having all those qualities, stamp collecting can also, sometimes, be financially rewarding.  It's likely that at least part of the reason stamp collecting is so popular is the stories we all hear about valuable stamps. 

Almost all of us have heard of stamps that are worth thousands of dollars.  In fact, a very few stamps are worth much more than that - a million dollars or more.  Finding one of these stamps is every philatelist's dream. 

Just like many other collectible items, stamps can be counterfeited or forged.  And the great popularity of stamp collecting sadly motivates some bad people to create forged stamps.  Fortunately, we can protect ourselves from these bad people because any stamp can be sent to a stamp expertizing service.  These stamp expertizers carefully evaluate every stamp that is submitted to them and determine whether it is genuine and authentic or a counterfeit or forgery.  They certify the result of their findings by means of an expertizing certificate that they issue.

Stamp expertizing services are especially helpful when a stamp collector is thinking of purchasing an expensive stamp.  If the stamp is submitted and certified as genuine, the sale can go through.  But if the result indicates it's a forgery, the stamp collector can back out and save a great deal of money.

The American Philatelic Society - the APS - runs one of the most sought-after expertizing services in the world, and it has been helping stamp collectors since 1903.  It's called the American Philatelic Expertizing Service - APEX - and it's an official division of the APS.  The process is simple:  just send the stamp to APEX in Pennsylvania, along with their minimal fee.  The stamp is numbered, photographed and examined by a team of up to five expert stamp collectors that are members of the service.  It can take a bit of time to have a stamp expertized, and al the experts on the panel must agree.  If they don't, APEX refunds the fee and declines to give an opinion.  If they do agree, the expert opinion of the panel is set forth on a certificate and send to the owner of the stamp, along with the stamp itself.  If the stamp owner disagrees the stamp can be re-examined within one year. 

APEX opinions are limited to whether a stamp is genuine - they never comment on a stamp's value.  But all items certified as genuine by APEX carry a guarantee - if a collector buys a stamp that's been certified as genuine by APEX but it later is shown to be a fake or misidentified, APEX will pay up to $5,000.  APEX and several other stamp expertizing services have fees that are minimal, and it's an easy way to be sure. 

Your First Stamp Collection

Stamp collecting is fun and it can be rewarding too.  You gain a definite sense of accomplishment when you build a stamp collection, and when your collection gets noticed by other people it makes you feel great. People around the world collect almost everything, including coins, postcards, dolls, toys and even barbed wire, but for some people there is nothing like collecting stamps.

Before you begin a stamp collection you must first decide what kind or type of stamps you want to collect. You can collect any kind of stamps but it might be more fun and rewarding if you focus on collecting a certain type of stamp.  You can choose from a variety of stamp types, countries, years, formats, purpose or condition (mint or used), or you can be a general worldwide stamp collector, including stamps of all types.  But if you want to go the worldwide route, keep in mind that more than 10,000 new stamps are issued every year throughout the world, and a complete collection would be prohibitively expensive.  Collecting the stamps issued by a specific country or on a specific topic is much more realistic, although with any stamp collection there will be stamps that are much too expensive for your budget. 

The easiest stamps to collect are those issued by the country where you live because they are much more accessible.  But you may choose to collect stamps from countries that have some sort of special significance to you. 
You can also collect stamps by topic.  Popular topical stamp collections - sometimes called thematic stamp collections - include stamps featuring birds, ships, trains, airplanes, flowers, space and sports.  But you can pick any topic you want:  one man even collects stamps featuring toilets!  

Stamp collecting is an easy hobby to begin, even if you have no money to spend on it.  Everyone gets mail, often with stamps on it, and you can begin there, because those stamps are free.  You can also ask friends, relatives and acquaintances to save the stamps they receive for your collection.  If you want stamps from another country, try finding a penpal who lives there.  You can exchange letters and stamps at the same time!

If your finances allow you can look for stamps at stamp shops in your area or at online stamp dealers.  Joining a local stamp club will let you learn more about stamps and stamp collections, give you more opportunities to trade stamps and sometimes buy them, too.

Make sure you are properly equipped with basic stamp collecting tools like a stamp album, tongs, hinges or mounts, a perforation gauge, a magnifying glass and a watermark detector.  Never mount your stamps using adhesive tape or glue: they will damage your stamps beyond repair.  Always use stamp tongs to handle your stamps:  no matter how often you wash your hands, there will always be oils which can damage the stamps.  A magnifying glass can help you separate and identify different varieties of stamps that look the same when seen with the naked eye.

No matter what you collect or how you go about it, make sure you enjoy it.  Stamp collecting is, after all, a hobby.