Good Cape of Good Hope stamps highlighted by 44.4% increase - The Franschhoek Collection of Cape of Good Hope stamps saw strong results on June 20

A newspaper cover bearing an important date starred


The Franschhoek Collection of Cape of Good Hope stamps saw strong results yesterday (June 20), in a dedicated UK sale.
The first postage stamps to be issued in the Cape of Good Hope came in 1853, when the province was still a British colony. Initially, just two denominations of the unusual triangular stamp were issued, a one penny in red and a four pence stamp in blue.

The Franschhoek Collection was topped by a later, yet extremely rare four pence black from the province, one of only thirteen recorded examples. Boasting large margins, the attractive example sold for £26,000 ($40,813), against an estimate of £15,000-18,000, displaying an impressive increase of 44.4%.  
A spectacular cover, which featured the coveted 1861 woodblock issue, was also a major highlight. The woodblock issue was created when a shortage of stamps in the Cape caused local printers Saul Solomon & Co to be hired to produce a new supply using their own, more basic processes.

In this example, the 1861 one penny stamp was affixed to a February 28 copy of the Cape Argus newspaper. February 28 marked the first day of issue for the woodblock stamps, which spurred the final sale price to £25,000, 25% above the high estimate of £20,000.

With the highly respected SG100 Index reporting returns of 5.54% pa for the 100 leading examples, high-end stamps are now proving a safer investment than the Dow Jones Index, whose returns over the same 1998-2012 period stand at just 4.52% pa.

Paul Fraser Collectibles currently has a superb range of investment-grade rarities on offer to our customers. This example, known as the Black Empress, is one of the rarest and most exceptional stamps in Canadian philately.

Quality Stamp Collecting Supplies and Accessories are available at www.boscastlesupplies.com

Source:  http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/News/STAMPS/Good-Hope-Cape-stamps-highlighted-by-44.4pc-increase/11176.page?catid=80

Collecting Stamps - Risk vs Reward - the truth about stamp investment

Volatile. No single word is more likely to unnerve the investor.

Volatility means that the headline grabbing figures you read about a month ago can disappear overnight. Volatility means that if you part with your money, you do so with your fingers crossed. And if you invest in volatile markets too often, you're going to get burnt.

It's a word that has been applied to the stock markets for years, and in the past few months to gold (down 1.06% since April).

It's also a term that has been labelled against the collectibles market, in some cases with justification. The wine sector witnessed a large-scale correction last year, although it appears to be returning to health. Values for all but the finest pieces of antique furniture are also in a decade-long slump.
But one area where volatility does not apply is the rare stamps sector, and it's a key reason why I think you should be seriously considering stamps as a component of your portfolio.

Stamps vs Stocks - the volatility ratings revealed

A recent comparison by Livemint.com of risk-adjusted returns found that the 100 leading investment-grade British and Commonwealth stamps comfortably outperformed the Dow Jones between December 1998 and January 2012.

The well-respected SG100 Index revealed that those leading 100 stamps brought returns of 5.54% pa over the 14-year period, comfortably beating the Dow Jones figure of 4.52%.

The volatility of the 100 stamps - that is the standard deviation of annual returns - was just 2.55%, providing an Annual Return/Volatility rating of 2.17.

The figures are in stark contrast to the Dow Jones' whopping 15.66% volatility and a rating of just 0.16.

The SG100 also had a better rating than gold, which despite its 14.62% annual returns during the time frame, suffered from 17.44% volatility to provide a rating of 0.84.

You can capitalise on the security of stamp investment with Paul Fraser Collectibles, the home of the stamp investment experts. Until recently I was the owner, and Chairman, of renowned stamp dealer Stanley Gibbons, while my colleague Adrian Roose was a founding director of Gibbons' investment department.

If you are interested in buying quality Stamp supplies to store your investment quality stamps - go to www.boscastlesupplies.com

Source: http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/section.asp?catid=211&docid=11168&n=200612

Scenic American Landscapes Stamped Cards Available June 23

Mark your calendars because the new set of Scenic American Landscapes stamped cards will be issued one week from today at the National Topical Stamp Show in Lancaster, Pennsylvania!

This set of 20 cards features 10 spectacular stamp designs from the Scenic American Landscapes stamp series, which highlights some of the nation’s most beautiful natural places.

Featured on the cards, which are now available for pre-order, are photographs of 13 Mile Woods, New Hampshire; Glacier National Park, Montana; Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming; Hagatna Bay, Guam; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Niagara Falls, New York; Nine-Mile Prairie, Nebraska; Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia/Florida; Rio Grande, Texas; and Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota. Gorgeous!

Source: http://blog-stampofapproval.com/2012/06/16/send-beautiful-images-of-american-scenery-in-one-week/