Boscastle Stamp Collecting News

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Friday, September 7, 2012

King George VI Imprimaturs at $158,500 in Chartwell stamp auction

A magnificent set of King George VI imprimaturs will highlight the latest instalment of the Chartwell Collection stamp auctions, which will be held on September 12 in London.

The set originates from the National Postal Museum archives

The Chartwell Collection is a legendary collection of stamps assembled by Sir Cyril Humphrey Cripps, which boasts the finest, investment-grade material from Great Britain and the British Empire ever put up for auction. The huge collection has been offered over several sales, and has already seen some impressive results.

The latest auction will feature George VI, Edward VII and Elizabeth II essays, proofs and stamps as we reach the latter part of the collection. The stunning King George imprimaturs will lead, with an estimate of £80,000-100,000.

The set of 15 values spans ½d to one shilling in imperforate blocks of four. Each block is printed on watermarked paper with full original gum and originates from the archives of the National Postal Museum. A truly exhibition quality set - as are most of the lots in the sale - each block boasts evenly balanced margins with fresh, rich colours.

Only one minor fault impairs the set, with the ½d showing a small ink mark on the selvedge, although this in no way affects its extraordinary quality.

The Elizabeth II section will see a particularly interesting selection of 10 photographic essays, which comprises some of the earliest proposed designs under the current monarch's reign. The most intriguing among the set is a 6d design by MC Farrer-Bell, which is mounted on card and was never adopted for issue.

The remaining nine were all adopted for the final issues and feature a number of alterations that will fascinate modern collectors. The collection will sell with a £6,000-8,000 estimate.

Also featuring in this sale is an extremely rare set of Jersey stamps, which bear the Nazi swastika.

Paul Fraser Collectibles also has a fantastic collection of British and Commonwealth stamps, which features the legendary Tyrian Plum, one of just 12 known to exist.

Get all your stamp collecting supplies from www.boscastlesupplies.com

Source: http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/News/STAMPS/King-George-VI-Imprimaturs-at-$158,500-in-Chartwell-stamp-auction/11755.page?catid=80

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Family Guy - Peter and Chris Try Stamp Collecting

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Paralympic Star Ellie Simmonds And Natasha Baker Honoured By Royal Mail Stamp

Dressage rider Natasha Baker will be honoured with a special stamp to mark her second win in the Paralympic Games.

Paralympic swimming sensation Ellie Simmonds, from Aldridge, Walsall, will also get an Olympic stamp in celebration of her gold medal triumphs in the 200m Individual Medley and 400m Freestyle.

Miss Baker, from Uxbridge in Middlesex, came first in the Grade II freestyle class on her horse Cabral at Greenwich Park today, breaking a Paralympic record.

simmonds stamp

The triumph came 48 hours after the 22-year-old, who suffers from an inflammation of the spine, was crowned Grade II individual champion, breaking another Paralympic record.

Royal Mail said it was "delighted" to be issuing stamps to recognise Great Britain's Paralympic champions.

It is the first time that a set of stamps has been issued to celebrate Paralympic gold medallists from the host country.

The stamps will go on sale at more than 500 post offices around the UK tomorrow. Uxbridge residents will be able to buy them at the post office in nearby Hayes.

Miss Baker is the third member of ParalympicsGB to appear on two gold medal stamps.

The others are cyclist Sarah Storey, who won gold in the women's C4/5 500m time-trial and 3km individual pursuit, and horse rider Sophie Christiansen, who triumphed in the single Grade 1A and team dressage events.

Before the Olympics Royal Mail said it would not be producing individual stamps for Paralympic gold medallists.

Instead, the firm said it would create a series of six first-class stamps featuring every medallist to be produced after the Paralympic Games finished on 9 September.

But, after issuing 29 gold medal stamps for the Olympics and in the face of criticism on Twitter of its stance on ParalympicGB champions, it did a U-turn saying first-class stamps for individual ParalympicGB gold medal winners would be issued. Team gold medal winners will also be recognised, but featured on stamps as a team.

The stamps will go on sale tomorrow.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/09/04/simmonds-baker-stamp_n_1853373.html

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Royal Mail's Olympic race to produce medallist stamps

The 60p stamps feature images of the winning athletes during their competition or victory ceremony

Friday, July 20, 2012

All-Stars Forever stamps unveiled in Cooperstown - Baseball greats Williams, DiMaggio, Stargell, Doby depicted on U.S. Postal Service's latest issues

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- The U.S. Postal Service honored four members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Friday morning with commemorative stamps at a ceremony in the Museum's Grandstand Theater.

Ted Williams, Larry Doby, Willie Stargell and Joe DiMaggio all had their sweet swings memorialized on a green background. The "Forever" stamps will also be commemorated on Saturday in the cities where each of the great ones played: Williams in Boston, Doby in Cleveland, Stargell in Pittsburgh and DiMaggio in New York.

Tony Gwynn, a Hall of Famer in his own right and an eight-time National League batting champ with the Padres, was Major League Baseball's representative at the Friday ceremony.

"This was really nice," Gwynn said after the ceremony. "These are four guys I've read a lot about. I got to play against Stargell. I had long talks about hitting with Williams. It was nerve-racking, though. When you talk about these four guys, they each brought something different to the table."
Doby was the first African-American player in the American League, joining the Indians just after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier with the Dodgers in 1947. Williams was the last player to hit .400, batting .406 in 1941, the same year DiMaggio set the record by hitting safely in 56 consecutive games. "Pops" Stargell helped the "We Are Family" Pirates win the World Series in 1971 and 1979.

"It seems like every time I got to first base when he was playing there, he was always giving me some nugget to help me be a better player," said Gwynn about Stargell, whose career ended in 1982, the year the San Diego right fielder broke into the big leagues. "Those are the little tidbits that enter your mind. I got a chance to talk to Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. So, for me it's nice being here today."

Stargell's widow, Margaret, Doby's son, Larry Jr., and DiMaggio's granddaughter, Katie Stein, were also in attendance at the event.

Patrick Donahoe, the Postmaster General, dedicated the stamps, which were unveiled to a packed house on Friday.

"Baseball has a powerful grip on the heartstrings of America," Donahoe told the crowd. "The sport reflects so much of our unique American culture."

The U.S. Post Office has been issuing stamps to commemorate Major League players and ballparks since the first Baseball Hall of Fame induction in 1939. A new 20-stamp sheet is now available for $9 each at the Post Office across Main Street from the Hall of Fame Museum and at Post Offices across the U.S.

Sheets are available for each of the four players. One also can opt for an MLB All-Stars sheet that boasts five stamps of each of the players on it.

Source: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120719&content_id=35224934&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

If you need any stamp collecting supplies - please go to www.boscastlesupplies.com

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Yanks Legend Joe DiMaggio To Be Immortalized On US Postage Forever Stamps

Joe DiMaggio has earned his place in Yankees and Major League Baseball lore, and now the US Postal Service is further stamping his place in history.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the USPS are teaming up for the First-Day-Of-Issue Stamp Ceremony on Saturday, July 21. To further commemorate the event, Diaz is declaring it "Joe DiMaggio Day."

The event begins at 11 a.m. at the Bronx Main Post Office, with an autograph session with special guests afterwards.

The stamps will be sold at the event, all Bronx post offices and select Manhattan post offices on the 21. Starting the following Monday, the stamps will be available nationwide in limited quantities.

Dubbed 'The Yankee Clipper,' DiMaggio played his entire 13-year career in Yankees pinstripes. He earned three MVP awards and helped the Bronx Bombers take home nine World Series titles.

Most famously, DiMaggio hit in 56 straight games in the 1941 season, a streak that no hitter in MLB history has come within ten games of duplicating, according to the online Baseball Almanac.

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2012/07/yanks-legend-joe-dimaggio-to-be-immortalized-on-us-postage-forever-stamps

Quality Stamp Collecting Supplies are available at Boscastle Supplies - www.boscastlesupplies.com

Saturday, July 14, 2012

The Jamaica stamp collector - As Jamaica celebrates its 50th year of Independence

As Jamaica celebrates its 50th year of Independence, Rhudal McFarlane from Garlands in south St James is revelling in his pre-Independence stamp collection from his childhood days.

"It was while I was going to primary school that I started stamp collecting as a child. It was just out of curiosity; the stamp collecting was just during my school days," said the 63-year-old stamp collection owner.

McFarlane, who was born to William and Lena McFarlane on July 13, 1948, and is one of 17 children for his father, said that he collected more than 300 stamps during his childhood. He recently found the book accidentally while doing some cleaning at home.
"I would take the stamps and paste them in my English book at the back. I could have collected ... 300 stamps, or more, but most of them got destroyed," said McFarlane.

"I was going through some of my old books from school days because from those days, I had bought myself a set of encyclopaedias in about 1970, and I have collections of several books. I have this passion for literature and reading, so I had these books, and I was taking a stock of them when I found the book with the stamps."

McFarlane - a former educator who served as principal of Cambridge High School in St James from 1983 until his retirement in April 2010 - noted that his stamp collection consisted of British-issued stamps with portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and King George VI.

'POUNDS, SHILLINGS, PENCE'

"In those days, it was the 'pounds, shillings and pence' days. You had the half-penny stamp, the penny stamp, and the two-pence stamp, and some of them had pictures of King George of England because all of our stamps had the King or the Queen on them. It was after Independence that we started to have our people on the stamps. So at the time, it was Queen Elizabeth and King George, her father," he recalled.

"Even though King George died after World War II, his picture was still on the stamp. Queen Elizabeth's pictures started coming on the stamps after she was crowned because she didn't get crowned immediately after her father died," he added.

"It was Winston Churchill who was running the country, because Elizabeth was still a young girl, until 1952, when she ascended the throne and was crowned in 1953."

The stamp collector said he preserved his collection for his four sons and grandchildren.
"They are very valuable to any stamp collector. I haven't got a clue how much they would cost, but I could part with some of them and keep a copy of one or two," he stated.

"Many people who lived in the days prior to Independence don't have anything to show from that time. These are some of the things that we should cherish and preserve, but we're not the kind of people who reflect on our history."

Photos by Christopher Thomas

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120714/western/western1.html

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Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Philatelic Expertisation - A new service from the Philatelic Traders’ Society

In response to sustained demand, the PTS can now offer full expertisation services for nearly all GB stamps, Queen Victoria to the present day, with the exception of some very specialised material. Following a successful 3-month trial, our services are now open to everyone, at home and abroad, trade and retail alike.

A flat fee* per item of £60.00 is payable (reduced to £50.00 for members of the PTS). No opinion = no fee.

The PTS settled on a flat fee structure, since the work involved in checking the status of a cheap stamp is fundamentally the same as for an expensive stamp. The PTS’ flat fee is slightly higher than the minimum rates charged by other committees, but should be considerably lower when opinion is sought on higher priced items, where a percentage of catalogue value – can be £100’s - is usually requested.

The aim is to provide an opinion within 30 days of receipt of the item. Opinion givers do not know the identity of opinion seekers. This way every item is judged strictly on its merits without influence from other criteria. PTS Expertising Limited has at its disposal the services of dozens of acknowledged experts in their fields, both dealers and collectors, plus free access to extensive reference collections.

Work which can be best done via scans and the internet (such as plating 1d blacks) will be done that way, whilst the more commercial aspects, such as repairing and regumming, will be adjudicated by professionals, usually PTS members, each expert in their own fields. Only when all those who have inspected the item can agree on the wording to go on the certificate, will the item be signed off and the certificate issued. High resolution scans of all items adjudicated will be kept on file for future reference.

We are confident that the PTS’s long-established international reputation for honesty and integrity, together with the high quality of the work we offer, will rapidly establish PTS Expertising Ltd’s certificates as having equal status with very best.

In closing, the PTS wishes to make it clear that, in common with all other philatelic expertisation services, it is charging for and providing a written statement of its opinion (only) and that it accepts no responsibility for any error or omission in that opinion. (Would-be submitters who find this condition unacceptable should seek alternative arrangements.)

Items for expertisation may now be sent to:

PTS Expertising Ltd

PO Box 204

Morpeth

Northumberland

NE61 9AA

However before doing so, we recommend you log onto our website http://www.philatelic-traders-society.co.uk/the-p.t.s.-expertising-ltd

for further details and full terms and conditions.

* exceptions may apply – see website

Monday, July 9, 2012

Stamp investment: The facts

The facts

In the midst of the economic downturn, investment-grade stamps continue to go from strength to strength

The values of the finest rare stamps - the investment-grade specimens - have historically performed superbly: Up 9.5% pa in the past 50 years.

The market has gathered pace in the past decade with more collectors and investors entering the market: The leading 30 Great Britain stamps are up 10.8% pa on average since 1998, according to the GB30 Rarities index.

China is the fastest growing market: The world's fastest growing economy is producing vast numbers of high-net worth individuals keen to invest in stamps from their homeland. The China rare stamp index is up 51% pa since 2006.

Stamps offer excellent portfolio diversification - vital in times of economic uncertainty: Stamps have a low correlation to stock markets, and indeed have comfortably outperformed the flat-lining FTSE and Dow Jones over the past decade.

Stamps offer tax-free investing: Up to £10,100 a year in the UK, or £20,200 with a compliant spouse!

Stamps have better risk adjusted returns than more traditional investments: They comfortably beat the Dow Jones and gold, according to a recent comparison by Livemint.com - 50m serious collectors worldwide ensures volatility remains low.

Source: www.paulfrasercollectibles.com

Friday, July 6, 2012

Traditional Philately - The Study of Postage Stamps Powerpoint Presentation about Exhibiting postage stamps

Brian Trotter, the new Chairman of the Traditional Philately Commission, held in June 2012 two very well received FIP approved seminars on Exhibiting and Judging Traditional Philately Exhibits.
The first one was in connection with the FEPA exhibition in Paris, Salon Du Timbre 2012.
32 interested philatelists attended the seminar.

The second was in Jakarta at Indonesia 2012 FIP exhibition. There no less than 68 participated in the seminar. Brian Trotter made a very thorough presentation about the present view on how to exhibit in the Traditional Philately Class. After the presentation several questions the audience were answered.

Seminar presentation download is well worth a look at (the download is safe):

English (MS PowerPoint) - TPC_Seminar_June_2012.ppt

Source: http://www.traditionalphilately.dk/meetings-and-seminars/seminars.html

Stamp collecting supplies, albums and accessories for exhibiting are available from www.boscastlesupplies.com

Thursday, July 5, 2012

1995 Canada invert stamp expected to bring $22,000

A rare $2 invert stamp from 1995 will highlight the Canada modern proofs and errors section of a July 18-19 sale.

Canada $2 Provincial Normal School invert

The stamp will auction with a high estimate given past auction results

The error was originally discovered in 1996 when a few panes of the £2 Truro Provincial Normal School stamp were reported to have been printed with a centre invert.

However, they have now been renamed as inverted inscriptions after it was revealed that the main design of the stamp was printed first and that instead the error lay with the surrounding text. In total, four sheets of 25 were identified - two in Moncton, NB and two in Hamilton, ON.

A sharp-eyed dealer in New Brunswick then purchased the four panes from three different individuals for an undisclosed sum, before selling the entire group to a US dealer. Since then, the sheets have been broken up and sold as individual or block lots.

The example at auction is a left sheet-margin single with the brown cutting guide gutter at the top. It represents one of just 10 extant examples from the Hamilton, ON find and is expected by the auction house to realise the Unitrade catalogue valuation of $22,000.

However, this could be a rather hopeful estimate, as a similar example sold for just $9,500 in 2005, although admittedly it did not share the same sheet-margin position as the current stamp.

Also featuring in the auction is a magnificent 50c Year of the Rooster stamp from 2005, of which only a single pane of 25 was discovered. Sold complete with a 2006 guarantee, it is estimated at $1,600.

Source: http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/News/STAMPS/1995-Canada-invert-stamp-expected-to-bring-$22,000/11298.page?catid=80

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Monday, July 2, 2012

Miles Davis Celebration and Postage Stamp Unveiling - Hollywood Bowl - 6/27/12

A Celebration of Miles Davis
Hollywood Bowl
6-27-12

Better than...celebrating Garfield creator Jim Davis

Last night, under a vivid half moon, this year's Bowl jazz series kicked off with a tribute to Miles Davis. It was largely a hit and as eclectic as the great trumpeter's game-changing career. Even better: Dude now has his own postage stamp.

CP Masters

Before the show, there was the West Coast unveiling of the U.S. Postal Service's stamp in his honor at the Bowl's museum. Pianist Herbie Hancock mingled with featured bassist Marcus Miller, while Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo (in a snazzy Joker-esque suit) posed for photos with our man Henry Rollins. Rollins has long been a Davis fan and friend of the Davis family. "When they call, I come," Rollins said. The unveiling was a nice gesture that had many people asking: What would Miles think of this?

The show opened with drummer Jimmy Cobb's "So What" band. Cobb is the last surviving member of Davis' 1959 classic jazz session Kind of Blue. Dressed in suspenders and a NASA baseball hat, Cobb took the drum stool behind a sextet of talents both young and old.

Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt filled Davis' place with force, delivering a brighter sound on "So What" while tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson went the other way in interpreting the role of John Coltrane, offering confident solos but nothing approaching the barrage of notes Coltrane was capable of.

Pianist Larry Willis offered some hard swinging piano, pounding through a rapid-fire "All Blues." Cobb still has the touch and was given his chance in the spotlight at the end with a popping solo turn.

The set was a pretty straight-forward reading of the classic session. It must be strange to be playing the same five tunes 53 years after they were first recorded. It's generous of Cobb to provide all of us that opportunity and the audience was respectful of his great legacy.

Despite the fact that Herbie Hancock, a key member of Davis' classic '60s band, took to the stage repeatedly, the evening completely bypassed that era in favor of Davis' electric period of the 1970s. The rotating stage revealed a band equipped with more percussion and electrical outlets than most music stores.

Nicholas Payton was the next trumpeter to take the Davis chair. His approach practically blew out the candles of the champagne-sipping box seats. It was an explosion of light and sound that was jarring for many people who had enough trouble accepting the same transition from Davis when he took over ten years to make it. Here the change happened within five minutes of Cobb's last cymbal splash.

After a low-key introduction from tablist Badal Roy, Payton echoed across the full band alongside saxophonist Antoine Roney. Guitarist Blackbyrd McKnight, in his Technicolor dreamshirt, shredded over the band, driven by two eager percussionists: Munyungo Jackson and Mino Cinelu. Keyboardist John Beasely set loose with help from a KAOS pad as the camera tried to find him in the back.

Marcus Miller led the third band, which was a tribute to Davis' mid-'80s era. Miller said more within the first minute than the other two bands combined. His polish as an entertainer, not just a musician, was one of the main reasons he closed the show. His impressive thump on the bass is probably the other reason.

Miller played a few tunes from Tutu, his 1986 collaboration with Davis. It was always kind of unclear to me who uses whammy bars on keyboards. Federico Pena is one of those guys. His wah-wahing synthesizers harkened to a time more specific than either of the first bands. We were transported to the sounds of Ronald Reagan's second term.

Trumpeter Sean Jones, who was only two when Reagan was first elected, filled the trumpet role for this set. His muted horn fit well amid the keyboard sounds and Miller's bellowing bass.

"We're playing the music of the past but we got to update it," announced Miller, midway through his set. "Otherwise, what would Miles think?" This led to Miller digging into his more current catalog, although it mostly resembled the earlier part of his set. His spin on the bass clarinet was a nice change and probably the funkiest that instrument has ever sounded.

In the end it was unclear what Davis would think of all this reverence. He probably wouldn't have showed anyway. He'd be too busy working on his Flying Lotus collaboration.

If you need any stamp collecting supplies - please go to www.boscastlesupplies.com - the best international supplier of stamp collecting supplies.

Source: http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2012/06/miles_davis_hollywood_bowl_june_27_2012_postage_stamp.php

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

United States Mint Launches 13th Coin in America the Beautiful Quarters® Program - MarketWatch

Football Stamp News - CFL takes a lickin' from Canada Post

Canada Post is set to kick off the release of a special run of domestic stamps to celebrate the Grey Cup's 100th anniversary.

Eight stamps will be released Friday, one for each CFL team, along with a souvenir item that will offer all eight logo stamps on one sheet.

Canada Post also plans to release nine commemorative stamps in August.

It's one of the largest single-year issues produced by the corporation in years.

The 100th edition of the Grey Cup will be played Nov. 25 at Rogers Centre.

The CFL regular season begins Friday night.

Source: http://www.castanet.net/news/Business/77099/CFL-takes-a-lickin-from-Canada-Post

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Monday, June 25, 2012

US postal museum starts work on William H Gross Stamp Gallery

Image: The National Postal Museum in Washington DC

Work has now begun on the construction of the new William H Gross Stamp Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution's National Postal Museum (NPM) in Washington DC, US.

The project has been made possible as the result of an US$8m (EUR6.4m, £5.1m) donation from Pacific Investment Management Company co-founder William H Gross.

Clark Construction has been chosen to build the new 12,000sq ft (1,115sq m) gallery, which has been designed by the Smith Group and is due to open in September 2013.

Work will involve transforming the site of the former Capital City Brewery restaurant in the Postal Square building and the creation of six themed areas exploring the history of stamps and the postal system.

Interactive exhibits will allow guests to learn more about the NPM's expansive collection, while there will also be hundreds of pull-out frames containing more than 20,000 objects.

Elsewhere, mezzanine renovations will provide space for the museum's education programme - including a learning loft above the new stamp gallery.

A spokesperson for the NPM said: "When completed, the gallery will be the world's premier museum gallery dedicated to philately.

"The gallery will enable the museum to reach its full potential by dramatically increasing the collection's visibility, advancing its educational mission and reinvigorating public interest in philately."

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Saturday, June 23, 2012

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

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

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

Monday, June 18, 2012

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/

Thursday, June 14, 2012

China Rare Stamps Investments - Mao’s Leap of Faith:

As part of our contuing series on luxury investments and “door openers” with clients, Keith Heddle of Stanley Gibbons gives us investment insight into the Chinese rare stamp market:

The Great Leap Forward took place in 1958. This was Chairman Mao’s attempt to modernise China’s economy so that in 30 years, it would have an economy to rival that of America.

Mao had toured China and concluded that the Chinese people were capable of anything and looking at the strength of the Chinese economy today, he wasn’t far wrong.

The story of the Chinese rare stamp market is another ‘great leap forward’ – and yet there’s a delicious irony here.

Mao banned stamp collecting as being bourgeois – so the great leap in Chinese stamp collecting and also for rare stamps has come in recent years.

And for now, that stamp boom just keeps on going. Chinese stamps represent the biggest bull market in philately right now and the perfect momentum investment – the ‘bull in the China shop’ as Mike Hall, my CEO commented.

As you know, in investing the easiest way to make money is to ride the waves of growth. Pick your wave right and you will make money. Your risk – make sure you get out before the wave crashes.

We recently published the 9th edition of our China stamp catalogue (the only China catalogue published in English on the market) and the prices are already lagging behind auction realisations!
To get an idea of the strength of the market, here’s a historical snapshot:

SG No.	Description	Cat Nov 2006	Cat April 2012	5½ year growth %	Average annual growth %
8d	1878-83 Thick paper 3c imperf between (vert pair) used	£37,000	£110,000	287%	52%
2403a	1968 “The Whole Country Is Red” 8f. multicoloured	£12,000	£100,000	733%	133%
85	1897 Empress Dowager First printing surch. with small figures 30c. on 24ca. pale rose-red unused	£12,000	£28,000	133%	24%
38a	1897 Small figures 1c. On 1ca. inverted surcharge unused	£8,000	£38,000	375%	68%
MS2044a	1962 Mei Lan-fang 3y. miniature sheet unmounted mint	£2,250	£22,000	878%	160%
9	1865 Shanghai 2ca laid paper Cadareen unused	£6,500	£12,000	85%	15%
39e	1897 Small figures 2c.on 2ca. surcharge double unused	£6,500	£25,000	285%	52%
3	1878-83 Thin paper 5ca orange block of 4 unused	£3,000	£7,250	142%	26%
308	1918 $20 black and yellow unused	£1,800	£7,500	317%	58%
88	1897 Red Revenue 1c. on 3c. deep red block of 4 unused	£1,500	£5,250	250%	45%
MS2199a	1964 Peonies 2y miniature sheet unused	£950	£5,000	426%	78%
104a	1897 ‘Imperial Chinese Post’ 50c. error blue-green unmounted mint	£700	£5,000	614%	112%
EC182	1943 Huainan $1 on 30c. unused	£1,700	£3,000	76%	14%
33	1894 Dowager 2nd printing 24ca deep rose-red unused	£1,100	£5,000	355%	64%
1/3	1878-1883 Thin paper set of 3 unused	£925	£3,450	273%	50%
NC70/76	1943 Values in cents set of 7 to 500c unused	£1,000	£3,145	215%	39%
MS2900	1979 Study of Science from Childhood, $2 souvenir sheet unused	£700	£2,500	257%	47%
16/24	1894 Dowager 1st printing set of 9 unused	£475	£2,610	449%	82%
124b	1900-06 No watermark 2c. deep red block of 6 imperforate unused	£750	£1,500	100%	18%
2968	1980 Year of the Monkey 8f. vermillion, black & gold unused	£275	£1,600	482%	88%
73	1948-49 Taiwan $100 on $20 scarlet 7th issue unused	£700	£1,100	57%	10%
		£99,825	£378,905	280%	51%

All of these stamps are either currently available to buy from Stanley Gibbons or were recently sold by us.

The prices quoted come from third party auction prices, mainly conducted in Mainland China and Hong Kong.

The performance tracks the change in prices between November 2006 and April 2012 – 5½ years. If you had invested £100,000 in these stamps in 2006, you would expect to have a portfolio worth around £380,000 today. That’s average annual returns of 51%.

Such stellar performance in a time when most markets are sluggish at best and in the doldrums at worst, shows just how useful rare stamps can be as a means of wealth preservation as part of a truly diversified portfolio.

The key is that rare stamps are an asset class not correlated with traditional asset classes.
This is a market supported by 20 million+ collectors, many of whom are enjoying considerable, newly-earned wealth. Compare that against a total available supply in the thousands and you can see why prices must rise across the board.

But when will the wave break?

The strength of the historic performance is there for all to see. So all we need to consider is, “will this continue for the next 5 years”?

I think the term “bubble” is widely misused by financial commentators when referring to anything that represents a high growth market. There is validity in the concept though, that things can’t go up at such high rates forever…

Ultimately, prices rise in accordance with demand against the inherent supply restrictions, which exist in the stamp world.

It stands to reason that the more expensive things get, the more collectors become priced out of the market. There will come a time when only the very wealthy have the funds available to participate in the market. The fluctuating fortunes of the fine wine market in China demonstrate this clearly.
But, it is all a numbers game…

In China, there are over 20 million collectors, far more than the print runs of the stamp issues. This is in a country where wealth is rising. The Chinese elite understand the importance of “tangible assets” for prudent wealth management and protection.

And it’s not just the Chinese that are buying Chinese stamps…

“I would say presently that half of my buyers are from Mainland China and half are from outside China,” said Louis Mangin, owner of the auction house Zurich Asia.

“Many Westerners also buy Chinese stamps. It is seen as a diversification and investment into China.”

But rare stamps still trade at affordable prices and we have been careful to buy wisely in this, the most liquid stamp market in the world.

The wave may crest and break at some point in the future – but right now, it is a simple high growth market supported by huge and rising demand against severe supply restrictions.

If we believe prices are becoming unrealistic in the future or if we witness a decline in the strength of auctions, we will alert you. When this happens, it will be time to get out.

One final point.

We approached some of the biggest investors in this market. They have collections of Chinese stamps worth £millions.

Not one of them entertained the idea of selling to us. Their view was that there was nowhere better to put their cash right now. If the key players are still holding (and still buying) then we are nowhere near the crest of the wave.

Accessing the market

Many Chinese collectors don’t yet discriminate against the quality of the stamps they are buying, but, as always, we do. We believe in only buying stamps in superior condition to the norm. We are able to buy quality examples in this market at the same price poor quality examples trade for.
We expect our investors will benefit from a “quality re-rating” when the Chinese ultimately begin to appreciate the premium rarity value of quality examples.

That is on top of the underlying growth in this asset class. The recent Merrill Lynch Wealth Report states that there are around half a million Chinese millionaires, (31% more than in 2008).
According to Barclays Capital, the Chinese account for 12% of the world’s luxury goods market. The Chinese want to show off their new wealth to the world. The stamp market is just one part of this revolution.

For all your stamp collecting needs - Boscastle Supplies has stamp albums, pages, tongs, hinges, mounts and stockbooks - and we ship worldwide - just place your order online today at www.boscastlesupplies.com

Source: http://www.ifamagazine.com/news/maos-leap-of-faith/11377/

New USA stamps - Jazz master gets stamp of approvaln from USPS

ALTON - Mail is suddenly "cool" again this summer with the issuance Tuesday of a stamp celebrating the music of Alton-born jazz great Miles Davis.

The stamp issuance follows Alton Mayor Tom Hoechst's trumpeting of the news at the 2012 Miles Davis Jazz Festival that a life-sized statue of the icon would be placed in the heart of Downtown's entertainment district on Third Street.

The U.S. Postal Service issued the stamps featuring Davis and French singer Edith Piaf in a partnership with La Poste of France.

"Miles Davis was one of the great innovators in American jazz, but he was also extremely popular in France, where he performed frequently," said U.S. Postal Service Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman at the special dedication ceremony held at the Rubin Museum of Art - The Theater in New York.

"Likewise, Edith Piaf, one of France's best-loved singers, became an icon in the United States," Stroman said. "These musical greats never performed alongside each other - so the United States Postal Service and France's La Poste are now bringing them together on these new stamps.

"With our Miles Davis and Edith Piaf stamps, our goal is to encourage more people to learn about these artists and the unique form of musical diplomacy they practiced," he said. "Like the music of Miles and Edith and like the friendship between America and France, these stamps will last forever."

The stamps are sold in self-adhesive sheets of 20 that will include 10 of each design.

Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate. At the time of issuance, the Edith Piat and Miles Davis stamps are being sold at a price of 45 cents each, or $9 per sheet.

This is the first time the United States and France have jointly issued a stamp since 1989, when both countries honored the bicentennial of the French Revolution, according to the postal service.

The Miles Davis and Edith Piaf stamps also feature another historic first: a QR code is printed on the back of the stamps that can be scanned with a smart phone.

A landing page opens with an option to listen to music from Davis while viewing photographs and a timeline of the lives of both Davis and Piaf, according to the Postal Service.

"Davis epitomized 'cool' style and was one of the most important musicians of his era; the stamp art depicts him in a kinetic performance pose, suggesting his extraordinary, charismatic intensity," the postal service said.

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling (800) STAMP-24.

According to the postal service, customers should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to: Miles Davis/Edith Piaf Stamp, Postmaster, 421 Eighth Ave., Room 2029B, New York, NY 10199-9998.

After applying the first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by Aug. 12.

Boscastle Supplies - has all the stamp accessories, albums and stamp supplies for your collecting needs - we ship worldwide! check out www.boscastlesupplies.com

Read more: http://www.thetelegraph.com/articles/davis-71552-stamps-postal.html#ixzz1xn4lCHmh