Postal History

Argentina 1863 Rosario Folded Outer Sht Buenos Aires Bearing 5c Sc 7C Tied; SC	-	$150.00	30m
Australia 1925 Melbourne REG PSE Wagin WA	1	$24.00	30m
Brazil 1865 Rio de Janeiro Folded Entire Gaposisas Bearing 60r Sc24 Tied by Db	-	$49.00	30m
Chile 1855 Talca Folded Outer Sht Santiago Bearing 10c Bisected Diagonal Lt Bl	-	$250.00	30m
Chile 1864 Chillota Folded Outer Sht Melon Bearing 5c Sc9; SCARCE Cancel	-	$75.00	30m
Chile 1866 Copiapo Folded Outer Sht Valparaiso Bearing 10c, 5c Sc12, 9b Orange	-	$199.00	30m
Cuba 1855 FldLtr Internal ½r Sc1 VF	-	$99.00	30m
Dominican Republic 1891 Santo Domingo 1 Peso on 5c PSE REG on Blue Env w UPU Ov	1	$199.00	30m
Eritrea Italian 1897 Massaua LtrCard w MSG VERY SCARCE	-	$49.00	30m
Jordan 1921 'Central Post Jordan 1919' Suez Bearing 1pi SG14 Silver Ovpt	-	$750.00	30m
Philippines 1899 Military Sta Angeles Env Internal Manila Bearing 1¢ Adhesive	1	$199.00	30m
Philippines 1901 Manila PSE Uprated London Sc215	-	$99.00	30m
Sierra Leone 1935 Silver Jubilee MNH pair of high value	-	$199.00	30m
South Africa Cape of Good Hope 1828 Cape Town Folded Entire Governor with Crow	1	$79.00	31m
Zanzibar 1890 Zanzibar Env Single Ltr Rate INdia Bearing 2as, 1a Indian Adhesi	-	$250.00	31m
Zanzibar 1900 Zanzibar Corner Env Single Lt Rate Dar-es-Salaam Bearing 2½as Ad	-	$75.00	31m
Zanzibar 1909 Zanzibar Ship Mail Zanzibar with Boxed "PAQUEBOT" Bearing Pair ½	-	$125.00	31m
US - 1959 Arctic Cover - APO 677 Postmark - USNS Pecos	-	$7.00	34m
DOMINICANA 2 Diff Double P Stationeries Unused	-	$12.99	35m
Brazil Condor Graf Zeppelin to Allemanha, Germany Cover - June 1934*	-	$58.88	38m
Russia 1904 Vladivostok PPC REG Brazil Uruguay Bearing 14k Sc 41, 42 RARE	-	$199.00	38m
North Borneo 1916 Tenom REG Env Switzerland Bearing Dbl Rate REG 10¢ Strip 3 S	-	$550.00	40m
South Africa c1946 Rondebosch Foreign Parcel Label Scotland bearing Blk Six 3d	-	$49.00	40m
South Africa ca1830 Swellendam Outer Wrapper Somerset w Good Strike of Swelle	-	$99.00	40m
South Africa Cape of Good Hope 1823 Entire Utrecht w Brille Entry Handstamp o	-	$190.00	40m
South Africa Cape of Good Hope 1880 Stellenbosch Env Cape Town Bearing "3" on	-	$125.00	40m
Thailand 1916 Nakonsitamarat Env REG Internal BanDon w Receiving Date-stamp o	-	$1,250.00	40m
austria 3X stamps 2X cds's 1948-sec state wash dc& backstamped	-	$6.95	44m
p111 - British Guiana Guyana Newspaper Wrapper to Germany 1893	-	$18.95	47m
Nazi Germany Postage Third 3rd Reich Hitler high value 3 Mark stamp block MNH	-	$14.99	52m
1949 North Borneo Air Singapore UPU Issue VF+	-	$9.75	53m
malta 2X stamps socked nose red marking 1947-sec state george marshall-us	2	$15.67	53m
WWI 1918 Germany via Red Cross @ Switzerland South Africa	-	$39.00	54m
egypt 3Xstamps socked nose registered 1947-sec state george marshall-us	-	$6.95	54m
1961 Katanga Airmail Switzerland Bearing 14F Adhesive	1	$19.00	55m
1982 Bora Bora Fr Oceania Air Officials Raitea Uturoa	1	$9.75	56m
south africa 2Xstamps socked nose registered 1947-sec state george marshall-us	-	$6.95	56m
1908 Managua Nicaragua PC H&G 67 Uprated 6c Germany XF	-	$49.00	56m

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Stamp News

The best thing about starting a stamp collection is how easy it can be. Encyclopedia of United States Stamps and Stamp Collecting Stamp Collecting - Beginners Guide to Stamps - About Guide Postage ...Enter the fascinating world of stamp collecting!

Stamp History

The first postage stamp, the Penny Black, was issued by Britain in 1840. It pictured a young Queen Victoria, was produced without perforations (imperforate), and consequently had to be cut from the sheet with scissors in order to be used. While unused examples of the "Penny Black" are quite scarce, used examples are common, and may be purchased for $25 to $150, depending upon its condition. Children and teenagers were early collectors of stamps in the 1860s and 1870s. Many adults dismissed it as a childish pursuit. During the late 1800s many of those collectors, as adults, began to systematically study the available postage stamps and published research works on their production, plate flaws, etc. Some stamps such as the triangular issues of the Cape of Good Hope became legendary. It was not until the 1920s that publicity about valuable stamps encouraged a large increase in the number of stamp collectors. This rapid increase in postage stamp values was largely because very few of the older stamps were being saved in good condition. Especially difficult to find were pairs, triples, and large blocks of older stamps. Because many U.S. stamp issues of the 1920s rose rapidly in value, during the 1930s many American collectors stockpiled mint U.S. stamps with the hopes of selling them for a sizeable profit in a few years time. This never materialized. Even today, more than 60 years later, one can find many 1930s U.S. issues in mint condition for close to face value, and many stamp dealers and collectors still use stamps issued as far back as the 1930s for postage when mailing letters. Most U.S. postage stamps issued since the 1930s are easy to obtain and have minimal value. Some high face value stamps, such as the $2.60 United States Graf issued in 1930, are worth substantial amounts of money. Other stamps issued since 1930 that are usually worth something are souvenir sheets from popular countries, hard to find plate number coils, and errors in printing.

Stamp Collecting

Collecting is not the same as philately, which is the study of stamps. A philatelist often does, but need not, collect the objects of study, nor is it necessary to closely study what one collects. Many casual collectors enjoy accumulating stamps without worrying about the tiny details, but the creation of a large or comprehensive collection generally requires some philatelic knowledge. Stamp collectors are an important source of revenue for some small countries who create limited runs of elaborate stamps designed mainly to be bought by stamp collectors. The stamps produced by these countries far exceed the postal needs of the countries. Some collectors, observing the generally rising prices of rare stamps, have taken to philatelic investment. Rare stamps are among the most portable of tangible investments, and are easy to store

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