MaxStamps

Four bags o' stamps from MaxSold (top photo). Here's the story:

A philatelic pot-shot, I bid on four 'World Stamps' lots on MaxSold recently. Being cheap and a bottom-feeder who likes sorting, I made one bid and ended up winning all four lots. Heading out to pick up the stamps on Saturday, I'll see how I did. These photos are from the online auction lots listing. Not the best lighting but they gave me enough of an idea that they were worth pursuing!

It took a week or so, but I finally got all four baggies sorted. (I think they may have originated with Roy Linden from Verona.) They definitely provided their own cost in fun and then some!

Firstly, I separated out any damaged or common stamps. The common stamps will be donated to OXFAM. Then I pulled out on-paper stamps requiring soaking, most of which were in bag 'D'. Stamps I wanted to keep, either for my collection or for traders came out next. From this latter group I separated the 'finds' and photographed the best from each bag with the letter label that came with each bag. Click for a larger image:

Bag 'A' had some U.S. Washingtons and some fun Cinderellas (above). Some cool military cut squares and postmarks, plus Sierra Leons in bag 'B':

Mint Luxembourg and more Sierra Leone shaped stamps in bag 'C', plus US censor cancel:

Some in the top row from bag 'D' that will be fun to identify - not a word on 'em:

There are a lot of small, but interesting stamps in each bag: South and Central America, Cyrillic writing, and early European. They will take time to identify and check with the current stamps I have from each of those countries.

The hand-picked keepers and traders from each bag.

Close-ups of some 'finds'.

Who knows what awaited in each baggie at the start of this sort?

The Time Has Come - Postponed Projects?

This short article was written by the editor of The Circuit, the publication of the International Society of Worldwide Stamp Collectors. I'm a member, and I enjoy participating in the group's circuits. In the July-August issue just out, Father James Lentini lists several procrastination-prone projects providentially provided for possibly pastoral moments in the summertime:

Michael's Free Stamp Collectiong Starter Kits - 900 and Zooming!

I received this kind note from Michael Lynn. I've previously published a post on Michael's prolific philatelic philanthropic prowess! Michael's kits, for which he pays the postage, are a great gift for grandchildren, retired folks needing a hobby, people who wish they still had their childhood collection, etc. Each kit includes one stock sheet side of US stamps, including a number at least 100 years old, a small bunch of mint stamps and nice cancelled commemoratives. It also includes a page of foreign stamps. I try to make these cover as many countries as possible - often up to 30 different countries. Then, one can chose a country or a topical area from my list, for the third page. The last page has some stamps on paper to soak, a FDC, a postal card, and a US plate block.

This is a great program because it not only shows what one person can do, but also because it makes stamp collecting fun. Too often, it portrays itself as a pastime deluged by dust, submerged in stodginess, and embedded in exclusivity. That is not the way I was introduced to stamp collecting by my Dad, and I don't think it's a good public-facing picture to present to potential practitioners. Michael says...

Hi Eric. Thank you very for your support of Michael’s Free Stamp Collecting Starter Kits. The donations from you and others have made it much easier to keep this program going. I am happy to let you know that yesterday I got my 900th order! I am really excited to push on to 1,000 and beyond. Your topical stamps have been a HUGE addition to the quality of these kits. It is something the recipients surely appreciate. I thought you might like to see some of the comments I have gotten:

• Pueblo, CO - Wow — I received the stamps in the mail and they are truly great! Thank you so much for sending me such a beautiful collection. Your kindness made my day and now I can't wait to look them over with my nephew. I truly appreciate your thoughtful gift — it will be treasured.
• Glenwood, IN - Thank you for all you do to assist new collectors. I recently came across your post and was truly impressed by your dedication to keeping the love of stamp collecting alive worldwide. I also wanted to express my gratitude for all the time, effort, and resources you’ve invested in this mission.
• Ray, MI - Today I received the package and I was so surprised at the incredible variety of stamps and even more surprised by the “First Day” covers and “Issue” additions. As I glance through the these I was also struck incredibly surprised again by the blocks and well by now you get the picture. I am so very grateful to you and your program.
• Meridian, MS - I have received your stamps and they are absolutely stunning and I would love to have more if you can, I love anything old! From other countries, I mean it can literally be marvel and I would go nuts! I try to collect everything! The post cards were to die for! If you can please send me more! This is amazing for my beginners collection 
• Daytona Beach, FL - I just received and opened the stamp packet you sent me. I am beyond thrilled with the selections you have made for me. You have made my reintroduction into stamp collecting very exciting moving forward. Thank you once again for providing this service to me.
• Slate Hill, NY - I just wanted to thank you for the beautiful stamp kit that you sent me.  I just received the stamps in the mail today and when I opened the huge manilla envelope, I was stunned!  I could not believe my eyes!  All of the stamps are so different, so unique, so amazing!  I keep looking at the stamps and each time I do I find a different one or one stamp that I missed seeing before.  These stamps are a perfect addition to my growing stamp collection and I will treasure them always. I promise that these stamps have a good safe home. I just want to let you know what a kind and generous man you are to do this for us stamp collectors. I never thought that I would ever become interested in stamps, but one day I saw a pretty USA stamp and cut it out.  I also found a whole collection of endangered species stamps and then I really became involved in stamp collecting.  Well thank you again for your kindness and thoughtfulness.  You are a very nice man. Have a nice night and thank you once again. Take care and God bless.

Thanks again for your help!

Michael, you're more than welcome and I already have another package a-building!

 

Hold On and I'll Go and Czech!

Six months ago I'd started on the leftovers of the Long & Noble Crusade 2.0 in which I finally albumized accumulated stamps. In the linked post, I blogged about the Least Interesting Countries' stamps I'd accumulated. And done nothing with (below). Until today. 

Due to the heat advisories and with nothing but air-conditioning set at 21 degrees C, an empty dining room table and a beverage in front of me, I was finally able to start on the first sort-through of some of these countries, spreading out and then reconciling stamps I'd squirrelled away in the countries' envelopes with what was in my albums (scant for most of these countries due to my low interest in them!) and stamps I'd previously squirrelled away! Over a couple of days of heat, I made it through Austria, Belgium, Brazil, skipped Bulgaria - and why not, China and Czechoslovakia! Realizing that I'd never touched Czechoslovakia (actually Czech Republic, Slovakia and Czechoslovakia counterclockwise from top left in photo), this was a first run-through today. And the results were lots of duplicates.

So, since the Least Interesting Countries box was burgeoning, I expect to gain some space AND some duplicates in this process, ideally fitting all the countries back into this box as I go, maybe now with room to spare! Now done -  Hungary, Israel, Italy and a quick trip through the Netherlands Antilles, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey, and the United Nations! Now remaining: Bulgaria, Russia. I can report there is understandably adequate room in the box and a zip-loc bag full of glassines for each country's doubles for disposition.

Five days later, I was finished!

The way this is going, I'm hopeful but still think that nothing but a total absence of anything to do will ever get me going through Bulgaria and Russia!

Summertime Sunroom Sorting

Summertime is a great time for some mindless sorting. A warm or cool beverage, tray and tongs and the great outdoors complete the scene. The only natural enemies are skulking squirrels and buffeting breezes. If either is present, the sunroom offers some pastoral protection!

Sixty Bucks o' Fun! Kingston Spring Stamp Festival

Last weekend, the Kingston Stamp Club held its Spring Stamp Festival at Crossroads United Church. My first stop, as always, was the club consignment table. Their pricing and selling system is effective and after perusing tables full o' goodies, I was checked out with my consignment items (above and below) in my reusable shopping bag. I was especially pleased to find two tins full o' stamps! Who doesn't like a tin or cigar box? 

Also, several stock pages of mint Canadian postage, albeit 5-6 cents in the majority. However, I did find several blocks in the 10-25 cent range. (It's tough to find an envelope big enough to effectively hold first-class postage in these small denominations.) Over $38 face value of stamps for $13.

Then I was off perusing the sale tables. I picked up a few items from Verona's Roy Lingen. 

Also three small stamp-block albums from seller Don. Over $53 face value of 5-25 cent stamps for $4.50:

I was hoping to pick up some black stamp mounts but didn't find any dealers at the show selling supplies. Among the club consignment items, check out this three-dollar U.S. album with some high values, open view of the top photo items:

STAMPed Volume 4 Published!

I came across this cool graphic (top photo) somewhere and was surprised to see a similar sea-turtle theme in the email I received from the APS publicizing the publication of Volume 4 of STAMPed! This volume is indeed unconventional as expected, with several off-the-wall articles about micro-nations, low-cost early postage, and stamps that don't appear to really be stamps. Plus a pretty good article on Antarctic stamp-issuing entities.

 

This Saturday! Kingston Spring Stamp Festival

Kingston Stamp Club president Bob Gardner reached out with some local highlights for this Saturday's upcoming show:

• Jim Skelding. a postcard dealer from Merrickville will be bringing 150 vintage Kingston/Queen's postcards.
• John Beddows, a dealer from Gananoque will have some vintage Kingston postal material.
• Graham Noble, a club member will have some Kingston-based postcards.

All dealers will have signage to assist in locating the appropriate dealer. 

 

The club will have eight dealers along with sales tables from several of our members. The club will also have a large sales area. Our club has 60 members with the Fall and Spring Festivals being our main events.

Looking forward to it!

Why Stamp Collecting...

 

This Canadian Stamp News article explains why quite concisely. A nice break from (how one somewhat-critical article described) philately becoming simply postal history. When we focus only on Penny Blacks and hoary old covers with nearly-unintelligible postmarks and quill-penmanship, we forget what interested us in the first place: bright, colourful, engaging.

Boston 2026 World Expo - Donations Wanted!

Publishing this Boston 2026 World Expo post for future reference in January, with an update from March.

I will be making a donation, especially my hundreds of the same NZ bird stamps! I appreciate the fact that the organizers are offering the stamps not only to the perennial 'youth' but also 'beginners' of any age. Also...glassines.

Update: I put together a package of 3,825 New Zealand and 1,710 US doubles. The former from a bargain pack of a half-dozen bird and other NZ stamps picked up for $2.50 at the most recent stamp show in Kingston. The U.S. were from a packed stock book of US at a previous show purchased for $12. Found a few I needed for my collection, several postmark improvements on some already in the collection, and the rest now going to new homes. That's 5,535 stamps heading to Boston soon! 

Update: I saved a dollar on postage by making the weight up to 500 grams. Even so, I had another 600 U.S. and a few New Zealand stamps that wouldn't fit, so those stamps went in a separate mailing, along with some surplus glassines!

As of March 21, over 2 million stamps have been received! I got this nice letter in the mail acknowledging my donation:

New Vatican City Album

It's probably as challenging to find a used Vatican City stamp as it is to find a non-Catholic living there. I do have a few, but for the last year-and-a-half I've been fortunate to exchange with Michele Castino of Milan. My Vatican City is now something to see. Holy See, See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See. 

Thanks to Michele's generosity, my mainly-mint collection has burgeoned into its own album. I took a quick video of the results: new cover, glossary of some Latin/Italian inscriptions, the collection, then my collection of Pope John Paul II. 

Youtube link here.

2025 Coin & Stamp Show Planner

Just posted by Canadian Stamp News today, the 2025 Planner includes the April Kingston Spring Stamp Festival but no fall show listed.

Hail, Colombia!

Thanks to Dave from Toronto for kindly sending along this accumulation of stamps and covers. This is the third time a fellow rail enthusiast has noticed this blog in my main blog's sidebar and reached out re: philatelic re-homing. Dave mentioned that he had been going through some of his late Grandmother's items, coming across 25 air mail envelopes posted in Colombia circa 1968, and two envelopes  with stamps from England, Jamaica, Zambia, France and other countries. One envelope was taped shut with a newspaper clipping asking for used stamps to be sent to OXFAM in Ottawa. Upon arrival following the December postal strike, here's what Dave generously sent:

I look forward to going through these stamps, examining them, perhaps clipping, soaking, and further re-homing them. It's possible that some doubles will find their way to OXFAM, therefore they will not go to waste. I look at it as honouring his grandmother's wishes all these years later!

One of my favourite planes-on-stamps - the Lockheed Constellation! 

*It seemed appropriate to title this post as I did now, what with the US Presidency and Vice-Presidency about to roll over. Hail Columbia is the name of the Vice-Presidential ceremonial entrance march!