Whether you are the amateur stamp collector that is just getting started or a seasoned philatelist in search of that elusive rare specimen that will complete a collection, knowing how to buy stamps is...
Every once in a while I notice a trimmed Scott #24 being offered as a #7 or #9. A Scott #24 (1857 1c Franklin) with it’s perforations trimmed off is worthless and only considered a space filler. Even if you...
Stamp collecting is primarily a visual hobby. To me there is something exciting about a display of carefully selected and mounted stamps. But this has to do with the fronts of stamps. In this Guide I will...
The 1851-61 3 cent issue confuses a lot of new collectors. I hope that I can shed a little more light on the subject. Scott #10 was printed between July and October of 1851.The ink used to print # 10 had a...
In 1870 the US Post Office issued a radically different set of stamps from the previous issues of 1869. The reason for the change was primarily political as a new Postmaster General had been appointed. The...
INTRODUCTION Sooner or later the collector of US stamps will be confronted with the proper classification, identification and authentication of the Washington-Franklin Issues of 1908 -1921.This will be a...
The years 1898 through 1918 are known by some as the "Golden Age Of Postcards" in the United States. This Guide will be a brief introduction into what I believe made postcards so wildly popular over these two...
The US "Goddess of Victory and Flags" issue of 1919 (Scott #537) is quite interesting for a number of reasons. First, it was the only US Commemorative issued to pay the 3c First Class WWI letter rate. (See my...
This guide will show you what to look for so you can proceed with confidence in determining if you have a #11 Die A or a #12 Die B example. The term Die A is the same as Type I. The Term Die B is used...
During the last fifty years I have had dealings with hundreds of stamp dealers. They ranged from the smallest to the largest, the sadly ignorant to the world-class expert, the poor to the wealthy, the crooked...
