Weeda Stamps Bidboard Auction for January 3, 2004

WEEDA STAMPS (VANCOUVER) WEEKLY BIDBOARD AUCTION
Closing 12:30 p.m., Saturday, January 3, 2004

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Every week, Weeda Stamps* of Vancouver, British Columbia offers at least 150
or more lots of Canada and worldwide stamps, postal history, collections,
and accumulations in its bidboard auction.

This, of course, is the first Weeda bidboard auction of 2004 and, for the
record, is the 1,435th auction held by Weeda. Weeda Stamps opened for
business in 1969, and its first bidboard auction was in 1975.

Since April of 2003, as a favor to Beverly, I have been highlighting on
r.c.s.m. bidboard lots which catch my attention. I normally list three lots,
but this week I focus my philatelic spotlight on seven lots. They include a
key Canada "Scroll" issue, a classic U.S. stamp, and four Iceland lots which
would make a great starter collection for collectors vowed to start a new
collection for 2004.

The descriptions are Beverly's; my comments follow in parentheses:

Lot #22: http://www.weeda.com/stampimages/22.jpg -- 22 Canada #159. VF MNH
1929 Parliament dollar. Nice!

(This isn't my favorite stamp of all time. Give me a Bluenose any day. But
if I were collecting mint Canada, this is the stamp I'd be waiting for. It's
a beauty. Beverly's estimate is CDN $506.25; someone likes it, because the
bid is already at CDN $290.00.)

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Lot #43: http://www.weeda.com/stampimages/43.jpg -- 43 USA #116. The 1869
10c "Shield & Eagle" with "G" grill. Fine used, nice flower-shaped cork
cancel.

(Collectors of classic U.S. used stamps know that any search for
well-centered copies that haven't been murdered by a dark blob of a killer
cancellation is pretty much fruitless. You might as well look for a honest
politician on Wall Street! This "Shield & Eagle" stamp is typical as far as
centering goes, but has a nice "fancy cancel" and attractive color.)

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Lot #74: http://www.weeda.com/stampimages/74.jpg -- Iceland #46, 139, 150,
208B, 208Bd, 217, 220, 238, 239, B12, B13. Used.

Lot #75: http://www.weeda.com/stampimages/75.jpg -- Iceland #213-216. The
1939 New York World's Fair commemorative set of four.

Lot #76: http://www.weeda.com/stampimages/76.jpg -- Iceland #C2-C3. The
1929 and the 1930 airmails, both F/VF mint hinged. Airplane overprint and
"Gyrfalcon" issues.

Lot #139 (not illustrated): Iceland - 1876-1979 in a musty older (and in my
opinion, better) style Lighthouse hingeless album (retail for new $275,
binder alone worth $76); about 130 used stamps with some in mixed condition.
Better include #18 (small tear) and #285.

(If you are looking for something new to collect, consider Iceland. Here are
four lots that seem ready-made to begin collecting the beautifully designed
stamps of this interesting place. They include the world's first "inverted"
triangle stamp, the beautiful "Gyrfalcon" issue, C3, issued in 1930. I've
always wondered why Iceland thought it needed airmail stamps that early. At
that time, Iceland certainly was one of the more isolated spots on the
planet. Scheduled commercial Trans-Atlantic flights did not begin until just
before the Second World War, and the first international flight by an
Icelandic aircraft didn't occur until 1945.)

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Except for large items such as collections, box lots and accumulations, most
of Weeda's auction lots are illustrated. For the full list, as well as
prices realized in the previous four auctions, go to the Weeda Stamps web
site at http://www.weeda.com. BIDS, IN CANADIAN DOLLARS, CAN BE PLACED IN
PERSON, BY TELEPHONE, OR ON-LINE UNTIL 12:30 P.M. PDT ON SATURDAY,
JANUARY 3, 2004.

A note about "prices realized": Only rarely does bidding in philatelic
auctions reach estimated values. If you study the listings and the
prices realized, you'll see that bargains are waiting for any collector. It
is common for expensive and even rare stamps, covers and other philatelic
items to sell in auctions for as little as 10% or 20% of the estimate.

Bob Ingraham

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* Weeda Stamps is owned and operated by Beverly Fox. Here's a recent
photograph of Beverly, taken in her stamp shop at in the Seymour Building at
525 Seymour Street in Vancouver: http://www.ingraham.ca/bob/beverly1.jpg.
Here is a photo of the Seymour Building where her Weeda Stamps is located:
http://www.ingraham.ca/bob/seymourbldgwidebw.jpg.