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Rec.Collecting.Stamps FAQ
The Rec.Collecting.Stamps FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions -- with answers) is available at http://www.stampfaq.org/ My top twelve questions, with answers, a Q: Are there charters for these groups? A: Yes. You can find copies of the groups' charters at ftp://ftp.isc.org/usenet/news.announ...lecting.stamp= s.marketplace or Jon Bell's copies at http://web.presby.edu/~jtbell/usenet...d-charter.html and http://web.presby.edu/~jtbell/usenet...m-charter.html Q: Are binaries allowed in rec.collecting.stamps.discuss or rec.collecting.stamps.marketplace? A: No. Put them on a web site and post a link to your web site. Q: Are ads allowed on rec.collecting.stamps.discuss? A: No. Post ads in rec.collecting.stamps.marketplace. Q: Is it ever correct to post the same message or cross-post a message to both rec.collecting.stamps.discuss and rec.collecting.stamps.marketplace? A: Probably not. Except for FAQs and Welcome messages, if it's on-topic for one group, it's probably off-topic for the other group. Post your message to one group or the other, but not both. Q: I have some old stamps with Hitler on them, are they worth anything? A: Probably not. While there are some rare "Hitler heads" the vast majority of them are worth very little. However, as with most stamps, the value of Hitler Head stamps is far more likely to be intrinsic than monetary. A diligent search may well turn up Hitler Head stamps that are of philatelic interest. There are some consistent printing errors, and various oddities and "freaks" have been found.= There are also gum varieties, not to mention the large number of occupation overprints and propaganda forgeries. If you consider that every Hitler Head stamp (like most stamps) is an historic artifact, a study of the stamps can lead to a greater understanding of the times in which they were issued. You may be surprised to learn, for example, that Hitler profited greatly from the sale of all stamps that carried his image: he earned royalties from their sale, which was heavily promoted by the Nazi party. Q: I have a bunch of gold plated U.S. stamps on First Day Covers, what are they worth? A: If you're lucky a dealer might give you 50=C2=A2 each -- if you're luc= ky. Q: What does PNC mean? A: In the U.S. it usually means "Plate Number Coil" -- vending machine coil stamps that are collected in strips of three, five, or sometimes seven stamps with the printing plate number on the face of the middle stamp. Elsewhere it means "Philatelic-Numismatic Cover", a cross-hobby contrivance that has both a stamp and a coin on it. Q: What about MNH, MNG, LH, F, VF, SOTN, etc.? A: These and more are all defined in FAQ at http://www.stampfaq.org. MNH - Mint Never Hinged -- like new, as the post office sold them. MNG - Mint No Gum -- acidic gum might have been washed off to help preserve some stamps, or stamps that were originally issued without gum. LH - Lightly Hinged F - Fine -- a qualitative grade VF - Very Fine -- another qualitative grade SOTN - Socked On The Nose -- a used stamp (neatly) cancelled perfectly in the center of the stamp. Q: I have an inherited an old stamp collection. How can I find out how much it is worth? A: In a large city, you may find a stamp dealer who will provide a quick assessment in only a few minutes. Most stamp collections are worth very little; if your collection is not "average," you should be prepared to pay for an evaluation, which may or may not prove worthwhile. Your library probably has recent copies of standard stamp catalogues. Even if you are a beginner at stamps, you should be able to tell fairly quickly whether the collection has any value. You should do a bit of reading first, however, in order to learn some of the basic "rules" of stamp collecting. Libraries usually have books on basic stamp collecting, and catalogues themselves contain many useful hints for evaluating stamps. The average modern stamp collection, especially if it is a disorganized accumulation in miscellaneous envelopes and stockbooks, will not interest most dealers; the labor required to organize and sell such collections is worth far more than potential= sales. Organized collections which contain stamps of higher value may be saleable, but few dealers will pay more than 10% to 15% of catalogue value; like all businesses, stamp shops must make sufficient profit to stay in business. You might do considerably better if you submit the collection for auction, but of course that= is a more labor intensive course for you. Alternatively, you might consider keeping the stamps and joining the community of stamp collectors. While the cash value of your inherited collection may be low, its intrinsic value may be very high. Your relative obviously thought so! Q: What is the best stamp album to buy? A: The best stamp album is the one that best suits your needs. If you are a casual collector, an inexpensive country or world album to which you can add new pages or blank pages is a good buy, and will teach you a lot about stamp collecting. If you wish to become more "serious" about collecting, and have decided that you wish to narrow your collecting interests, it might be a good idea to purchase a specialized album. Several companies market such albums, although you will have to be prepared to spend more money. Many collectors create their own albums, using "quadrilled" pages and ring books, or design their own pages by hand or with commonly available computer software and printers. One alternative that some collectors use is a stockbook with plastic= strips to hold the stamps in place, or stock pages that can be placed in a ring binder. Q: What are all these posts in rcsd about SNA? A: SNA stands for "Swivels Nuts Appliances" a mythical country created by some denizens of the rec.collecting.stamps.figments and populated= by stamps of their imagination. "Press releases" from the SNA post office, regarding their new issue policy and customer service (or lack thereof) are often satirical references to the policies of less conservative postal administrations. Subscribers wishing to post messages on the topic of SNA are encouraged to add "SNA" to their subject line, so that those who aren't interested in the topic may filter the messages out. More information can be found on at http://www.values.ch/sna-site/sna.htm Q: Information on www.stampfaq.org is incomplete, outdated, or wrong -- how can I update it? A: Send edits, updates, and new information to me at this address. Make certain that "FAQ" appears in the Subject: line of your email. (Don't just post your correction to the newsgroup because I might not see it.) |
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