Weeda Stamps Weekly Bidboard Auction for December 20, 2003

WEEDA STAMPS (VANCOUVER) WEEKLY BIDBOARD AUCTION
Closing 12:30 p.m., Saturday, December 20, 2003

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

This is the last Weeda Auction of 2003. If you attend, you'll be treated to
wine and cheese, not to mention the usual interesting array of lots and good
company. Beverly's auctions are a lot of fun, even if you don't win! Weeda
Stamps will be closed from Dec. 21 through Dec. 30; the next bidboard
auction is Saturday, Jan. 3, 2004.

Each week, as a favor to Beverly, I highlight lots which interest me
personally. This week, I put the philatelic spotlight on some Canadian
Admirals (a single and an imperforate block) and a spectacular MNH
General-Gouvernement set. The descriptions are Beverly's; my comments follow
in parentheses:

Lot #15: http://www.weeda.com/stampimages/15.jpg -- Canada #118. VF MNH
1925 10c bistre-brown Admiral.

(I may have told you this story before, but it's worth retelling. I once
wrote an article about another "bistre-brown" stamp -- I don't recall which
one it was. The editor, obviously unfamiliar with the term "bistre-brown,"
changed it to "buster brown"! Which might, in fairness, have been a better
description than "bistre brown," which most people, except a few collectors,
have ever heard of! If *you* want to know what bistre brown is, look at this
fine lot.)

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Lot #17: http://www.weeda.com/stampimages/17.jpg -- Canada #138. MNH 3c
carmine imperforate Admiral block of four with lathework. Light bend
affecting LR stamp in block.

(Bend schmend! This is a showpiece!)

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Lot # 115: http://www.weeda.com/stampimages/115.jpg -- Poland - General
Government #N30-N55. VF MNH. 1940 complete set of 26 in the best condition
I've seen.

(These are impressive, surely one of the more intricate and precise
overprints of all time. If Hitler's mind had been as perfect, we would
probably all be speaking German!)

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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,
DECEMBER 20, 2003.

A note about "prices realized": Only rarely does bidding in philatelic
auctions reach the 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.