What's Your Mistake?

I wrote recently on another thread about buying a group of BOB on ebay because a CSA#2 lurked among them. Thought I was clever. But when I took delivery, the #2 was a Springfield reproduction (REPRODUCTION written across the back). Managed to get my money back, but it got me thinking.
I'd just started collecting Confederates, and knew they were rife with forgeries and reproductions. So I took a look at my small collection. Below is the first one I bought. A #7. It was supposed to look rough, that was the printing quality.



But a little research turned up this image from a Springfield set. Look familiar?




Yes, my first was also a Springfield reproduction, albeit an earlier one. No REPRODUCTION printed across the back.
My point? I'm sure you've all bought something you regret or found out later wasn't what you thought.
Let's see 'em. Let me know I'm not alone.

Simular situation where I thought I was gettin a super bonus. Likewise tucked in a lot was a 2cent victoria first cent issue . Fortunatly I got the lot dirt cheap and there were a few nice keepers but being a watermark hunter I soaked the heavily hinged 2 cent only to have it divide in 2 like the red sea. The hinges were the only thing holding the 2 parts together. Almost cried but chalked it up to if it looks to good it probably is. I actually stuck a hinge back on it and it sits in the stock book looking fine from afar. If I didn't already have a couple I probably would have been a wee bit more upset.

James,

Your CSA#2 looks like a 6 or 7 to me .
The earlier Springfield reproductions, like your copy, did not have the underprint. Only when there were protests to the issuer was the underprint added to the remaining stock.
There are many singles and Blocks out there without the Underprint.

When the Tatham Stamp Company began producing Tasco Booklets, the Springfield reproductions were used in one of them [1941]. In the Booklet I have, not all the stamps have the Underprint.

Page 2 here has the full set and Booklet;

https://goscf.com/t/10908&whichpage...nd,Forgeries

Londonbus1...just babbling

Hi London.
Yes, the #2 I referred to I had returned to the seller because he did not indicate it was a reproduction in his listing, and admitted to me via email that he knew it was, but 'forgot'. The rest of that BOB lot were in such bad condition it wasn't worth keeping. (I've put the refund toward purchase of a 'baby zeppelin')
The stamp posted above was another purchase which was listed as a #7. The #2 debacle caused me to look at the others more closely. I think because this one doesn't have word reproduction on the back, like the #2 did, that the seller (I give them the benefit of the doubt) listed it as an original stamp. Closer inspection of the paper (obviously newprint) and the image (his ear is glaringly white) made me realize my error.
Result, I'll slowly cobble together a set of Springfields, just for fun.

bumpity bump bump!
Come on, don't be shy. I know you've all made some sort of philatelic faux pas.
I've shown you mine, show me yours.

What? Admit I'm fallable? That's a tall order!

Rileysan why not admit it ? around here we will find out anyway !

*sigh*

Here's one of my bigger mistakes. Scott 116 on fake cover. I paid $80 for it some years ago. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late to return it. I display it proudly with my 1869s as a reminder of my foolishness.

there now, that wasn't so hard, was it?

ONE BIG MISTAKE! I had several full sheets stored away and 3 sheets stuck together - badly. I asked around and was told that I could STEAM them apart and all will be fine, even the gum. WRONG. The gum must have been tougher than the ink because I was losing some of the face of the stamp. I finally just soaked the remainder - can I use my ungummed stamps with the face partially disturbed as postage?

Hey, been there done that. Too many mistakes to mention and still making them. The problem I have is that when I'm after a particular stamp on ebay I check the sellers stats. If they are close to 100% positive feed back I tend to trust them and when I do get it I examine it for faults, perf, WM etc. and then put it into my album. Problem is I don't check them all the time if I'm buying from the same dealer.

The Australian postage due series of 1909 has a 1d perf 11 that is very scarce and often mistaken for the 1912 issue perf 11 on thin paper that is quite common.

I paid $US675 for the former but it was the latter and I didn't get a refund.

I'm still not sure why........

My by far, biggest mistake was not buying an item at a stamp show. It was a CSA stamp with a straight line "Concord, NC" cancellation. The price was $60.00 and at the time, that was a lot of money. I fave never seen another copy and can't find any documentation using that cancellation. What makes it my biggest is that is where my wife is from! Big mistake, big, big.