My Most Recent Stamp- Scott #30A

Bill,

Thank you for the kind words and welcome to the other SCF! Most of the time you will find lots of passionate, friendly stamp collectors here.

Since I found this forum while searching the internet for resources, I've been impressed with the knowledge, willingness and spirit of comradery exibited. Though I am beyond novice, I realize there is much for me to learn from those who are so willing to share their wealth of expertise and advise. I am elated that Bill Weiss has joined this form and is sharing his knowledge. Bill, I know you are most welcomed by those sharing this site. If others who have as a vast knowledge as you Bill will join, I know there will be more opportunities for learning about this enjoyable, entertaining hobby. If Clark Frazier, Dennis Gilson, Ken Lawrence and other high caliber folks as you Bill would join here, it would realy be nice! By and Large, most who participate on this form are searching to improve their knowledge. There are times when lesser experienced folks (me too) think they've found a rarety and need/want confirmation or clarification and its good that others help bring us to down reality or advise expertising to reach a conclusion to an issue. This form is always informative and often entertaining. I know it will always remain so.

It was at the recommendation of "Studebaker51" that I first visited here, and his post on kindness is very appropriate as he is one of the kindest people I've ever met in this hobby (and I've been around a while.....)!

I appreciate the kind words that some of you have posted about my presence here. I try hard to find some time to participate in the forums I think are worthwhile to do so, but my time is limited. Also, there is sort of a difficult balance between how much I should participate in forums such as this lest it be perceived as a conflict to my occupation......which it surely is.

As long as you attract people of the caliber of Studebaker51 and Sinclair, and others, the site will grow. My main objection to it is the use of fictitious names rather than real names, which is sort of a pet peeve of mine (even though I do understand the valid reasons that people prefer NOT to use real names). I have found that it is far easier for anonymous posters to swipe at others since there's no real name associated with the posting(s), which I think hurts the forum, in general.

Hey there Bill---
I asked your permission to quote you a couple of times over a YEAR ago on this board.........so I invited you here also!!

SO good to see you here.

And I want to put my $.50 here about Mr. Sinclair also.

I put in a bid a few weeks ago on a Type IIIa that I knew wasn't a IIIa, and had a gap in the lower frame and I thought it was a Type III. Winston outbid me on the stamp, and then offered it to me when he saw in the description that it had a tiny tear. For the $170 I certainly couldn't see it, and for that price I'd take it in a heartbeat, so I sent him a check.

I also didn't notice the full scroll on the bottom left-- it was really at Type Ic....a stamp I never hoped to own....and when he received the stamp (after my check), he dipped it and never could find the tear--- BUT STILL SENT ME THE STAMP, and I told him he didn't have to, but he's a man of his word and integrity.

I'm absolutely enthralled with the 1c 1857 Type V plating, and Winston is the person who has helped me the most-- and I've found 10 Type Va's in the past year, but he plated the first two for me.

He tends to be very direct on this board, but it's for the good of whoever he is talking to-- he's a perfectionist, and that's a darn good thing to be as a philatelist. I can't wait to buy him a beer some day when I get to meet him in person.......

Thanks Winston, and Bill....please stick around here, and it's really great to see you here. Would be a GREAT place to start your quizzes up again-- and you'll get more participation than you ever did on VSC.

Nice surprise when I logged on today-- Ray

Hey Ray! Indeed, you were actually the first, I think, to invite me here, so here I am (finally!). Indeed, I am not surprised to read your comments about Sinclair. And I frankly, admire his direct approach (as you know, I've been accused of the same thing once or twice in my career!

The suggestion to start posting the quizzes like I once did on the VSC is something I doubt I can find time to do. Aside from my expertizing work, I am starting to prepare extensively for the APS Summer Seminar Course on Hands-On Expertizing I am co-teaching in June, 2014 (God Willing!, with Clark Frazier and Irv Miller. So that doesn't leave much "spare" time, I'm afraid.

Maybe you, or other readers of this forum will think about attending next year? The information should be posted on the APS website by the end of January I should think (if not sooner).

Thats a nice stamp.