Please Help Identify 3 Cent Mail Train Trial Proof Stamps

Hello, I have 3 stamps that I found in a glassine. The glassine had "trial proofs" written on it. I have tried searching for these with no luck. Does anyone know what they are? I hope this is the right forum. Thanks.

Cinderellas.
Props used a stamps in a Movie set.
Seen (illegaly) used on cover 1946, sent by Raymond Burr (Perry Mason) to his wife.

see here alongside genuine US Stamp
http://www.stamps4collectors.com/pi...-movie7b.jpg


Author : Mr. Blair Stannard.
Follow up article that appeared in the August 31, 1946 issue of
STAMPS.

Movie Stamps Banned

BILL O'HARA writes that he received 488 requests from readers for the
"movie" stamp mentioned in our June 1st issue. They came from all but
five states in the Union, and from Canada, Puerto Rico, Alaska,
England, and Holland.

To the latest requests, however, he has been unable to send more than
"regrets," as a result of one recipient's efforts to get an "unusual"
cover for himself by sending himself a cover bearing no other stamp
than the "movie" stamp. Detected by the Post Office Department, it
started an investigation which led to the confiscation by the U. S.
Secret Service of all the stamps and the plates. It had been purposely
made not too different from a usual U.S. design, advises Mr. O'Hara,
so that when it was used as a prop in the movies, the chances of its
being detected as a "play" stamp would be slight. The Secret Service
contention, we under stand, is that it too closely resembles the 1912
5c Parcel Post stamp. Mr. O'Hara is trying to get a change of
decision, but if unsuccessful, will design another stamp for similar
use, and this time will get the okay from the Post Office Department
first. In the meantime, says he, collectors who obtained the movie
stamps should treasure them.


Blair Stannard (TC)

Thanks Rod. I wondered why they did not say US postage on them. I also wondered why I could not find a similar US stamp. Does anyone know how many were produced? Do they have a any value?

Movie stamps have been around for years and years, and reproduced
over and over... purely a curiosity and fun item... no value, just
nice to look at...

Now that I know to search for Movie Train Stamps. I found a finished auction:
http://stampwants-stamps.bidstart.c...49210/a.html

They do have value $5
That's what I would pay you for them.

They are Movie props, so illegal to put US Postage on them.

US similar stamps are found BOB (back of book) Parcel Stamps.
See your Scott Catalogue.

Well done Slate !

See how value is in the eye of the beholder.
One says no value
I say $5
and ebay says $27 :)

LOL... I could 'manufacture' 1000 sets of these on our
office color laser printer, like everyone else does
that sells them on the internet... how many sets would
you want?

P.S. There's sets of 6 and 9, not 3... (j/k)

Disi, I agree with being able to just print them. In fact a couple years ago I did a little research on how to produce your own Cinderella stamp. I thought it might be fun. It is difficult to do the perfs. I will sock these away in my stock book. Thanks for your input.

I have to call Xerox tuesday because I don't find the button to do perforations.....

There is an article "Philatelic Movie Props" by Thomas J Richards in the October 2002 American Philatelist which briefly touches upon the Mail Train issue and several others. Eric Jackson's website has other colors and imperfs of the Mail Train cinderella available and they appear with some frequency on ebay.

I am not sure why disi123 chooses to dis them. Clearly these Hollywood cinderellas are quite collectible.

area66

Blank perforated stamps...

https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search...r2=rs-bottom

Hi, John... I'll tell you why...

*precisely* because I've watched sellers ripping people off on these
for decades... and on ebay going back to the late 1990's...

And... even Langs is selling a set for close to $300 that some poor
sucker is going to grab at some point...

Randall

What price you call a rip-off may be a bargain to some. I do not understand why you choose to insult cinderellas or begrudge a seller's asking price. Your post sounds like sour grapes.

Disi, Can you point out the seller that is reprinting these and selling them? I would like to know if the ones that I have are actually old or a reprint. I would think if someone is printing these on their laser jet printer, the market would be flooded. Thanks.

The AP article cited above notes "The Secret Service eventually went to the printer, confiscated the stock of stamps and the plates, and had them destroyed. Nonetheless, some obviously escaped, since they occasionally show up for sale." If any reprints existed, it seems logical they would be considerably different from the originals in some way.