Stamp Newbie. HI :)

Hello.

This is my first post and I'm a stamp newbie.

Earlier in the year, I inherited a huge collection of stamps from my god father. I am relatively unlearned in stamps, but I have been researching the unfathomably large collection of stamps sorted in bookcases, envelopes, catalogs, albums, hutches and filing cabinets.

It's crazy because the stamp collection has been added to and maintained for almost a century, and now it's in my hands and I'm dreadfully unlearned in regard to philately!

The collection is very impressive, and includes historical pieces and lots of early scotts, (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 -200 etc)

There is an overwhelming quantity of stamps! I have been learning tons by reading literature on websites and stamp flyers that have were left behind. I was curious if you guys are familiar with any electronic resources that can help identify stamps, and different kinds of stamps?

I have copies of the scotts catalogue but I would prefer something online.

:p

Also, I noticed in one of my albums, the stamps are weird. I would describe them as thicker, and no hinges. Some of them have artificial hinges, like printed on. I was curious if these are fakes or are a special type of stamp? Someone told me that they were printed on by a stamp machine, but I noticed some are very old, for example one of these weird stamps is penny black, actually there are a dozen or so of them. (I compared it to an originally used penny black which looked much older, and the material was thinner.)

Sorry for a confusing inquiry, to summarize the stamps in one album are thicker, seem a bit glossy, but are of very old images. I will try to take pictures later so you guys can try to tell me what they are if you know? Do all stamps have hinges? What if the back of the stamp seems a bit glossy & Is thicker than other stamps I've seen?

In any event, I'm happy to join the community and hope to learn something about stamps.

Thanks

Hello goldenwizard......


Welcome to the club.....


Stamps do not come with hinges already attached.......It sounds like your Penny Blacks are reprints but without seeing it's hard to say for sure.....There really is no on-line version of the Scotts Catalogue......if your intention is to keep the collection and add to it you will need to learn to use the Scotts.....they are the best source of info for collectors in the US.

If you actually have a #5 you have a collection that in all probability, is unmatched anywhere in the world....please post a fairly large clear picture of it.

I apologize for the confusion and I must have been using the wrong terminology. I understand now that hinges are on the BACK of the stamp? I was referring to like the "edges" of the stamp. The stamps in question are square, as if they were cut off of something. The reason I was skeptical is because they have images of OLD stamps, but seem newer. Also, the "edges" of the stamps are printed on. But many of them have cancels etc. Very interesting, they must be reprints of some kind. I am giving a poor description and I will have to take pictures.

And after double checking, sorry to disappoint, but I don't have #5. Still a ton of early scotts though. (tons of single digits, and sub20, 50, 200, etc)

Also to clarify, not ALL of them have the printed "edges" I only noticed one of them. It was at that point I investigated further and analyzed the stamp. While the images of the stamps are old (penny black-esque) the back of the stamps were glossy-ish. I thought they were fake, but a friend told me they were from a printing press. I'm not sure what to think. :p

Many of them have cancels.

I also have VERY old / weird stamps that I don't want you to confuse of like the solid-gree/red/orange stamps that are cut off of envelopes. (I believe these are from the 1800's, do you know what I'm talking about?)

Thanks for your input, your knowledge is invaluable to me.

The one in your avatar for example looks like these; there are no rough "edges" like in the majority of stamps.

And they are on thicker paper, weird. I dno

My friend keeps sending links about printing presses lol.

gw......

There are new stamps with printed simulated perforations.

My avatar is a photo of an actual Penny Black.

Would you be refering to covers with pre-printed stamps similar to this one ?

Yeah, I have some of those as in the picture, those are the solid blue, yellow & green I was talking about. The ones in question are more detailed than that though, a few of them are penny black, but must be reprinted I'm not sure. I have a certified penny black, and it's much thinner than the ones in question. The ones in question have penny-black esque images but are on thicker paper? Not sure what they are. (they are cut out and cataloged.)

It's just difficult to describe what I'm chatting about when there is such a wide array of material lol. The stamps in question must be reprints, but they don't appear to be adhesive so my friend said they were added to envelopes with a printing press. It's difficult to describe, I will print some pictures later. Thanks for your comments!

gw.....


Penny Blacks have been reprinted on several types of card & thick paper.

welcome. I am sure with some scans and pictures someone here will be able to further answer your questions.

Thanks for the comments guys, I hope to learn lots from your accumulative wisdom. :p

I will try to scan some of the stuff I have, it will be a more interesting dialogue that way.

Hi goldenwizard, wlcome!




When you say catalogued do you mean there are numbers written next to them? Or just that they are in albums or stock books sorted out gy type?

The numbers would tell what they are, if there are any that is.