French Polynesia Stamps - Inquiry On Starting A Collection

I began buying a few stamps from a dealer who had stock of current and older stamps (going back to about 2005) from French Polynesia. I have enjoyed them so much I decided to get a standing order of French Polynesia's annual series of stamps each year. I can always cancel according to the seller.

I saw that there was an old thread a collector of French Polynesian stamps started and folks to show what they had. Wondering if anyone else collects from this nation. Also, although I do not collect stamps primarily for investment purposes, I would like to know if they tend to have some chance of gaining a premium. I have noted this has happened with a few from the past 15 years but then I was told by one staff member from a very reputable and well-known dealer modern Worldwide stamps are a hard sell. Again I have no expectation of getting rich from my stamp collections, BUT it would be ncie to alert my heirs of anything that may be worthwhile to sell online or bring to a dealer in say 30 years.

And if you have a beautiful stamp from French Polynesia PLEASE SHARE!!! Would love to learn more about this country's philatelic contributions as well the nation itself.

http://goscf.com/t/9315 br /

99% "no." Most modern (the definition of that is disputed, but I'll say post 1960) stamps are just printed in numbers too high (millions to hundreds of millions) to be worth anything significantly more than face value. You do find the odd exception, such as EFOs (errors, freaks, oddities), or when political winds change (several Chinese stamps come to mind). Adding to this is the tendency of certain African and Pacific nations (among other geographies) to just pump out issues as a revenue source doesn't help matters.
If you're looking for appreciation (IMO anathema to the concept of "hobby"), I'd suggest going pre-1960. Others here will have their own advice for you, of course. FP has some nice issues, enjoy them knowing that in the worst case, your collection will eventually be someone else's problem.

I have French Oceania/Polynesia as part of my French area collection. I've tended to pick them up in relatively long runs at auction. The stamps aren't financial turkeys by any means, but I shouldn't expect them to make money - still less so if I were buying them at face value. The enjoyment of the designs is the main thing.

I don't collect French Polynesia per se, but I do have some stamps from there in my "Random Stuff That I Like" collection. Here's my personal favorite, Scott #720, and the related souvenir sheet, Scott #761a.


And here's a nice cover that I bought a few months ago.

Thanks all for the responses. Lovely unused and used stamps.

So far buying them online and trying the standing order route for convenience and just enjoy them as I like the designs and topics of the stamps.

As for the investment value, all confirmed what I thought. Not complete turkeys but of worldwide stamps a country that at least looks to keep its face value with tony premium (a little more for a few others --- and not all are errors!).

Here are the two French Oceania issues from the French colonial omnibus series commemorating the 1939 New York World's Fair (I have a topical collection of stamps of the Fair).

One might argue these have nothing to do with French Oceania/Polynesia as they were constructed by Albert Decaris* half a world away in Paris and were identical for Cameroun, Guadaloupe, and Indochina as well as almost every little bit of French territory in between...

issued 10 May 1939
Scott 124 &125 Yvert 128 &129




*I can't resist noting here as an aside that Decaris, the designer & engraver of this one, was the last winner of the Olympic gold medal in Painting & Graphic Arts, Engraving and Etching subcategory, in the London Olympics of 1948. The IOC discontinued the arts competitions after '48. Is he the only stamp designer to ever medal?

Here are several from my album

One more about paintings from the 19th century, 1982

Tahitian Woman, by Maximilien René Radiguet (1816-1899)
Souvenir of Tahiti, by Sébastien Charles Giraud (1819-1892)
Fabric Threshing, by JL Le Jeune
Papeete Port, by Constance Gordon Cumming (1837-1924)

Thanks for sharing - lovely stamps! I will post soon some of the ones I have already.