Help With Ideas On How To Track Down One Italian Stamp.

OK... I am on a mission... it is not at all obsessive..

The stamp that is my avatar is the 1996 Italian Vespa error stamp that was printed on yellow paper instead of white, so the border is yellow.

According to one source their was only one sheet done this way.

How can I find a copy to buy?
I have tried the following...

ebay in Italy.
Delcampe
E-mailing Italian dealers I found on a list on the net.
Googling the error in English and Italian.
I tried to join an Italian language stamp forum without success yet.

What else can I do?

Anyone have good contacts in Italy?

Regards
Gavin

PS Now I have to write out "I am NOT obsessive" 100 times...

Perhaps also search in languages that are used where people collect Italian stamps, besides Italia of course.

German
French

Motorcycles are used a lot in Japan but to search in Japanese, etc I would need someone to do it for me.

I have gone to different ebay sites (as well as Delcampe, congratulations for that) to search through local listings that are not stated to ship worldwide and thus will not show up on a search here.

Looking at all the ebay sites would almost be necessary.

But I think Googling in different languages is more effective personally. But then again, Google does not show every page worldwide. Then you get into using local search engines and knowing what someone would call this 'error' or motorcycle in their local vernacular.

On ebay you can set up searches to search for you and email you when there is something new that matches your search parameters. Not sure on the other sites.

If it is a rare and expensive error or variety you might also put your name in to several dealers to keep an eye out for it for you. Have other people do the looking for you.

With a stamp that rare, the chances of one popping up on ebay or Delcampe probably aren't very good. I'd keep an eye on the philatelic auction houses, especially any that specialize in Italy.

A quick search shows that Ghiglione last had one for auction in their Feb 10 sale, and it started and ended at €500.

Thanks for the ideas guys.
Oddly enough I found out about the stamp by seeing it on ebay Italy... seriously KICKING myself now as I could not afford the 300 Euro at the time (only a few months back) and it passed in without a bid, and it was no reserve! I really tried long and hard to find the old listing without success.

Anyway! After posting the question yesterday I thought I would google "Francobollo commerciante Italia", (Stamp dealer Italy) and I got a better list of dealers... send a few messages and this morning I got this...

---------------------------------------
"Hi Gavin!
I know we have the stamp some where in the premisses but I can't find it, anyhow, I have localized a piece by a colleague of mine and I'll let you know something in the next few days.
Besides this, we have small to important pieces in this particular area. Italian motorcicles, do you want us to send you scans??
---------------------------------------

I their you go... Now I just have to wait for the price shock!

I have always said "be carefully what you ask for, you might just get it" lol

Regards
Gavin

Not much help wrt the stamp, but I had a blue Vespa during my Uni years, I wish I had not sold it now - it was great in traffic and it used hardly any petrol (gas). Accelerator, brake, clutch and gear shift all on the handle bar - so simple. No battery to worry about just one kick start and it was purring like a kitten.

I used to take my mum to work (sidesaddle, lol) and off to lectures with no problem finding parking.

Those were the days...

I hope you get your stamp without breaking the bank balance.

:)

Thanks Perf14, I have had 17 Vespa's in my life, including my first ever bike (a blue one!). Just sold my last one 6 months ago.

Oh yes "the price"... it means I will have to sell off some of my non motorcycle collection to pay for it.

I just got confirmation of "the price" 10 minutes ago and I am thinking how I can get the cash.... SELL SELL SELL!!

Lol
Regards
Gavin

The dealer in Italy wants 550 Euro, or about 800US... eeek!
I have gone back to them and offered 500 Euro.... not that I HAVE that much at the moment.... but I never let having no money get in the way of the collecting obsession.

To pay for it I will have to sell my collection of early covers that were sent to or from American motorcycle makers pre 1925.... and I have a possible buyer lined up already.
Sad to see them go, but the Vespa error stamp would be as good for me!

regards
Gavin
(Selling everything!)

WoW! did you say you were not "at all obsessive" ? 17 is in the ball park I reckon. Just kidding, it's good to see a bit of dedication these days.

Good luck with your sale and your new yellow stamp ( I have no doubt you will get it!)

I think you should consider caution,
are these stamps considered genuine error?
Who has established them as genuine errors?

Thanks for the words of caution Rod.

What I think I know from my limited research is that their was one famous sheet of these.
So that's 50 stamps.
One sold at auction for 500 Euro in Italy.
The dealer I am talking to in Italy knew of the stamp and is one of Italy's biggest oldest dealers. (ie not a fly by night place!)

The one I missed on ebay came with some certificate and I have attached the bad image.



What else should I be looking at do you think?
Advice is appreciated as I am not an experienced philatelist as such.

Regards
Gavin

Gavin,
when one comes across an extraordinary error
no one on the planet is an expert.
You deal with the facts at hand.
Now, I certainly do not wish to intefere with your
desire to secure an error,
yet advise caution, the world can be a tricky place
be wise in your business deals.

I went to another newsgroup, where I have a colleague
who specialises in Italy.
His response:

It looks as if it has been dipped in yellow ink.

My Sassone specialised says:
Sono noti esemplari con l'intera superficie del francobollo di colore
giallo, sono trucchi

trucchi means trick or made-up i.e.they are false

--
Tony Clayton

Just add this bit of information to your knowledge base before
you make a decision is all.
Good luck with what you do.
If you want that error certainly go for it.

Thanks Rod, I will ask the dealer what they think of the stamps status and I will e-mail the company that did the certificate for the stamp I have the picture of.

Also I will ask for a good photo of the one the dealer can get before parting with any cash.

I think it is a real error or a "variety" as the Italian's called it.
Mainly based on seeing it referred to in about four different places on the net, all that were positive about it.

I will keep you informed. I expect to hear back from the dealer in the next few days.

Regards
Gavin

Please do,
Tony would be interested.
Practically speaking, it is difficult to see this an "error"
The operator would have to be virtually blind not to see
a yellow piece of paper going through the press.
It seems to scream "engineered"
If it is a genuine error, I'd certainly like to hear how it occurred.

Also curious as the cerificate of genuineness is blurred :)

I am to blame for the cert image being blured, on the ebay auction it was on it was clear to read. Not sure what I did to it.

regards
Gavin

just in case there are some here, like me, that have no idea what the stamp should look like:

[url=http://www.thegomc.com/PicHosting/share-ABB4_4E090EFD.html"][/url]


The 'error' does seem like it was dipped in yellow as the yellow seems to cover the blue and black parts of the stamp too, but that maybe because the scan is not crispy clear.

:)

Here are all the images I have of the variety to date.
Regards
Gavin