I Inherited Grandfather's World Stamp Collection, Help?

kehess, I'll keep that in mind about the number of images. I just figured what the heck while I was at it. Should I delete them or post them as a new thread?

The one page that is the worst is the one of card stock that was loose in the album. I'm not sure what was up with that one - the second to last image.

Rocky,

Those Austria ones look yummy to me

Another thing that you might want to watch for is rusting on the stamps. Some of the stamps might be discolored, gone brown in patches, due to aging and being stuck on the book. These you should keep separate from the good ones in different glassines since rust spreads!

If only a few perforations have this issue, perhaps a bath in lukewarm water might clean them up.

Cheers and happy stamping...
Ram

Thanks for the tips! Stupid question, but could you show me an example of rusting? I'm not sure I know what to look for just yet.

Also, I just went to the library and got all volumes of the 2010 Scotts...except for volume 1. It makes sense that one would be checked out, but luckily 99.9% of my stamps are international!

Now to figure out how in the world to even look a stamp up.

I second the motion on the image size for dial-up or low-speed internet users,m of which I am one.

however, a lot of that problem (and its not really a problem, just an inconvenience at times) is remedied by using a picture editing program (GIMP is free or Picassa by Google is free for example) to crop down the empty spaces on the pics so you are left with just the stamp.

Most folks nowadays use hi-speed where available. I just read in the paper that in Canada 30,000,000 great folks) there are estimated to be 400,000 dial-up users left out there, mostly rural. I think that is over simplification and under estimation, perhaps by the scheming hi-speed companies, but I am paranoid at times. lol Or am I not paranoid enough?!

It just takes forever to load. I even avoid the Engraver thread because it is all big pics. Have to wait til I get to the library where they do have hi-speed.

Ramble , ramble, .

Stamps are real nice to see and interesting. Lots of nice ones in good condition I think. I have an old album that I have been going through for years now and stamps are mostly in terrible shape.

As for looking them up in Scotts, look in the back of a catalogue and there should be a list of countries and page numbers in which volume they are listed.

Look up that old Polish airmail (one with biplane), I bet that's a good one. Stamps in Scott are arranged by regular postal use first, then by special use like semi-postal with B before the number, airmail, with C before the number, etc.

If you want detailed catalogue info or year or what the heck is this info, start a new topic in the appropriate category on SCF and, using the country name if known (or editing the title later to add the country name, if found out, to help later searchers for info) ask away. Do not overwhelm people with 2 zillion stamps at once. Doesn't work. One or two or three is the way to go.

And then you can always confirm that you have it right, that you understand the info by stating I back to us and see what we think.

There is a learning curve to using any catalogue and all catalogues around the world are different in their own ways also.

In your stamps I like those old Czechoslovakia and Hungary ones myself, just haven't made the time to study them.

I will work on the size of the images when I get home tonight. How about posting clickable thumbnails that will lead to the larger image? I'm about to leave work. I'll get on this soon.

Well, not being too picky here, but the SCF is the database of info and stamps images, not anyone's photobucket account really. people move on (sometimes) , change the pics in photobucket or wherever and they are lost to us here at SCF.

I know that modern cameras take mega-pixel sized photos and reducing them is a pain sometimes (see free photo resizer here on SCF) and it's easier and simpler to just click and go.

That is the other side of the coin, but not evryone agrees with me nor perhaps should they. You can't please all the stamp collectors all the time. You are doing great, don't get in an uproar over anything, stamps are fun. Don't worry, be happy.

Puzzler, sorry for the short message before. I'm not in an uproar at all, no problems. I was just getting ready to leave work to come home (where I am now thank God) and didn't have time to say much more at the time, lol. I have edited the images, both in file size and quality, and it has drastically reduced the file size of each image. Please let me know if this works better.

By posting all of them at once, I'm not asking for people to look over every single thing. I know I'll have to start future threads for real focused specifics. I am posting them all just to let everyone take a casual look, see if anything jumps out, and go from there. My knowledge of them is so basic that I don't even know where to start by picking one out to ask about. Then if someone sees one that I should focus on, I can scan that one and work from that.

Thank you all for the information so far. Is it foolish that I don't even know an Austrian or Hungarian stamp apart yet? I'm working on it. :)

Here are the new images - I am posting a link to a slideshow of the original sized images to start with, then the images after that as before, only smaller in file size. I will also go back and edit my previous post to help others with the speed issue. Sorry about that!

http://s1166.photobucket.com/albums...ew=slideshow

Great to have you here RockySC. Lots of fun looking and commenting on the old stamps. Always see something I have never seen before. Great.

Austria stamps usually have Oesterreich (East Land or East Kingdom?) on them.

Hungary usually has Magyar Posta or Maguarsztag (I say it like that anyway) on them.

Don't worry, takes years to appreciate some things I find. See it over and over and don't think anything of it and then see it through someone else's eyes and have them explain it and a whole new world opens up. Amazing stamps are.

Photo size is great, thanks for your effort.


I know, I just went on and on like I do sometimes, don't mind me.

For me, anyway, looking at all the stamps, I don't know enough specialty knowledge about these areas myself to be a good adviser to you. They mostly seem in nice condition and that is always a plus and leads one to think they were well looked after mostly, and teh collector cared about what he bought and probably bought some higher values too.

Best just pick out a country (if you can) and look at the catalogue for that country and see what you get and then start asking question. Keep it simple and don't get too complicated to start. Have fun.

I had a good pic of a 'rusty' or moldy stamp but can't find it right away. Will keep an eye out. These stamps will have brownish spots or orangish spots on them, probably around the edges to start with. This is mold of various sorts and should be separated as mentioned from good, non-moldy stamps so it doesn't spread, and it will over time.

Thanks for the tips Puzzler, as always!

Is the plane stamp in this image the one you were talking about before?

http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums...IMG_0539.jpg

One stupid question (one I want to ask, but think it is too stupid to start a thread over) - just how do you go about looking up a stamp in a Scott? I think I must be missing something. Lets take one of my German stamps, ok, I have that volume right here. I turn to Germany, but after that I have no clue how to find it. The only luck I have had is when I see an exact picture of it there. I guess that goes without saying though. I understand that you find the stamp, then variations are listed (which I still don't totally get, but I'm not quite to that part yet anyway), but my problem is finding it in the first place.

Thanks as always!

EDIT:

Nevermind, I just realized you meant the one on this page...

http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums...IMG_0614.jpg

I knew the other one was German, but I didn't know I had a second one in the album with a bi-plane on it. Shows how observant I've been so far!

You and everyone else has problems, don't worry.

Number 1, look at the stamp, maybe the year is on it somewhere, sometimes low down under the design or within the design. Not every country does things the same way.

You might have to look at the cancel. If you can see a year date then it might have been issued around that year or before. Narrows it down anyway.

Look at the reigning monarch or statesman on the stamp, if any. Find out who that is and their time in power is a clue as to the stamps date also. Mostly.

Or the subject on the stamp, the dress of the people, the words used, the use of horses or cars, a lot of thing date the stamp to a certain era usually, unless the stamp is modern and commemorating 100 years of something or other.

The style of design is a clue after you get used to stamps. Whether one colour or two or multi colours are used.

The name of the place on the stamp or cancel. How is it spelled? Does the town still exist? What was it known as before that time? Google names and you get a lot of info. Old atlases help also. Need to get one myself.

Germany, I think familiarize yourself with the different periods in history, the different republics, the breaking apart and joining together of parts of the country.

Use Google translate (or another) to translate German words to English (or whatever) and that might help. Look after the regular postal use stamps and see what else there is. Germany has lots of staes that issued their own stamp, lots of wartime occupations which might be listed under the occupied country, lots of airmails I think, look for something flying or mythical creatures with wings somewhere.

Scott catalogue will Not list all stamps, especially revenue stamps or certain special use stamps or cinderella stamps. Just general types, as they see fit.

To get detailed info you need a specialized catalogue of that country or area. Germany use Michel for example. No need to starting out.

If you can't find a stamp start a topic and see if anyone knows. Lots of Germany collectors here (not me but I used to), just collect Bavaria certain ones now.

Stamps take you through history and lots of different military states and countries and states that only lasted a few years sometimes.

Look on ebay and try to narrow down your search for the type of stamp (if it has a topic or theme on it) or the year or just look for the picture.

Not every stamp has a picture in Scott or any general catalogue. Too much work and room. They only show common design types and some of those are listed in the front of the catalogues so you just see a note in words in the regular listings. They might only show one stamp of that series or issue. They might show it years before when that design was first used and then a note below that listing tells you to also see numbers xxx-xxx for example.

Still with me? Germany can be complicated at times but once you know and recognize certain types of stamps the others of that tpe will be a piece of cake.

There are albums of stamps online that show most of the stamps used for a country that have been collected by certain people. That helps sometimes, you can see all of a set and say hey there's mine in the middle or something.

Google Antonius Ra collection for one. A Chinese doctor has another somewhere.

Write things down (who does that anymore?) , look up words on the online stamp glossaries, German words need to be broken down into multiple words sometimes to make sense I find. Translate the separate words.

You will be dreaming stamps! Ha.

Oops, forgot plane pic. yes, the second one is the one I meant. Looks nice. I am curious about it.

Look under Cxxx numbers in the catalogue after the regular xxx numbers.

Wow, I'll give all of that a go and see how it turns out. Lots of great ideas there!

And don't worry, I've already had stamp dreams - mainly looking for a perfect SON, lol.

Here is what I found in the Scott on that stamp. Not sure what to make of all of it, other than mine doesn't have the overprint. Not sure about a watermark, and not sure how to tell on that one either...

Hey, just noticed, now that all of the page loads for the pages, (dial-up woes) on a France stamp (stamps that have RF (Republic Francais on them) design shows a woman sowing grain (known as the Sower stamps or Le Semeuse (I think)) the blue one 25c bottom row, with a hesagonal shaped cancel.

Could you do a zoom or better pic of that one so we could read the cancel perhaps please? I am collecting hex cancels and hex-shaped stamp myself.

Since yours is without an overprint you would have to go upwards in the catalogue to #C7 - C9 I think, if I can read the bit showing. If the colour is OK and everything else.

Watermarks are designs or letters pressed into the paper before printing. Turn the stamp over, place it on a dark surface and see if you see any designs. Look at the beginning of Poland or the list of possible designs used on Polish stamps. Watermark 234 will show a design.

You could also use a bit of light fluid Ronsonol brand to put on the stamp. Doesn't hurt, evaporates, doesn't leave a trace of anything. Lets you see the design more clearly, if one is there.

It might seem upside down or backwards but think of it as seen from the front of the stamp, not the back.

So, this same stamp design (AP1) was used for multiple overprints and uses. Neat.

If you like hex cancels, I know I've come across a few others while sorting.

Here is the image you requested.