I Inherited Grandfather's World Stamp Collection, Help?

No, you can never say too much, especially to me. Is it fine to continue rambling in this thread? I don't want to annoy anyone, but hopefully others are finding it entertaining and informative.

Here is one more for the night, also from the new batch. Not technically a SON, but maybe one of a different sort at least...

RockySC




It's as you wish. You have an interesting collection for sure. Never forget it's the dream of many collectors to inherited a collection like that. Daniel

I'm not annoyed anyway. Keep posting.

Jamaica 1935 King George V (KG5 or KGV) pictorial issue, 2-12/d Blue, showing Castleton, with United Fruit Company ( UF / Co ) (think bananas) perfins. Lovely.

Cancel is most likely Kingston, looks like a 2-ring circle but is not. It is a single circle struck twice or thrice (nice word!) and overlapping, Note that the circles cross at their equators.

Also showing that the perfins from this company, on this sheet (4 panes) or pane of stamps have not all been perforated at the same time. Note the oddly leaning ones on the right.

A very nice block. Specialized collecting area so no easy way to value it. Stamps themselves are not worth much I wouldn't think, unless there are varieties and such.

I've emnjoyed following this thread. When it started I was expecting the usual 'inherited, how much is it worth, want to sell' type thing, but it's been fun to see Rocky get bitten by the bug :)

Yeah Puzzler, I really like that above block. It just looks quite striking to me. I'll have to look into that one more with so much going on on it.

And thanks Maiden, it's been fun so far. My wife recently started working weekends, when I'm off of work, and will be doing so at least until the holidays, so this seems to be something to spend some of my time on that will be relaxing and I'll enjoy.

Really quick before work, here is a scan of a few of my new ones...

I don't collect world stamps (US only), but I ran across this thread and
have enjoyed it very much. Thank you for all the great pics, that is a
great collection there. Something to slowly build into a real showpiece
that you will be proud of. I was looking through the pics and wondering
to myself what the original builder of this collection would have thought.
I bet that when they were putting those together, they never could have
imagined where their labor of love would be in 70 years!

Just a thought...
If I had that collection, I would seek out a nice World stamp album from
around that period. Believe it or not, I run across many old albums that
have barely been used, or not at all. So long as you can find a complete
one without ripped pages. Then very delicately swap the stamps into the
period correct album over time, into mounts instead of hinges... You'll
really have something that is the full package when you are done.
Something YOU can be proud of, something that the original builder would
have been proud of, something with a GREAT history and story behind it.
Something that speaks volumes about the original builder, your grandfather
for having the foresight to bring it back and keep it for future generations,
and something that will speak volumes to your future family that will take
it one day. It's a thing of beauty! Good luck!

Hi Rocky, I have been following your adventure in stamp collecting. I must say, I agree that you have some very nice stamps and enjoy not only seeing them but also the comments and identifications made by other members of the forum. I'd like to comment on removing old hinges or even stuck on paper. Some members have said to leave the hinges attached (you might damage the stamp, which is a possibility) and others, like me, would say soak them but do it wisely and carefully. I have damaged a few stamps but none were of any monetary value and were easily and economically replaceable. So my main advice is to allow the hinges or paper to "float" off the stamp. Actually, in many cases the paper or hinge may sink, so try soaking with the face of the stamp up in the water. If you have a stamp you particularly like and the hinge/paper does not naturally come off, soaking will often loosen the extra multilayered hinges and leave you with only one hinge rather than multiple hinges still on the stamp.

ratio411, so true. I wish I could even find out about the original owner, but I know that is impossible now. I'm still not sure how I'm going to deal with everything though. For now though, I'm having fun sorting and trying to identify everything.

quigngt, thanks for the comments and advice. Once I identify everything I'll try to start soaking more, but I imagine I'll have to build up my bravery to do so, lol.

I'm glad that others out there are reading and enjoying the thread. I'll keep posting in it until others tire of it or give up on me. :-p

On the subject of hinges:

There have been quite a few on my end on the white album book pages. We're talking thousands of pages with two stamps or less per page...Naturally, I'm coming up on needing more space. I've found that if the stamp is mounted correctly, they usually slide off of the hinge (and the page) if you put pressure on the first third of the stamp and push up. Usually, they glide right off with very little resistance. After practice, I got it to the point where the hinge would be left in tact on the page and the stamps have come off clean and clear, except for the gum disturbance where the hinge had been placed.

Should you find yourself wanting to put the album pages of stamps into a sturdier (and cleaner looking, I think) black stock book pages, I have found that the seven slide ones are wonderful. There is usually enough room to put a title on the page (Country, time frame, what type of issue) into the first holder. Should you find yourself missing stamps from a series, I've found that chopping up the album pages and filling in the missing stamps with the album representation of the stamp is really, really helpful to me.

PLEASE do continue this thread. I love seeing your progress as well.

Rocky,

Please keep posting!!

If you have any doubts just look at the thread stats--- ~130 replies and ~2500 reads. People love rambling as long as it's informative and interesting. You and Puzzler and the others are keeping the rest of us entertained while learning at the same time.
Keep it up!

Karen

I'll give that a shot sometime incorruptibleid!

And thanks for the kind words. As long as people are reading, enjoying, and helping out for the sake of myself and all the viewers, I'll keep it rolling!

:D

I posted up what I'm doing with Germany. If you get a chance, check out the German States Collection to get an idea of what I was talking about before.

The Canada stamps:

Top is a young Queen Victoria Large Queen (compared in size to the following Small Queens).
Looks like a Scott / Unitrade (specialized Canada) #29 purplish / lilac / violet shade of some sort (many shades possible, see a thread in Canada where I showed a page of Large Queens from a friend).

Check this for perf 11-1/2 x 12 as that is worth x4 a regular perf 12.

Check for watermark of letters of 'BOTHWELL & SONS', check thread on here for how to tell Bothwell paper even if it is blank. has a diamond pattern kind of to it. Worth a lot if letters are in the paper.

Check for reentries (engraving mistakes). Scan at 600 - 1200 dpi and look at that.

Possible 11.8 x 12 perf with Bothwell watermark is worth a premium over regular Bothwell paper So perf gauge is best to get one that measures in 0.1 increments. $2 on ebay Perfect gauge by Unitrade I think. See thru clear plastic.

Next is a Queen Victoria 1897 1/2c Maple Leaf issue (maple leaves in 4 corners, as apposed to the later QV numeral similar-looking issue with numerals in the lower corners.) . Check for a major (more noticeable) reentry lower left on this.

Small Queen 2c Green 1872, perf 12 or 11-1/2 x 12, reentries minor and major, colour shades. Multiple bar oval killer or obliteration cancel.

Small Queen 1c yellow, shades possible, check for that illusive 11-1/2 x 12 perf, reentries, also possible think paper, not completely sure but would feel thicker and probably more fuzzy I think, but check that. Smudged fancy cork-carved cancel looks like I think.

For all these re-entries there is a nice site (lost it but Google) called reentries dot come that explains them and I believe gives examples of lots and ones that look like that are but aren't.

Next is QV Diamond Jubilee 3c Bright Rose and 1c Orange, common stamps for the time, condition is everything and these are so-so.

Always remember the back is important for condition also. (You don't have to show pics of all the backs, just remember and look at them).

The large and small Queens are quite in depth study areas or can be if you wish. Just search on SCF here for some interesting discussions.

Lovely cork fancy cancels abound during this time period (as far as I am concerned anyway. Multiple ring cancels, 2-ring and 3-ring numeral cancels. Squared circle cancels. All yummy.

edit many tired typos.

You have to wonder if the original collector was killed in the war...
Were they Jewish and the stamps got left behind...
Were they just civilians that had to flee their home...
Or could your grandfather have gotten them in trade for something...
Did they belong to a young man that went off to war...
Or did they belong to an older person that saw his son(s) go to battle...

After the war, did the owner come to the aftermath and rubble of his
home and search in vain for the collection, thinking that there was
a chance they might still be there...

After the war, 10 years later, 20 years later, as an old man, or in
last days of life, even 50 years later, did this person still wonder
what became of his collection... Did he ever try his hand at building
another collection, or did he never again collect stamps...

So many things that could have happened, and no way to know.
All you can do is think of the possibilities.

Puzzler, I'll look for that perf gauge on ebay. I should have bought one a while back, but I didn't think I'd get this deep, at least not this soon. Thanks for all of the information. I'm sure it's helpful to many others as well. I've been looking on there for one, but can't decide which kind to buy. Got a recommendation?

ratio411, I think about that a lot. I can't help but wonder about all of that. All that I know for sure is what I believe was the name of the former owner - Walter Fuchs.

Here are two more from my new batch, and they may be my favorite. I've loved the "roos" that I have seen other people post online, and was thrilled that I found a couple. There seem to be a lot of different kinds, released in different years, and I have also heard about tons of fakes and also reissues that came out later on in the 1970s, so I'm unsure just what I have here. From what I can tell they are likely only worth a buck or so if even that, but regardless, I think they're cool...