Cinderella Stuff..... Prices, Bargains?!

PART 1. Where are the bargains?

I got the idea for this first part from Footballphilately [Thanks Owen!] and his 'Your best ebay deal' thread.
When I am in sleepy mode but don't want to sleep, I half lie on my desk and browse, often without the power to do anything else [Listen, it's 44 degrees today and working outside just 'aint no joke!].

My main collecting area, as you all know, is Cinderellas. Because of the wealth of Cindy's on ebay this is always my first port of call. But lately it has only become a call and no more, as the price of good quality cinderellas continues to rise and they become more popular with collectors fed up with too many new issues of postage stamps.
So while they look for an alternative, we Cindy die-hards must also and it was with this in mind that I went off in search of a bargain. It also gave me a good chance to compare prices and activity.
I played around for a few weeks and while nothing was ceratin or ever 100%, there were opportunities to be taken and nice items to be had for a discerning Cinderella collector.

Here is one example, one of a number but one that stands out.....

In 1951 The Festival Of Britain Committee organized labels in 5 different colours to be printed to raise funds for the Blind. Many sheets were cut up and albums were made with the labels attached in their descriptive places. An equal number of sheets of each colour were printed. Booklets sold for 2/6d.

Both Sheets and Booklets can be found on ebay and elsewhere from time to time, although recently I have only seen on the former....or let's say I had because these were found in the last few months elsewhere with a starting price of $24 ! Expensive ? Not really, if previous sales were anything to go by.







At around the same time, I found these on ebay: Check the hammer price!


http://www.ebay.com/itm/29072112333....m1423.l2649


http://www.ebay.com/itm/29072112407....m1423.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/11088398752....m1423.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/14079198634....m1423.l2649

This is only an example of how it can pay to shop around. If you read the descriptions of the ebay lots you will notice the odd fault or two. I won the first lot shown as I was the only bidder....$24 !
The sheets were superb MNH, almost no faults which is rare for these.

It does pay to shop around. You may not always find what you want, but you may well pick up some bargains. Still, old habits die hard...as they say.

More to come soon.......

Londonbus1....Off to ebay ! Oops!

Unbelievabbbbble ! Can they be that scarce? my budget for cindys is roughly equal to a trip to McDonalds !!

They can be Philb. I hadn't seen any for a long time until recently, when a few became available.
I was lucky.

The little gem below has been on my wanted list for over 10 years ! Finally, in some corner of a Tel Aviv market I found it....but had to bargain hard to get it at a decent price !



the next one I put on the 'Flags' thread but I'll show it here too as it came from the same market, but a different table. In amazing condition and a great find.



Question is, will it go in the Flags or the Cinderellas ?
Because I am sure I'll never find another. !

Londonbus1....

PART TWO......TEST STAMPS.

It was Monday morning and I was aimlessly looking around at some stamps on the Internet when I came across a British Philatelic Exhibition item I had never seen before...except in the catalogue.

It was not just scarce, it was impossible. And expensive....I could not spend so much money on one item. Nah !
It preyed on my mind all day and I began to dream.
It was a long hard day at work after 4 days of being sick, and I was tired and hot when I collapsed by my desk. There was a letter waiting from the USA.
Test stamps !

Now I was not sure why I bid on them and had half-forgotten about them but they really did take my mind off that item I had seen earlier and the evening was spent looking up info on these interesting pieces.

They fit very well with other test Stamps I have and will go into the same category album as Sample stamps, Proofs, Colour trials etc.

I still have to figure out the differences but I do have the catalogue numbers !





More to come, Photobucket is playing up !



Londonbus1

More......I hope !

























Here's a couple of Swedish Examples.....from the hands of CZESLAW SLANIA !





Now where did I see those Exhibition pieces........

Londonbus1......Did I pass the Test !

A wealth of information is contained at this link ... be sure to checkout some of the pdf files in the "back issues" section.

http://www.stampprinters.info/dummystamps.htm

I very much enjoy looking at these things; unfortunately my collection contains few to none of them. They are still very much of interest to me though, so keep posting!

Yes, I've been a very frequent visitor to Stampprinters. Great place to hang out for a Cinderella collector !

I was lucky enough to meet Glenn Morgan at London 2010 but we only time for a quick chat about Exhibition material.

A few more Test and Trial pieces.

Swiss Blocks.



Vertical and Horizontal Coil Test Strips, GB 1940's





More Swiss.......



A swiss Presentation Booklet given away free to anyone who wrote in for one ! [Including Philatelists so they claim inside !]







More bits........







British Postal Workers used these stamps whilst training.......



Below are sample Booklet covers [12x1st and 4x2nd] used for display purposes in Supermarkets and other non-postal retail outlets. The reverse of the booklet cover shows a white rectangle where Postage information would normally be. I like these !







Next...some of my latest acquisitions !

Londonbus1

Mike you're always like a cinderella's surprise box. Thank you very much for showing such unusual items.

Now it's my turn to say...'Thanks' Cursus.

Last one in the Test stamps for now.
A presentation card insert for an Exhibition Bulletin, Stockholmia 1974.



Londonbus1

PART 3. EXHIBITION ADDITIONS !

It has been hard this past year adding something new to my British and Worldwide Philatelic Exhibition Collection.

British items in particular have been selling at above catalogue and sometimes way above. I have mentioned this elsewhere recently and today I got another good dose when I managed to win some nice items....but ALL above catalogue price.

But it's not only the price that irritates me. It is the fact that I cannot find items that were issued in large quantities and should be found quite easily for a dollar ! Frankly, there are so many items that I have never seen, are supposedly not expensive but that I have given up on.

So when I do see some, it is a huge and pleasant surprise....even if my wallet tells me otherwise !

Here are some items I have won recently, all above catalogue, some marginally so. After 10 years of collecting this type of material, this is the first time I have ever seen any of these items...and now they are mine.
Was it worth the wait?
Well I think so, but judged on beauty alone, probably not !

You decide.

An inscribed sheet of 4 labels depicting the Manchester Reference Library. Printed in Photolithography, Imperf. Sold at the National Stamp Exhibition, Houldsworth Hall,Manchester in November 1947.



1967 BPE sheet depicting a 1967 Ireland stamp. Printed in Photogravure on a Chambon Press by the Irish Revenue Commissioners. Sold at a whopping 10/- per copy....now wonder they are scarce !



The following two sheets were missing from a 'set' of 4 for the 1982 BPE [British Philatelic Exhibition]. The ordinary and 'Trade Sample' items I already have and these completed the set.
'Specimen' overprint and Blackprint on stiff card. Both printed in very limited quantities.





Another BPE sheet, this time from 1974. Shows the 1974 IOM Lifeboat stamp without value. Printed by Courvoisier in Offset Lithography, this presentation edition is on Lemon Paper. Only 700 numbered copies exist....a real gem to have after all this time.



Finally there is a scarce 'Specimen' overprint on a 1972 Showpex sheet and a 1975 National Stamp Day stamp Fair sheet commemorating 50 years since the 1925 Wembley Exhibition. The latter sheet was sold at a Stamp Fair still going strong today, albeit not at the same venue.This sheet I have seen before but always outbid. [Cheapskate !]





Enjoy....or not.

More Cinderella stuff soon........

Londonbus1

Nice pot pourri Londonbus1

Purchased set loose..$4

As mentioned in previous posts, the price of good Cinderellas continues to rise.
However, it does pay to spend some time searching

Here is a good example which is still at a good price with 2 hours to go....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/18101693466....m1423.l2649

Later, some more Exhibition additions and some nice Penny Black-related material.

Londonbus1

....and here is an example of how the prices rise !

I purchased this sheet, together with the 2d Blue sheet [2 items] not so long ago for £10.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/23087530685....m1423.l2649

I still consider myself a newby cinderella collector. There is something about them that fascinates me, and I pick them up when I can. Great thread Mr. Bus, thankyou. I love those Swiss labels, especially the fish.
A gentleman at my stamp club had a set of the British postal worker training stamps. Though he's not a cinderella collector, he was thrilled by them and the story behind them.
Guess with cinderellas, there's always something for everyone.