Picture Postage - What Am I Missing???

There seems to be considerable interest in these stamps on both ebay and SCF. Collectors are paying a considerable $ premium to put a picture of their dog, cat, house etc. on a stamp so they can use these stamps on their mail to impress their friends. Maybe impress is not the correct word. I just saw on ebay a listing of 7 used examples (6 different one duplicate) with a bid of $38.00. These stamps will never be used in a published album, will never have a Scott # issued.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/23089563000...t_500wt_1203

So what is the attraction to these used picture postage stamps?

BeeSee wrote on his topic.......

"A very interesting aspect of this sheet is that there is a constant variety! All five stamps on the bottom row have the top part of the text cut off at the top, so that the top bar of the E in West and Vancouver is missing"

So how are these five stamps going to be treated? Are they now to be an EFO and command a higher $ premium?

Please help me understand this interest because I am currently at a loss. I can almost understand why someone may want to put their wedding picture on a stamp to mail to friends but why would a complete stranger pay whatever to have a copy of this stamp?

Should we all be buying a sheet with our favorite picture, using them on mail to ourselves then post them for sale on ebay and start the bidding at $4.99?

Go for it.

Like it or not, personal stamps (like Picture Postage) are the future of new stamp issues for all countries.

I find them far more interesting then the plethora of commemorative stamps issued by most countries, including Canada.

I consider Picture Postage a combination of art, photography and stamp collecting - three interests I have.

Oh yes, I also collect classic stamps .

Good points and bad !
Interesting subject worthy of debate.

I do not collect these but I do have a couple of examples from Israel [I know the subject header is Canada but hese are issued worldwide and you will get more responses if it were open...so apologies].

In Israel they are listed in the catalogue, each stamp has a $100 value. Only two sheets of each design are allowed and many collectors of Israel stamps crave after them.
I made 3 different designs some years ago [2004] and have afew copies left of two of them. I sold one MNH stamp for $120 over two years ago and have had higher offers for my remaining specimens.
I was offered an even higher amount for the sole postally used cover I have. I refused.

This is just one story and I guess there are many out there.
Again my apologies for 'going Worldwide' but I hope it gives you some idea about Personalized stamps.

Londonbus1

No need to apologize, LB1 ! Personal Stamps are worldwide phenomena.

I agree that they are overpaying for those stamps listed on ebay but I think you are limiting yourself if you only collect what other people (i.e. catalogue manufacturers) tell you to collect.

People collect lots of things which are not in catalogues such as lint, paperclips etc. It doesn't make their collection any less meaningful because the point of a collection is personal enjoyment.

Plus, there are significantly less picture postage stamps than officially issued stamps. The rarity of an item makes the hunt even more thrilling. And isn't that what we all are...treasure hunters at heart?

It depends.
There are still many collectors around, and there always will be, who wish to be complete. It is not something that is possible with Personalized stamps, but there are those who will try to collect as many as possible, no matter what it takes. Once you have it in your head that they are there to be collected, nothing will stand in the way.
I have a friend who collects the French equivalent and his knowledge on them is amazing.
The Israel stamp I sold for $120 [see earlier post] was purchased by someone who would not give up. In the end he got it. The chase went on for some time.
So while I don't collect them, nor will I ever, I do understand now the reasons why collectors will pay high prices for them.

But cannot the same be said of regular postage stamps...especially some of the older classics ? If someone wants an item he will pay. If more than one collector wants an item, the price will go higher.

So it is with personalized stamps too. If there is a cap put on the order for each design, like there was in Israel, they can become classics in years to come with high price tags.

They are NOT for knocking.

Londonbus1.

Some good personal points guys. I can understand celebrating a wedding or a first born on a picture postage stamp, but please explain to me why I would want to buy on ebay a picture postage of a person's dog from where ever. Even if it was free I have no desire to collect it. If I cannot look it up in a catalogue how do I even know that it even exists as a collectible item.

I am open to change so give me more reasons I should change.

An odd comment; dogs on stamps is one of the most popular topics around.




The idea is to collect for fun, not necessarily for value or profit.

Come on BeeSee my reference to a dog was an example only. It doesn't rate as an odd comment.

Being from outside of the Vancouver area of BC the only way that I would know that a new picture postage from anywhere existed would be to see it after the fact in a catalogue or see it up for auction on a site like ebay. The use of a catalogue is indispensable in collecting any countries stamps. Currently in Canada the catalogues are not recognizing personal picture postage and how could they.

I have collected Canadian stamps for decades and as any collector can attest to it isn't for as you say ".....for value or profit" because 80% of issued Canadian mint stamps are not even worth face value to buyers on websites. We all have our reasons for collecting stamps so for you to suggest that mine might be monetary is kind of a left field comment.

Anyway enough of this I still haven't been convinced to purchase my own picture postage or to bid on a picture postage stamp on ebay of what ever from where ever.

With respect,
no one is going to convince you, if you have a closed mind.
Just try to accept it, and get on with your own collecting,
Hopefully your dismay will soften over the years. Stamp collecting is the ultimate democracy, I personally, have issues with SCF members
who "bin" their stamps, or "Burn" them, but hey, that's their right.

If we look in the rear vision mirror, we can take note that the same
controversy was experienced with collectors of Revenues and Perfins, and even more so, with stamp collecting itself.

I think we have to give collectors freedom to pursue their own route,
without the obligation to understand it.

Now, back to my Sharjah and Ajman stamps....

The lot mentioned by Seriouscollector sold for $66.90.

Rod, I usually just crumple them up but during the winter
they go in the fireplace and up the chimney.

Oh Great, Thanks Litho,
Time to crank up the Mantra,
"This too, shall pass"...

"People collect lots of things which are not in catalogues such as lint..."

I could not find a suitable album, and besides, the lints fell off the hinges, so I mount them with Christmas-ornament hooks on a too-small blazer, and keep my extras in color-coded vacuum cleaner bags.

The hardest part is removing the intertwined cat hairs (gotta squint at the tint). I bought a box lot of mint lint on ebay recently, as it was misdescribed as a set of dust bunnies. Some people swipe the lint out of the dryers at the laundry, but that strikes me as unethical, and after it's washed, it always looks flat and faded, even if you fluff it up with your toothbrush.

Among the famous people who collect lint are actor Lint Eastwood and astronaut Fuzz Aldrin.

Here is a picture of my collection during Hurricane Sandy:

:)

and not forgetting the collection of 30 million paper clips.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_Clips_Project

I think it is not collectors who have created many of these personal stamps, but just people and businesses who wanted to advertise a business or service and / or also people who wished to pay special attention to their loved ones and to commemorate them or pay them a special tribute.

Also paid attention to are hobbies, interests and events, like stamp shows.


Of course, any collectible item, including personal postage stamps (and postcards now too) will be made into items for collectors. An older example would be favour cancelled covers and stamps, first flight covers, and first day of issue covers and stamps.




The picture below is from the above quoted ebay auction:


These stamps all have a bicycle theme (or transportation) so would be of interest for a collector of such a topic or theme.

The two 'same' stamps are actually different because of the different cancellations on them (to a cancel collector anyway!) and because in 2001 the number of stamps printed per personal page was 25 only.

They are also all (Scott #1918a = Silver Frame) from the Canada 2001 Picture Postage set (mislabeled Greetings Stamps in the Unitrade catalogue I have (2005 version)) of five different designs and so are rare to find any of at all. Personal postage was just becoming a collecting interest then.



Also see the online catalogue of Canada personal (Picture Postage / Timbres Photo) by SCF member rallymann here: http://www.picturepostage.net/picturepost2001.html