Computer Vended Stamps (2012)

Serious "Are they still considered postage and has their value just increased dramatically with collectors?"

I would imagine they are still valid for postage. The ending of the trial may have increased their value to collectors some, but not likely dramatically. The trial wasn't super short and number of collectors who are interested in them is much lower than the number who are interested in traditional stamps.

@ eyeonwall

The Michel catalogs (standard and specialized catalogs) only list computer vended postage (CVP) that is not personalized.

Personalized means here that
(1) a code (e.g. a 2D-code as it is used on current US CVP or the recent Canada Wincor-Nixdorf self-service postage) is found on the stamp
AND
(2) that this code has information on the buyer of the stamp (e.g. encoding the credit card transaction number), which theoretically allows the postal administration to track down the original buyer.

That's the case for all US variable denomination stamps printed by vending machines since 2002 and all internet postage stamps available from the various countries (US, Switzerland, Holland, France and Germany).
Actually, the new Michel world ATM catalog will be published this October. It remains to be seen whether the recent Canada issue will be listed or not (I doubt it...assuming Michel is striclty following the rule it set)

That is a strange rule. Just because the bar code contains some info on the buyer, it is hardly like the real personalized ones that have any picture you want to put on them.

@eyeonwall
I fully agree with you. I think it was one of those wrong decisions catalog publishers make once in a while and Michel just does not want to realize this (yet).
Interestingly, there have been several CVP issues in Europe (e.g. aCon vending machine issues from Denmark - see image - Greenland or Hytech issues in UK) that have unique alphanumerical codes on them. Again, these codes theoretically allow Post Danmark or Royal Mail to track down the original buyer as the stamps were generally only available via credit card purchases. Yet, Michel lists them...



Image taken from the winter 2010 bulletin of the Meter Stamp Society (issue 291): World-Wide CVP Vending Machine and Computer
Issues from January 2009 - May 2010 (authored by myself and Danny Van den Reeck).

The info encoded in them mereyly identifies the buyer, not the user. In the US one can sometimes find the APC stamps offered as discount postage. The buyer of those could mail something illegal or harmful and the bar code would point back to the wrong person.

No offense, but simply by posting in here, there is a 75% chance that the US NSA already know who the buyer/purchaser is....

While I'm sure they could gigure it out, they have better things to do

A seller on ebay is offering kiosk stamps in two paper/tagging varieties. (Items: 161103417639 & 161099099473)

Sales of the three original values (61¢/$1.05/$1.80) so far as I can tell:



Gone but not forgotten.

yes, I have one stamp with dotted line. I buy it from Eglinton square, at Mar. 30, 2013,

Chris307: Hello. I'm new here, too.
The ebay offerings I mentioned above do not concern the little guide marks, of which you have an excellent example.
The seller (nsomerset (could be someone on this blog!)) is displaying the two types of tagging: low and high fluorescence.
Here's the ebay picture (rotated):



I don't see much difference in the paper or tagging myself but what do I know? It's a bad scan, and there must be something to it.
I think that are some pretty smart philatelists on board who can weigh in on the collectability of such varieties.

Sak, I have about 5-10 copies of each denomination, and in checking/comparing tag, I can clearly see the 2 types on the 1.34 value. I have to find a way to scan or show picture but 1 set clearly is much brighter than the other. On 1 set (more common in my stock), the tagging is typical yellow glow (call it type 1), while the type 2 appears more dull (whitish glow)

I am unable to figure a way to post pictures of the tagging, but attached you can find 3 pictures showing the "flat appearance of the word CANADA, and the shiny one, as well as a side by side comparison. There appears to be some slight differences in the colour portion of the stamps but I need to spend more time to better define.

I think that the tagging shades in Sak's scan are due to holding the camera directly above the stamps and the fluorescent lamp on an angle both above and to the left side of the stamps. The brightest shades will, of course, be closest to the light source and shades will become less and less as the light crosses to the far right stamps. And this is what I see. I've seen this many times while I was photographing tagged stamps. Therefore, I don't think that there are any tagging shade differences in the ebay offering.

Here's two of my stamps which do have different tagging shades.


I have between 10 and 25 of every denomination, but none have the Gilles le timbres' bright "Canada".

I agree BlackJag's opinion, I checked my labels also, and find no different tagging shades.

What is the best way to identify the personalized stamps.com postage CVPs? I have recently acquired a Happy Holidays one and was unsure how to cataloge/identify it. I can provide scans if needed. Thanks!