Marker Monkeys And Other Stamp Crimes.

Actually the postmark is supposed to read "COL/NOR, NE 687" ... that's the USPS GMF (General Mail Facility) for Columbus/Norfolk, Nebraska where the postmark originated.

Good catch, wt1!

Although you can't really blame this one on "marker monkey" as it is a legitimate spray-on postmark, but it still makes for a rather ugly result in the first coil variety of the 33-cent Apples stamps that I've received:

Agreed. Your spray-on and my large-format definitely qualify as "crimes" under the topic.

Might have been kinda neat if the "sun" had ended up on the apple... it made me think of one of those stop-motion photos of a bullet going through an apple...

Marker monkeys, to be clear, are those postal officials, clerks, carriers who decimate the collectible value of postage stamps that have already been clearly and effectively cancelled/devalued by a postal device. The very first scan that kicked this thread off is an example of a marker monkey's "work". That scan looked like $25 worth of collectible rarer modern stamps, which were worth perhaps $30-35 if they had not been markered, were converted to virtual garbage (because really no collector would accept it as such).

When the stamps are clearly philatelic and properly cancelled it is a virtual blasphemy to marker them. Unfortunately I have seen this too with my own carefully prepared parcels that have been returned after I had them properly and effectively cancelled at the post office.

All we can do is hope our voices are eventually heard. If stamps have not been properly cancelled then by all means mark away and that is not being a marker monkey. The USPS does have the obligation to protect revenue when stamps have not been cancelled, but it should be noted that in this day if stamps are nicely cancelled it is probably because they are collectible and are wanted by the recipient to arrive nicely cancelled (not markered up by a marker monkey).

If this happens to you there is hope if you think the stamps are worth an effort to salvage. When they first arrive there is still trace solvent in the marker ink and the sharpie will not have completely set in. Use xylene moistened on a cotton swab and gently roll, not rub, the swab only over the marker ink. In most cases after a few swabs the marker can be almost entirely lifted. Then go to the post office and ask a friendly clerk to properly cancel them. I have done this for stamps very successfully, but key is to act fast! You may still see some cancel but the stamp is very collectible. By the way, if the stamp is damaged by the xylene, nothing was really lost as the stamp became virtually garbage after being marker monkeyed anyway.

I am a chemist and have access to xylene, but I think you can get it at The Home Depot too. Just exercise proper label precautions as the solvent is toxic and volatile (evaporates). I am not responsible for any problems you may create.

By the way, rather than upload images of my stamps that would make you cry after being properly cancelled and then marker monkeyed anyway... here is one that should make you laugh. Letter carriers really do deliver!

Pen monkey was here:

Oh no. And Winnie the Pooh too.

WT1,

Are you sure that it is a spray on cancel or did one of the mail trucks back over it

Vaccuum man: It looks about the same, but in reality, the stamp I scanned had the Earth Day spray on postmark that just hit the stamp right to give it the effect of a truck running over it.

Superman battles on!

Looks like Marker Monkey's buddy, Pencil Monkey! I wonder how S'Man feels about that.

My mother has given up sending me stamps for my collection from the UK. She would buy two complete sets in an effort to be sure I got one good set, but they would often both arrive (on separate envelopes) totally ruined by the marker monkey. Then she started not sending them on the same day and/or from the same PO, to reduce the chance of both sets being ruined. Little improvement. Now she buys the stamps, has the lady at the PO cancel them and carries them home in her bag, then mails them to me inside an envelope with whatever oddments she has lying around to make up the postage. The clerk actually rather objects to doing it, and other post offices have actually refused to do it (this is the UK, remember), but it works at least most of the time. Sigh.

Canada 1997 Mammals, 1998 Polar Bear,
first printing, with nice corner selvedge,
Bears as colour dots (traffic lights), paw print,
run over by a blue crayon.

Well, it matches. Looks kind of good. Great stamp. I like bear stamps.