Marker Monkeys And Other Stamp Crimes.

What WAS a nice imperf sheet

OUCH!

Bent, sratched a bit, no cancel. Sigh.

Yep, that marker monkey is still out there. Just received this yesterday from the US. At least I get three mint stamps no gum!

I thoroughly enjoy this thread. Sixteen pages of – sorry for the collectors – laughs! I will do a better job cataloging my experiences with the Marker Monkeys, et. al. at Large!

I hand cancel 95% of my mail with a mailer's postmark, and, I must say, the Marker Monkeys – or any type of overcancellation – are usually not a problem for me.

However, here is an overpostmarked item recently received by a friend overseas (Mickey is one of my MPP designs):



And here is an interesting one - they ran my cover upside down to cancel the bottom left corner... despite the fact that the stamp had already been defaced. Via the letter's recipient:

... they also got the front of the postcard...

Just my 2 cents worth....

Whether a legitimate cancellation machine is cancelling out stamps or whether they use a magic marker, they are in fact cancelled out by Canada Post or USA Post which are employees of their origination...It is perfectly legal to do.

Am I making any sense..?

You are, but somehow group therapy in this forum concerning our anguish over the practice is still helpful.

cjpalermo1964....I understand what you guys are concerned about with magic marker cancels...But look at it this way, here is one of my Small Queen letters from 1891 with a pen cancel....I have others with normal postal cancels...My point is this..How rare is this letter, show me another pen cancel from the 1800's...Does this so called pen cancel make mine a rarity.

Does THAT make sense..?

A dainty antique ink pen cancel is SO much classier than a monkey with a marker..... a thick black marker, usually with that "marker odor"...

Wert:

Personally, I find pen cancels quite interesting. However, when buying and selling, you will find it is a given that pen cancels fetch lower prices.

<---- avatar evidence that I like them

Although some people don't like manuscript cancels, in this case, your cancel is out of place in the Marker Monkey thread. This thread is more about 'atrocities' so I would not include your 'pen cancel.'

Also, in my opinion, age is a factor between an INK cancel and a modern ball-point or sharpie.

Kirk

KirkS..sorry...I will keep my opinions to myself from now on.

Wert.

We have a communication problem. You seem to have taken offense to my comments.

I was in no way castigating your opinions. I was trying to say that I LIKE the stamp on your cover and don't consider it ruined like the others posted in this thread.

???

Magic markers might have been an improvement

Jenny - those Spokane Mail Clerks take their job SERIOUSLY.