Marker Monkeys And Other Stamp Crimes.

Indeed,
why scrawl 3 lines of felt pen too?
Obviously the perpetrator has an issue somewhere.

I bet they like to kick puppies and drown kittens... (OK, that MIGHT be pushing it!)

I just read this and Rod's reply. I had a real laugh, my wife asked me what was the matter. She would not have understood.

If I was told this by a Postal worker I would have laughed in his/her face. Most of what is issued today by the Postal Services [some are worse than others] is ONLY for collectors.

So that statement [above] is extremely naive.

Here is an example of another Stamp Crime:

All the stamps have been ripped off the envelope except the high value over which has been placed a $0.00 postage label

Words fail me.



Londonbus1

Londonbus:

That $0.00 label is a real peach, isn't it? The USPS uses them on a regular basis -- something about needing that barcode on there even if the correct postage has already been applied. Although, most of the time, they're nice enough not to place it over the actual postage -- that's considered a No-No with the post office.

The only time a USPS employee ever 'fussed' at me was for putting clear tape over a stamp. It was an accident, I was sealing the package and the tape dispenser slipped -- once the tape sticks, there's no reverse, so I just left it. My postmaster grumbled saying it was impossible to properly cancel stamps covered with clear tape. I didn't argue the obvious fact they would be destroyed by the tape. I just apologized for the slip.

KirkS

Kirk, I'd say a real plum as they've placed it over a nice $18 high value.

Still, the cover has everything.....or had everything until the Postal thieves got to work.

I think a visit to the sorting Office in Tel Aviv is planned !

Londonbus,

Before accusing the sorting office of grand larceny, you should check those stamp voids for signs of insufficient glue stick usage. That adhesive label might have been the only thing keeping that high value stamp from falling off the envelope!

Steve

Steve,

I would, except I have about 40+ other envelopes in similar 'raped' condition stretching back over 4-5 years. I have already been to one sorting office to complain and had the full guided tour of an otherwise closed area.
It was suggested I go to the main office in Tel Aviv where our mail gets re-directed ! I will do so one day....if only for the guided tour !

It is sadly, a common occurence.

Londonbus1

That is the worse abuse I have seen,
bad karma will get the rotters in the end.

Compensation, if it were needed, came with the contents.
You will see on the packet below the 'ripped away' stamp remains, is written the word 'book'

The book in question is an original 1917, Vol.32 National Geographic Magazine !
Almost 600 pages and much of which is devoted to Flags and Banners with thousands of flags pictured, diagrams and explanations. A truly amazing book which I will treasure for the rest of my days. It was a gift too, from an amazing guy in Florida....thanks Charlie.

I will try to take some photographs to post on the Flags thread. Scans would be impossible.

Londonbus1

now curiosity has the better part of me...
can you put no marker/pen cancel on a package? more important would it make a difference?

i read this thread with passing interest a day or two ago and then yesterday when I got my stamps in form ebay some donkey hit all the stamps with a marker and they would have been great additions as the sender used older issued stamps to send it... needless to say I am a bit peeved about it .....

OK now, just a quick thought here, With all of the new-fangled do-it-yourself at home postage setups maybe the hand cancellation aspect of it is lost on the new younger postmen/women? I was just thinking the other day that it's rare to see an old school style stamp on any piece of mail these days and so the thinking may be that a marker is probably easier to put in your pocket than a rubber-stamp. Sad indeed.

Here are a few I've received. The most annoying thing to me is the destruction of the semi-postal stamp. I am always looking for these for the Boy Scout merit badge workshop and this one is in pretty bad shape.

Here's another that's half and half. At least the postal employee used a pen, and not a marker!

And at least they have showed some restraint in a neat corner mark rather than a complete scribble.

One of the more painful cancelations in my collection ...


C6 block of 8