The "I Should Have Known Better" Thread

My ebay order arrived yesterday. Normally a joyous occasion, this was instead a puzzlement and a source of considerable bemusement. I have to laugh at myself, however. The photos were odd--I admit that much--but I know that all will eventually be well ... after more work than I anticipated.

I purchased a small lot of Brazilian stamps and was impressed with how artistic was the display and arrangement of the stamps. The seller knew nothing about stamps, I assumed. Instead, the store was filled with touristy items and somewhat beat up dolls. That sort of thing.

But the stamps were nice and displayed on cardboard that had been painted green and yellow--for Brazil--and the hand-marked label was correctly spelled "Brasil," which delighted me.

Well, the stamps arrived exactly as displayed in the photos, which disturbed me as I couldn't understand why they hadn't shifted all around while in transit.

Hmmmm.

Hmmmm.

Yes, you got it. The stamps were affixed to the cardboard! Whoever created this piece moistened the center of each stamp and just stuck them all on wherever he or she pleased!

Oh, well. No harm done. I think. We'll see what kind of glue was used!

I feel like "the wildebeest at the watering hole" when viewing items for sale by those who don't understand stamp collecting. Verrrrry cautious!

Haha! Here's part of the order. (I still think it's nice.)

Almost looks like the filling from an old-time "Honorbilt" packet from the 5 and 10.

Although the mounting and presentation is not what one would have chosen if the stamps were sent loosely in a packet, I think it looks rather nice and shows some (albeit naive) creativity on the part of the seller. Not being a collector of Brazil, I wouldn't mind having those just as a display item and informal advert for stamp collecting. So, congratulations (in a manner of speaking) KGB for getting such a conversation piece, and by the way, how much do you want for it?

We all take risks from time to time, it is fun waiting for the stuff to come.

Very nicely displayed indeed. I might have also been tempted

KGB,

Don't feel bad. I made a mistake in buying an upright Jenny sheet one time. I tried to cancel and offered to return for a store credit; all to no avail. It did teach me to be more discerning in my future purchases.

Jack Kelley

It happens to the best of us KGB. I once bid on a lot of 10,000 stamps and when I received them they were bunles of 100 stamps that were all the same. Needless to say I have lots of trading material||.

Dianne

It really is a nice piece exactly the way it is.

I sold not long ago my Brasil collection to a dealer. Brasil classical stamps are interesting. Love the art deco of the 30's. At one point I decide to concentrate on pre-1960. I sold in a lot on this forum all my 1960 and over. 70's and 80's Brasil stamps were not what I like. I can see that the stamps on your card are of all near minimal value. If the dealer used glue instead of hinge then he doesn't know about stamp. Or he bought it like that. It's your choice to try to remove the stamp if you have time and patience. I think i'd leave it like that. Daniel

That reminds me of some Christmas TB sheets I purchased from a person who apparently found them while out horse riding.

They looked perfectly OK in the ebay photo, but the seller obviously thought it was OK to stuff them in an undersized envelope for posting 12,000 miles.

At least the price was right!

And other offenders are the people who tear stamps off envelopes for charity......often the corner or more can be missing, but never mind.