Re: Modern Fake Stamps Are Flooding The Market

Hello everyone,
Have not had time to post to forums because my research has been all time consuming on this latest scandal.

Indeed Modern Forgeries like the Michael Jackson inverts have been flooding the market for months now. All of the forgeries are reproductions of stamps and sets produced by the Format International Security Printers in the 1980's and at this point possibly in the 1970's as well.

So far many Leaders of the World stamp sets have been forged and are on the market. I have documented proof that these forgeries have been purchased in auction from a reputable stamp auction house and they number in the thousands for each set!

They are not just "errors" like the imaged set. They are normal issues and imperforates and color proof sets. They are not just "Leaders of the World" issues but many other issues as well ranging from St. Vincent 1987 Century of Motoring to 1986 60th Birthday issues for Queen Elizabeth. All Audubon Birds sets have been forged. This is very big folks!

The first article has been published in the British Philatelic Exporter on the subject but it does not cover what I have discovered fully. It only references toward the fake inverts and does not encompass the full scope of what is being flooded onto the market via ebay, Delcampe, Amazon, bonanza just to name a few.

I have created a whole new section on my website on the subject. Just search for "Modern Fake Stamps" to get to the introduction. I cannot post links here on this forum because...well, I am "new". You will find the page easily via Google and other search engines because it is #1 on the list.

You will find at the bottom of the page links to various stamp sets
I have created pages for to help you identify and avoid these forgeries. All are being produced by the same source. All are excellent forgeries that are fooling thousands of dealers and collectors worldwide. Already many thousands of sets have been moved onto the market so you can now bet that over 50% of them being sold on ebay and elsewhere are fakes.

You may wonder why these sets (many that sell for only a few dollars)are being forged. It is because when produced on a massive scale there is a huge profit for the forger which is what has happened.

If you have purchased any sets I have posted on the site in the last year you had better check them. All Leaders of the World stamps are in jeopardy now. This includes all Cars and Trains sets. All 60th Birthday issues, 85th Birthday issues, 40th Wedding Anniversary issues, 1982-86 World Cup Soccer issues and many more are in jeopardy.

I will post an update when possible and try to answer questions here but I have many more pages to make on sets I have personally purchased and verified as fakes. Each page takes a lot of time to create and publish.

You as collectors and dealers need to get the word out about these fakes! Tell your friends, associates, societies, everyone you can about this. U.S. editors have been ignoring my alerts. British editors influenced by certain high ranking dealers (members of the PTS) there are finally waking up and more articles and alerts are coming. This is detrimental to many dealers out there and a criminal act against the collecting community!

Shodan, Welcome to the forum!

If this is true, it is indeed a very dangerous and impactful problem. Thank you for posting your warning here.

Are the forgeries able to be distinguished from the genuine original stamps? Are there paper, design, color, gum or perforation differences? Has a possible source been identified? Since you have been investigating this, any other information will be useful.

Even though you cannot post links, if you are legitimate in your endeavor as described, you can tell us about your website for more information.

Cheers!

For you to have some more credibility and not just come across as a Internet crank, you should probably tell us about your philatelic background and your philatelic reputation. For instance, are you a member/officer of any recognized philatelic organizations? Have you authored any philatelic works? Your screen name "SHODAN" tells us nothing about you. What country do you live in? How long have you been collecting, etc.

Sorry didn't have my coffee yet ! What you call a issue in your posting is to most philatelist a none issue . As for me a collector and one who spend thousands of dollars on fakes and forgeries is of no concern . The stamps have no resale market to collectors and those that are forged are worth even less ,sure I will put them on a written up page but surely would not spend more than 25 cents for the original and maybe 25 cent for the forgery .

SHODAN is the name of a person who earned the first level of instructor in Karate .I hold that rank .

Hi all,
Just got back up. Was awakened during the night and had some time.

My name is John and I am owner/operator of Golowe's Collector Stamps.
APS member 212243
I am golowenow on all the major auction venues ie. ebay, Delcampe, ebid. Check feedback.
I am the lead research specialist on the Format International Security Printers. I have been researching the printer for over 20 years. It is how I discovered the forgeries in the first place. My philatelic "works" is the site itself. All of my research that is published there is done only after documented proof is established that backs the statements made on the site.

I have been a collector/dealer for over 30 years. I live in the U.S. in the beautiful state of Washington near the Olympic mountains.

There are other dealers that will back me on my alert to this problem.
Here is a scan of the article in the latest Exporter magazine.




In response to floortrader's comment:
Indeed many collectors think like you do but indeed many collectors do not. The inverted Michael Jackson stamps imaged above were being sold on ebay and elsewhere in the range of $25.00 a set until most sellers have closed their listings because of me and others. Search for "St. Vincent error" (without quotes) on ebay and look at closed listings. You will see other sets as well.

The problem is that thousands of forgeries of the issues as normal, imperforates and even color proof sets are flooding the market as we speak. some sellers of the inverts have come to realize they also possess them. Many others do not.

A large portion of the fakes on ebay are being moved by Latvian dealers. They are not the forgers. They are simply "victims" who were duped and are now desparately moving them onto the market playing "dumb".. Selling part panes of them and they are selling...yes for just a few dollars on many, but selling every lot to collectors and dealers worldwide. some of you may be buyers. Seeing a deal you cannot pass up to add to your stock.

I can affirm that close to 50% of some issues being sold on ebay are now....forgeries.

I am posting the link to my introduction here at the end and hopefully staff will allow it.
the title is:
Modern Fake Stamps
It is number one on Google.
Here is the link.
http://golowesstamps.com/reference/...e_stamps.htm

It is very bad folks. I caught on early but it is just beginning and it effects everyone. Format produced stamps for over 100 countries and this could effect many more than what are known at present.

All comments and information is welcome. The main thing is to get the word out! Stop the spread any way you can.

Who collect St-Vincent fake or not ?

Commonwealth collectors.
Topical Collectors.
For the imaged set...ummm Michael Jackson collectors?
Saint Vincent collectors....

I give 0 credibility for St-Vincent and other countries stamps made by IGPC, most of them are design and produce the same day. I will not be surprise if IGPC are the one who also make those "fakes" Peoples don't need to be inform about fake stamps from St-Vincent, they need to be inform to not purchase any St-Vincent stamps manufactured after 1988, I use the word manufactured, not release....

area66, I am sorry you feel this way and see your point. The problem with your post is
1.)None of these stamps being forged were made for IGPC
2.)Discovered forgeries are ranging from early 80's to 1987.
3.)There are many Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth countries involved
4.)Until you read my pages you have no concept of what this is about

I do not have time nor does anybody want me to rewrite what is on the pages here on this forum. To understand the scope of what is happening you have to visit my site to then post an intelligent and helpful post on this thread.

Please understand...this may or may not effect you. For thousands of others all over the world....it does. For some it is devastating to their very business

Modern 'products' like these gets very little attention. Perhaps because the 'originals' gets very little attention.

See also this FIP presentation:

http://www.fipfakesforgeries.org/fi...ris-2014.pdf

Rats! Now I'll have to send my Michael Jackson "inverts" and "glove on wrong hand" covers to the expertizers.

Excellent post ClassicalStamps.
The reason that the issues don't get much attention is because not enough dealers and collectors will take the time to do anything about it.
The main crux of the pdf you linked is about illegals.
the main sites like ebay and Delcampe will shut down illegals sellers if enough reports are made.

Delcampe is in process of looking to shut down one seller there that is persisting in selling the invert forgeries I am posting on. They are easy to spot.

What are not easy are the fake normal issues which at present are selling like hotcakes on ebay.

Here is an example. Look for Nevis birds on ebay and scroll till you see half panes of either set for sale. Then you will realize the scope of what is happening. I guarantee...they are all fakes. Smaller dealers are buying them up and now individual sets and blocks are everywhere.

There are and will be thousands of sales of these sets. Unless you and I and everyone does something about it then we all are only helping the criminals get away with it and showing complete irresponsibility in preserving the hobby for future generations. In turn in the end it will make all stamps no matter how rare basically valueless because you and I have allowed these criminals to retain control over us to the point that even if "expertised" it cannot be trusted to be authentic.

I for one try in my small way to help curb them. If everyone involved in the hobby did their part then this would happen far less. some of you probably know the forgers. Because of greed, disinterest because it doesn't effect your particular area of interest, or plain laziness the illegals, forgeries, rip-offs are everywhere now. The bottom line being you have failed to maintain the hobby and like baseball cards and comics, stamps will go the same way where you can't even sell a stamp worth hundreds or thousands for a buck.

It is simple...instead of being in the frame of mind that it doesn't matter, it doesn't effect me, or there is nothing I can do, how about changing that to I WILL do something about it if I see it, hear about it or get effected by it as you are right now. Do it for the future generations of collectors even if it does not profit you monetarily now. It is not about the money. It is about the hobby.

Most every set I am posting pages on I have one lot of fakes and bought or have one set of originals for comparison. So you see...I do this for the hobby and you. At some point....I will sell the originals for pennies on the dollar. I do not depend on stamps to make a living and never have. But there are some of you that do. Therefore it is in your own interest to act when alerted to these things even if it is just to let others in your field know that it is happening and how to avoid getting RIPPED OFF.

So St-Vincent start to sell trash before 1988

I have to agree with my fellow Canadian area66.

The stamp collecting hobby has a lot more to worry about
than some wallpaper/labels from St. Vincent whether real or fake.




You've got to be kidding. Like who buys this junk?
Speculators? Bunnies?

I can't believe that any serious collector whose been in this
hobby for a few years collects this trash.

You and I are mainly on the U.S. and Canada side of things. Our world is small in comparison to the world of collectors.
For many years I have specialized in Egyptian stamps. I am also a member of ESC (Egypt Study circle).
In my research projects and dealings I have found a much different world on the other side.
In other countries there are far greater numbers of collectors than our two countries combined.
Most don't even know what Scott Catalog is!
Major dealing in Trucial States (dunes to us) which are getting higher and higher demand. These are in high demand in middle eastern countries. to us....wallpaper...to them...a rare find...

The topical market is huge and getting bigger. what many consider again....wallpaper...in many other countries is not considered that at all. That is where illegals have flourished. That is where these forgeries are flourishing. Just look on ebay and look at closed listings for the Nevis birds part pane sets my friends! THEY ALL ARE SELLING!
does that not tell you something? Look at MNH Sharjah, Ras al Khaima, Ajman, especially the varieties of deluxe sheetlets and imperfs.
wallpaper here and in the UK and in Australia maybe but elsewhere....well the completed listings on ebay tell a very different story.
Somebody is buying it....if not you or me...then who???