Just Knock It Off With The Scotch Tape, Okay?

Also, what did the guy from California send to you?

60, I'm studying how East and West Germany reflected on the Nazi past through their postage stamps. These were two stamps from a reunited Germany, however, both honoring men who died in concentration camps. The third stamp was an 8pf Hindenburg postmarked September '33 in Nürnberg.

Have you considered doing an article for APS? Sounds really interesting to me.

tom, I would if I felt qualified. Still, it's certainly something to think about.

Stamps1962,

That's precisely what has always been my biggest concern with stamps inbound, outbound, or in my collection. What better way to protect your stamps from nuclear fission than with tape and cardboard!?

KGB that subject does sound very worthy; hope you write it up and publish.

Having been a stamp buyer for most of my life, I can relate to the
pckaging problems detailed in this thread.

Now, as a stamp seller, I do the following:

The stamp is placed in a black crystal mount, which is then taped (by
about 1/8th of an inch) to a cardboard stiffener. The stiffener is then wrapped in an invoice so that there are no open ends, and placed in the small envelope in which the stamp has been inventoried.

But wait, there's more! The envelope is then placed in a business-sized envelope, sealed, and then the ebay printed prepaid postage is affixed with magic-mending tape to all four sides. Finally, a three inch strip of tape is placed on the bottom of the seal.

The end result is a happy buyer and seller!

carl, you win the medal!

he sure does

Just received an ebay purchase bought from a seller in Latvia. This is my second purchase from him, I like his stuff but he's on the edge of extinction for me due to his tape-happy attitude. After my prior purchase I left good feedback but sent him a message suggesting he was a bit overboard on the tape thing. When sending my Paypal payment this time I added a not asking him not to use so much tape, well he did. My stamps were in two stockcards, both wrapped round and round with tape. The envelope was almost encased in tape. I had difficulty even finding a seam in it to pry loose enough to start removing it. I got the stock cards apart and the stamps were in three glassines, each in turn wrapped round with tape.

It occurs to me that living where he does he may do this to discourage pilfering by the postal people. That I think may be a factor.

Disaster just struck me or I wasn't careful enough with the razor blade. The stamps I received were in glassines that were taped shut and then the glassines were taped to a piece of cardboard. Trying to get it open I managed to slice a plate block. Guess it will be used for postage now.
Tom

Yeah, the more I think about it the more I think the guy I bought from feels he has to do this to discourage light fingered clerks at the post office. I had a shipment that went missing last year to Latvia and I had the feeling then it was a PO theft.

A few years back I was trying to dislodge a nice GB FDC I bought from a seller in Australia (where it must be a law that everything for export has to be plastered with gooey tape). Somehow I managed to tear it completely in half. It wasn't the sellers fault I suppose but although I left him good feedback I messaged him to let him know what happened. He never replied.

This was from Arizona to Minnesota.

Just an update to this thread. A couple weeks go I had a windfall on my Mutual Funds, winding up with a few thousand to play with. I treated myself to a nice US stamp, Scott #292 from an ebay seller in CA. It arrived registered in a few days. He used a photo mailer, OK so far; but... both flaps were sealed with several layers of tape. Not knowing where the stamp was in the mailer I had to spend 30 minutes peeling off the tape on one end to get into retrieve the stamp. The stamp was of course in a glassine placed between two pieces of cardboard and wrapped with more gooey tape.

I understand his precautions. This just seems like overkill and will sort of put me off from future orders. Just venting, thankfully the stamp was not damaged in my efforts to gain access to it.