Wow! Somebody Got Creative...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WCstamps-U-...311854840193?

One of the more creative manufacturing jobs I've seen. Pretty crude though. Wouldn't fool anyone knowledgeable.

I've already notified the seller.

EDIT: Images added from alternate storage for when this listing expires.

What? Dan, you don't like added margins?

From the same person on ebay. This one doesn't have added margins! Just a little piece of the bottom of a perf hole in the top margin! Probably should have added margins to this one, too! Not somebody from whom I want to buy first issue stamps!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WCstamps-U-...311854840193

The person has been informed.

There are others:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WCstamps-U-...AOSwpP9Y6W~r

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WCstamps-U-...AOSwWWxY~XPG

And more

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WCstamps-U-...AOSwU8hY6XPo

And probably more after this, but everyone gets the idea.........

Thanks guys, I am adding these (with archival images) to Stamp Smarter listing Reviews.
Don

May be a false alarm on this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/wcstamps-u-...g&rmvSB=true

The obverse image looks like it could (emphasis on "could") be legit. If you'll notice, the reverse image is from a different stamp entirely.

I noticed. But I doubt that stamp anyway. 1869 cancel is way too late unless it was used in S.F.

I offered ten bucks for it, which he declined. I don't think he found it amusing. It's still listed as available. I guess he is going to continue to offer it despite the warnings.

His website says he is an APS member (#224675).

Interesting that he had time to decline your offer, but no time to respond to the message I sent him about the original item in question...

He should offer it in a Kelleher auction. It would fit right in with the rest of their lots.

Jim

I think Kelleher does a good job overall describing their lots. I am sure they miss on some identifications every now and then but classifying their lots as being like these examples is unfair in my opinion.

And I made the offer earlier today. Maybe I should offer $12.50. I have two more chances at counter offers after all. lol

Rhett, Jim is referring to the quality of some of the revenue stamps that Kelleher has offered recently. There's been a post or two about it in the last week or so. Generally, however, you are correct and I have bid in their auctions before.

You just have to pick out the wheat from the chaff.

This is bad with some cutting perfs off of stamps with large margins to make them look imperf and others cutting imperf multiples to make up one large margin single.

Alas, the adoption of grading to philately along with those who collect grading certificates, instead of stamps, encourages this philatelic destruction of large imperf multiples. Since many of these large multiples change hands at auction prior to their destruction we have an opportunity to identify the guilty parties. Not only should we do so, but we should publicly expose them. Give them the "black eye" that they deserve.

It was not too many years ago that we had someone on ebay who bought bulk lots of first issue revenues, seeking large margin stamps to alter them to more expensive imperfs and part perfs by trimming off some of the perforations. Fortunately for us, one of the sellers of a bulk lot had kept a scan of the lot and was able to conclusively prove that this individual was committing philatelic fraud. The bad egg was subsequently banned from ebay.

We need more of this to drive these bad practices out of the hobby.