Unique Thelonious Monk 33 1/3RD¢ "Stamp" Information Desired, Thank You

I'd like information on:
1) how to preserve this and
2) how to learn what it might be worth.

Can you please point me in the right direction? Thank you so much for your help.

From my dad, who got them straight from the source. I pulled this from a message he sent me years ago. He passed last year and I'm trying to do justice to his thoughtful collections. He was a jazz collector and dj among other things:

"Legend says they gave away a sheet of 100 stamps with the album, but few actually got them. I did because I picked up my album at the NYC Riverside Records warehouse loft where I had gone to beg for new jazz releases to play on the air in Charlottesville. My station had no budget for jazz, so I went to New York on my own, and begged.

A online image search turns up many, many links
https://www.google.com/search?tbs=s...ntpmxg&hl=en

Here is a SCF thread
https://www.stampcommunity.org/topi...PIC_ID=14590

https://londonjazzcollector.wordpre...n-riverside/

Don

Thanks! actually have already done a pretty comprehensive Google image search and mostly I just get the record album, not the stamp itself. If you could point me to a specific link, I'd really appreciate it.

I tried to follow the link you posted but it didn't work for me for some reason.

Thanks again

Oh and I see you added another link. Thanks for that. Actually have that one noted as already as well. I'll edit my top post for clarity. My apologies. Mostly just looking for where it has sold in the past and best ways to preserve it at present.

Thanks!

You can get better results by using a combination of image search AND text search; simply add the text in the Google search box. For example, use the image search with your image and also add 'postage stamp' in the text box.
Don

Thanks Don! I've been trying to figure out how to do that on my phone, but I think I might need to move to a computer. I will take your tips and explore further.

I did find this. Something tells me this is not really going to sell....right?

https://www.royalbooks.com/pages/bo...ous-monk-for

Not 3 cents. 33 1/3 rpm...

You are right! I need to change it. I don't believe I did that. Fixing now

The book dealer who is asking $6,500 for the block of 8 claims that the FBI destroyed almost all of the stock after some of these started going through the actual postal system. Assuming that is true, (I couldn't find another source for that except for some blog comments) there could be cancelled covers of this stamp which would be of philatelic value and interest. I searched SAN and couldn't find anything but I don't really trust my SAN searching skills and not sure if the search still works after they moved to subscription service.

The album the promotion was associated with ("The Unique Thelonious Monk", Riverside Records – RLP 12-209) came out in 1958 (reissue of album from 1956 with different cover) although I couldn't find the month/date. USPS first class rate was still 3c until August 1 of that year when it was raised to 4c--so easy to see how this could be mistaken for 3c postage stamp at the time.

Here is a sale from 2017 on ebay which sold for $80 after being listed for 8 weeks (initial asking price of $99) although it is just 3 stamps and not 8. That listing is also from a radio station insider who was original owner, and has some additional historical details not mentioned in other links.

How many stamps do you have? Sheet of 100 is mentioned but photo is not a sheet. Do they have adhesive on back? They appear to be in excellent condition. Regarding preservation, I would put them in something like this (only if it fits--do not fold or separate the stamps if they are intact) although unfortunately I think you have to buy 50 even though you only need 1. May be able to find smaller quantity on ebay or Amazon.

This piece would likely generate more interest in jazz/record collector circles since most stamp collectors are primarily interested in government issued postage and revenue stamps. In the overall collectible market, it is probably more of a record promotion piece than a stamp-related piece.

Found this on Abe Books. Royal books is asking $6500 for a block of eight.




https://www.biblio.com/book/origina...d/1449452531

TSMATIX - That set of 3 stamps....those used to be connected to these. That seller was my dad! Isn't that funny? I was feeling a little sad that he broke up the set, but then I found an old note he sent me, and I think he was pretty tickled about the whole experience. It's a bummer that it won't be worth thousands of dollars, but I didn't really expect that anyway.

"Legend says they gave away a sheet of 100 stamps with the album, but
few actually got them. I did because I picked up my album at the NYC
Riverside Records warehouse loft where I had gone to beg for new jazz
releases to play on the air in Charlottesville. My station had no
budget for jazz, so I went to New York on my own, and begged.

But what was priceless was using some of the stamps to mail letters,
back when 1st class postage was 3 cents."


Thanks for resource suggestion. I'll look around for fewer than 50. Might go for an archival envelope, if I can find a source for just a few - https://www.talasonline.com/Paper-Envelopes

I will be looking around for jazz / record collectors. I've still got a couple thousand of Dad's albums. From my research so far, I think he sold all the big collectibles though. I've got jazz, classical, and everyone's favorite: show tunes! :-)


I actually wrote that seller on abebooks / biblio - he was helpful - an excerpt, "We have only encountered one other plate of the Monk stamps—directly from an employee at Riverside Records who had them hanging in a frame on his wall after being told he could not use them for advertisement in 1956. We actually interviewed him, and he told us the story you see in the description below. That was 15 years ago, and the plate on offer is the first we have seen since that time. That plate sold to Yale University for $7500, sold privately, 15 years ago. This is the only plate we have seen since..."
He's the one who suggested archival envelopes.


Anyway, thank you all for helping me explore this really cool thing my dad had! I appreciate your interest and comments.

In philatelic terms, this is not a stamp, rather a cinderella. A term used for most anything looking like a stamp but not issued by a postal administration for postal purposes.

Like yours, OP, there have been others which had designs similar to or based upon a US postage stamp. When those began to show up on the mail, the authorities swooped in. See https://www.stampcommunity.org/topi...PIC_ID=42865 It was based upon a US 5 cent Parcel Post Stamp design first valid for postage in 1913.