Collecting WW2 German Stamps

I am new to stamp collecting and this forum. After reading through David Parkers book European Stamp Issues of the second World War I became interested in this topic, particularly the German stamps. I purchased a few through some dealers on HipStamp but would like to get some opinions on other dealers/auctions out there and where to look for information on the topic. I am interested in the history behind the stamps as well as the stamps themselves and want to build a quality collection, so any insight this community can provide would be greatly appreciated.

You also posted that here: https://goscf.com/t/87470&whichpage=1#810218

I hope you did not buy very expensive sets without certificates. Forgeries are very common, especially when there are overprints involved, Also, regumming is common.

E.g.: it is common for German stamps (sets) catalogued over € 100 to be bought with BPP certificate.

Well, Very few that I have seen for sale on line offer a certification. I paid about $75.00 for a collection of German stamps. I had the suspicion that they weren't original stamps from the era as they are in remarkably good shape for 80 year old stamps. My guess is they are reprinted( if that is something that happens in the stamp world).
Where do I find reputable dealers and what should I look for when buying these stamps? I really appreciate the feed back.

Most German WWII stamps are fairly common and cheap. There's no reason why they shouldn't be in excellent condition. Have you got a catalogue covering Germany?

As GeoffHa has written, many (the majority) are cheap and can be found in good condition.

The ones you should be careful with are overprints in general and from several countries. There are many fake overprints. The more expensive overprints are being forged. Also, those sets that are expensive, usually, are so because they are rare in good condition. Those are the ones you have to be careful with,

If you buy an expensive set without a certificate, be sure they are genuine and with original gum (if unmounted or unused).

There are many reputable dealers in Germany but there also are Italian dealers that offer stamps overprinted like those from Yugoslavia. Some auction houses regularly auction the better items. Delcampe, ebay, and Hipstamp are good enough for most stamps.

Catawiki, often, auctions the higher-priced material. Many lots come with certificates. But these are the more expensive items.

Thanks NSK and GeoffHa for the replies, makes me feel better about things. I have purchased a Michel catalog of german stamps that cover 1872 - 1945 (in english). It is on backorder so I won't see it for 8 -12 weeks. Some more questions: 1) Do postmarks on these stamps give an indication of authenticity? 2) What about watermarks, some issues of these stamps (starting in 1933) had swastika watermarks. How can it be determined when considering buying a stamp if the watermark is present?

On the more problematic items that NSK mentions, a postmark could be part of the faking. When you look at the catalogue, you'll see that most issues either have or have not a watermark. In the odd case where both types exist, you'd expect someone selling a specific set to mention which - not, of course, if the stamps simply form part of a job lot. If you have the stamps in hand, German watermarks are usually easily seen.

Thanks GeoffHa, you and NSK have been a big help!

GeoffHa, in thinking what you said about watermarks I compiled a list of the stamps that should have the sawstika watermark and started looking at those stamps being offered online. The scans of these stamps that show the gum side (not all do) did not reveal any watermark, nor did the descriptions say that the watermark is present. Does that mean that the stamps are not genuine? Am I putting too much weight on the watermark issue?

Watermarks do not always show in pictures even when easily visible by the naked eye. And sometimes, experience plays a role in whether or not you see them in the picture.




Yes.It makes little sense to forge cheap stamps. Forging stamps costs money and, at least, time. The cheaper the stamp, the less return on investment.

That does not mean everyone is sensible. Cheap stamps have been forged.

Thanks NSK!