Need Some Advice: Local Post Office Asking Me For Stamps!

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Hi guys, I'm new here I mainly collect postcards but I am also a small-time hobbyist collector of stamps. I exclusively collect MNH Seychelles stamps so as soon as a new stamp comes out, I head on over to the local post office to buy a few stamp sheets. I also purchase older issues online from overseas collectors as many are no longer available locally.

To honor World Oceans Day (June 8th) this year, the Seychelles Post issued a limited reprint from their 1977 'Marine Life' collection, one of which was the 'Zil Eloigne Giant Tiger Cowrie'.



I sent them a message online to purchase 5 sheets. The lady at the post office told me that they had only 1 cowrie stampsheet left. I purchased it and went on my merry way.

Last week I received a message from the post office - apparently they "oversold" the cowrie stamp and forgot to keep a few for archiving. They want to participate in an international stamp competition and have asked me for 3 cowrie stamps, and 3 of the 2019 The 150th Anniversary of the Birth of Mahatma Gandhi limited-print stamps.

Here's the issue: I only have that 1 cowrie stamp sheet and I would have to break that sheet to give them the 3 stamps they need. I'm very conflicted, there's a part of me that wants to help them out but there's another part of me that believes it's not fair for them to put this issue on me. The fact that the post office no longer has stock of it makes it even more valuable.

I am willing to compromise, by donating the 3 Mahatma Gandhi stamps to them, but I am still leaning towards not breaking the stamp sheet. Am I being reasonable?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

Since the sheet is your property you are IMO being reasonable. Lack of PPP on their part is not your problem. On the other hand, if there is something from them you could use either now or in the future it may build good will to help them out.

PS: It seems strange that for an International exhibit they couldn't just have some more printed.

There seems to be a problem here . .........the question is what is the problem ?

Go to the printer' he can nock off a few hundred thousand in a day or two .

Since this is a third world country that prints postage stamps to support their government there will be no problem going to the few stamp dealers who buy their stamps by the "brick" and ask them to part with a few thousand stamps .

The danger is stupid people who read this posting will think they are getting in first to a speculative issue and can make money from follow up buyers . But the good thing is that there are only 10 collectors of this country in the world and already have their supply , This is just a old scam that pops its head up every few years

I am with floortrader here. Entering a reprint in an international competition sounds silly. What are they hoping to win? Most original design for 2024? Or, most blatant scam to make collectors part with money by buying philatelic reprints produced in excessive quantities?

It, also, sounds unbelievable they first sell the stamps and then realise they forgot to add them to their archive. And then, rather than asking the printers, that probably hold a few sheets in their archives, they ask a collector to return three (?!) stamps.

Can you trust them with a loan of the sheet? You o them a favor and then they owe you a favor.

The printer can not simply knock off a few sheets cost effectively. Start up of any print run is many many sheets of waste as they get all the colors aligned and the perfs aligned.

Could also buy some off ebay.

There is definitely something "fishy" about this buy-back offer.

I see the singles available for sale on the new issue market.

I thank you all for your responses, you have no idea how much I appreciate you all! After reading everything I've decided not to break the sheet, and try to get over the emotional blackmail they're putting me through! Last week when I told her that I couldn't just break the sheet, she couldn't understand why and her rationale was just "we'll buy the 3 stamps from you." She also started her message to me with a "we have an odd request" - I don't see it as an "odd request", I see it as a huge favour they're asking of me!

I also should add that we don't print stamps locally, I've seen 'Printed in New Zealand' and a UK-based company on some of the complete sheets. The Mahatma Gandhi stamps were printed in India. I offered to help them by purchasing some of the cowrie stamps online, but they told me it wouldn't get here on time as they need the stamps urgently.

@eyeonwall - unfortunately that would be a hard no - I would not trust them with a loan of the sheet. I have to go through such lengths to obtain limited prints from them and many emails I've sent them over the years have gone unanswered. They are very unreliable.

Here is my take: Ask which stamp exhibition exhibitions they wish to participate in. WESTPEX 2024 a major USA stamp exhibition had such an international competition this past April.

Print out the emails onto paper. Remover the quested stamps with the full sheet photograph, then sent then to the post office via mail which requires a signature from the emailing person on a return receipt. Demand payment for the returned stamps in some official postal manner such as a postal money order or invoice with payment. Don't cash it.

You then have a quite collectible part sheet with the portion missing used officially for international competition by the issuing government. You then have a unique (only one) collectible. It should be worth far more than "just" a MNH complete sheet. It is also clearly by documentation, the last sheet officially sold. Then go buy replacement sheet on the internet.

I would not loan the sheet as you have no control over it and its handling. Likewise, if you sent it, it remained intact and you got it back you could not differentiate that sheet from any others, even with the correspondence.

EDITED TO ADD: Cynicism is quite common in the SCF, usually provided by the same group of folks. In this case, my cynicism does not rise to the level of others. Also if this works out as described, you will have postal clerk happy to always do well by you.

If you don't trust them, then you have already answered your question.