Is Modern Stamps, Inc. A Legitimate Stamp Auction Firm?

Sorry but large amounts of current issues don't just suddenly start showing up.

So, here we are. After 40 years of auctions and selling stamps, the owner of Modern and President of the Birmingham MI Stamp Club, Ken Rusch, has gone rogue and decided to sell "suspicious" stamps. How do we know Ken has gone to the dark side? A poster on this stamp forum saw auction listings, put two and two together, and came up with a "suspicion" which was promptly published as a topic. Others jumped on board. She's a witch they proclaimed. Let's drown her and if she dies she is innocent.

Did anyone call the perpetrator and ask how these "suspicious" stamps came to his doorway? No that would be too simple and frankly not exciting enough.

For the tenth time, before you drag someone's livelihood through the mud why not do a little investigating first. This whole thing seems petty at this point.

I have contacted Ken and will post his reply so that this stink on his name goes away.

PS: I have some "suspicions" about some posters in this topic. Want to here what these are?

No, but I would like to hear these, but not here...



Sorry, just goofing around.

John

He may not be complicit. He might just be naive, or he might have even examined them and they look ok to him (the counterfeiters have gotten quite good), But I am quite suspicious about batches of stamps that were just issued even if you are not. Were they offering lots full of stamps that were just issued back before the counterfeits became prevalent?

I don't see anything unusual in the postage lots in their current sale. I have seen many similar over the years in various auctions. Including recently released issues. Obviously it's possible that some are counterfeit.

The forum is a poor place to stir up gossip and cast aspersions on dealers plying their trade. If you have concerns, it is easy to contact them directly - telephone, email address, website info are all available. New accumulations of postage are common and enter the market daily.

I ordered US Figures of the American Revolution from the post office a few months ago,. It was issued April 10, 2026. It arrived today.

I find it hard to believe that someone had this on automatic order, and it arrived intime for this auction. How much prep time does this auction house need to have an item up less than a month after it was issued from the post office?

Anyone could have gotten some from a post office over the last month and put them in with the thought that they would improve the interest in the lot. There are always a number of possibilities; you are just guessing. So buy the lot and prove your theory.

I did contact Modern Stamps about the origin of the current issue stamps and posted their reply in full on Page 1 in case anybody missed it. Here's is the part of the email I investigated:

"Some collectors sign up for the new issue service from USPS.
A credit card number (or bank account) is provided to USPS and all new issues are mailed as soon as they are issued.
Some collectors will buy several sheets of all new commemorative issues.
If the collector passes away, USPS will continue to send the stamps until they are told to stop.
In some cases this could be several months. We have had family members bring in many unopened packages from the USPS.
They have no use for the stamps, and just want to sell them."

I went to the USPS website and also looked through their Philatelic Catalog and can find no mention that they still offer a commemorative stamp new issue subscription service. I do remember when they did, but according to their website, the only current stamps offered on a subscription basis are Flag and Postcard stamps. I did some Google searches on that subject and had AI look for information on a commemorative subscription service and got no results that it is still being offered. So, unless it as an unadvertised or grandfathered service USPS still offers, I don't see how any of these current Forever stamps could be leftovers from dead relatives' subscriptions.

Of course, the sellers of these stamps might be telling Modern Stamps that is where they are getting the stamps from. To be fair, Modern Stamps is not a bank, and they don't have to abide by Know Your Customer rules. With all the issues Forever stamps have, due diligence should be the highest priority for buyers and sellers of these stamps, both in terms of authenticity AND origin. I just hope Modern Stamps, and any other auction house, is doing that when they sell these kinds of stamp lots.

Have you considered that these people may have been very old and had a standing order for years. Even if such standing orders are no longer offered to new customers, they may still honour existing contracts.

NSK- I wrote in previous post: "So, unless it as an unadvertised or GRANDFATHERED service USPS still offers, I don't see how any of these current Forever stamps could be leftovers from dead relatives' subscriptions." So yes, I did consider that possibility.

According to ChatGPT, which I know is definitely not infallible, it said this about a USPS commemorative subscription service:
"The USPS discontinued its "Commemorative Stamp Subscription Service" for new issues for the general public. This service allowed customers to automatically receive newly issued stamps as they were released. However, in recent years, the USPS has shifted away from subscription-based services and instead encourages collectors to order stamps individually through usps.com or via local post offices."

That answer does align with my own effort to find any mention of a current USPS subscription service, outside of the ones for Flag and Postcard stamps, on the USPS website.

I see multiple ways to make money here
And has nothing to do with auction house.

Here are 2 more examples
(1). Office manager at doctors office or law firm or retailer buys 2000$ of postage for the year. Uses half of them legit for business, and slips him or her a few sheets personally. Then gives it to auction house to make $$ — they are stealing from company they work for because no one is watching them put an individual stamp on every envelope. Dentists, doctor offices and most small businesses don't audit postage use. Office managers will just put down postage as line item in their monthly reports.

(2). Own a business, buy 10000$ in postage a year and claim as a business expense. Take full deduction and keep receipt in case IrS audits…use 1000$ of it for real purpose and resell the other 9000. Yes you take a hit on the resale perhaps 30 percent, but you avoid taxes on at all levels corporate, personal, fica, etc on the 9000$. Even a bigger power play if trying to avoid showing profit from an ex wife , judge, or perhaps you have another business partner you are ripping off.

This is ridiculous.

Stampslacker - You need to change your topic title. The question has been answered even though it was self-evident to begin with. Yes, it is a legitimate auction house and has been for decades. Even if the half-cocked insinuation of something "suspicious" going on was true it is still a legitimate auction house.

Let's go after Bardo Stamps next because they have been selling these stamps for a while AND (clutch pearls) are selling stamps issued AFTER the Revolution Figures stamps.

How about targeting ebay.

USPS allows subscriptions for press sheets, mine is for the no die cuts. You have to call and ask for a subscription to be setup. This subscription doesn't show up in the Subscription section of your account if you have one from them.