IN MY VIEW - Otto Hornung

The BDC is not big enough for 2010
SO, the cat is out of the bag, or is it the rabbit? Philatelists in the UK, and also all over the world have been wondering what London was going to do about the world stamp show in 2010. All sorts of rumours are swirling about, but although there are only five years to go, no-one knows anything reassuring. The Olympics will take place in London two years later, and preparations for this global event are now well under way, although admittedly a world stamp exhibition is only peanuts compared with the Olympic Games ...

(Read the entire column in the August 2005 Philatelic Exporter.)

GREAT BRITAIN by O J Hill

Illustrated envelopes a difficult area.
MOST dealers soon acquire the skill of estimating the value of a GB stamp collection, but many of the peripherals in some collections can pose problems.
One such subject is that of QV and early KEVII hand-illustrated envelopes. During all the years I have been a dealer they have always been very popular and, unlike some stamps, have never decreased in value. Estimating the value of these covers is a difficult subject, as they are usually unique, and previous realisations just do not exist.
The most important yardstick is that they must be at least of reasonable quality. It is wise to check that the postmarks on the back of the cover bear some relation to the front, either the sender's or the recipient's towns ...

(Read the entire column in the August 2005 Philatelic Exporter.)

USA by Les Winick

Photos on stamps are back!
THEY never announced it as “changing our mind” but the USPS has reversed themselves and are permitting personalised stamps to be sold ...

Rhubarb in Mexico
THE Mexican government issued a series of stamps on June 29 2005 that depicted a dark-skinned character with exaggerated eyes and lips that got a number of black and Hispanic civil rights leaders in the US furious ...

(Read the entire column in the August 2005 Philatelic Exporter.)

POSTCARD WORLD by Liz McKernan

More dealers at Postcard Show
THIS year has seen an increase in the number of dealers who will be present at the Picture Postcard Show which takes place as usual in the Lawrence Hall of the Royal Horticultural Society, Greycoat and Elverton Streets, London SW1 ...

(Read the entire column in the August 2005 Philatelic Exporter.)

NEW BOOKS by David Rennie

All reviewed in the August 2005 Philatelic Exporter.

EUROPE by Albert Boerma

eBay cooperates with philately
EBAY stamps and coins manager in Germany, Christian Hofmann, is cooperating with organised philately in Germany. The BDPh (collectors) has already offered its assistance in protecting buyers as well as sellers against fraud, and the same may be expected from the APHV (dealers). Herr Hofmann is mainly interested in information that will ensure the integrity of trading through eBay ...

(Read the entire column in the August 2005 Philatelic Exporter.)

Australasia by Glen Stephens

New 'Stamp Boom' started June 2 2005
MARK my words. Write it down. A new 'Stamp Boom' started on June 2 2005.
I have been writing monthly stamp 'tipster' columns for about 25 years. In Australia, the USA, and Europe. I've seen all the trends, all the ups and downs, and am certain we are again headed for a 1980s type stamp price boom - this time focused entirely on high end material.
Some quite astounding prices are being obtained in recent months for scarce stamps. Not just high prices, but insane prices, smashing even the most optimistic of expectations ... 300% increase: the most dramatic by far was the USA 1918 24c 'Inverted Jenny' airmail.
[pic from p3]

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