Regulars

August 2005

FORTHCOMING AUCTIONS

These are just a few of the upcoming public stamp auctions listed in the August 2005 Philatelic Exporter.

AUGUST
10, A J H (01254 393740), Dunkenhalgh Hotel, Clayton-le-Moors, Accrington, 19.30.
17-18, Schiff (+1 201 641 5566), Knights of Columbus Hall, Ridgefield Park, NJ, USA.
23, Bonhams (020 7393 3810), Knightsbridge, London SW7, 10.30, postcards, etc.
24, Harmers (020 8747 6100), Chiswick, London W4.
31, Reeve (020 8672 6702), London SW17, 14.30.

AUCTION HOUSES
If you would like your public stamp auction included in the magazine please let the editor have your 2005/2006 schedule.
For more publicity for your auctions why not advertise them in the 'Philatelic Exporter'? Contact our advertising department

NEW ISSUES

This month's website featured country is ...

FRANCE
May 17, Le Salon du Timbre - Gardens of France - Nimes, ms $3.
May 30, Jules Verne, 6 x 53c.
June 6: Gordon Bennett Cup, 10 x 53c in sheetlet;
Villefranche-sur-Mer, 53c;
Environmental Charter, 53c.
June 20, Law for the Handicapped, 53c.
July 18, Haras du Pin Equestrian Centre, 53c.

Over 170 new stamp issues from Åland to Zimbabwe are listed in the August 2005 Philatelic Exporter.

ATTENTION POSTAL ADMINISTRATIONS and/or AGENTS!
If you do not already do so, send to the editor details of your new stamp issues for inclusion in the 'New Issues' listing.
For greater impact, why not advertise your new issues?

TRADE DIARY

This is just one weekend of events in the UK in August - a full schedule of events from August 1 2005 to September 29 2005 is in the August 2005 Philatelic Exporter.

August 13: Addlestone (sp), Community Centre, Station Road (DM).
Bilsborrow (s), Village Hall, near Preston (TC).
Cambridge (sp etc), Community Centre, Campkin Road, Arbury (BAD).
Chichester (ps), Stockbridge Hall, Stockbridge Road, Donnington (CRS).
Derby (sp), Nunsfield House Community Centre, Boulton Lane, Alvaston (A&J).
Dover (s), Biggin Hall, Biggin Street (A&P).
East Grinstead (spc etc), Parish Hall, De La Warr Road (JBT).
Kidderminster (p), Railway Museum, Comberton Hill (01562 825316).
London (spc etc), Charing Cross Market, Embankment Place, WC2 (CX).
Staines (s), Christ Church Hall, Kingston Road (FJM).
Teesside (sp), Norton Green Centre, Norton (NSP).
Twickenham (s), Methodist Church Hall, Percy Road, Whitton (FS).
13-14, Portishead (s), Somerset Hall (Bristol & District PS).
14: Altrincham (spc), Quality Hotel, Langham Road, Bowdon (JRS).
Aston Clinton (ps), Anthony Hall, London Road/A41 (GOH).
Chelmsford (sp), Old Chelmsfordians Sports Club, Roxwell Road (SB).
Chesterfield (scp), Chesterfield Hotel, Malkin Street (NCF).
Kings Lynn (s etc), Gaywood Community Centre, Gaywood Road (SPC).
Leatherhead (sp), Village Hall, The Street, Fetcham (CRS).
Livingston (sp), Kalm Park Hotel, Edinburgh Road, Bathgate (CAL).
North Shields (sp), Linskill Centre, Linskill Terrace (NSP).
Scunthorpe (sp), Ashby Community Centre (JVR).
Wokingham (sp), St Crispins Centre, London Road (CBF).

OVERSEAS AND MAJOR UK EVENTS - AUGUST 2005

AUGUST
3-7, Thaipex national philatelic exhibition, Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok, Thailand.
4-7, APS StampShow, De Vos Place, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA (APS).
5-7: ANDA Coin, Banknote and Stamp Show, Lower Town Hall, Druitt Street, Sydney Australia (ANDA).
Coin & Stamp Expo, Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (BI).
6-7, NZSDA Stampshow, Holiday Inn, Cashel/High Streets, Christchurch, New Zealand.
19-24, Taipei 2005, 18th International Stamp Exhibition, World Trade Centre Exhibition Hall, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China (Room 2A13, No 5, Sec 5, Hsin-yi Road, Taipei 110, Taiwan).
20-21, APTA Melbourne Stamp & Coin Show, Malvern Town Hall (APTA).
26-28: 57th International Stamp Fair/44th Europa International Philatelic Exhibition/20th Postcard Show/10th Europa Card Show, Riccione, Italy (Comune di Riccione, Palazzo del Turismo, I-47838 Riccione);
Mare Balticum, Baltic Hall, Mariehamn, Åland (P O Box 122, AX-22101 Mariehamn, Åland).
27-28, APTA Brisbane Stamp & Coin Show, RNA Showgrounds (APTA).
August 31-September 3, Picture Postcard Show, Lawrence Hall, Royal Horticultural Society, London SW1 (PTA, 02380 446143).

International events up to November 2005 are listed in the August 2005 Philatelic Exporter.

EVENT ORGANISERS
If you would like your stamp exhibitions or fairs included in these listings please let the editor have your 2005/2006 schedules.
For more publicity for your events why not advertise them in the 'Philatelic Exporter'?

AROUND THE ROOMS

Extracts from auction previews and reviews:

Heinrich Köhler (+49 611 39381)

May 31-June 4: a mammoth five-day worldwide auction realised a total of US$4 million, doubling the pre-sale total estimate ... Highlight of the sale was the much-reported modern German rarity, the 2001 unissued stamp honouring the late Audrey Hepburn, which sold for €58,000.

Spink (020 7563 4080)

June 15-16: the Edward Gilbert auction of British Empire stamps and covers sold for £1,844,135. Some 230 bidders competed for the auction, of whom 150 were successful. All lots in the auction, which was held in association with H R Harmer Inc of New York, were sold.
Bermuda produced several remarkable prices, not the least of which was lot 227 Postmaster Perot’s First issue at Hamilton, the 1d black on bluish grey, dated 1849 (pic), (SG O2 - £120,000). Estimated from £60,000 this realised £116,000, the top price of the sale, and which Spink believes is a world record for a Postmaster off cover ...

H R Harmer (+1 212 532 3700)
June 24: the Richard Baron Cohen collection of United States realised a total of $1,035,000 (all prices include the 15% buyer's premium), well over the presale estimate of $700,000, with 96% of the lots sold by value.
This was the first major auction sale containing only third-party numerically graded stamps ...

Warwick & Warwick (01926 499031)

July 5: including almost 200 lots of philatelic literature, which proved popular with the bidders. A set of Higgins and Gage world postal stationery catalogues made £138, as did The Royal Philatelic Collection by Sir John Wilson. The Essential Guide to the GB Line Engraved 1d and 2d Stars, 1840-64, by Statham, in 12 volumes, contained in six slip-in cases, made £380 ...
A number of key Commonwealth high value stamps were on offer as single items: ... the rarest of the lot, a Straits Settlements 1904-10 $100 M, (cat £11,000) found a new home at £6670 (pic).

The full reports, and others, can be read in the August 2005 Philatelic Exporter.

Letters

PACIFIC EXPLORER: TWO OF AUSTRALIA’S LEADING DEALERS GIVE THEIR VIEWS

LES Winick's articles always contain interesting observations and comment. His piece in the June PE is no exception. However, I must take issue with his suggestion that blame for the failings of Pacific Explorer should be shared around.
The blame lies at the feet of Australia Post (AP), and nobody else ... the Australasian Philatelic Traders' Association (APTA) and the Australian Philatelic Federation (APF) were presented with a fait accompli ...
I agree with Peter McBride's suggestion that the two APTA representatives on the organising committee should have resigned. They were treated with total contempt by AP and their position was untenable ...
The bottom line is that, at least for those dealers consigned to the Siberia that was the second hall, the show was, to hear it from them, a disaster ...
As for the attendance figures, the numbers through the door became a running joke ...
It would be helpful if AP would come out and apologise for getting it all so wrong. Of course they won't. And they are quite happy for others to be seen to be taking the blame, or at least part of it.

Gary Watson
Director, Prestige Philately
Belgrave, Victoria, Australia

THIS exhibition is now behind us, and despite the negative reports from a couple of magazines it will be judged by most participants as a success even if the crowds were lower than expected.
Although some dealers fared badly, as at any show, many reported they made a profit; one of our members had a six-figure sale and several of our members, including us, had a record show ...
Australia Post is one of the few postal authorities in the world who sponsor major exhibitions. Their stand and sponsorship cost $4 million and this does not include the number of staff and infrastructure they provided to help organise the show. The merciless destructive bagging of Australia Post by some of the trade does not encourage them to give ongoing support to future shows. Such shows simply cannot run without them, so who is the winner if there are no more? ...

Tony Shields
President, Australasian Philatelic
Traders' Association
Melbourne, Australia

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