| I have been involved with stamps nearly
| |
| | top collectible condition. I eagerly went
|
| my entire life. My first collection was
| |
| | to the 2/6 and held it up to the light
|
| as a ten-year old boy collecting with my
| |
| | with my tongs. It was the thick paper.A
|
| neighborhood buddies. By the time I was
| |
| | good start.I couldn't tell if the
|
| done with it, I had more than 3,000
| |
| | watermark was vertical or horizontal and
|
| stamps in my collection and sold it for
| |
| | I asked to borrow a dipping tray and
|
| the princely sum of 7.50 in 1958. I don't
| |
| | watermark fluid. The tray is black and
|
| remember what I did with the money. I
| |
| | when fluid is poured over the stamp, the
|
| think I treated my family to supper at
| |
| | stamp paper becomes transparent and the
|
| the neighborhood burger joint.I gave up
| |
| | watermark will appear.I could hardly
|
| on the hobby for about seven years and
| |
| | believe my eyes. I had to take another
|
| took it up again as an adult. Where
| |
| | stamp from the set to compare it, but
|
| before I collected anything I found, I
| |
| | there it was. Watermark vertical!I looked
|
| started to look for stamps in better
| |
| | up to find the woman who was showing the
|
| condition and in sets. The first such set
| |
| | lots giving me an inquisitive look. Would
|
| I bought was from Vatican City for the
| |
| | she get a copy of the Gibbons catalog and
|
| 1962 Christmas celebration and paid all
| |
| | examine the stamp, too. If so, my
|
| of 50c for it.Though a mere trifle, it
| |
| | discovery would come out and someone else
|
| was the first knowledgable purchase and
| |
| | might decide to bid on it.I carefully
|
| only the beginning of a career that would
| |
| | replaced the stamps in their mount and
|
| involve the expenditure of many thousands
| |
| | handed the book back to her. The sale was
|
| of dollars. Over the years I have bought
| |
| | nearly three weeks away and I couldn't
|
| many individual stamps and collections.
| |
| | wait around until then. I could either go
|
| The best buy I ever made turned a hundred
| |
| | back home and make another trip or
|
| and fifty dollars expenditure into a
| |
| | contact an agent to bid for me.I decided
|
| sixty-five hundred dollar sale.My first
| |
| | on the agent. I gave him a bid of fifteen
|
| serious interest in stamps was as a
| |
| | hundred dollars on the lot to beat out
|
| general collector of British Colonies.
| |
| | anyone who wanted the stamps but didn't
|
| Especially the stamps of Malta. This
| |
| | know about the variety. My biggest
|
| interest led to a lifelong interest in
| |
| | concern is that one of the biggest Papua
|
| the island and the writing of The Cellini
| |
| | collectors in the world was a local and
|
| Masterpiece under the pen name of Raymond
| |
| | if he got a look at the stamp, I would
|
| John. Another of my interests was Papua
| |
| | never be able to buy it. All I could hope
|
| New Guinea. Papua is an enormous island
| |
| | was that he didn't get a copy of the
|
| in the south Pacific and the site of many
| |
| | catalog, or if he did, that he wouldn't
|
| battles during World War II. In 1901 the
| |
| | show up to view the lot.The next twenty
|
| British issued stamps for the territory
| |
| | days were the longest of my life. The
|
| of British New Guinea.These eight stamps
| |
| | night of the sale I called the agent. He
|
| showed a native ship known as a Lakatoi
| |
| | said the starting bid was 75.00. I didn't
|
| and were printed on a variety of papers
| |
| | sleep that night and called him again
|
| with a watermark called a rosette which
| |
| | early the next morning. I had won the bid
|
| resembles a four-leafed flower. Early
| |
| | at 150 plus 10%. A collector of British
|
| printers didn't pay much attention to how
| |
| | Oceania stamps had run up the price on
|
| the paper was seeded into the printing
| |
| | me. The auction house would be shipping
|
| presses, so the watermark, which has
| |
| | my stamps the next day.The parcel arrived
|
| longer petals on one side, could appear
| |
| | certified mail three days later. I
|
| in two positions. They also used thick
| |
| | contacted the Papua specialist, but he
|
| and thin paper. Most of the stamps were
| |
| | already had a copy and didn't want
|
| printed on watermark horizontal paper
| |
| | another one. A day later I sent it off to
|
| with the short petals pointing up. They
| |
| | the British Philatelic Association for a
|
| ranged from one-half pence to pay the
| |
| | certificate. From there it would be
|
| postage for letters sent within the
| |
| | included in a Christie's rarity sale.
|
| colony to half a crown for heavy parcels
| |
| | Four months later it sold for 3,800
|
| sent to Australia, Britain and the rest
| |
| | pounds or approximaterly 6,500 US.Now you
|
| of the world. One stamp, the 2/6 on thick
| |
| | may ask why the auction house wasn't
|
| paper and with the watermark vertical is
| |
| | aware of the value of the stamp. For one
|
| quite scarce and an expensive stamp.In
| |
| | thing, the house catalogued the stamp
|
| 1906 the British separated Papua from the
| |
| | using the Scotts catalog. Scotts is the
|
| rest of New Guinea and overprinted the
| |
| | standard American catalog and usually
|
| remaining stamps in stock with the word
| |
| | only lists a value for the most common
|
| "Papua" in large serifed type. Most of
| |
| | variety. The watermark variety is listed
|
| the thin paper stamps apparently had been
| |
| | in Gibbons, which is British, which
|
| used up, leaving the vertical and
| |
| | includes many other color and watermark
|
| horizontal watermarks. The 2/6 with
| |
| | varieties than the Scott catalogue.
|
| horizontal watermark and vertical thin
| |
| | Another reason the stamp may have been
|
| paper are common and sell for around a
| |
| | overlooked is that auction describers
|
| hundred dollars each. The watermark
| |
| | must look at thousands of stamps every
|
| vertical, on the other hand, is a major
| |
| | day. Even if he (here the gender denoter
|
| rarity and catalogs for 6,000 British
| |
| | is correct, I know of only one female
|
| pounds in the Stanley Gibbons catalog. It
| |
| | describer) has a Gibbons catalog, most
|
| is the scarcest stamp of Papua and
| |
| | will not take the time to look for
|
| missing from most collections. It is also
| |
| | possible varieties. In short, it is one
|
| a popular stamp and when offered it
| |
| | of the things that makes the hobby so
|
| brings tremendous prices.In 1995 I was
| |
| | fascinating. Anyone who has found a
|
| still a full-time dealer and made regular
| |
| | valuable antique knows the feeling.Happy
|
| buying trips through the midwest and the
| |
| | hunting!John Anderson is a retired dealer
|
| east. I happened to stop at a stamp
| |
| | in stamps and collectibles. He is now a
|
| auction house in the midwest and went
| |
| | full-time writer. His novel, The Cellini
|
| through the lots which were arranged for
| |
| | Masterpiece, was published under the pen
|
| viewing in small binders. I was pleased
| |
| | name of Raymond John by iUniverse in
|
| to see the Papua overprints and I eagerly
| |
| | October of 2004 and is available in
|
| inspected the set. It was in pristine,
| |
| | select bookstores and on the web.
|
| lightly hinged condition and as such, in
| |
| |
|
