Who is fooling whom? (2)
As a collector of Dutch postmark impressions, I immediately noticed that something about an envelope didn't add up. Dutch stamps cancelled with a Belgian stamp? Worth taking a closer look! Four stamps of the so-called Konijnenburg type were affixed to the envelope in denominations of 5, 10, 12½, and 15 cents, issued on April 1, 1940—a month before the Second World War would hold our country in its grip for five years.
By order of the German occupier, the series of stamps was withdrawn on October 11, 1940. After the liberation, the stamps were declared valid again on May 16, 1945, for postage until September 30, 1949. However, the stamps on the envelope are unperforated. What was going on with them? During the occupation, large batches of unfinished stamps (sheets of stamps that had not yet been perforated) were stolen and later put into circulation. These were stamps with the four previously mentioned values. They are listed in the stamp catalogue, but an explanation is missing. A catalogue value is, however, listed for uncancelled copies. In collecting circles, it is generally assumed that stolen, unfinished stamps have no collector's value. But in this case?
The postal official in Bastogne (where the famous Battle of the Ardennes took place in 1944) was presented with an envelope to send on July 2, 1973 (!), right in the middle of the holiday season. He complied with the request, though why is absolutely unclear! It apparently did not dawn on the official that he was being fooled with these Dutch stamps, presented at a Belgian post office! Or was it perhaps a substitute due to the holidays?
In any case, another unusual piece of mail has been added to the collection. Do you also collect such 'strange' items sent by post? 
A letter like this is beautiful, and the story that goes with it is wonderful. It is mouth-watering for a philatelist. Catalog value or not, this letter has priceless collector's value. I don't think the answer to the question of why the Belgian postal official stamped this letter is that difficult. It was a hot summer in 1944. And a neighbor from the south enjoys a glass then, and another, and another. I suspect he didn't see it at all and simply stamped everything that came into his hands. It is clear that his stamping hand was no longer steady. Cheers.
An exceptionally nice letter. And special for various reasons, of course. Firstly, naturally, because these stamps were not supposed to be used at all in the first place, and secondly, because they were not used until 1973.
However, I do want to say that it is not a unique copy, because I own a letter from 1943 with the same stamps used on it.
I shall add immediately that this does not make this letter any less special for that reason.
So I wonder if there aren't more letters like this?
Good spot, Cees!
I was quite shocked when I bought the new 2014 catalog (Netherlands and Overseas Territories) and was comparing the value of my stamps to how they were in 2008. Many stamps have dropped in value. The shock has turned into disappointment; the expectation was actually that the older stamps get, the higher their value would be. However... did dealers artificially keep prices high in the past and make a considerable profit doing so? For this reason, I actually don't feel like collecting stamps anymore. If I am wrong about this, fine... then please respond.
‘@anne
Sorry, but I can't resist posting a second comment. I am still comparing catalog values and see to my surprise that, for example, NVPH 700 and 701 (uncancelled) have dropped in value from €20 to €7,50. I think something is going wrong here. Stamps aren't cars subject to depreciation, are they? I believe that we, as enthusiastic philatelists, were pretty badly ripped off in the past and paid too much for our beloved stamps. Or... are we living in the stamp collecting crisis era or something? Dealers: Do something about it!! This is no longer credible.
My third and final comment: the stamp collecting crisis versus catalogue values seems like a reflection of real life. I get the impression that the stamp trade follows stock market quotations. Perhaps… there is a silver lining after all, and the stamps will become worth more again at a later date. In the meantime, we just have to keep a very close eye on stock market quotations and trade smartly!
Stamps, just like antiques and paintings, are a matter of supply and demand driven by current trends. It is nonsense to assume that dealers keep prices high, as there is more than enough competition. Take a look at material from before 1900 and compare it with the 2008 catalog, and you will see that prices are certainly not dropping. However, for items that are abundant and where demand decreases somewhat, price reductions are naturally not unusual. Whether that concerns stamps, stocks, paintings, or antiques.
And regarding the 700/01 and other European stamps, that is a result of speculative buying up by a Spanish firm. Just compare it to the price in the 90s.
You can also drive up the price of a series yourself by simply buying up large quantities and paying just a little bit more each time. If you can keep it up, success is guaranteed. It becomes more difficult if you want to put everything back on the market at once.
Rob, it is not just about the Europa stamps, but value declines can be observed across a very broad spectrum. However, in my opinion, these declines are completely out of proportion. Regarding the material from before 1900, I have to agree with you; these have often increased in value, but that does not outweigh the decline in value of the remaining stamps from after 1900. Unfortunately, the situation now is that a great many collectors are falling victim to the whims of a small group of buyers. I am glad that I never viewed my stamps as an investment, because then I would have felt much worse than I already do. It is just like with stocks: you see your hard-earned money evaporate like snow in the sun. How long will collecting stamps remain attractive? Bearing in mind the fact that not everyone can afford to purchase the often more expensive stamps from before 1900.
Anne,
The dividing line lies around 1962, because from that moment on, some Dutch people who thought that, based on prices for Churches in Wartime and the like, it had become a profitable little business, started stocking up far more than they needed for their own collections. The speculation surrounding all kinds of Europa stamps [Liechtenstein, Luxembourg] made it even more exciting! We are now decades further on, and the number of organized collectors in the Netherlands has dropped from around 80.000 [mid-70s] to just under 20.000. The NVPH First Day Covers, with a print run of over 500.000, have dropped to around 20.000 as well! Or perhaps even less, since the NVPH boasts a print run of 18.000 for their “blueprint” in their catalog, but how many were actually sold??? 5.000???
In short, for every serious collector today, there are at least 100 stamps available from the stamps issued since 1962! So the prices per stamp are at the level of the handling costs [0.50 per stamp], and any price you see higher in the catalogue is, in most cases, a rip-off!
It seems better for the catalogue to no longer provide prices, only numbers and images. That it would (in modern times) be solely about handling costs seems highly unlikely to me. Why, then, is one stamp worth more than another? One stamp remains one stamp!
@Postage stamps have increased in both purchase and selling price since the introduction of the 1-2 or 5. Collecting at catalogue value is also a hobby for some collectors; I always point to the kilo value from, it doesn't matter which country, in 1 kilo there are thousands of stamps x euro cents, calculate your profit.
Why, then, is one stamp worth more than the other?
Some stamps are really harder to find!
Try to find the 25c Crouwel type II – SC-no. 1110c from 1976 at the dealer with a catalogue price of 3.00!
'@That’s just how the searching goes; that’s where philately begins, and you can spend hours sifting through that so-called worthless bulk, and then finding one with a nice, legible stamp—if you find that, your day can’t get any better. Stamp collecting can be so much fun. Especially with current technology, you can analyze the stamps nicely; the monthly magazine *Filatelie* features an article by *De Vos* every month that makes stamp collecting a lot more interesting.
aad,
Are you offering 1110c????
And youth stamp 1733B? Catalog value an incomprehensible 1 euro!!!
'@ Lars I think they do that on purpose, at least that's what you keep saying. It's either too high or too low and the traders line their pockets. Supply and demand determine the price and no catalog can do anything about that.
So that is precisely what a catalogue DOES do about: scamming people and misleading novice collectors.
Anyone who thinks they can purchase 1733B for a euro will be disappointed, and anyone who sells 1733B to a dealer for 2 euros is being scammed….
This is not a matter of supply and demand!
The purchase of such a sheet was 8 guilders, so clearly not too much was paid; partly because it was not listed in the catalogue, the collector could also strike a bargain at fairs and associations. Measuring is knowing, not where. There will be few dealers who see a profit in this matter, because as written before, if the price is high, people don't buy and the dealer is just lining their pockets; if it is low, then they do so deliberately to stock up cheaply and blah blah blah.
I have no idea what the print run of this perforation is; what I do know is that these stamps were simply included in the nominal stock and were therefore used and are being used just as intended for postage stamps. To whoever has the stamps, congratulations; perhaps they will move up in the catalog someday, but as a collector, you couldn't care less how high or low they are; after all, a collector doesn't sell his prized possessions that quickly.
How come the collector was able to strike it rich???? Which collector knows about the existence of stamps that the NVPH refuses to include???? And if the NVPH knows about those stamps, surely the trade can buy them cheaply??? No one calls them out on it because they aren't in the catalog!
For years, the Cour stamps printed on different paper were not listed in the NVPH catalog until they were finally listed, without a price indication! Now they carry a price that makes absolutely no sense and is only so low to procure material and swindle the owners….
Fortunately, the largest stock of those stamps is in the hands of someone who knows what the stamps are really worth!
'@If the trade has known about this for years, why are they only appearing in the catalog now? Surely one isn't going to claim that this stuff was bought up by the trade. The fact that those stamps are priced low has nothing to do with buying them cheaply; they have been in foreign catalogs for years, so what is stopping the collector and trade from making their move? And the collector and trade can find their information in the unparalleled monthly magazine *Filatelie*, where a certain Vos has been filling the columns for quite a few years now. There are few to no dealers to be found who specialize in perforations and other features attached to a stamp. Oh, and the person who owns the stamps can make a name for himself with his stock; no one is stopping him. He can ask whatever he wants and has done so without the NVPH being involved. Including something in a catalog is no guarantee that demand will increase; at a high price, you are more likely to get rejects (Rembrandt prestige mailers) that changed hands quickly before they even made it into the catalog. The personalized stamps that are harder to sell than before since the booklet came out. The trade in postal items is huge; no catalog is needed because the majority cannot be cataloged, and yet there is a lot of trade in them. A motif collector, like the many there are, often does not even work with a catalog because one does not exist for their motif. Are all the variations of Argentine stamps being bought up en masse by the trade to profit from them later? They are not even aware of the existence of all the nuances; that is also the case with many stamps from a certain period in the GDR. No, the trade is being put in a place it does not deserve. If a dealer buys a 1733B for 2 euros, he is a scammer; if he sells it to a collector for that price, the collector got a stroke of luck. Is the person who offered the first Hallmark cards for 100 a swindler, or the one who is now asking 600 for them? Are Hallmark cards listed low in the personal catalog so that retailers can purchase them cheaply? According to many, they are listed too high, but there is no supply from either collectors or retailers, despite the prices listed in the catalog.
The fact that there is too much of Saskia for the Dutch market is a setback for the speculators. The German trade and cataloguers have adopted a defensive stance and protected themselves against the Dutch, who could otherwise demand a high price for a rare German stamp!
The same applies to the NVPH defense against Auke with the De Cour stamps. Catalogue them in such a way that your society is bothered by them as little as possible!
But all of that is pure swindle to the average collector, because sooner or later the catalogs open, and with prices that would never have become so high if the so-called free market, based on supply and demand, had been able to operate from the very beginning.
We are being manipulated through life!!
'@I always say people let themselves be manipulated, you are there yourself, and as far as I know, not a single one of the NVPH board members is left who had anything to do with that case. They are (young) energetic guys who earn their living with news items, mailings, wholesale trade, and auctions, and who make an effort every year to produce a magnificent book, not always to everyone's liking, but acceptable to 99.999999% of collectors.
aad,
With 5.000 customers of the NVPH SC, your percentage of dissatisfied customers is as big as my little finger!
'@Well, and you're well-endowed too (lol)