Just Joined? - Please tell us something about yourself.

[huddyhuddy]

Hi,

New here and hope to learn from others here too.
I am interested in Manchurian related material: postal material, currency and documents. Have been collecting for 9 years.

Looking forward to experiencing from this forum.

Cheers,
Neil.

[munchstamps]

I have to admit tonight that I must come before the Society and apologize. But before I indulge in self-humiliation, (Hmm) let me introduce myself: I am Craig L. Martin, owner/operator of "munchstamps." My business may be one of the smallest philatelic sellers on eBay. I average between 10-20 lots a week.

When I was a kid, say around 11-12 years old, I wanted to be a stamp dealer. I had been collecting since age 8, subscribed to Western Stamp Collector, was a member of the West Covina, CA Stamp Club (It was a thriving club, approx. 20-30 members a meeting in the early '70s) and had just joined the Junior Stamp Dealers Association. I had arrived; I knew it all. I wheeled a 40-drawer screw holder case that I converted into a stamp chest in a radio-flyer wagon into the club. Guys would look through my stuff and buy a few stamps per meeting. I probably made 11-12c a meeting- kinda like today.

As the years went by, I lost interest in stamps, and took up history and historical boardgames. Eventually I graduated w/ a dual degree in Poli Sci and History from Cal St., San Bernardino. About this time, my interest in stamps returned, partially as a vehicle to learn more about the Middle East, which I specialized in. A few years later, I became ill and during my convalescence, I started to deal stamps once again as a weekender. Then eBay emerged, and I became 'munchstamps" in 1998. In the meantime, I also became a librarian, married another librarian (we're divorced now), and again fell away from stamps, but the hobby was only dormant for me. I became a member of CSS during my new phase, in which I find myself convalescing once again from major surgery. I really doubt I'll fall away from philately this time. AARP is at my doorstep- that says it all.

Why China? Why not? Well maybe I shouldn't be so glib. I've always felt China wasn't for me due to perceived costs of collecting China and complications w/ the Chinese alphabet. But as a dealer, I find it hard to ignore, as I've noted that philately is growing in the "Eastern" part of the world, while in the US and Europe, it is stagnating.

It was exactly the problem with the unknown pitfalls of Chinese stamps that I ran into trouble tonight. I was notified by a CSS member that I was selling a forgery of the Chinese Martyrs Reissue of 1940. I was selling an imperf stamp of the set, supposedly Scott #433a. The gentleman informed me the stamp pictured was not a 433 because the Martyr shown on the stamp was in fact not a martyr at all, but someone else. Ouch! I have a 100% rating on eBay, and pride myself in my honesty and accuracy in my descriptions on eBay.

So here I am before you to not only introduce myself, but to apologize for listing this stamp. The stamp hopefully will go into the forgery files of the CSS, but I can not but wonder if Jim Maxwell will put it throw it in a drawer marked "Martyrs Forgeries Junque" which is almost completely full.

Lesson learned for today: Haste and ignorance may make you next picture in CSS "Stamps to Watch Out For" column.

Good to be here.

Craig (Munch) Martin (Don't tell anyone about that childhood nickname.)

[Hal Kantrud]

I am 73 and began collecting old Chinese firecracker labels and packages in 1948. I came to this site because I wanted to find a source of a set of revenue or export duty stamps specifically issued for firecrackers or fireworks as an adjunct to my collection. My memory is dim, but I recall seeing some of these issued in Portuguese Macau. Then last week there were two Chinese fireworks revenue "stamps" on eBay. I would like to know what the denominations mean on these "stamps." They are over 12 cm long and might have been made that large in order to seal "catties" (cartons, cases, caddies?) of fireworks. I have been trying to learn what the Chinese "tau" system is for firecrackers without much luck. Labeling shows 100 tau = 48 firecrackers, whereas 500 tau = 168 crackers. But this does not make sense if the tau is a weight measurement.

Any help will be appreciated.

WongKwongHingCheeKee.jpg (78.35 KiB) Viewed 234 times

[sptxs]

HI,

I have been collecting stamps on and off most of my life and a few years ago I finally decided to specialize in something. I choose Manchukuo. I have really enjoyed collecting and researching Manchukuo stamps and I have been lucky enough to stumble across some fairly nice material. I have also made some good friends along the way!

Travis Searls

[bennettchow]

I recently joined CSS. I'm a math teacher in the UC system and most of my time is devoted to writing expository books on math research. I've collected stamps, on and off, since I was a child; my interest was sparked by my parents collecting stamps. My recent collecting interest is PRC (after 1949).

Ben Chow

[ishmaelmd]

My real name is Peter. I am a retiring physician. I have been collecting Chinese stamps for about three years. I took a year of Chinese in college in the early 60's. I have taken it up again. I am trying to influence my children and grandchildren to become interested in the Chinese, because of the central role the Chinese will be playing in the world in the relatively near future. I am sure that I have been the dupe of several purveyors of fake stamps. I am interested in the technology of faking stamps, and in the ways of detecting them. I am happy to see that so many other new members are interested in "liberated area" collections. So am I. This will be a very challenging field, especially if the "liberated areas" become popular objects of interest among collectors. I am here to ask questions about China stamp collecting, and to learn about this historically, politically, and philosophically fascinating field.

Peter

[archiem]

Welcome aboard Peter.

Don't know your level of collecting, but we all can benefit from reading and rereading references.

Might I suggest you get a copy of Fundamentals of Philately by L.N. Williams. That is an excellent book on the basics and advanced practices of how stamps are made. Lots more there, but this is the reference in the US. 800 + pages, so lots more. Available through the APS, and probably used copies available online or through stamp dealers that handle books.

But caution you about the Liberated Area Stamps (LAS) and forgeries/fakes/bogus/etc. There are more of them every day. I am an experitizer for both the CSS and APS for PRC, but not the LAS. Just too much. So I take advantage of the CSS expertization program. And that from a collector who has been collecting them (LAS) seriously for 20+ years, more than 30 years overall. Of course, some might say I am slow if after 20 years I still am not sure. Not that, just that those doing this work are that good, and also as a collector you see them so seldom.

But don't get chased off, it is a great collecting area and a most important and interesting area of world history. The LAS has better than 3000 seperate issues, and so many varieties it is impossible to count. More being discovered as we type.

Happy hunting and very best of luck.