AfricaStamps's Weblog

New Stock & Cheap Stamps

africastamps — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:00:54 +0000

It’s been a while since I added any new stock, but just sent up to the website are Postage dues specialist stock items and a few Officials items. Also the standard price lists for these items have been updated with quite a few of the items that have been missing now back in stock. I noticed that for some cheap stamps I have never changed my prices for twelve years. These are cheap stamps in the catalogues, so you might think they would plentiful. Obviously not! Many so-called cheap stamps can be difficult to obtain. Dealers often concentrate on more expensive stamps as they take the same amount of effort to process as cheaper stamps. Look at your collection and see how many stamps under £1 or $1 that you are missing. It may be more than you think.

Find new postage dues items at http://www.africastamps.co.uk/Single-Items/South-Africa-SI/Union-Postage-Dues-SI.html

South West Africa Stamps on AfricaStamps.co.uk

africastamps — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:20:33 +0000

South West Africa is one of the most sparsley populated countries of the world, with much of the country being taken up by desert. The low population makes the stamps and the postal history scarce. South West Africa was originally a German colony, the first German overprinted stamps for use within the colony were issued in 1897; later issues feature the well known ‘Kaiser’s yacht’ design. The forces of South Africa occupied the country from July 19th 1915 and in 1919 South Africa was given a mandate over the territory.

An interesting feature of the SWA philately is the use of the German style cancellers that were modified for use in this period by partly or fully removing the German inscriptions. On the 1st January 1923 South African stamps overprinted in bilingual pairs were issued – these are highly collectable and especially difficult to find in used condition in their original pairs. South African stamps continued to be overprinted until 1952; however a very fine looking pictorial definitive set inscribed ‘South West Africa’ in bilingual pairs (similar to the South Africa bilingual pairs of the same period) was issued in 1931.

The collector of South West Africa postal history will find much of interest, such as South Africa stamps used on cover pre 1923 - often with additional censor markings or censor tape from the WWI period. The number of different Post Office names to be found in SWA is not overwhelming, but the low volume of mail due to the sparse population can make some of the postmarks very rare indeed. For more information see AfricaStamps.co.uk

South Africa Christmas Labels & Booklets – An Introduction

africastamps — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:43:24 +0000

In 1929 the first labels were introduced to be sold in the period leading up to Christmas to primarily raise funds for Children’s Tuberculosis Sanatoria. This practice became common in a number of different countries across the world and it is possible to form interesting collections of the so-called “Christmas Labels” or “Anti-TB labels.”

The interest for the South Africa collector and philatelist comes from the fact that from 1932 the labels were printed using the same processes as the postage stamps by the Government printer, often on the same watermarked paper as the stamps. Hence there is much to keep the collector of South Africa Christmas labels entertained. It is possible to find labels from sheets or booklet panes, tete-beche blocks from the manufacture of the booklet panes, sheet number blocks, complete booklets in a range of different face values, as well as looking out for the labels tied to covers (tied means that a portion of the postmark is found on the label, thus “tying” the label to the envelope).

The first booklets were issued in 1934, in 6d with one pane of six labels and 1s with two panes of six formats. In later years booklets of 2s6d, 5s & 10s face values were introduced. The early pre WWII booklets are scarce and difficult to find complete and in nice condition. The 6d and 1s booklets are more common in the post WWII period. The higher value 5s & 10s booklets are much less common.

Finding the earliest labels used on cover can be a challenge. Always look for labels to be tied to covers, anyone can add a label to a mundane cover years later in order to boost its appeal and value.

As ever, I would guide anybody who wishes to know more to look in the South Africa Handbooks, however the section on Christmas labels had been dropped from the 1986 version. The most information is found in the 1952 edition. It does not contain information on what face values of booklets were issued though. I am working on obtaining a more complete listing.

You can view our current listing of Christmas labels and booklets here

Its not all “Doom & Gloom”

africastamps — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:16:04 +0000

Tired of listening to the tv or radio and worrying about your future or which bank your money is in? Ok, so this is not a solution to the problem, and its a really tenuous link, but instead of spending money on expensive toys for kids when money is tight, why not try and introduce them to a few old fashioned pastimes? My field is selling stamps. Now while you can spend thousands on rarities, you can spend next to nothing on bags of stamps and have hours of fun identifying them, looking at them and arranging them in albums, whilst learning about the world around you. If you have internet access (and I guess you do if you are reading this!) you can search on Wikipedia or do searches to find out more about what is depicted on the stamps and the countries from where they are issued.

I suppose this seems like a crazy idea, after all, I can’t imagine many kids being too interested, but you never know!!! At one time every schoolboy and many schoolgirls had collections of stamps. Personally I have learnt more about the world around me in the last ten years through my stamps, than I ever would have done at school or university. You can see what I do at http://www.africastamps.co.uk

Collectors, Philatelists & Investors

africastamps — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:25:12 +0000

I recently read an article regarding philatelic investment that made me think about what motivates people to collect stamps and what sort of stamp buyer they consider themselves to be. Most people who collect South Africa primarily have some connection to the country. For example my own connection is my father grew up in South Africa and I have family that live there. However there are lots of motivations and reasons for collecting. Someone who enjoys bird-watching may also enjoy finding stamps with birds depicted upon them, you might visit a particular country and find those stamps appeal to you. But whatever sets you on the road of stamp accumulation, are you either a collector, a philatelist or an investor?

When you start off you are a stamp collector. For me, the best thing about being a stamp collector is that are no rules. You can collect whatever you want, how you want. Pick a country, a theme (topic), a period or just collect whatever you fancy, but the most important factor is enjoyment. When collecting a country such as South Africa, many stamp collectors are not concerned with the different printings, shades, perforations etc. They want one example of each stamp, often to fill a gap in a printed album.

If you find that the desire to own all the different shades of the 1933/48 1s proved to be just too strong, then realised there were a huge range of varieties to collect on the KGVI issues and eventually owned a collection of stamps that had outgrown their original albums then you are probably a philatelist. Philately is the study of stamps, but to study them you usually need to collect them in the first place. A philatelist will often see enjoyment in an accumulation of thousands of the same stamp. The accumulation might contain different cancels, shades, minor varieties etc., all waiting to be found.

Investors don’t have to be collectors or philatelists and don’t have to love stamps. They are effectively betting on the demand and scarcity of a particular issue, whether by purchasing a quantity of an identical item, for example the GB “Diana” presentation pack inscribed in Welsh, or by spending a considerable sum on say a GB Penny Black May 6^th 1840 cover. Investing in stamps can be fraught with many pitfalls. If it was easy everybody would be doing it! Those Diana Welsh presentation packs are probably worth less than you paid for them, as most collectors who want one, now have one. And who has the sort of spare money required to buy a May 6^th Penny Black cover?

An investor has a different motivation to a collector and a philatelist. They want to see the value of what they have purchased increase over time. It is unlikely they would care to own a complete run of Union and Republic stamps, or own every issue and printing of the Springbok halfpenny.

In my opinion, if you enjoy the collecting of stamps, study them, display them in an album, show them to fellow enthusiasts and form the collection over a long period then you might get the best of all three stamp buyer categories, as long as you can bear to part with the collection in your lifetime!

www.africastamps.co.uk

Introduction to South Africa Philately

africastamps — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:35:49 +0000

Collecting the stamps of South Africa is fun for the beginner and advanced collector alike. It has been a popular collecting area for many years. The Victorian era issues of Pre-Union states are studied with great passion and form an essential part of any collection of classic issues. The Union period (1910/61) can be collected as simply or as complicated as the collector wishes. It is unusual among British Commonwealth countries with many of its stamps being issued in bilingual pairs. The modern Republic of South Africa issues (1961 to date) are full of topical interest, with colourful and vibrant reflections of the country.

South Africa’s philately can be separated into three main sections. First came the Pre-Union, with the four main states of Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal. During this period there were two Boer Wars, the end of the second Boer War led to the Transvaal and Orange Free State coming under British administration.

The four states were combined into The Union of South Africa on 31^st May 1910, a dominion run as an autonomous community of the British Empire. The first stamp of this new country was issued on November 4^th 1910 to commemorate the opening of the new Parliament. The first definitive set was issued on 1^st September 1913, known as the “King’s Heads” as they depict the image of King George V. They are a colourful issue and make a fine addition to any South Africa stamp collection. The stamps were in use over a long period, hence they can be found in a range of different shades from the different printings. Many of these shades are inexpensive and can add extra interest to your collection.

You may wonder what stamps were used during the period between the start of the Union and the issue of the first definitive stamps? Known as “Interprovincials” the stamps of the four different Pre-Union states could be used across the whole of the Union. Hence we see Natal stamps used in the Cape, Transvaal used in the Orange Free State and so on. This fascinating and widely collected period runs from 31^st May 1910 to 31^st August 1913. The stamps must be used, with a readable postmark showing an identifiable village or town name and the date within the correct period.

In 1926 we see the first bilingual pairs of stamps with the issue of the ½d Springbok, 1d Sailing Ship and the 6d Orange Tree. Along with the designs from the 1927 Pictorial definitives, known as the “London Pictorials,” these basic designs were in use until as late as 1954 when they were replaced by the Wildlife definitives. A change of watermark in 1959, then a change to decimal currency followed in February 1961, before the Union period came to an end. During this time an interesting range of Postage Due and Official stamps were issued. These can form separate collections in their own right, or be part of a larger collection, should you desire. Postage Dues were used to collect an underpayment or additional postal charge in the mail. They are often found used on envelopes and can be collected like this. Governmental departments and the Civil Service used official stamps. Both Postage Dues and Officials were available to collectors through the main Post Offices and later the Philatelic Bureau.

The rest of this article can be viewed on AfricaStamps.co.uk.

South Africa – Guide to KGVI Issues

africastamps — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:21:07 +0000

Collectors of KGVI stamps often pay little or no attention to the issues of South Africa. Some collectors believe they are too complicated to sort and identify, others simply don’t like the stamps, as most do not bear the image of the King. Whatever you may think, don’t let the prejudices of other collectors put you off. The philately of KGVI South Africa is fascinating and very accessible. The rotogravure printing process employed for the production of these stamps lent itself to the unintentional creation of varieties both constant and non-constant. The long periods for which the same basic designs were used means there are a fantastic range of printings and shades to collect.

There were three main groups of definitives issued during the KGVI period. They are commonly known as the “Unhyphenated Pictorials,” the “Hyphenated Pictorials” and the “Screened Pictorials.” The definitives were issued in bilingual pairs, with an English inscribed stamp and an Afrikaans inscribed stamp alternating throughout the sheet. The sets are so-named because the Afrikaans stamps initially had the country name “Suidafrika” joined as one word. Later this was changed to two words with the insertion of a hyphen, hence “Suid-Afrika.” The last set of definitives saw the printing process changed to include the use of a glass screen. The effect on the stamp design was to make solid portions of colour made up of tiny dots. This is easily visible with a magnifying glass.

The rest of the article can be viewed at http://www.africastamps.co.uk/Resources/KGVIGuide.html

My new stamp website www.africastamps.co.uk

africastamps — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:36:53 +0000

I have just launched my website for collectors of South Africa stamps – www.africastamps.co.uk. Although termed ‘Africa Stamps’, the site specialises in the stamps of Southern Africa, particularly South Africa. Namibia, Swaziland and South West Africa will be added over coming weeks. There are over one thousand South African stamps already listed and many have scans. Also included is some content that I hope visitors to the site will enjoy reading – particularly the in-depth ‘Guide to the Philately of South Africa’ and the ‘Introduction to the Philately of South Africa’ (both can be found at www.africastamps.co.uk/Resources/Philatelic-Resources.html). Please have a look and let me know what you think – www.africastamps.co.uk. Thanks!