Wow- two years of COVID have just passed. Things are looking a whole lot better now. We are doing just about everything we did before COVID again. We just completed a great visit with our daughter from Chicago and expect a near normal Christmas.

We thank you all for another very good business year for us. You have kept us busy all year both buying and selling stamps – exactly what we love to do.

The trend towards most of our customers ordering via our web site continues this year. We get 90% of our orders either directly from our web site or via emails. Times have changed dramatically as to how collectors buy stamps. The internet is winning. We still like to communicate with our customers and welcome phone calls and emails. Unfortunately we no longer sell at stamp shows as I can no longer handle the physical part.

This month we have updated our Germany proper price list part A which goes from Scott #1 through SC 181. This list has become are most popular list in the past couple of years and we have worked hard to keep this area well stocked and with lots of new material. We have many new items on this list including strong sections of Michel listed varieties for our more advanced customers collectors.

Next month we will update our Germany Part C price list which will include issues from Scott 530 through SC 3100 issues. We will also update are price list for Bosnia.

AUCTION FEES

I buy at auctions all over the world seeking new material for our customers. Auction houses are excellent sources for collections and better singles and sets. Auctions can also be an expensive way to buy – especially some European auctions. In addition to the cost of the auction lots buyers need to be aware of the additional costs. European auctions charge a 20-22% commission, a per lot flat fee, a check cashing fee or credit card fee (if you pay via bank transfer the fee is usually at least $40. And shipping fees from Europe to the US are high.

In November I bid on a number of lots but won only one at an Andreas Schlegel auction. The lot was won at 110 Euro but with all of their added fees cost 218.33 Euro. That included a 54.83 Euro shipping fee for the one stamp won. Admittedly Schelgel fees are a worst case example but buyers need to be aware that some auction houses tack on excessive charges

OUR NEW ISSUE SERVICE

If you collect new issues from the countries we stock , now is the best time to sign up for our new issue service. We are now just completing all new issue shipments for 2020 and are getting ready to line up our 2021 accounts.
We can supply anything philatelic issued by Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein or Luxembourg. Most of our customers receive issues as listed by Scott catalog but we can also supply coil strips, sheetlets, booklets, postal stationery, FDC, etc.

We can provide both mint and used new issues. Just let us know which issues you want to receive and we will send issues on a quarterly basis – four shipments a year. Alternatively, we can ship all new issues for the year in one year set as soon as received – normally by early December of each year.

Stamps will be sent with an invoice. You don’t have to pay until you receive the shipments. (Most of our new issue customers though prefer to give us their credit card information and we charge the shipments when we post them – it is also our preferred payment method as it reduces our workload.)

If you would like to start new issue service just let us know what countries you want and we will start the service with the first issues in January of 2021.

AUSTRIA PHILATELIC SOCIETY US

We will be starting our 21st full year of the Austria collectors club in January. The main stay of our club is our quarterly journals and our club auctions held twice a year. (Our auctions contain a lot of better Austria stamps and covers at very attractive prices.)

Now’s a great time to send us your $16 dues for a one year membership in the society. Make your checks out to Jill Steele (our club Treasurer) and send them to me.

BUYING NEEDS

Periodically we list the areas that we particularly need to buy. Naturally we buy complete collections too but the items listed below include stamps we especially need.

Deutsches Reich SC 1 through 78 *, ** and also Michel listed varieties **, * and used from 1850 issues through 1923 issues.

Germany setenants 1924-35 * , **

German offices and colonies *, ** and also town cancels.

German states – *, ** F/VF or better

Danzig & Memel – *, ** singles and sets and Michel listed varieties *,**,U.

Post WWII locals – Germany and Austria – *,**, U.

German Privat post issues – *, **, U.

Luxembourg 1910- 1935 *, **

R Schneider
PO Box 978
IOWA Park TX 76367
Office 940 213 5004
FAX 940 213 3596

Email: RschneiderStamps@gmail.com

Our Website:
http:www.RSchneiderStamps.com