Summer has skipped y faster than usual this year. I’m getting better physically and have a lot more energy – hence, we are getting more stamp work done!. Actually much of the improvement is due the workload assumed by Jill. I have a lot more time to organize and implement improvements to the way we operate.

Our web site is getting better organized and lot more items are being listed now. We have been adding hundreds of new items with images attached each month. Of course about the time that we congratulate ourselves – someone ask how come we don’t have pictures for every

items listed. (Scanning stamp images and integrating them to the stamp descriptions is the most time consuming process in maintaining web site listings.) We will never have images for all items but the images we display are the actual images of the stamps being offered and our goal is to have images for all of the expensive items and the varieties which differ from Scott listed items.

This month we have updated our price list for Luxembourg – there are many new items listed. We also reduce prices on a great many items on our list. Next month we will update Austria Part 2. We are a bit overdue on updating this one!

AFINSA RESULTS

Back in the summer of 2006 I wrote several observations regarding the bankruptcy of Afinsa Bienes Tangibles a huge stamp “investment” firm headquartered in Spain. The bankruptcy was prompted by the Spanish government’s investigation and criminal charges against most of the Afinsa officials.

The firm was selling stamp portfolio’s to literally hundreds of thousands small investors in Europe. Investors were guaranteed a return of 6 per cent a year on their investments.

It turned out that most of the stamps in the Afinsa vaults were vastly overvalued or out right fakes. Interest to investors was paid with money acquired from new investors rather than from appreciation of the stamps acquired.

Linn’s 22 August issue reports that 11 of the former directors received prison terms from Spain’s National court. Terms ranged from two to twelve years with the twelve year sentence going to former Afinsa president. Also six of the former directors were order to pay 2.6 billion Euros in compensation to Afinsa’s investors.
Frankly I am somewhat surprised to see the outcome – Usually the perpetrators get away with it!

THE AMERICAN STAMP DEALER & COLLECTOR

I have been recommending that our customers give this publication a try. This magazine is the newest and, I believe, the best periodical published today. Published by the American Stamp Dealers Association, this monthly magazine contains articles intended for both dealers and collectors. There is more philatelic information in one 80 page issue than a year’s worth of some other stamp publications.
The magazine has many contributors who write articles in each issue and always has articles on a wide variety of philatelic topics covering worldwide philately. The quality of the printing and photographs is top notch making the magazine a real pleasure to read.

If you subscribe to but one philatelic publication, I would recommend this one.

A one year subscription costs $19.95 from ASDA, PO Box 692, Leesport PA 19533.

Exchange Rate

The Euro is currently worth $1.13 – up slightly this month but still a really favorable exchange rate for US buyers! The dollar continues to be strong against most foreign currencies making US collector buying power very competitive
OUR WEB SITE
We talk about our web site all of the time – mainly because the vast majority of our sales are received via our site. We also try to use our site as a philatelic resource for our customers. We maintain a year’s worth of newsletters on our home page and a number of informational pages including one with suggestions on how to sell your stamps. We get several inquiries every day from individuals wishing to learn more about how to sell their collections or collections they have inherited.
We also maintain a page of links to other philatelic related sites. Many of the sites listed provide detailed philatelic information useful to collectors.
CONTACT US:
R SCHNEIDER
POB 23049
BELLEVILLE IL 62223
OFFICE 618 277 6152
FAX 618 277 1050
EMAIL: RSCHNEIDERSTAMPS@ATT.NET
WEB SITE:
WWW.RSCHNEIDERSTAMPS.COM
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