After nearly 20 years of using the same computer I finally had no buy a new one. Prior to my last computer I never had a computer last more than a couple of years so I very much became a creature of habit using the last one. Sure enough the “easy” conversion to my new state of the art computer has been anything but easy. Microsoft changed just enough things to require that I find new ways to do old tasks. I have spent many long days getting my programs and files set back up at least close to the way I wanted them. In short last month I devoted little time to sorting stock and updating our web site. We did manage to delete all sold items from our site and add a few new items, but few significant changes.

We would complain about our mid- 90’s heat but actually we normally get 100 degree weather as early as May and just had our first 100 degree at the end of June. We have also had much more rain than normal so our garden, trees and grass have thrived with little effort on our part.

Our Treasure Boxes

We have been offering these boxes for about 12 years – almost every customer who has tried one box has ordered another. We have quite a supply of treasure box material – excess stock, areas we don’t normally stock, and just plain stamps we don’t have time to examine. We always insure that there are stamps of value included in the boxes but otherwise don’t check anything. There, of course, will be a lot German and Austrian related stamps and covers in the lots but there can be almost anything philatelic. These lots are designed for collectors who like to search through lots of philatelic items. Each $175 lot is different from the others and each will fill a medium priority box.

We have been selling a lot of our treasure boxes because the large volume of stamps and covers gives collectors a lot of pleasure searching through the pile. We have assembled more boxes and are they ready to mail! And – $175 boxes also qualify for our normal discount.

SCOTT 2025 STAMP CATALOG VOL 3

Ho hum – The new 2025 catalog is a reprint of the 2024 catalog with Germany listings of new issues for 2023 added.. This trend continues – few German areas have received any changes in the last 8-9 years.

As in most recent years I would recommend that you continue to use your current version of Vol 3 if it was issued during the past ten years. Scott is just not posting many changes to listings or prices and the images in current catalogs have been severely reduced in size – not to mention that the catalog prices have significantly increased.

Expertizing your stamps

For many years we have recommended the Bund Philatelistischer Prüfer (BPP) Guild as the best expertizers for German area stamps. In recent years however we have had repeated problems with getting stamps expertized including lost shipments.

The quality and reliability of their BPP examinations can not be questioned but their business practices are not always the best. Expertization can be exceedingly slow – it usually averages about 90 days turn around but some expertizers have taken 6-9 months, As a dealer I handle a lot of transactions and keeping track of stamps in the expertizing system can be very cumbersome. When I find an expertizer who handles stamps promptly he gets a lot of business!

Another problem area for sending stamps overseas is the high cost of shipping and insuring stamps and mail service to and from overseas is not as certain as mail within the US. I and some of my customers have had serious losses in sending stamps to and from Europe.

I have had dealings with the Philatelic Foundation and find them to be very credible in their examinations, fairly prompt, and their shipments are fully insured! The APS expertization service is another alternative but not a favorite of mine for German or Austrian stamps but reasonably credible.

Frankly, my bottom line is to have stamps examined with minimum risk of loss. I will still send lesser items to BPP examiners but not really valuable ones. I try to buy better items only from the best auction houses and dealers and will buy already expertized stamps offered.

R Schneider Stamps
PO BOX 978
Iowa Park TX 76367

Office (618) 975 2099
FAX: (940) 213 3596

Email:
RSchneiderstamps@gmail.com

Website:

RSchneiderstamps.com