Spanish Philately Discussion Forum

Welcome Spanish philatelists! Please feel free to post your questions, opinions, discoveries, favorite stamps or covers, or anything else related to Spanish philately or postal history. This board is for everyone that enjoys discussing stamps and related topics, so feel free to invite others. The more the merrier!

This Spanish philately discussion forum is now being sponsored by the Spanish Philatelic Society (SPS)

SPS News and Events

SPS Auction #43 Closing Date December 9, 2011

Jan 18, 2012
Hal Shelton <h.shelton@verizon.net

Earlier this week I sent an email to all SPS members, who have email addresses, noting the upcoming changes in the distribution of our auction catalogue--this followed up on my recent Arana article. If you did not receive the email it is because it was rejected as having an incorrect address. If you are one such member please send me an email at this address and I will forward the message to you. If you did receive the email, please respond so I know it was successfully received. Thanks.

Jan 10, 2012
Jerry Wells <jb.wells@verizon.net

All: You can join SPS by paying through PayPal of $25 for US members and $35 for international membership. Pay to jb.wells@verizon.net or send check payable to SPS to Jerry Wells, PO Box 864138, Plano, Texas, U.S.A. 75086.

Jan 01, 2012
Brian Knight

I would also like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and great collecting in 2012.

Of course, the New Year means that it is time to pay dues again, so please take a few moments to do so. $25 in the USA, $35 in other countries.

For those who may not be members of the Spanish Philatelic Society, I would like to encourage you to join!

Actually offered on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Spain-Civil-war-cover-Florence-USA-collection-/290647785469 First "re-selling" attempt?

Dec 16, 2011
Denny Florence <dennis.florence@comcast.net

Dennis: Your comments on the stamp auction are absolutely correct. Auction houses are businesses who want to maximize their profit. Their max profit generally is not your max profit. I talked specifically about this with the lotter of my stamps early on. It was my error that I gave up lot control. My fault, no doubt about it. The lotter said he had buyers for complete untouched collections, but as you say either they did not show up or they weren't interested in my material. I'm guessing that Europe's financial problems may be to a degree affecting the stamp industry there. I've followed the EBAY stores which sell some very nice but exspensive items. They appear to be selling very very slowly if at all. Well, now I have the unsold lots back, unfortunately not half my stamps. I still won't get my library material back, that I loaned them, until late next week Come the first of the year after I get some new pieces for my computer system, I'll be back on EBAY selling some things one at a time. Denny

Dec 15, 2011
Richard Ascaso <rascaso@comcast.net

Happy Holidays! *** Merry Christmas!*** Happy New Year!

Dec 12, 2011
Dennis <dniemira5@aol.com

Denny, congradulations on your auction. I just need to add my two cents into the discussion. Auction firms are in the money making business. How much per page did it cost them publish your material. The more product on the least amount of pages the more profit. The least amount of labor manhours to lot your material the better the profit. I belive your material was lotted for a specific group of people who did not show up. The reason might very , but those you have already mentioned are the most prevelant.If lot size and priced accordenly, I bielieve your profit margen would have been much more enjoyable. Putting your material on the Bay would be great if for anything we might get to see some fantastic material. Again I might also be able to afford a bid or to. Thanks for your time.

I would like to have bid on some of your collection, but the lots were simply too large. For example: the Nationalist locals which were offered as a single lot. Speaking for myself, I was not prepared to spend the amounts indicated for some of those lots.

Dec 06, 2011
Denny Florence <dennis.florence@comcast.net

This is Part II of the previous post. So why did my material not sell at auction. Could be the material is junk. Could be the minimum start prices were too high. Could be no one collects the Civil War anymore. Could be the lots were too large. Could be the auction wasn't advertised. Could be the European debt problem had an effect. Could be people in Europe/Spain are not spending money because they are afraid. Could be the stamp market is dead for now. Could be no one speculates in stamps anymore. Its not really paper gold. Other.

I would like to hear what you think. You can either post here or write me directly. Denny

Dec 06, 2011
Denny Florence <dennis.florence@comcast.net

"And the Story Never Ends" as I recall is the title of a Southern Gospel Hymn. It is appropriate for the title of this post. If you in any way collect Spain and especially the Spanish Civil War you will find this of interest. It supersedes any discussions that I may have had in the recent past with any of you on this subject.

As most of you know I have spent the past year getting my Civil War collections/Accumulations in shape for auction as I am getting older and have no heirs interested in stamps. After a visit from the Principal from a major auction house in March where I signed a contract, I shipped my material to them in late June. The lotter for the firm is also well known had spent many years with among others Greg Manning Inc. and its successors. In September He contacted me about lotting the material for a November which was contactually supposed to be October. Other than a Cash flow problem, the date was fine with me. I was disappointed because he wanted to lot my collections as individual untouched lots for which he said his experience indicated he expected several potential buyers. I tried but could not change his mind as I believe these collections were too pricey and if he didn't get more than one bidder, I wouldn't maximize my rather than his profits. He won and I lost as I had contractually not kept lotting rights in the signed contract. So while I was unhappy, I abided by his decision. He kept the starting bids lower than I liked, but again he was within his rights. I have sold for many years on Ebay and setting starting prices is an art. Too high and you scare people away. Too low and you risk taking a financial hit. Having bought and sold many lots through Greg Manning Inc. over the years without problem I again bowed to his wisdom. So the auction took place in New York on November 19th. A few days later I saw a set of auction prices that I assumed were "Realizations" on the web and was very disappointed as the prices were significantly lower than I had anticipated. A quick scan of the numbers got me to a total hammer price of about $115K. I was expecting at least $150K. I said to myself at the time, I should have auctioned this stuff individually on EBAY. I believed then all 51 lots save one were sold. So I was brooding but accepting of the results. Jerry posted on this sight that he won my Political labels collection. You got a great price, Jerry. When you go through the collection many of the lots have annotated notes which are the particulars of many of the more recent purchases.

Having received no confirmation as of Monday December 5, I called the auction house to get my final net $ results from the sale. Low and behold I found out that 25 lots were bought to the book and my gross sales were only $42K. I was surprised but not necessarily unpleasently. I would get enough cash for my immediate needs and the taxman will end up with less. In my judgment the auctioneer used great judgment in not giving the stuff away. I wished he had not given away some of the lots that did sell.

Now unfortunatly for all of you, I will be back on Ebay selling this stuff in bite sized chunks. No doubt I will make more money. No doubt my workload will be much higher than I anticipated next year. So you'll have to bear with my ramblings a few years more. I thought I really had finally retired completely, but it was not to be.

The next time I post I will mention the lessons I learned from this experience. The lessons are several, but the conjectures are more important and I would like to here your comments and thoughts about them after my next post. Thanks to all of you who did buy 25 lots at fantastic pricess for you. Some of those lots are just about irreplacable today . Denny

Dec 05, 2011
Jerry Wells <jb.wells@verizon.net

All: DISREGARD THE FORMER MESSAGE AS YOU COULD NOT FOLLOW IT IF YOU WANTED TO. IT DID NOT SET UP RIGHT. Anyway, I am trying to complete FGG Political Labels #1689-1738 and need only the following 13: NO. Green(C) Blue(D) VermillioN(E) Chocolate (F): 1689(D); 1692(D); 1693(F);1700(E); 1701(D); 1707(D); 1708(E); 1709(D); 1711(D); 1715(D) & (E);1716(E); 1728(D);1740(c). Of course, I have many duplicates in this series and can help one or more of you fill in your holes. Otherwise,I can purchase the items from you. Just let me know at jb.wells@verizon. Would appreciate any help - never hinged or light hinged, no damage or thins. Thanks; Jerry

Dec 05, 2011
Jerry Wells <jb.wells@verizon.net

All: I am trying to complete FGG Political Labels #1689-1738 and need only the following 13:

NO. Green(C) Blue(D) VermillioN(E) Chocolate (F) 1689 x 1692 x 1693 x 1700 x 1701 x 1707 x 1708 x 1709 x 1711 x 1715 x x 1716 x 1728 x 1739 x Of course, I have many duplicates in this series and can help one or more of you fill in your holes. Otherwise,I can purchase the items from you. Just let me know at jb.wells@verizon.net Thanks Jerry

Nov 30, 2011
Hal Shelton <h.shelton@verizon.net

A friendly reminder that SPS Auction #43 closes for bidding in 9 days on Dec 9th. On offer is a broad range of material attractive to many collecting specialities. Much of the postal history is from Denny Florence's collection.

If you have mislaid the catalogue or bid sheet please see the buttons at the top of this page. Please let me know if you plan to bid in the auction and you can email me your bids. Best, Hal

Nov 25, 2011
Jerry Wells <jb.wells@verizon.net

Denny: Bought your polictal labels collection at Spinks auction based on my initial review at their offices. Did not really remember all the items included but felt it would be well worthwhile. Well, I have picked it up and limited myself to going through only the first of the three volumes,and must say that Iam extremely pleased and expect the other two to be equally forthcoming. A beautiful collection garnered over many years, and I thank you for sharing it with me. Best, Jerry

the book REPUBLICAN POLITICIANS LABELS is a "must have" book - I suppose - for all who are interested in this part of the philatelic history of the Spanish Civil War. The idea of Jose Vincente Domenech was - like in the previous catalogue of Felix Gomez Guillamon - with the help and the knowledge of other interested members of the Agora forum to gather all nowadays known Republican Political Labels, their varieties and all the scattered informations about the philatelic background and to revise the GG this way for the collectors.

As the author is writing: "The market prices are changing , depending wether new (unknown) stocks are coming up or the current interest is changing. Therefore, we will not give scarity value. With a little experience everybody is able to estimate by himself, if an item is common, scare, rare or very rare."

In my opinion, this book is a reference for the future : it keeps up the structure of the famous GG but enlarges the informations.

Nov 14, 2011
Enrique <Quique@jerez-asociados.com

Dear Hall, You ask my opinion ... that best opinion, that of Guillamon Gomez in his prologue of the book.(attached the comment that Felix Gomez Guillamón makes in the prologue written by him.)

The price? is spectacular. (700 full color pages ...). An example: the last work Edifil, CATALOGUE OF LOCAL STAMPS -GCE-1936-39-Volume I Catalonia, as I recall were 80 €. Yourself ...

Nov 13, 2011
Hal Shelton <h.shelton@verizon.net

Winter 2012 Arana arrived yesterday. Three cheers to our new art director Patrick Jones for a well laid out edition. Note the auction bid closing date is December 9th and the auction catalogue should be posted here on Monday. We have a wide range of good material hopefully addressing all of your collecting areas, I hear those who feel we have to much focus on SCW. Also,note my comments on inside front cover about changes in auction catalogue mailing procedures--starting with the next auction we will only be posting the catalogue here, so please let me know of members you know who do not use a computer/email and need special handling. For those of you who have changed emails or think we might not have your email address, please contact Jerry Wells. Thanks, Hal

Nov 13, 2011
Hal Shelton <h.shelton@verizon.net

Enrique,thanks for information on this new reference book. Maybe you commented about it in an earlier post, but I would appreciate your opinion if this is a "must have" new book, does it contain more than what is in FGG, how realistic is the pricing, etc. Thanks, Hal.

Nov 10, 2011
Enrique <Quique@jerez-asociados.com

Is now available, the book entitled: REPUBLICAN POLITICIANS LABELS SPANISH CIVIL WAR. The author of the work is Afinet partner, Jose Vte Domènech. It was prefaced by Félix Gómez Guillamón, printed in Offset, consists of 700 pages color couche 100 grams. The cover, in cardboard of 300-350 grams. You can find here. All who wish to have a copy, you can apply to: Manuel Hoyos (manuelhoyos@euskalnet.net) Ps. The price for non-members oscillate approximately 40 € plus shipping. Written in Spanish. Best regards, Manuel Hoyos (reigminor)

Spink/Shreves catalogue reached me yesterday. Impressive! Thanks a lot and good luck with that auction. (Like Peter, I also scruple concerning the salability of such "bulk lots")

Oct 31, 2011
Peter Litzinger <hp.litzinger@t-online.de

Hi Denny, I got the auction catalogue today, 1. 11., thank you. You are right, the lots seem to be very impressiv - but on the other hand , very big. Hope, you have luck in selling your lifetime collection this way. Peter

Oct 29, 2011
Hal Shelton <h.shelton@verizon.net

Denny, The Shreves catalogue came today.Your items for sale are very impressive and a tribute to your many years of collecting fine material. Hope you have much success in the sale.

Oct 28, 2011
Alan Leveritt <alan@arktimes.com

All--Denny's collection is now on the Shreves website. Go to www.shreves.com. Denny has some great stuff here, many in large lots. Below is a message from Rick Penko at Shreves. Check it out.

We invite you to begin viewing this sale and preparing your bids. All-color printed catalogs will be mailed to our regular Spink Shreves clients on October 26th and will be available free of charge to all new clients upon request ($20.00 to overseas addresses). To order a copy of the all-color catalog simply contact Spink Shreves via telephone (800-556-7826 or 972-788-2100), email shreves@spink.com" or by filling out an order form on our "Auction Catalog" page and then clicking on the www.shreves.com/catalog/order_current.php.

Oct 27, 2011
Alan Leveritt <alan@arktimes.com

All--we will be posting a link to Denny's auction within the next 24 hours, sooner I hope.