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Post by spain1850 on Aug 28, 2013 5:41:33 GMT
Well, I decided to go for it. This will be the first serious attempt at a single country collection for me, besides my main collecting interest of Spain. My Spanish collection seems to be stagnating at the moment. I can't afford, at least right now, to fill the BIG holes and nothing of interest to me in the lower price ranges seems to show up. So............. While soaking and sorting some older, common, European stamps I kind of fell in love with the issues of both Denmark and Sweden and decided to start single country collections of both, but I'm going to start with Denmark. Toyed with the idea of buying a collection on Scott specialty pages, but decided to just make my own since I will have the flexibility to include whatever I want. So, I will be including listed (Scott or Facit) varieties and shades. Also, I will be making spaces for both used and unused copies, with the exception of the imperf earlies. I'm also going to include postmarks and perfins. It's going to be a very basic design with not a lot of wording, just basic, descriptive titles and tags and such. I've already got much of the early, common items so I will be well on my way. I don't have hardly any unused stamps though, so that's where the largest $$ outlay will be. Mounting will be top loading, clear, Showgards or Hawids. I have no idea what the market is like for Denmark, so I'm sure I'll overpay for things until I get a feel for it. Even made my first purchase in this area (sellers scan), so I HAVE to continue. No turning back now! This is going to be fun. I'm even thinking about putting my pages online so everyone else can see my progress as I go.
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Londonbus1
Moderator
Cinderella Stamp Club Member 3059
Posts: 4,872
What I collect: Cinderellas and some Ephemera from Great Britain, France and Israel plus a few beautiful bits from elsewhere !! Topical interests include Flags & Judaica, the latter with an emphasis on the Jewish National Fund.
Member is Online
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Post by Londonbus1 on Aug 28, 2013 7:25:15 GMT
I'll be putting a small collection for auction on September 7th here on TSF if interested. Hope to get a scan up later today. Nothing special but may fill a few holes.....and most likely at a good price !!
Just a heads up.
Londonbus1
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Post by jkjblue on Aug 28, 2013 14:46:31 GMT
Would love to see your collection as you develop it. :-)
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Post by spain1850 on Aug 28, 2013 15:42:07 GMT
Londonbus - Will keep my eyes open. Thanks for the heads up.
jkjblue - Just waiting on my Facit catalog to arrive so's I can get started on the pages. I also need to figure out the sizes of mounts I'm going to need.
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Post by spain1850 on Aug 29, 2013 5:25:14 GMT
I got my 2007 Facit catalog in the mail today. WOW! is all I can say. My first impression was that it is a bit overwhelming. Then i took it to work with me and dove into it a bit more. Once you get use to how it is laid out it's pretty neat. Now my big problem is going to be how to figure out what I want to include in my album and what not to include. There is quite a bit more than is listed in Scott (naturally), but I'm now starting to think if I'm at risk of getting in over my head. (Ok self, just sit back, relax and breathe!).
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Post by spain1850 on Aug 30, 2013 5:41:43 GMT
If you right click on the link below, yo can "open in new tab" and the .pdf file will open in your acrobat viewer........I think. Anyway, if you can see it, it is a rough draft of my first page of Denmark. As you can see, there will be quite a few more spaces to fill than Scott lists. Mostly various shades. These first few pages will probably remain pretty sparse for a while. Also, this isn't a final draft by any means. there are some other things I may add or change. Attachments:Denmark.pdf (5.25 KB)
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Post by jkjblue on Aug 30, 2013 22:02:07 GMT
Yes- I checked the Scott and your 20 stamp spaces ( many for shades) on your first page are only 9 spaces in Scott including minor number shades. You had better have a keen eye for shades, as I'm sure, many are at a premium cost in Facit. I must admit, what I like about Denmark are the many early stamps with normal frame/ inverted frame variations. And then there are the perf and watermark major number differences too.
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Post by spain1850 on Sept 3, 2013 5:16:54 GMT
jk - The number of shade variations in Facit is INSANE! Just trying to whittle them down to a few representative shades is a task. And don't get me started on the inverted/normal frames. That's not the half of it. There are also thin/thick frame varieties and inverted watermarks on the bi-colors.
I may have to re-think my page strategy.
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Post by jkjblue on Sept 3, 2013 6:21:11 GMT
Spain1850
The "rethinking page strategy " comment got me thinking too. ;-)
Perhaps you want to wait 6 months-year, and put the stamps into a stock book until you decide how deeply you want to collect all the nuances that Facit catalogues.
Then you may be ready to design your own pages based on your own interests.
Of course, you could design pages for the parts of the Denmark collection that is fairly straightforward now.
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Post by spain1850 on Sept 3, 2013 14:20:52 GMT
jk - Those are both great ideas, and I think I'll consider them both. It's basically the first issues through the bi-colors that have the largest degree of specialization as far as Facit goes. Those are also the areas in which I have the least number of stamps to mount. So it might be better to hold off on that area, collect or accumulate them for a while, and see how deep I can actually go. Who knows, many of the varieties may never even present themselves. The last thing I want to do is create a bunch of pages that are going to remain largely empty.
I think I'll put what I have on the back burner and work on something later. Something I can actually mount at least a good representation of the issues, such as the first Christian X issues.
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Post by jkjblue on Sept 3, 2013 18:11:34 GMT
Great idea! Perhaps you can show off the pages of that part of the collection. :-)
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Post by spain1850 on Sept 3, 2013 18:28:23 GMT
Yes, I think I will. I'll have the paper before the end of the week and should be able to print these pages and mount what I do have for them. I feel like I'm making progress now! Thanks for the ideas.
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Post by stoltzpup on Sept 3, 2013 23:09:10 GMT
I have no idea what the market is like for Denmark, so I'm sure I'll overpay for things until I get a feel for it. The stamps you show are from a series that, for the most part, is easy to collect, the most elusive being the 27o. Since I'm new to the forum, I don't know if there is a way for us to swap stamps but, if there is, I have an extra used 27o that I'd be glad to trade for something Spanish colonial of similar value.
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Post by spain1850 on Sept 5, 2013 6:02:01 GMT
stoltzpup - Thank you for the offer. Right now though I think I may have one on the way. I also have a line on an unused copy. Feel free to message me (I think you can click on my user id) though and let me know what sort of Spanish colonial issues you are lookng for. I have some duplicates, but I don't know if I have anything in the same price range.
jkblue - I went ahead and designed pages for the Christian X issues. I must say I like this approach better than just printing everything and probably getting discouraged by all the empty spaces. After I designed them I let it go for a couple days and went back to look at them with fresh eyes, to make sure I really liked the way they were and found a couple typos I had to fix. I also noticed that there still seemed like a lot of spaces to fill. I printed out a test page and temporarily set my stamps in place to see how they would look. To my surprise and shock, I only had 3 stamps on the first page. Not exactly what I envisioned. I could have sworn that I had a better representation of this issue.
I did some mulling over of my goals with this and made some executive decisions. Firstly, all, or at least most, of the plate varieties would have to go. I decided that I would make seperate pages for things such as this, on an as needed basis. They are not really necessary for the basic set. I also decide to try and trim the shades down even further.
I think 98 spaces is a bit excessive!
Even with my primary goal of collecting 1 used and 1 unused stamp, that is a bit much. After doing some trimming, I managed to cut 14 spaces out of the total, so far.
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Post by ramanandn on Sept 5, 2013 20:29:39 GMT
Richard,
I collect Denmark as well. Pretty uncomplicated if you follow Scott. Facit is a whole different animal.
Will look for any extras I have.
Cheers Ram
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Post by spain1850 on Sept 6, 2013 5:12:13 GMT
Ram - Scott does have a way of simplifying most countries, don't they? I think my Denmark collection will initially follow Scott as well. But since I got the Facit catalog, I can't help but be on the lookout for shades and varieties that I will eventually add into the collection.
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Post by spain1850 on Sept 6, 2013 18:29:41 GMT
Ok, here it is good, bad or indifferent! My fledgling beginning to my meager Denmark collection. Not much to look at yet I know, but I could have sworn I had more of this issue than this. My BIG blue page looked rather crowded. Things I like - I like the overall arrangement. The top rows in each set of 2 rows will be for unused copies and the rows beneath them for used copies. This was my original objective when starting this project. I like the clear mounts vs. black mounts. Things I don't like, or will do differently on subsequent pages - I don't particularly like the way the first page turned out with regards to the watermark image at the top. I originally planned on leaving a space there and hand drawing the watermark image. Well, it didn't turn ut as well as I envisioned, so I decided to cover it up with a small printed cut out of the watermark. I tdidn't leave enough space then for the title of "Christian X", which I think I did in a font slightly too small. Oh well live and learn. Overall I'm happy with the way it turned out so far and can't wait until i get started on the next section, possibly the first wavy line set. Now the fun begins and I can look in earnest for stamps to fill the holes!
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tomiseksj
Moderator
Woodbridge, Virginia, USA
Posts: 6,265
What I collect: Worldwide stamps/covers, Cinderellas, Ohio Prepaid Sales Tax Receipts, U.S. WWII Ration ephemera
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Post by tomiseksj on Sept 6, 2013 18:50:47 GMT
I think you picked a good size for the frame relative to the stamp.
The beauty of designing your own pages is that you can change them as you see fit.
I applaud your effort to collect both unused and used copies of each stamp -- at this stage in my collecting career, I will gladly settle for either.
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Post by spain1850 on Sept 6, 2013 19:25:50 GMT
Most of the issues I will seek both used and unused. Probably not the early imperfs, or the first perforated set. And also probably not certain sets of the early 20th century. Those I will probably be happy with either one or the other, whichever I can afford.
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firstfrog2013
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Posts: 3,276
What I collect: BNA Liberia St Pierre U.S. Bolivia Turkey
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Post by firstfrog2013 on Sept 7, 2013 0:02:43 GMT
GREAT START !!!! At least your not eight again with no clue.keep us posted as it grows.
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Post by jkjblue on Sept 7, 2013 1:27:13 GMT
That didn't take long. Congratulations- looks good! . now the fun of filling the holes begins.....
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Post by spain1850 on Sept 7, 2013 5:22:25 GMT
Thanks guys!
firstfrog - Actually, I'm kind of wishing that I had this much of a clue when I started my Spain collection. It's just kind of a meandering collection with not much purpose. I think that's one reason I chose to try this Denmark project. I'm really considering trying a similar approach for my Spain now. It might actually light a spark for me.
jk - Yes, the holes............alllll of those holes! I've actually spotted several complete sets, both used and unused on ebay. But where would the fun in that be? I've got several small lot's from this set on my watchlist right now. We'll see. Meanwhile, I think I'll work on some more pages.
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Post by spain1850 on Sept 17, 2013 16:11:26 GMT
A little update - My Denmark "collection" includes a whopping 9 pages so far, a couple which are totally empty in anticipation of receiving some items.
What I'm finding right now is that I am inadvertently acquiring duplicate items. I've been bidding and buying like a madman over the last few weeks, and I really need to slow down and take stock of what I actually have, and what I need to complete my objective. I like buying small/medium size lots to browse through, but I need to focus more on getting individual items I don't have.
This brings me to a stage that I've never really had to worry about, and that is want/need lists. With my Spain collection I didn't need one, I pretty much knew what I had and needed. This is a bit different.
I will have to figure out which is best for my needs - Spreadsheet type of list, database or just good old paper and pencil.
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scb
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Post by scb on Sept 18, 2013 6:23:43 GMT
jk - The number of shade variations in Facit is INSANE! Just trying to whittle them down to a few representative shades is a task. And don't get me started on the inverted/normal frames. That's not the half of it. There are also thin/thick frame varieties and inverted watermarks on the bi-colors. I may have to re-think my page strategy. Trust me, it's just your average semi-specialized catalogue If you want to go really deep with Denmark, you'll need AFA Specialkatalog (about 1,000 pages, issued about every 5 years). If you want to dig deeper Finland, you'll need 'fat LAPE' (about 600 pages, issued every 3 years or so). ... -k-
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Post by spain1850 on Sept 18, 2013 6:34:20 GMT
Not sure how deep into the rabbit hole I want to venture just yet. I imagine there is also specialized literature for specific issues, as well?
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scb
Member
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Now at 100,000+ worldwide stamps, and progressing one stamp at a time towards the 200K
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Post by scb on Sept 18, 2013 12:18:51 GMT
Not just for specific issues, but also of specific stamps (such as Christian X 80รถ). As to be expected, most of these volumes are in Danish (and published by DFF / Danish federation).
But I'd definitely go with jkblue's suggestion and start by collecting a wide spectrum of things for at least 6 months, and then find out what attracts you most & digg further.
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Post by spain1850 on Sept 22, 2013 20:14:33 GMT
Well, my primary goal when I stared was to complete, as much as possible, a basic Denmark collection in both used and unused condition. Within reason of course. there are issues I'm sure I'll probably feel extremely lucky if I can afford either a single used or unused (if it's easier to find) example. Coinciding with the basic collection I'll also be looking for nice cancels and listed varieties. Beyond that, we'll see. having fun with the basic collection right now.
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Post by spain1850 on Oct 28, 2013 3:54:22 GMT
Just an update as what I'm up to with my Denmark collection: I now have 29 pages printed so far, between the years 1904-1953. Still haven't figured out how far I want to go with the bi-colored issues and the early imperfs. Still in the gathering stage I guess. Alot of these pages are still sparsely populated, however I have a decent, small collection on the way that will help me.
Over the last month or so I've been buying like a madman, maybe even a little too much. As things start coming in I'm finding quite a few duplicates I didn't realize. So, lately I've been working on a want/have list that I can reference while cruising ebay and bidstart. Now my perusing is becoming more focused and I can look for individual items or sets, although I'm still a sucker for groups of intersting items, especially for postmark/variety hunting.
One thing I've noticed while buying both Denmark and Sweden stamps is that groups of early, used Sweden can usually be had at lower prices, so I'm taking advantage of that. MNH stuff sells for a high percentage of CV.
For now, here are the same 3 pages as I posted earlier (Christian X set), so you can see the progress I'm making. I have a few more to mount on these pages as well, as soon as the come in.
[Broken image links removed]
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Post by spain1850 on Nov 4, 2013 5:07:17 GMT
My first 2 completed pages. Getting close on some others too. [Broken image link removed]
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cjd
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Post by cjd on Jan 30, 2014 4:17:02 GMT
spain, how is Denmark coming along? Facit is wonderful, but for me it is too much information to form a basis to collect from. Rather, I find it useful for identifying shades and varieties. I might think differently if I was concentrating on just one country. Scott Classic works for me in thinking about a representative collection. Here are the gray and slate varieties of Scott 26 (with blue) and 28 (with carmine), from 1875: [click to enlarge]
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