scb
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Post by scb on Feb 22, 2019 8:55:22 GMT
I figure, as a good New Brunswicker, that all this should be in a "book". The reader of a Forum has limited time to go through your presentations (also done on other Forums). A business and multiple attached presentations present, as this one (for me) is a problem, even though everyone does it in 2019 but you do use the Forums for the purpose of Brixton-Chrome Inc.- A book, authored officially by you would not be the same. I will buy your book as a Book amongst others in my library - a reference. Pardon for off-railing the (otherwise very interesting) topic... But a printed philatelic book in 2019?!? Though I am attracted by print copy (and consider the user interface of printed book superior to any digital solution), the digital (be it ebook or blog/website) ships with number of superior features: cost (lower), distribution and reach (instant and worldwide), and above all there is a possibility to print your own copy at your own cost. All it takes is hitting the print button I think many of us stamp bloggers (and other wannabe-authors) have looked of the subject of getting our precious knowledge printed for future generations, but then experienced a cold shower with pricing. The last time I looked for POD (print-on-demand) publisher, the suggested retail price was on the line 100€ for 300 page A4-size book with half the pages in color; and fFor each sold copy I would have received a whooping 5% fee. The alternative route would have been to pre-order printed hard copies from China etc. cheap labour country. Though this does bring the cost per book down (order 500 hard copies, and you are at 1/4 of POD book pricing), it can leave the poor seller with mountain of unsold stock for years, possibly decades. For example earlier this year I bought "Forgeries of Portugal and Colonies" from PPS. The pricing was not so bad (40£ with postage), but they are still selling stock from 2002. Just some thoughts on the subject.... -k- PS. And just like Renden put it... Not meant as negative critique (or critic) for anyone, just a "comment".
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scb
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Post by scb on Jan 28, 2019 15:42:07 GMT
Way too long since I posted anything on this topic, but this week my 'digital baby' is turning big one-zero When looking back on all things achieved, I can only say thank you to all (hardcore) subscribers & fans of SCB.
Cheers and full steam ahead for the next 10 years -k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Jan 11, 2019 6:38:27 GMT
brixtonchrome... Welcome aboard. I've been a fan of your blog writings (esp. Nigeria, but Canada posts are nice too) pretty from the beginning. Nice to see you are getting back to weekly writing schedule. -k-
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scb
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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 Jan 8, 2019 15:05:10 GMT
My philatelic todo list for the year...
* Buy more catalogs/literature/knowledge - already checked (there's a big 4kg box of specialized catalogs coming my way)
* spend less time online, and more time with the stamps/collection
-k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Nov 2, 2018 9:12:21 GMT
Actually Scott is dead wrong on the perforations and colors, LOL.
There are 3 stamps for this value, all with same perforation, but with distinct shade and watermark
1) 1950 Rose, perf 14, Wmk Stars- this equals Scott O123
2) 1960 Carmine, perf 14, Wmk5 Asoka lions upright - Scott O148
3) 1969 Brown red - perf 14, Wmk5 Asoka lions rotated left - Scott O148a
Looking at colors alone, I would say your leftside stamp is 0148 and rightside is O123... But it really comes down to checking the watermark, as colors on screen aren't accurate and they can vary for other reasons as well.
-k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Jun 13, 2018 8:41:52 GMT
...and I am drawn between three different strategies: 1) Following the organisation in Scott 2) Following the orgnaisation in Michel 3) 'Old-school set-up' by splitting into Colonial Empires (and spheres of interest) and sort the non-colonial and 'new' countries by continent. The last option attracts me the most, due to the aspect of historiy as already mentioned by several in this thread. I would love to group all Portugues colonies in a couple of albums, keep all the German colonial issues together, British Empire and so on. However, it also creates many dilemmas. I know I've written this before, but why not mix different models (that's what I do) - I'm a happy collector mixing methods 2+3 .... Of course nobody else but you might not see rhyme and reason with how you draw those lines, but so what. It's your collection -k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Jun 13, 2018 8:25:08 GMT
The question is - why does Scott then not rather put emphasis on a decent description of the differences in design rather than the 'useless', awkard and 'terrifying' year inscriptions? The later is something I have tried to achieve on my pages - example given see the pages from 1875 onwards. No 'year' is needed, simply because the designs themselves is sufficient for identification. Which was also the driver for me to share with you guys in the first place. Oh this is one of my pet peeves (same with Michel, SG, Yvert etc. catalogues).... I can only salute the excellent pages/knowledge you shared. -k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Jun 13, 2018 8:14:03 GMT
Isn't that the purpose of it all feebletodix - great stuff (please keep it coming) -k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Jun 8, 2018 10:49:27 GMT
Happy to see join the crowd Jon -k- Thanks! I am not surprised to see you here, keijo ;-) Yep - I'm pretty much everywhere these days -k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Jun 8, 2018 8:09:26 GMT
Happy to see join the crowd Jon -k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Jun 3, 2018 18:46:30 GMT
Oh they are available, for example Dell's XPS and Latitude line provides 4k displays as option/default (depending on model). And HP EliteBook comes with 4K display. And...
-k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Jun 1, 2018 15:45:36 GMT
No, you're not nit-picking. sRGB is legacy product of the 1990s that should have died/evolved long time back (and only very recently web browsers have started to support other profiles than sRGB).
And true, with consumer (and even with professional level) devices, the best you can achieve with calibration etc. is finding the 'closest match' in specific colorspace. Most uses simply don't have need for 'true color reproduction'.
(and no, I'm not really a pro in this stuff. I just happen to use Photoshop etc. tools a lot, and thus I must know the 'basics' )
-k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Jun 1, 2018 15:19:42 GMT
Hi Doug,
nice to see you around again.
-k-
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scb
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Post by scb on May 31, 2018 6:36:02 GMT
Forget any 'manual' approach - especially if you even suspect color blindness. For display calibration buy yourself one of these: www.datacolor.com/photography-design/product-overview/spyder5-family/ (and choose the Spyder Pro) It is pretty much the cheapest 'decent' display calibration tool (for example X-Rite used by professionals is about three times the cost).... And you might want to ask around if some local library/school/business has one for rent/loan - a number of organizations have these but for some reason they mostly gather dust unused.... Spyder is VERY simple and easy to use: place it hanging on top of screen, plug into USB and you're all done in 5-10 minutes (and basically all calibration tools work the same way - the only difference comes with price/number of 'fine tuning' options/screens). Then repeat the process few times a year. Re, scanner calibration... If it is a consumer level device, then don't meddle with the settings, just use the provided drivers (which include factory calibration). For higher end devices you can build custom ICC profiles by using calibration sheet/film (usually provided with the product, but you can also buy them at photography shops etc). -k-
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scb
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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 May 20, 2018 9:17:21 GMT
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scb
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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 May 15, 2018 6:09:48 GMT
There are actually several (somewhat old) discussions of "DIY Signascope" on German forums (see for example www.philaseiten.de/cgi-bin/index.pl?F=1&CP=5&ST=2645&full=1). Some say they've actually build working one for about 30€ of equipment costs. It's been on my 'try this during the summer' list for years (and always postponed due to other things). -k-
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scb
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Post by scb on May 14, 2018 4:59:53 GMT
seigaku .... Usually both litho and typo respond the same way (no transferred relief)... Possibly the best telltale of typo stamp are protruding edges (with offset/litho edges are straight). I've showed the below image on my website time and again as example of litho (left) vs. typo (right). Sometimes you'll see the difference without any tools, sometimes you need a magnifier/microscope to have a proper look.
-k-
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scb
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Post by scb on May 13, 2018 18:24:48 GMT
1. Take a piece of kitchen (aluminium) foil
2. place it on top of stamp that you want to test (engraved or not)
3. Gently rub the foil on top of the stamp with eraser (or similar soft unit) at least 5-6 times, and at least until you see the stamps outlines(teeth) coming out.
4. Flip the foil... If the stamp is engraved, you'll see a mirrored image of engraved parts transferred to foil. And if the stamp is offset-litho or other flat surface printing, all you see is outlines/teeth of the stamp.
This trick has got 100% success rate.
-k-
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scb
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Post by scb on May 13, 2018 7:47:42 GMT
Yep. I mean the base philosophy behind it is very simple, but trying to recreate it is painful.... This is how I've "reverse engineered" in my head. Watermarks are thinner than other areas of the stamp, bit like bumps on flat surface. When you press/roll/push on top of the stamp, the plastic has to be "elastic" enough to adapt into those microscopic bumps, but also elastic enough to eventually raise back up to original shape (I think this is where zipbags etc fail, at least my MB sachet feels bit like "raincoat"). Now enter gravity, which allows the remaining gel to flow and fill the bumbs on the bottom (but if the gel is too sticky it will not flow)... And voila, you should have image of watermark.
In a way this is not much different from using kitchen foil & rubber for detecting whether or not stamp is engraved.
-k-
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scb
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Post by scb on May 12, 2018 6:41:57 GMT
Interesting... I've experimented with similar idea (as I've got a dead Morley-Bright that I am kind of fond off). What has held me back is that I would like easy, solid and durable pouch (i.e. something similar to original). I've played with zip bags etc. but they are too "soft" for long term use. But your idea of using "heavy duty" cloth sounds something that could work.... One could melt/seal the edges with hot iron as final step. As for gel... I've been playing with various transparent gels (cosmetic/healthcare) to which I've mixed a drop of dark blue ink. Toothpaste works best But you really have to be careful how much you use it (about size of pea seems to work). Replacing the ink with some water soluble pigment might be a smart idea, as ink can get bit messy. -k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Apr 27, 2018 13:41:04 GMT
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scb
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Post by scb on Apr 25, 2018 5:14:28 GMT
Nice flower mini-sheet from 2012 Finland - Suomi The above Finnish sheet actually brings up an interesting aside topic.... In Finland students (from 7th to 9th grade) have to collect plants and make a presentation folder of it (as illustrated by the sheet). Way back the list of plants to collect contained hundreds, and people had to sew each of them to presentation pages correctly identified. For many the folders were pride and joy kept for lifetime. Then in the 1960/70s the custom was totally abolished (I'm a prime example of the generation that never did it). But in this century the tradition has been brought back with more limited lists (just 50-75 plants in three years) and more flexible presentation. Most kids just take a 'selfie with the plant', and those who collect actual plants cover them in tape (the illustration on the sheet is definitely build by "professional" crafts person). So you can imagine the surprise the teachers have had when all my kids have brought up "old fashioned" folders where plants have been sewed to pages. And no, this didn't happen automatically (LOL)- it was preceded by long talks about the importance of presentation, and archivability (especially on what happens to tape over decades). -k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Apr 13, 2018 8:56:42 GMT
I can't believe it's been 4+ months since I last updated this topic. But apparently time flies when you're having fun... Here's a short brief what's happened with www.stampcollectingblog.com/ in recent times/months... I just completed a three part study which dives DEEP into world of perforations: how accurate (or inaccurate) are the tools we use to measure perforations, why those inaccuracies exist, and last but not least - can a collector rely on catalog data (and what are the alternatives). There's lots of data & opinions for those interested on the technical side of stamp collecting. Below is one of the (many) stamps that several catalogs/sources provide false perforation data: And there's a wide variety of new articles providing insights into various forgeries, varieties, cinderellas etc. entering my worldwide collection. And of course all this is (still) beefed up with my opinions on life of regular worldwide collector... As always, new (and old) readers are welcomed to sign up & dive in... -k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Mar 25, 2018 6:43:15 GMT
I totally agree, which is why I stick with traditional (Michel, Gibbons, Scott, Yvert + specialized country) catalogues & handbooks most of the time (the only exception being stamps from the past year or two).
-k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Mar 22, 2018 17:25:57 GMT
Based on the looks of data (especially keywords, but also other bits of it) it seems to be based entirely on (slighty outdated) Colnect data.
If you have the Colnect developer/API-keys (or you otherwise can harvest their data), then creating a (pdf/epub/whatever) publication as this is not a big deal. All it takes is some programming knowledge...
-k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Feb 24, 2018 12:07:17 GMT
Personally I'll give a vote for Ghostery - it's essentially a '3rd party tracking blocker'. What I like about it is the fact it doesn't mess with default functionality of a website nor ads. It just blocks the '3rd party tracking' part of it all, and lets you control settings on side-specific level.
The downside of all browser extensions is that they are desktop only. If you want something similar for the mobile, then you need to install a 'security/privacy browser' - for example Ghostery provides a Ghostery Privacy Browser (see play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ghostery.android.ghostery ) - it is basically the same Chromium you would use normally on Android, but with number privacy related settings enabled + some custom features on top of it all. -k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Feb 23, 2018 17:32:10 GMT
Definitely not legit. Some kind of phishing malware has crept on your device I'd say... You might try cleaning up the browser's cache first (just in case it's some Javascript-based thingie coming from cache) And if that doesn't fix things, then it's linked with some app you've installed.
-k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Feb 19, 2018 5:37:27 GMT
Nice - here's related item from my collection. The Polish collector I got this from told this was issued in 1962: -k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Jan 7, 2018 8:16:38 GMT
My experiences with old hinges...
Brown paper hinges - no success whatsoever in removing them. Leave them as is. (that said, there is also another type of 'brown paper' hinges which is similar to below white paper hinge)
White paper hinges - these have got a really thick and sticky gum, which will soften in about 10 minutes in boiling hot water, after which you'll have to slide a sharp blade in between the hinge & stamp, and 'cut' the gum. After some extra soaking, the gum can be scraped off.
Those glassine hinges you've got - let them soak for 5-10 minutes in hot water, then start 'poking/pushing/lifting' (very gently with tweezer tip) the hinge from the edges so that some water gets 'behind'. Work one millimeter at a time, and let it soak more if progress comes to halt. Sometimes the whole hinge will come off pretty easily in 5-10 minutes once water gets behind, sometimes it will take several hours to complete the process. (And no, these hinges don't have any extra gum applied. It is just the combination of arabic gum + 'wax paper/glassine' used that makes them so persistent to water)
-k-
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scb
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Post by scb on Dec 4, 2017 6:45:30 GMT
Thank you for pointing out in the most theatrical way possible my misstatement scb. Hopefully no feelings were hurt. At least it was not the intention... Beryllium Guy - thanks for card image. Agree, it appears as hotel/holiday souvenir. So I guess diplomatic and other official mail can be ruled out. -k-
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