coastwatcher
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What I collect: Currently focusing on US and possessions
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Post by coastwatcher on Jun 14, 2019 1:37:49 GMT
A woman has accused an employee of the Rocky Mountain Philatelic Library in Colorado of stealing a valuable Washington-Franklin stamp. Parker woman says valuable stamp stolen during appraisal
If true, this obviously can’t be good for the hobby or the RMPL even if it was a run-of-the-mill Washington-Franklin variety valued at 25 cents. |
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angore
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What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Jun 14, 2019 10:19:07 GMT
I doubt it was rare. As usual a group or person has to decide to either say as little as possible, fully disclose, or attack the accuser in response.
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khj
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Post by khj on Jun 14, 2019 18:30:01 GMT
I doubt it was a rare stamp as well. But...
We get these "I got a rare stamp, where should I go get it appraised/sold" questions in the various forums all the time. Needless to say, 99.9% it is just common material. Occasionally, there is a stamp that would actually net a few hundred or even a thousand or so. Every 5 years or so, a bona fide $10K+ stamp will actually pop up. So it does happen. Just never happens to stamp lots that we buy.
I was briefly at another very small forum that is now closed. During the time I was there, I evaluated less than 50 "anything valuable in here" posts, but among them were at least 3 good ones. One was a group of test stamp strips/covers that he inherited from his father who had received them as a gift from another person whose company had done work on them for the postal service. Those turned out to be an uncommon variety, and the lot worth a few hundred easy to a specialist. The 2nd was a couple of Canadian booklets with an uncommon booklet cover variety. Unfortunately, they were a little beat up, but the catalog total was also a few hundred. The best group was a group of Upper Silesia covers, that later turned out to be genuine (certified by expert in Europe) with auction ENV in the thousands. All that in less than 6 months that I participated in that forum. Never had so many good/interesting stamps pop up from non-collectors in such a short period of time. Sigh, one can only dream it will happen to...
Back to the new article. According to the library, the employee in question was in fact terminated (I assume that means he was fired) and the library is cooperating with police. So what the actual story is, remains to be seen. But apparently the library at least recognized there was a problem with the employee, although the reason the employee was terminated is not given in the news article.
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coastwatcher
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Kentucky, USA
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What I collect: Currently focusing on US and possessions
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Post by coastwatcher on Jun 14, 2019 21:08:28 GMT
Even if was not rare, it was still her property and he had no right to walk away with it, let alone throw it away. Although there’s probably more to this story than meets the eye, I think that the stamp might have some value...why else would he do such a thing? I certainly wouldn’t tell someone that their property was worthless, tell them that I was going to throw it away and basically steal it.
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khj
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Post by khj on Jun 15, 2019 2:56:24 GMT
I'm assuming that's why he got fired (for taking the stamp). Whether he stole it or actually threw it away, that is another issue. And yes, people do throw away what they think are worthless stamps. I had one stamp collector who threw away several of what he felt were my "worthless" stamps that I was soaking off paper because they were "damaged". Didn't matter if I already had those stamps in my collection or not (and no, I didn't have several of those stamps). He felt he was doing me a favor. So few things surprise me any more. I'm sure if my wife had her way, she'd throw away all my stamps.  |
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angore
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What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Jun 15, 2019 10:45:20 GMT
The second sentence of my first post was wondering if we will ever hear any more about it. If it was not for these forums, very few would have seen it and not sure if the RMPL will suffer adverse effects due to publicity. I agree that even if no value it was her property. It would be nice to get a fuller report so the full story is known as there is speculation on some details but doubt it will be publicized like the original story.
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Beryllium Guy
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What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 15, 2019 20:02:27 GMT
Interesting discussion.... coastwatcher , sorry to say that when I click on the link, it states that the content is not available in my region. Any chance that you or someone else could cut and paste the content into the thread so that I could read it? Thanks! |
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angore
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What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Jun 15, 2019 20:09:53 GMT
This is the current posting but it is worded differently than when I first read it. The version I read said the person no longer worked there and this says terminated.
PARKER, Colo. -- A Parker woman says a man stole a valuable stamp while he was appraising it.
Jennifer Hall says the George Washington 2-cent stamp was handed down to her as part of a family heirloom collection.
Hall tells FOX31 she learned the stamp was more than 80 years old. Similar stamps were valued at more than $65,000.
"I got really excited," Hall said.
Not knowing much about stamp collecting, Hall decided to take the item to a respected stamp library, the Rocky Mountain Philatelic Library in southeast Denver. At the library, Hall says a man named John informed her the stamp collection wasn’t worth anything.
Hall says the man then picked up the stamp and left.
"He said, 'I'll just throw this one away because it's not worth anything.' And I said, 'No, it's my stamp.' He left and walked away from the table before I could get up and follow him," Hall said.
The FOX31 Problem Solvers asked the staff at the library about the incident. The management explained that the man has been terminated and they are cooperating with police.
Investigators are searching for the man.
Hall tells the Problem Solvers without the actual stamp, its value or liability in the case can’t be determined.
Collection experts tell the Problem Solvers whether you have stamps or coins, it’s important to have them evaluated at a certified appraiser or a dealer, not a collection library. Always put your stamps or coins in a book and photograph them before ever taking them to be appraised. It is also a good idea to create a recording of the appraisal.
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kasvik
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What I collect: Cancels mostly, especially Sweden Gävle and Lidingö, Switzerland Geneva, Germany Pforzheim
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Post by kasvik on Jun 15, 2019 23:17:20 GMT
Is this one of those cruddy situations where suspicion wins? Where the one person who really knows might be guilty, but is basically doomed by allegation? No one else ever will know for sure.
My take-away: be careful, especially with optimistic innocents, anyone with an inherited collection who knows nothing, except maybe catalogue values are to be taken literally. The situation reminds me of the male teacher or boss when a student or subordinate enters; keep the door open. Do appraisals elbow-to-elbow, or send them away.
Thanks coastwatcher for the lesson.
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brightonpete
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Post by brightonpete on Jun 15, 2019 23:23:39 GMT
What I don't understand, is why he said he would throw it away. It doesn't belong to him. Whether it is worthless or not, who ever checked the stamp had no right to throw it away. It should have been returned to the person who brought it in!
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khj
Member
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Post by khj on Jun 16, 2019 2:47:12 GMT
As I mentioned, having some of my stamps deliberated tossed has happened to me. Another collector simply decided he was doing me a favor by throwing away my damaged stamps. Go figure. Needless to say, I never let him close to any of stamps again. It was no real loss, as I got replacement stamps over time. I'm sure I've misplaced more than stamps than he threw away. I've even seen a couple of my stamps that actually fell from my table and into my trash bin!
But yeah, it is rather annoying when someone decides to throw away something that they know belongs to someone else. I'm certainly not justifying it, but I can see how the other collector saw some of my stamps as trash and did what he normally does with trash. Some people just "think" differently. Just glad my wife hasn't tossed me in the trash can, yet (emphasis on "yet").
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vikingeck
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What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Jun 16, 2019 9:29:10 GMT
What’s a “Washington Franklin “ stamp please? Does any one have a picture?
?
”more than 80 years old” puts it about 1930s are any US stamps of that era worth $1000s?
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coastwatcher
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Kentucky, USA
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What I collect: Currently focusing on US and possessions
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Post by coastwatcher on Jun 16, 2019 9:37:07 GMT
With this being discussed on several different philatelic forums, it looks as though the RMPL would issue some sort of statement. They might be waiting to see whether or not the man is charged and, if so, for what.
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coastwatcher
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Kentucky, USA
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What I collect: Currently focusing on US and possessions
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Post by coastwatcher on Jun 16, 2019 9:48:46 GMT
vikingeck , the Washington-Franklin series, also known as the 3rd Bureau Issue, was a series of US definitive stamps first issued in 1908 and produced through the early 1920s. There was quite a large variety with different perfs, watermarks, printing types, ete. and, yes, many of the rarer varieties can command very high prices. 
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vikingeck
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What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Jun 16, 2019 10:04:17 GMT
Ah yes thanks. coastwatcher I had not realised the name applied to that particular series. I some how thought the news media had got confused. I am aware there were issues with flatbed versus rotary printings so that could be where the “valuable stamp” idea arises . Sorry for the query, I am not a collector of US |
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Beryllium Guy
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What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 16, 2019 12:33:01 GMT
vikingeck , the Washington-Franklin series, also known as the 3rd Bureau Issue, was a series of US definitive stamps first issued in 1908 and produced through the early 1920s. There was quite a large variety with different perfs, watermarks, printing types, ete. and, yes, many of the rarer varieties can command very high prices. Are you sure about those images, coastwatcher ? I always thought that the Washington-Franklin issues looked like these examples:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington%E2%80%93Franklin_IssuesThis image was borrowed from Wikipedia, as I do not have my own stamps with me to scan any just now, but the Wikipedia write-up and images are aligned with what I had always thought. Other comments are welcome, of course! I am always happy to learn more.... |
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tomiseksj
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Woodbridge, Virginia, USA
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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 Jun 16, 2019 12:56:36 GMT
For those so inclined, James Dire has posted an identifier for this series that can be accessed here. There is also a nice Washington-Franklin identifier tool at stampsmarter.com. |
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darkormex
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Swinging through Switzerland and getting tied up in Thailand
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What I collect: The World...just printing and mounting as I go...call me crazy!
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Post by darkormex on Jun 16, 2019 13:53:19 GMT
Thank you for posting these links. I always appreciate stampy-folks who take the time to create identifiers like these.
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coastwatcher
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Kentucky, USA
Posts: 506
What I collect: Currently focusing on US and possessions
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Post by coastwatcher on Jun 16, 2019 17:08:19 GMT
vikingeck , the Washington-Franklin series, also known as the 3rd Bureau Issue, was a series of US definitive stamps first issued in 1908 and produced through the early 1920s. There was quite a large variety with different perfs, watermarks, printing types, ete. and, yes, many of the rarer varieties can command very high prices. Are you sure about those images, coastwatcher ? I always thought that the Washington-Franklin issues looked like these examples: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington%E2%80%93Franklin_IssuesThis image was borrowed from Wikipedia, as I do not have my own stamps with me to scan any just now, but the Wikipedia write-up and images are aligned with what I had always thought. Other comments are welcome, of course! I am always happy to learn more.... Beryllium Guy...You are right! I had only been up for a few minutes when I posted this and was still half asleep. What I inadvertently posted were examples of the 4th Bureau Issue. Thanks for catching this. |
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kasvik
Member
Posts: 607
What I collect: Cancels mostly, especially Sweden Gävle and Lidingö, Switzerland Geneva, Germany Pforzheim
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Post by kasvik on Apr 24, 2020 1:05:15 GMT
Here's something I liked. Why are so many philatelists such sensible people? If your collect Nordics Jay Smith is part of life. I like him for his sincerity and judgment. It was Jay who got me collecting in 2004. Like any prominent dealer, he gets deluged by heirs and dreamers with a magic stamp. Veterans know what they're looking at; pretty paper usually. But how to tell the wishful/innocent? It's like a doctor saying 'We did everything we could...' This from Jay's latest weekly e-mail:
Ouch. He goes on to distinguish variety, oddity, error and freak; all with their potential: www.jaysmith.com
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