H.R. Harmer have been dropping hints about Bill Byerley’s Nicaragua collection coming to market for quite a while now but with the barest of details. That situation changed this week with the release of the auction catalogue, set to take place on November 12th. A named Nicaraguan auction is an infrequent event; one of the […]
eBay disrupts catalogue publishing with Stamp Market Index
eBay and Noble Spirit launch online database with over 200 million price transactions We’re now used to most facets of our lives being ‘disrupted’ by the advent of the internet. There are few business sectors that have not had to adjust or reinvent their business models to stay ahead of the game in today’s online […]
Exhibiting Latin America…from Denver to Stockholm (Part 2)
Back in Europe, the philatelic world was gearing up to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Royal Philatelic Society by hosting Stockholmia 2019 in the Swedish capital. This was a somewhat unusual blend of regional Scandinavian stamp show combined with a truly world class philatelic event, attracting around 8000 participants from 51 countries. Drawing on […]
Exhibiting Latin America…from Denver to Stockholm (Part 1)
A significant proportion of philatelic clubs and societies are inevitably based ‘in country’, supporting the local collector base and promoting the philately of the nation. There are, however, numerous societies around the world that are based thousands of miles away from the focus country, many with members who have never reached the shores of the […]
Stamp Dealers in Argentina and Uruguay
Once upon a time many of the world’s great cities maintained an active philatelic quartier. Stamp shops tended to congregate in a specific part of town to cater for the needs of a hungry collector base who would depend on local dealers to serve their needs. It is a business model that has been gradually […]
Top Drawer Ecuador at Westpex
Following the early Haiti auction in Spain in January, April sees a superb selection of Ecuador classics up for auction at the annual Westpex show in San Francisco. Long-term incumbent auctioneers at Westpex, Schuyler Rumsey, are presenting a very focused collection of some of the key pieces of Ecuadorian philately. The sale takes place on […]
Fakes, forgeries…and buying online
In the earlier years of philately, faking and forging was big business. In many ways, it still is, with money to be made by unscrupulous types offering dodgy imitations of current issues on eBay at knockdown prices. But in the first one-hundred years of philately, much of this activity was targeted primarily at philatelists who […]
Brian Moorhouse estate to be sold by Corinphila
The late Brian Moorhouse’s entire estate is to be sold by Swiss auction house Corinphila. In what promises to be one of the most important sales of Central and South American material in many years, the esteemed dealer’s stock holding will be sold off in a series of auctions. Brian Moorhouse died in July 2017 […]
Haiti specialized auction – time to take a Liberty?
Specialized single country Latin American auctions are occasional events: even more so as far as Haiti is concerned. However, next week sees an expansive, dedicated auction to just one stamp: the 1881-1887 Liberty Head. Soler y Llach in Barcelona is offering the ‘Hispaniola’ collection of Liberty Heads on the 31st January 2019. There is a […]
New specialized Argentina catalogue published
It wasn’t so long ago that stamp catalogues contained a handful of grainy, black and white images to help identify an issue. The new GJ Argentina Catalogue shows just how far things have come. Profusely illustrated in full colour on heavyweight, glossy paper, this A4 format catalogue brings the stamps to life and conveys a […]
The Collector | John Shaw | Paraguay
In the first of a new series, Latin America collectors share an insight into their passion for Central and South American stamps. Here, John Shaw MBE FRPSL discusses – amongst his many interests – his collection of early Paraguay, which was recently displayed at the Royal Philatelic Society London… CLA When and how did you […]
A visit to the Edificio Correos in San José
I visited Costa Rica last week and took some time out to take a look around the Edificio Correos in the heart of San José. In a country not known for its architectural beauty – not least because so much has been razed by successive earthquakes – the Central Post Office is a rare gem. […]