The COVID crisis is challenging the status quo in so many aspects of our lives: some for better, some for worse, many unknown. Stamp collecting, though, has received an unprecedented boost and has been firmly propelled into the digital age (apologies, it now appears compulsory to use the word ‘unprecedented’ at least once in every […]
$800,000+ Venezuela auction kicks off 2020
Auction trends in 2020 and a fabulous collection of Venezuela comes to market Like so many industries around us, the philatelic auction business has gone into hibernation mode. The inability for people to gather means the physical perusing of auction lots is not going to happen for a good while yet. Most of the major […]
The Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue: a review
Once upon a time, Stanley Gibbons’ twin volume South America and Central America catalogues were my daily reference tools. They are still powerful weapons in the Latin America collector’s armoury but for a number of years, the Scott Classic Specialized has been my ‘go to’ first port of call. Gibbons hasn’t updated the aforementioned volumes […]
Introducing ELASCA – The European Latin American Stamp Collector Association
Most Latin American countries have their own specialized society but what if your tastes are broader and you want to encompass the region as a whole? Regional societies and journals have thrived in the past, notably The Mainsheet from the UK-based Spanish Main Society. In the US, the Latin America Philatelic Society was active from […]
Moorhouse Part II, SCADTA, Knox Martin & Bulls Eyes
As the decade draws to a close there is still the opportunity to squeeze in a final few auctions to tempt the Latin American bidder. But first to a brief summary of the Nicaragua sale earlier this month. This was always going to be a difficult auction on which to correctly assess reserves. In comparison […]
The Collector | Neal West | Nicaragua
For more than twenty years, Neal West was the President of The Nicaragua Study Group (N.S.G). His most recent exhibit is Nicaragua’s Revenue Based Postal Provisional Stamps and Uses 1908-1911. CLA How did you first begin to collect stamps? NW My father was a life-long stamp collector and not surprisingly (for the period of the late 1940’s […]
Important Nicaragua at Harmers
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 […]