The more I learn of this hobby, the less I realize that I actually know
I’m a great believer in education and knowledge, and definitely belief that knowledge is power. But the more I learn of this hobby, the less I realize that I actually know. I guess it’s part of “with much wisdom comes much sorrow” stuff.
Take for example Australia International stamps. During the weekend I soaked a pile of these from kiloware I had accumulated for some time. While studying Michel’s listings, I noted there could be varieties with some of the values – originating from so called “4 Koala reprint”. I decided to poke a bit deeper using online resources, and learned that since 1988 Australian post has used marginal/selvage emblems (koalas and/or kangaroos) to separate reprints. The first print has no marginal marking, the second one koala emblem, the third two koalas and so on. The sixth printing is marked by a kangaroo, the seventh by a kangaroo and a koala, the eight a Kangaroo and two koalas. Fascinating new piece of knowledge that may be useful some day.
2000 Australia. With modern Australian stamps selvage / margin (like with 3.00$ International Post stamp) can tell from what print the stamp came from. A blanc margin equals first print.
Very likely one of those areas where I’m totally blue-eyed are forgeries. The other day I stumbled upon some nice looking old stamps in stamp related online discussion. I thought these look nice… Wham! Few minutes later they were deemed as obvious fakes by more knowledgeable collectors…I hope that I’m knowledgeable enough to identify the most obvious crude fakes. But very likely I could not ever tell apart most Sperati or Spiro “reproductions” from real ones; and classic US stamps are something I would not even dare to collect with my current level of knowledge. I simply lack proper education of these. But each time I see or read about forgeries, reproductions etc. I learn a bit of new stuff.
A forgery of Finnish 1856 10 kop oval stamp. Pretty much all the details (crowns, lion, stars, posthorns, impression/print output, postmark etc) look wrong when compared to real thing.
I’m definitely here to learn more, and I have a feeling that like most good things in life, stamp collecting is a never ending journey with lifelong learning experience. Though there are milestones, like completing a set, year or even a completing a country collection, there’s always something new to endeavor and learn. That’s what makes collecting stamps so much fun – at least for me.
2010 Australia, Colonial heritage m/s. Sometimes good deeds do pay up in most unexpected ways. I did a small favor to fellow collector, and he sent me unexpectedly some items, including this beauty. It definitely made my day!
Just my 2 cents worth. Please feel free to share Your comments / opinions…
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It’’s difficult to not to agree…
After 55 years of collecting, I have learned this:
The more I know, the more I know I don’t know. This is an ever expanding field of collecting. I spend 8-16 hours a day at collecting now that I am retired. I have purchased many collections over the years that I have yet to piece out. But I have finally decided to eliminate all 1941 to date stamps and concentrate on the classics 1850 to 1940. The variety among these years alone just boggles the mind. It keeps me on my toes. Yes, I am finding counterfeits and stamps that have been malifide in some way.
That is what makes it all a challenge after being an investigator with Home Land Security in the United States for many years. Malifide documents, counterfeits, and imposters. Investigative work just fascinates me.
I definitely agree that thrill of the chase / hunt for knowledge is extremely fascinating. But I admit, that at least for me the process involves a lot of trial and error, and poking around (sometimes desperately), LOL.
The Aussie sheetlet is quite nice. I would love to get one especially postally used.
.
Besides the old saying about the more we know the more we realize how much we don’t know, is this poem, created by some clever person from the mutterings of Donald Rumsfeld at one of his press conferences.
.
The Unknown
———–
As we know,
There are known knowns.
They are the things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns,
The ones we don’t know
We don’t know.
.
The Aussie sheetlet is quite nice. I would love to get one especially postally used.
Based on Castlegraig,NSW-postmark, this one (and pretty likely most copies on the markets) is from a sending by Glen Stephens (stamp dealer extraordinaire). AFAIK, he’s been using these beauties to ship all heavy parcels since August.
Love the verse, Wisdoms of life in easy to remember format. LOL.
Hei Keijo!
Being quite new to your blog, again, great site! I am still enjoying reading the many articles on your site!
I am also going to curse you if I find myself tempted to try to start collecting the “world” again! Just dealing with my home country of Canada is proving to be a daunting task,…but you certainly are making me consider it,…
And you are truly becoming very knowledgeable when you admit the more a person learns, the less you actually really know! It is a humbling realization when it finally occurs,…and in my opinion is the hallmark of someone who is developing a very solid grasp of the complexities of this hobby/passion/obsession. When a person admits this to themselves and accepts it, it opens the door to the attempt of gaining further knowledge – for like yourself, I too have learned many lessons through trial and error, sometimes with an additional lesson of lost $$$. But experience is known to be a good teacher.
And when you mentioned forgeries it brought a smile to my face. I have a Canada Plate Block I purchased as an unknown double print error. Out of four fellow collectors I respect very much, one didn’t know, two said genuine, one said an amazing fake. I took it to three dealers with the same result – one unsure, one said real, the other said fake. I then spent a fair bit of money by sending it to experts for certification – one said unsure (no charge), the other said fake (but deemed it to be a very, very, well done fake). So here I sit wondering just what in the heck I have,…I don’t know,…but I will continue to learn, and maybe someday,….this sure is a challenging and very fun hobby!
@Marvin… There’s this little devil that sits on one of my shoulders and keeps telling me to buy everything. He’s a worldwide stamp collector too