GANDHI STAMPS CLUB: April 2010

4/30/10

Pricing study of Gandhi USED cover - Part 1 ( Gandhi 1970 Mauritius Souvenier Sheet Register Cover )

Hello Gandhi Collectors

As you know I am studying Gandhi stamp pricing, Gandhi FDC pricing and now I started studying about Gandhi USED covers. It looks like pricing is declining in Gandhi collection in each and every catageory whether it is Gandhi Stamp or Gandhi FDC or Gandhi commerically Used Cover etc.

In this blog post I would like to bring your attention about my study on Mauritius Used covers. In April 2009 Mauritius Gandhi Souvenir sheet Register cover was sold for $1.84( 1.24 GBP). I am surprised by the price this cover was sold.

Seller is "theobargain" from UK and buyer is "indiephila" also from UK. Following is the screen shot taken from ebay. My other hobby is to collect this kind of screen shot for future reference for my Gandhi Pricing & Bidding study.

There were 2 bids on this item and one was mine. If I had not bidded on this item than this might have sold only for $1.35(0.99 GBP)

I am not sure why this Register cover only sold for $1.84. Do any one know why?

I have following questions.
1) Is there not enough interest in Gandhi USED covers?

2) Or there is not enough interest only in Mauritus Gandhi Used covers?

3) Is $1.84 is philatelic value of this cover?

4) What was correct postage required for Register cover in 1969/1970?

Also I see lot of Gandhi Register Cover from Mauritus for sale on ebay on regular basis (as if some one got postmark cancel or someone went to Mauritus in 1969 and made it.!!) and try to sell between 30-50$, but no one is buying it. I also see wide variety of postage affixed on this register cover so that's need to be studied in future. Also I don't think Gandhi collection was that famous in 1969 and except some dealers all were not that rich that can afford it to make this kind of covers. Also communication between collector was not that easy and fast like we have it today So I am suprised how this Register cover are popping up for sale on ebay and as well as delcampe.!!

I think $.184 is philatelic value in 2009 for this Mauritius 1970 Register cover because it was sold through open market in auction. This price was low because NO Shill bidding happen in this auction and no other Gandhi Collector or dealer was interested in this cover to buy it so value did not went up. Not sure why Indian dealers are not buying this kind of Mauritius cover to resell it at higher price or they are not averaging there purchase by buying this kind of cover.

This Souvenier Sheet has very good stamps of Gandhi in his different age and other things related to Gandhi. According to me this is one of the best Gandhi sheet printed ever, but still used register cover are not appealing to collectors at all.

Strange are things in Gandhi Used covers as I saw couple of months ago Register cover from Cameroun 1969 with Gandhi stamp sold for $460 (one of the expensive Gandhi used cover) and Mauritus cover is sold under $2. I am not sure why.?

I don't own this kind of Gandhi Mauritius Register Cover and not planning to add in my collection in my life time!!

Thanks
Gandhi Stamps Club

4/26/10

Gandhi stamp value declining.!! - Part 2 (Somalia Gandhi stamp and Yemen Gandhi stamp)

Hello Gandhi Collector,

It is a great news for new Gandhi Collector who want to start collecting Gandhi stamps because I am seeing Gandhi stamps value is really going down.
In January 2010 I wrote about Gandhi stamp value declining and I am writing part-2 about Gandhi Stamp value.
On April 23rd Gandhi stamp from Yemen sold for $3.50 & Gandhi 3 stamps from Somalia sold for $8.70 on ebay. Following is screen shot.

I bought Somalia & Yemen Gandhi stamps in January 2009 for $32.00. so I lost $20 which is 62%.!! During same time US stock market & 401k accounts went up by 40-50%.!! You might be thinking how in the world "Mr. Patel" paid this much!!. But I did as I was not aware about what's going on in Gandhi Philately.

Both transaction was from same seller "sedin01" from Isarel. (see at bottom of this blog post for more screen shot).
So this means that I lost money as well as this dealer"sedin01"also lost money(from profit) on this Gandhi stamps.
So again my questions are
1) Why price declining in Gandhi Stamps?
2) Is it temporary decline or forever.?
3) Or I paid more in Jan 2009? My answer is YES !! (Again My Experience)
4) Someone was/is playing with new Gandhi collectors (In this case it's me!!!)
5) What is real value of this stamps?
6) Are RESELLER of Gandhi stamps are more educated about bidding on Gandhi stamps? (Now they might be thinking what to do with this overpriced purchases.!!)
7) Do you think price will further decline and become just piece of paper instead of stamp?
I am not sure whether new collector will ever start collecting Gandhi stamps after reading this price declining in Gandhi stamps!! But I am sure by reading this blog post they will get some hint before they start collecting.
I am writing this because new collector as well as experienced collector should not go through this again.!!
Any comments or concerns are most welcome.

Thanks
Gandhi Stamps Club

Further Reading:-
1) Gandhi Stamp value declining.
2) Pricing Study on Gandhi FDC - Part 1

==========================================================
Following is bigger screen shot for more research.
1) My purchase in Jan 2009.

2) Following is Yemen & Somalia stamps sold on April 23rd 2010 for $3.50 & $8.20 which will combine $12.20

4/25/10

Pricing study on Gandhi FDC - Part 1 (Costa Rica Gandhi)

Hello Gandhi Collectors,

Today Costa Rica Gandhi FDC ended for $1.90 (1.24 Pounds) on ebay. If I have not bidded on this item than it might have gone for $1.35 (0.99 pounds).!!

Item was listed from United Kingdom (England) by seller "phil-centre" and buyer is unknown because of private listing. I don't know why seller wants to hide bidders, but my guess is that they want to hide their own bidding on their item(shill bidding) so they can increase the price, but that is different research/topic.

I am surprised by price at which this Costa Rica Gandhi FDC is sold and I am not sure what is the real value of Gandhi FDC.

Whether all this pricing is all FAKE (increased by seller) or value of Gandhi FDC is real.

In January I wrote about Gandhi stamp value declining and again my point is it really value declining? or buyer and dealers know this the GAME of Gandhi philately collection.!!!

I paid $10-15 in Feb 2009 when I just started collecting FDC so I am loosing value on this FDC. Is it strange that value is declining or I paid more as I was not aware of what's going on in Gandhi collection.

If any one knows real value of this FDC than please let us know so in future some other new Gandhi collector don't pay more money like me and he is aware of what is real situation instead of just jumping in Gandhi Philately by buying at more price and than regret like me.!!

Please read following series of my blog post to understand what is going on stamp collecting world specially in Indian Philatelic materials and then you decide.

1) 1948 Stamps False hope of Riches?
2) 1948 Gandhi Stamps: Are False hope of Riches - Part II ?
3) 1948 Gandhi Mourning Private FDC : Are False hope of Riches - Part III?
4) 1948 Expensive Gandhi FDC : Are False hope of Riches - Part IV?
5) 1948 Gandhi Stamps Early Usage cover : Gandhi Stamps Are False hope of Riches - Part V?
6) Maxi Card sold for $5100 with 1948 Gandhi Stamps - False hope of Riches - Part VI?
7) Indian Philately Exposed
8) Indian Philately Exposed - Part II
9) First Aerial Post - Indian Philately Exposed - Part III
10) 1911 First Aerial Post - Allahabad - Indian Philately Exposed - Part IV

So all collectors beware of a big hype or push to glorify not only Gandhi stamps collection but some other Indian Philatelic collection such as 1911 First Aerial Mail from Allahabad, King George V, King Edward, Queen Victoria and other British India Stamps

Thanks
Gandhi Stamps Club.

4/3/10

"Think Different" Gandhi & Apple.

Hello Gandhi Collectors,

On April 3rd Apple came out with IPAD. You might be wondering what to do with IPAD & Gandhi Philately.!!

"Think Different" was an advertising slogan created for Apple Computer in 1997 . It was used in a famous television commercial & several print & billboard advertisment for Apple products with Images of different famous people around the world including Gandhi, Einstein, Martin Luther King etc. Apple's use of the slogan was discontinued with the start of the Apple Switch ad campaign in 2002.

(image update on 4/28/10 so readers can see 44 cents stamps)

I understand about using images of MLK, Einstein, Dalai Lama, Muhammed Ali (boxer) & others but Gandhi has great power as an icon from 1890- till today and also in future. If you look at him and you think about him than you will really impressed by his thinking "Think Different" who believed in simplicity, calm, rebellion without violence.

When he died, all his belongings -- Bhagavad Gita (Hindu holy book), his toothbrush & khadki cloth, fit inside couple of shoe boxes. Also he has no "WILL" and so no royalty of his books goes to his family members. So Apple Mac, iMac, iPod, iTouch, iPhone, iPad & i......? are simplicity in look.

So on 3rd April I also started "Think Different"and made a event cover during IPAD deputs.

This is a genuine postmark cancel from USPS postoffice with Gandhi stamp on the cover.

I also started thinking other than Gandhi Rubber Stamps.!! "Think Different"
I know this is not a great Gandhi cover or event related to Gandhi, but I think differently.!! Also all things here are genuine such as stamp, postmark cancel and also photo. Photo is used as per APPLE Inc. guidelines with corporate logo of Apple and also mentioned about "Courtsey of Apple Inc" on my envelope(Event Cover). Following is the link for photos and Apple guidelines.
http://www.apple.com/pr/pics/thinkdiffads.html

Any comments are welcome. Thanks for reading & start thinking differently like Gandhi.!! Don't think like Apple.!!

Want to see more of this kind of my creation then click following links.

Martin Luther Memorial Dedication Cover in Washington DC. (coming soon)

Washington, DC Gandhi Statue Cover on October 2nd. (This Blog post)

25th Anniversary cover of Gandhi Statue in New York.

Ottawa Gandhi Statue Unveiling Cover with Diwali stamp.

10th Anniversary cover of 911 Memorial with Gandhi Stamps and CDS from NY.

Unveiling cover of One of the Largest Bronze Sculptor of Gandhi with other Humantrains in Oakland, CA

50th Anniversary cover of Mahatma Gandhi USA stamp with Special Pictorial Cancellation.

Apple IPad Launch cover Think Different "Gandhi & Apple"

Again thanks for reading and Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

Thanks

Ketankumar Patel.