10/10/11

My 9 Lessons Learned.!! - Gandhi Stamps Collectors and Philatelist needs to know my worst purchase!!

Hello Gandhi Collectors,

As you all know that I am writing about my experience of buying Gandhi philatelic material on ebay and delcampe so all Gandhi collectors (new or experienced) will not get cheated.

In Feb 2009 I bought some philatelic material from "dkkphila". Very interesting seller. As I was new in this collection I was not aware of pricing, quality etc needs to be collected. so this person made me fool.!!.

I learned from my mistake and I don't want new collectors as well others needs to through this kind of cheating. So I am sharing my experience with all of you.

Lesson # 1:- Don't buy from low feedback seller. (ebay id "dkkphila" has only 16 feedback!!).

Lesson # 2:- Don't buy multiple items from single seller initially in order to save on shipping.!!

Lesson # 3:- If possible do research on feedback. If you see after this Lesson section that "dkkphila" feedback you will be amazed how he is trying to fool all of us. Don't try to buy from greedy collectors who wants to sell their bad quality philatelic items.!!

Lesson #4 :- Don't buy Gandhi stamp for more than $1 or any FDC between $1-$5.  There are ENOUGH STAMPS AND FDC of Gandhi out there EXCEPT SOME. and that you need it in future after understanding thoroughly how Gandhi Philately works. i.e after 3-4 years.

Lesson #5 :- If collecting philatelic material such as used postcards, register cover please make sure basic things other wise it easy to make RUBBER stamp and stamped it on cover or postcard and $1 stamp will  be selling for $10 or more.!!

Lesson #6 :- Don't go for ERROR material. It is made for ERROR (such as all overprint stamps or printed incorrectly) they  will start coming in market after 30-40 years so no one can find right source who did or from where it came from.!! If it is really error then it should show up immediately like " USA stamp Inverted Jenny" which was found in 4 days from regular postoffice and started selling at premium.

Lesson #7 :- Make sure following
* Who it is addressed to
* Who is sender of philatelic material.
* Who was original creator of this philatelic material.
* Who is seller (country, activity in last 2-3 years etc).
* # of covers officially mailed in postal stream or just rubber stamp on both sides.(like any FFC after 2000).
* Total # of covers made
* Make sure Postmark Cancellation date and it's quality on front.
*  Receiving Cancellation Date Stamp or barcode etc.
* If philatelic material is like "Gandhi Boycott Label" can be it reprinted.?
* Other supporting proof that it is genuine.

If you don't make sure above things then  you will end up having cover similar to 1948 Nepal or 1969 or 2009 Mauritius covers or like FAKE or possible forgery1969 special cancellation from Burma, Fiji, Czechoslvoakia, Luxembourg or 2009 Germany Cancellation.!!!

Lesson #8:- Think how Easy is to make a RUBBER stamp before you go for any special cancellation or any old cover with postmark cancel.

Lesson #9:- Don't buy Fixed price item if it is high price or don't justify. Do research about completed items for 2-3 months on ebay or delcampe to know price. Also don't just blindly take that previous selling price granted. It might be over inflated or shill bidding might happen in that in order to show it's selling at that particular price.  So use your own judgement to decide the price other wise it will happen like me. Paid high price for very bad quality.!!

Let me explain #3, On ebay & delcampe ID "dkkphila" and "kad_ss" is the same person. If you look at his feedback you will see he writes NEGATIVE FEEDBACK for himself.!! in order to make us fool (idiot) that he is not same.!!! Click following link and you will notice that. ( buy if you want to honor the deal!!)

http://delcampe.net/page/member/id_member,00208860,language,E.html  (See all the way to end, first feedback or see following screen shot from delcampe feedback.).



By doing he is trying to make that dkkphila is not kad_ss.!!!

But This is  SHILL Bidding. Bidding on own item.!!

I bought very bad quality  item at very high price from dkkphila.You can see this in following screen shot.

http://delcampe.net/page/item/id,0047556836,language,E.html

http://delcampe.net/page/item/id,0047558923,language,E.html

http://delcampe.net/page/item/id,0047557312,language,E.html


So now you know why I have started writing about pricing  of Gandhi Philatelic material.  In short do more research about seller, pricing, quality etc.

I know not all buyer with low feedback are bad but need to take extra eye when purchasing. Also half of the seller who sells GANDHI philatelic material are Bogus (FAKE identity) and half of them belongs to dkkphila.!! That's why it stop with 16 feedback.!!

It's a small cartel (group of seller/collectors/dealer who are trying to increase price by bidding on friends and family) out there in ebay and delcampe auction site.!! (Again this is illegal in USA as well as UK and other countries).

I hope this will help all Gandhi Collectors. If all Gandhi Collectors share this kind of info we all will enjoy this hobby instead of collectors quitting this hobby  after buying this kind of material.

Do you agree with me that I paid high price on worst quality?
Have you ever feel that  you have been cheated?

What are your feelings about cheating happened to you? Please share your thoughts in the Comments section.

It's amazing out there.!!!


You will be surprised when you see following screenshot from eBay.

Lot of 40 first day covers from Great Britain from 1980 - 1996 were sold for $1.!!

That means who invested or collected and paid more than $30-$50 has to take a great loss!!

So now think what will happen to your collection if you start now or if you started 5-10 years ago.!!!

Just bringing the TRUTH about stamp collecting hobby so you don't regret in future that you were cheated or you might feel "I was not involved in stamp collection.!!!"

So be careful what are you collecting.!!


Stamp Valuation is in mind of every experienced as well as new collectors.

New collectors will be surprised that their stamps 100+ years old is worth under $1.!!  (just couple of cents or no buyer also!!). 

Don't think that old stamp means it is valuable.

It all depends on Current Market trends of stamp collection. (Which is DECLINING since last 10 years and it's going down tremendously since last 5 years.!!). 

Read my following blog post to understand about stamp collection in DECLINE.!!

1) A Hobby in Decline : 1948 Gandhi USED cover case study.!!
2) A Hobby in Decline.!! - Part-2
3) How to invest when philately price is dropping.

If you see stamps are not even selling or selling like 5-10 times lower their value than mentioned in catalog.!!

There is nothing RARE or Scare in philately because this hobby is in downward trend because experienced collectors are loosing interest because value is not appreciating and new collectors are not coming in to this because there are lot of other things to do for them such as playing video games on Nintendo or X-box , social networking on facebook or google+ or  surfing on web through internet or SMS through iphone or android or watch games such as cricket, football or basketball.!!

Only way philately can sustain is to stop cheating in this hobby. Yes CHEATING.!! which is what you will see in order to increase value artificially by inflating the price by SHILL bidding, not paying to seller or mutual understanding cancelling transaction and lot more.

To know more about this kind of activity read my following blog post and think what are the possibilities in cheating, glorification, SHILL bidding, FAKE, Forgery etc.

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) Gandhi SERVICE overprint stamp price fell from $1009 to $1.!!
10) How can you tell that Gandhi SERVICE stamp is FAKE or Forgery ?

I hope all the above will help while making decision in investing stamps and to avoid getting CHEATED.!!

Now don't you think it does NOT make sense STAMP INVESTING!!

So if invested in stamp you will get only $3 where as invested in some other standard investment such as dollar, pounds, gold or blue chip stock/shares will get you more ROI than investing in stamps as there are very few people who are collecting stamps as hobby so when it comes to stamp investing it's very rare people so it will not appreciate at all.

If you even put 7 Rupees in bank fixed deposit on yearly basic you will get around 375 Rupees at 10% average interest rate.!! which will be still more than twice  of current selling price (3$ x 57 = 171 Rupees) of this first day cover.!!

Gold price in 1969 was $40 and today it is $1700+. So think what will be wise investment.!!

Thanks
Gandhi Stamps Club.

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