Expensive stamps : Are stamps for investments. ?

We all know how price are increased on eBay by SHILL bidding or by listing at high price and wait for some new buyer to buy it.

Also there is a great push for stamps investment, so some broker or auction company can make money on commission from rich people as they are not aware of CHEATING in stamp collection.

Recently I saw Gandhi stamps from Yemen , Sri Lanka and Somalia were for sale on eBay by "arun7602" for $25 each!!!

And if you buy this stamp for more than $1 or $2 than you will QUIT this hobby and regret whole life why you come in to this.!!

http://gandhistampsclub.blogspot.com/2010/04/gandhi-stamp-value-declining-part-2.html

Of course rich people from will not invest in stamp selling for  $25 !!, but it's for medium income family who earned money very hard.!!

According to me this stamp of Mahatma Gandhi from Yemen, Sri Lanka or Somalia should not be more than $1.!! Yes $1, because it's not a unique or rare stamps of Mahatma Gandhi.

Also chances of forgery stamps are very high because it's easier to print now a days.

But if new collector see this price and find somewhere at half price they will try to buy it as they will think they got a deal, but they are ripped off!!

This is not a stamp collection but it's a stamp game, were you try to make fool (cheat) new collectors by listing at higher price and then list with other id at little lower price!!!

Now if you see following screenshot you will get idea what is the pricing of this expensive stamps.!!

It's barely $1 or $2 and it's available in large quantity, more than new collectors will come to this hobby of expensive stamp collection.!!








Even Somalia Gandhi FDC first day cover is selling for $4.!!

So don't you think this $25 for just stamps are very high or unreasonable?

Don't you think if you don't know pricing and buy this stamp then it will be expensive stamps ?

Read some of interesting blog post to see what's going in Gandhi stamps collection and think in your other collectibles items as well.!!

1) Philatelic FAKE and FORGERIES.
2) FAKE AERO PHILATELY Covers.
3) Stamp collection CHEATING.
4) Stamp Collection Value
5) Stamp Collecting Facts
6) China stamp collection value.
7) First AirMail Post
8) World First Flight Cover
9) Greatest Stamp Collection Scandal 
10) Biggest stamp collection SCAM
11) SCANDAL in stamp collection 
12) How to increase stamp collection value

After reading all of the above blog post it's now up to you to decide about what is stamp value and decide whether is there any  Expensive stamps.!!

Thanks
Gandhi Stamps Club.

Yemen Stamps

Hello Gandhi Stamp collectors,

Recently I saw Yemen stamps of Gandhi issued in 1969 sold for $11.!!

I don't think this Gandhi Yemen stamp  deserve price tag of $11.!!

It should not be more than $1 because this stamp are printed in large quantity and are still with certain stamp dealer who are releasing slowly.

Not sure why it was sold at this high price and who is paying it.!!! But well this is Gandhi philately. Any thing is possible.!!

Now let's dig more in to this transaction.

Seller :- "sedin01". (In past I bought same stamp from him and I paid high price.!!)

Item Location :- Israel

# of bidders :- 2

# of bids :- 5

Bidders :- "2***n(562)" & "a***l(592)"

Winner :- "2***n(562)". 

Even first day cover with Yemen stamps of Gandhi don't sell for $11.!!

So don't know what is going on with Mint stamp.!!!

Don't you think First day cover should be more valuable than just mint stamp.!!!

So how come YEMEN F.D.C is selling under $10 where as Yemen stamp is selling for $11.!!

As you all know that there are way more stamps than first day cover.!!

Even Yemen stamps on first day cover are available in large quantity even after 40+ years. Click following link to see.

http://gandhistampsclub.blogspot.com/2012/11/yemen-gandhi-stamp.html

But well, this is Gandhi Philately so you can except surprises all the time. It's normal.!!

Following are some of the YEMEN stamps of Gandhi sold between $1-$2.!!

So what do you think.?

So BEWARE what you are collecting and why are you collecting.!!

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  surfig 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!!

Thanks

Gandhi Stamps Club.

Yemen Gandhi Stamp : Large quantity of Gandhi First Day Cover are available.!!

Hello Gandhi Collectors,

Recently I saw 7 Gandhi First Day Cover with Gandhi Stamps of YEMEN, selling for $17.50.!! I think this price is too high comparing to recent selling price and thinking about DECLINE in stamp collection hobby.

In 1969 Yemen honored Mahatma Gandhi on his Birth Cenetenary along with other nations. But even after 40+ years there are 7 FDC is available for sale and there will be lot more in someone's closet.!!

Also if you see stamp collection hobby is in decline so I am not sure how many new collectors are joining this hobby of Gandhi Stamp collection.

But a week ago YEMEN Gandhi was sold for just $9.50.!! (Looks like same seller depending on eBay id.!!) so he/she should aware of pricing of this stamps.

Also who knows $9.50 is correct price for YEMEN Gandhi FDC.!! Lot of things can be possible such as shill bidding, non payment etc. So can't even consider that this is the correct price.

I am not telling (because I don't have any internal information) that seller did shill bidding or buyer did not pay but this are all assumption no need to make before you buy any thing.

So this indicates that there is a large quantity of Gandhi material still available in open market, which will bring value of philatelic material more lower as new collectors are not coming to this hobby, old collectors either have this or don't need it in their collection.

This is I am seeing it in all Gandhi Philatelic material as I saw there is huge quantity of Gandhi Khadi stamps or Congo Gandhi stamp or Morocco Gandhi stamps and all other.

1) Congo Gandhi First Day Cover hopes of Riches through Accumulation.?
2) Morocco Gandhi stamps
3) Gandhi Khadi stamps are available in plenty.
4) Mauritius Gandhi stamp sheet available in wholesale.

So my view or opinion is that Gandhi stamp value will decline more because of many factors including large quantity.

Thanks
Gandhi Stamps Club.

How to protect yourself while buying Mahatma Gandhi stamps or any stamps.

Hello Gandhi collectors,

One of the famous quotes of Mahatma Gandhi is

"The World is big enough for everyone’s needs – but it is too small for the GREED of one man!"
I am writing this for new Gandhi stamps collector so they know how is Gandhi's Philatelic world.

In past I bought some stamps from countries such as China, Isarel and I think I was cheated by them by paying very high price for some Gandhi stamps. At that time I was very new so I was not aware of what's going in Gandhi Philatelic world. But I learned from my mistake and I want to protect others so I am writing about this kind of activity.

Recently I saw Trinidad & Tobaga 1969 set of Gandhi stamp selling from South Korea. It was sold for $12 + shipping.

I am surpised by the price it sold because this is very common stamp and it is easily available in market on ebay india or delcampe.

It is easy to fool buyer that you are from other countries by just changing the address after opening a account( I did that to make sure!!) or when you travel you can open it from airport.!!

So never think seller is from China or Isarel or Japan or Korea or Australia or Newzealand or even USA.!!

Also there will be very less collector or dealer in China or Korea who has Mahatma Gandhi material so either they are supporting their friends or relatives from other part of world by shipping items for them.


Also this seller will take longer to ship as they have to send it to friend from that country or they ship will ship from their own countries.!!

Now let's see following sale of Gandhi stamps from Trinidad & Tobaga.

Seller:-nohjc2005 May-10-09 in Korea, South
Buyer:- sunilramesh Dec-20-05 in United States
Sold Price:- $12
Date Sold:- 4/13/2011






After researching more about this buyer he/she looks Indian(because of id name). I am not sure why this buyer did not look at India's ebay site. It is selling for around $4-5 or $2 on delcampe. So I am more surprised.!!


Another example is same buyer buying Gandhi Yemen stamp for $8. He/She was very eager to buy this stamp as he bidded 2 more bids even after he was leading in auction. Not sure what he was trying to do but my guess he is he really wants to pay more and make seller rich.!!! or wants other buyer to pay more.


Now let's see following sale of Gandhi stamps from Yemen. (Buyer & seller are same!!)

Seller:-nohjc2005 May-10-09 in Korea, South
Buyer:- sunilramesh Dec-20-05 in United States
Sold Price:- $8 ( winner put 2 more bids as so desperate to buy it.!!)
Date Sold:- 4/16/2011





I don't want new Gandhi collectors to go through this and want to quit collecting Gandhi Philatelic materials as it will be expensive in initial stage.

I think best think to avoid this kind of situation is try to buy it with FIXED Price item if the price is reasonable between 1-3 US dollars for any Gandhi stamps except 10Rupees Gandhi stamp from India issued in 1948 or Panama Gandhi stamp (30-50$).

Some Gandhi stamps with overprint(10-20$) are selling little bit higher but this is useless to make money by some particular dealer with multiple famous people on it and moon landing overprint. I have that stamps but I regert buying it.!!

My 2+ years experience tells that you can find Gandhi stamp between 1-3 dollars so don't pay more.


Before you bid research for price and don't just jump in. You will get another chance in future to buy it. As per Gandhiji "The World is big enough for everyone’s needs – but it is too small for the GREED of one man!"

So when the price is high (expensive) it needs to be make sure that you are not getting any facsimile, fake cancellation or getting ripped off by shill bidding  same way it's happening in Gandhi Stamps and Philatelic material.

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

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 this is the 3rd case were we can see lot of similarity between Gandhi Philately and other British India stamps and philately specially in First Aerial Post !!

Thanks
Gandhi STamps Club.

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