Beautiful Ukrainian Postage Stamps

This Ukrainian miniature sheet I received from a dear friend of mine and I couldn't believe how beautiful these stamps are when I first saw it. Before I received this I hadn't have much interest in their stamps but after checking online I found they have issue beautiful postage stamps. If you have any Ukrainian friends better tell them to send you some pretty postage stamps. I found some so pretty lighthouse postage stamps and already pestering my friend to find it. Not nice but again what friends are for ha. I will send her some nice goodies from her for that. Only problem is she hasn't received the last thing sent yet. It's been more than two months and she should have been received the coffee pack by now.

I have seen another person in Facbook who wanted to exchange stamps from Ukraine but she or he hasn't been online since February. I hope that person is not in war zone and okey. Situation in east Ukrainian is not so great these days. Also I noticed few stamp auctions in ebay but I think price was little too much for modern canceled stamps. Anyway I have to check these Stamp collectors groups in FB to see if I can find Stamps collectors from there.

Locomotive and Railway Postage Stamps

Collecting stamps of Locomotives and Railways is something I love and it's really interesting thing too. There are thousands of beautiful stamps of locomotives. One big problem I have is figuring which are real stamps and which are Cinderella stamps.

The Annual stamp exhibition I went last week is the place where I usually get all my locomotive and railway postage stamps. There are couple of stamp dealers who always have this kinda stamps for sale. I usually get set of 4 -5 stamps for around $0.30 - $0.80 which is better than E-bay prices because there are no shipping costs.

Above image show locomotive postage stamps which I bought this time. I think all these stamps are postage stamps and not Cinderella stamps. This lot has stamps from Mongolia, Poland, Australia, Bulgaria, Thailand etc. I didn't choose some stamps because I was not sure those were real or not. Dealer was not so helpful about that either.

Today before I have started writing this post I did a E-bay search for stamps about Locomotives and railways. There are so many of these but the problem is prices. It's more expensive to buy form there than local guys. But I think sooner or later I will start buying form there too.

1937 Nazi Germany Hitler Stamp Souvenir Sheet

I bought this 1937 Souvenir Sheet from E-bay for 11 usd plus 3 usd shipping.  It's from Nazi Germany and it has originally issued for Hitlers birthday on 5th April 1937 but used for various cancellations throughout the year 1937. One I bought has 20th April 1937 Berlin cancellation seal. This sheet has the inscription "WER EIN VOLK RETTEN WILL / KANN NUR HEROISCH DENKEN", which means "He who wants to save his people must think heroically".

Well it's not something expensive and catalog price would be around $20. Worth nothing unless it's in super fine condition. I have just won the auction and image is form ebay. I hope the condition of sheet is same as in the image because sometimes people Photoshop to make these stamps look better. Even thought it's not a rare stamp It's important to me because it will be my first Nazi Germany stamp. I have had a huge interest in everything related to World War 2 so It's same for stamps and coins too.

I found loads and loads of stamps related to world war 2 and stamps from that time for cheap in ebay but I can't jump in and buy all. But I think I will start a collection of stamps from world war 2 times, belongs to various a countries like Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, Soviet Union. Also German occupation stamps. It seems Japanese war time stamps are more rare than Germany. I couldn't find many in Ebay.

I have no experience or knowledge about these War time stamps so I need to do more research about those. I was told Serious German stamp collectors are notoriously picky about the condition of stamps so any stamp with any kind of damage or look bad might worth nothing at all. Collecting stamps like this is kinda very expensive hobby. I need to earn more money! :D

Stamps Exhibition

In last weekend I went to this local stamp exhibition which was held at Library auditorium. Its called Stampex 2014 and organized by Sri Lanka Independent Philatelic Association. This one is an annual stamps exhibition which happens in every October. The last one I went was in 2012 and then I was busy and has no time for stamps till this year. Anyway There weren't many dealers like that last time. No booth from Philatelic bureau either. But still there were plenty of interesting stuff and I didn't want to buy things more than $10. Anyway I ended up spending $15 total but found some nice stamps.

Even this year I found some cool locomotive stamps from various countries. Few nice full sets from Poland, Mongolia, Australia and Bulgaria. There's a set from Thailand which I'm not sure it's a postage stamp set or just Cinderella Stamp set. There were few more but I didn't buy because those didn't look like postage stamps and also I want to stick with my budget.

I bought 3 cheap first day covers from 70s and also got few nice high value Sri Lanka Revenue stamps. You can see most of those stamps I bought in above photo. I didn't check or bother about most of these stuff around because of limited budget. Didn't want to feel bad if I find something I really want can couldn't afford. Last time I ended up spending more than $50 for stamps and first day covers. I need to save money to buy all 2012 stamps and first day covers from Philatelic bureau because those won't be available for sale in next year.

Received Stamps from Ebay

My other stamps set of Marine Mammals from Ebay received today. It was from Australia. At least this guy is smarter and practical than the British guy. He sent it in an envelope with a real stamp. There was nice Australian stamp of some kind of Animal.

Rs. 10 stamp is mint and rest is canceled. That's my fourth complete set including those 3 first day covers. I have another 2 Great Sperm Whale stamps which is the expensive one from that set but I don't have good quality Bottlenose Dolphin stamps. Few I have are damaged. Even though it's not an expensive stamp it's so hard to find it. I couldn't find it from local stamp dealers. Those who have only sell it as sets and this set cost at least $1000 at local stamp dealers unless you get unlucky and someone offer you a lower price. I bought this set from Ebay for around $700 usd including shipping. There's another mint set but the buy now price is $15 without shipping.

Missed ebay Auction of Ceylon Penny Stamps

This is one of my worst ebay misses. There was this auction of 8 Victorian penny stamps and it went for just 6 USD. I can't believe how did i miss it because there were no bidding war and not much competition for that stamp set. Well those were not high quality stamps but would look really nice in a Ceylon stamp collection till you find better replacements.

Collecting Stamps becoming a big tread in Sri Lanka again and also they only issue just less than hundred thousand from most stamps. So most of Sri Lankan stamps automatically become rare. Even in ebay you seldom find good Sri Lankan or Ceylon stamp lots for cheap. So when you miss a chance to get a stamp set of cheap it's really bad.

Stamps Received From Ebay Seller

Unfortunately second left stamp in bottom law is damaged. Wanted that one.

Today I have received the those used Sri lankan stamp lot I won from an Ebay auction. I got 82 stamps for $6 including shipping. You can see small part of the lot in image above. One reason why I bought this stamp lot is that Rs. Marine mammal stamp. I was worried it might be not in the pack or it's damaged but fortunately it's in fine condition. It had 3 of 4 Marine mammal stamp set.

14 stamps out of 82 stamps are damaged. This is the problem when you buy stamps online. Specially from places like ebay for cheap. You won't know what you get still you receive it. in my case I'm happy because the stamp I wanted is okey and worth the price.

Another Day with Stamps

Vesak 1987 Souvenir Sheet. Don't have it yet.

So it's another good day stamps wise. I won an Ebay Auction for set of Marine mammals 1983 stamps. 3 used stamps and the Rs. 10 is mint. I won the bidding war since there were only one other guy bid which was a surprise because it's a cool stamp set and there is a big demand locally for it. Anyway I got it for little under 6 USD for total price. So that's my second set and Also today I bought a mint Rs. 2 stamp of that set from stamp stall too. It was only 60 cent USD.

I spend around $4 Stamp stall and had a great control and didn't buy everything I saw there. Just a mint Vesak 1987 stamp set which is my favorite Vesak release and also couple of other used and mint stamps. I bought many stamps and covers this month now I'm nearly broke. Next month there will be a big stamp sale and also I have to see that guy has mint Marine mammal stamo set for $12. I haven't called him yet but need to do it soon.

Marine Mammals Stamps Set 1983

This stamp set if one of my favorite Sri Lanka stamps sets and probably the most favorite one. Issued in 1983 for NARA, National Aquatic Research Agency it has four stamps shows Bottlenose Dolphin, Dugong, Humpback Whale and Sperm Whale. Except for the Rs. 2.00 stamps rest of the stamps are very uncommon and hard to find, Specially the 50 cent one and Rs. 10 one. 50 cent one is not an expensive stamp it's Stanley Gibbons catalog price is 50 Pence for Mint and 20 pence for canceled but you can't often in stamps sales. Catalog price of  Rs. 10 is 7 Pounds for Mint and 10 Pounds for used again you can't find these easily. Local prices are around Rs. 50 for the 50 cent stamp and Rs. 200-500 for  Rs.10 stamp.

I had the Rs. 2 stamp for a long time I liked it from the first day. Even now it's one of common stamps which you can buy for around Rs.20 (used). Rs. 10 stamp is so rare not many have seen it apart from serious stamp collectors here. I found Marine Mammals Stamps First day at shop which's selling stamps and coins. That was back in 2003 I think. Then after few years I grabbed a Rs. 10 stamp from a local stamp sale for just Rs. 200 ($2) and after that I hadn't seen it for long time. Few weeks back I bought another 2 first day covers of it but not so good as the one I bought years ago.

Collecting Stamps

Collecting Stamps is my long term hobby. I have done it since I was 7 years old. There was a lesson about Stamp collecting when I was in grade one. We had to make a small collecting of stamp as our homework and I have been collecting all kinds of stamps ever since. First it was everything, whatever stamps I could find and then in my late teen years I just forgot about the whole thing.

Then one day I just went to this stamp exhibition which was held in library. There was stall from philatelic Bureau which was selling new stamps and also first day cover. This was the first time saw first day covers and a guy there told me all about collecting first day cover. It was not something every stamp collector interested. Kids usually don't collect those because these need to be bought. You won't find these for free unless someone give you. Anyway since then I have started buying first day covers from bureau it self and also from stamp sales.

Now First day covers are my main interest also I collect Sri Lanka stamps and also Ceylon stamps. I do collect stamps of locomotives and other kinds of vehicles and nature related stamps like stamps of birds, butterflies etc. Unfortunately none of my friends into this so I have to do it all alone.

It can be an addictive hobby specially if you start buying stamps and first day covers. I'm trying to collect all first day covers issued in Sri Lanka and it's no easy task unless I'm willing to spend a lot for rare covers. Also I want to collect a full set of Sri Lanka canceled stamps.