Expertizing Services

[Tim_Balm]

All,

I read an article in the current issue of Scott Stamp monthly about getting expert opinions on stamps.  Being a predominantly U.S. publication, the author (Stephen Rod) basically described the services available from the 3 general expertizing agencies in the U.S.:  APEX (the APS service), PF (Philatelic Foundation), and PSE (Professional Stamp Experts).  Of course, it didn't hurt that Mr. Rod is a board member of the PF - which he disclosed at the end of the article.

I thought I would write a short article (public service type of thing) for the next newsletter giving contact information for the various services.  In addition, I thought I would include MEPSI for Mexican stamps and the ISPP for Portuguese stamps.  We have contact info for those groups on our site map page. 

There are a great many more goups/individuals with expertise in certain collection areas.  Personally, I have stamps with certs from the following:

German stamps with certs from Schlegel
Italian stamps with certs from Raybaudi
Griqualand and Togo stamps with certs from Sergio Sismondo
Soruth #1 with a cert from Royal Philatelic Soc - London
Madeira #2 with a cert from ISPP
Maldives #1-6 with a cert from Friedl
Nevis stamps1 with certs from the BPA
Sweden #1 with a cert from Georg Buhler
Tibetan stamps with certs from Geoffrey Flack
Western Ukraine #1, 2 and 4 with certs from Chris Ceremuga

Does anyone have certs from other experts/groups that you would like to share in this article?  Any issues with any of the above.  [Note, I remember a conversation I had with David regardin the differences in respect among the Ukrainian experts of Mr. Ceremuga's opinions.]

Tim

[numones]

Tim,
In addition to those experts/societies which you have already mentioned, I have received certificates within the last few years from:

1.)  Jay Smith, P. O. Box 650, Snow Camp, NC  27349 for several Finland #1's.  I believe he also does the rest of Scandinavia, and for some reason I think he also is on the APS committee.

2.)  Robert P. Odenweller, Box 401, Bernardsville, NJ  07924-2101 for a New Zealand #1, and a block of 4 and a single Samoa #1.  He is a member of AIEP for New Zealand and 19th century Samoa.  I believe he also is (or was) on the APS committee.

3.)  Geoffrey Flack also issues certificates for Nepal #1.

4.)  Jerry Tkachuk of Detroit, MI is the chairman of the expert committee of the Ukrainian Philatelic and Numismatic Society.  He is also an exhibitor of Western Ukraine.  I have received opinions (but, I do not remember getting printed certificates) about the authenticity of several Western Ukraine #N3's, (which is the first stamp for that entity) from him.   Although they have a difference of opinion, especially with regard to the quantity of #N3's issued, I have the greatest respect for both Mr. Tkachuk and Mr. Ceremuga.  I have no way of knowing  which count is indeed correct.  Both are supported by other experts.  In one case #N3 would be a great rarity, in the other it would be much more common.

[Nick]

Tim

A few details on the Royal which you have already mentioned. The site is here http://www.rpsl.org.uk/experts.html.

The service (priced with reference to the current Gibbons catalogue value)
costs

[numones]

Nick,
Does one need an invitation to join the Royal? 

[Nick]

Dave

You need to be nominated by two members. I'm good for one of those and I know one other member locally, but could not promise his support. There is a USA branch and quite a few members over there, so I could look into contacting them if you are interested.

They have just changed the rules to admit stamp dealers, so now could be a good time.

Cheers
Nick

[numones]

Nick,
Thank you for the information, and your offer of sponsorship.  Membership in the Royal is an interesting thought to ponder, but I am not sure that I would really join even if the opportunity were offered.  There is, of course, a certain amount of prestige to it.  And, I think a Royal certificate is probably the best certificate in the world.  But the $140.00 membership fee might be better spent on something else.  Besides (this may sound like heresy) but, I enjoy collecting stamps to a certain point, but there is a limit to the depths to which I really want to immerse myself in it.  There is some point where it becomes "too much", and I find myself backing off.

Well, I am off to the Boxboro, Massachusetts stamp show this morning.  That is not at the "backing off" point yet.  It is the biggest show of the year in our immediate area, about 45 minutes away.   

[Nick]

All good points, Dave.

If you're ever in London, let me know and I'll take you along. It's a very impressive building full of treasures, but the British Library is better and cheaper.

Cheers
Nick

[numones]

If I am ever there I will look you up, Nick.  I do have a "London, England" baseball cap that I wear quite often during my every day chores.  My wife brought it back for me when she and several of our daughters were there a few years ago. 

The closest I have been is when I looked at the white cliffs of Dover as we passed through the English Channel on a troop ship in 1964, and again on the way back in 1965. 

[Louis]

Twice in the last few months I bought stamps on extension (from U.S firms) and was told that they don't accept returns based on APEX opinions.  They suggested that I should use experts they trust.
Anybody with a similar experience?
Louis.

[numones]

Not in an official way as your experience.  But once I had a New Zealand #1 that I was trying to sell.  It had an APEX certificate.  A dealer offered to take it to a show in Singapore to try to sell it for me there, but he wanted it to have a Peter Holcombe certificate.  So we sent it off to Switzerland for the Peter Holcombe cert.  It did not sell in Singapore.  Afterward a collector wanted it for his own collection, but he wanted a Robert Odenweller certificate for it.  So we sent it to Odenweller for his cert.  All three certificates said basically the same thing in each experts own words.   

[numones]

Louis,
APEX has been having a little trouble signing up good experts in some areas, especially Italian states and French colonies that I am aware of.  The old timers who used to do it have all passed away, or stopped expertizing.  Sometimes I have called first to see if APEX had experts for some stamp that needed a certificate.  Did the auction houses name the experts in whom they had confidence?  I heard some people (a dealer and a collector) complaining at a recent show about the length of time it took to get stuff back from German experts to which they had sent some stuff for expertizing.  They were long time users of the service and used experts named in the Michel catalog.  Recently I e-mailed Brun in Paris to see how I could go about to get a French Guiana #1 expertized, to which I did not get a response.  A dealer at a recent show told me to just go to their web site, down load the form and ship it off to the address in Paris.  I might do that.  This particular stamp already has a "bad" cert from the PF, but I am a doubter.  I would like another opinion. 

[Louis]

In one case (Geneva 2L1a) the dealer suggested a swiss expert and the stamp came back after 4-5 weeks with a positive opinion, in the other case (Denmark 1a) another dealer suggested an expert in Belgium and I am still considering what to do, the guy has no website or e-mail address.  I was just wondering if this had anything to do with the guarantee APEX is now offering, are they too zealous?
Louis.

[numones]

I suppose the dealer could feel that his chances of getting the stamp back are greater if the expert has only limited knowledge of the issue.  APS has at least one good expert in Jay Smith, though, and maybe more.  His opinions are a little verbose, I think, but maybe the stuff I sent down needed many words to describe.  Maybe the dealers would elaborate on their reasoning?

[Louis]

When asked specifically the last dealer told me that he felt APEX was "inconsistent and thus unreliable" and he finally told me to send the stamp anywhere but to APEX.

[numones]

There surely are cases of inconsistency, but I think the APEX is generally a good committee.  One of our FICC members once showed me two APEX certificates, both certifying a stamp to be Finland #1, but they were not both the same.  One was a #1 and the other a #3.  But, APEX usually does not do that.  But "inconsistent", yes, I guess, to a small degree. 

Here is a case with another expertizing group, usually very highly regarded, and usually deserving that  high regard.  But, they slip once in a while, too.  Right now, on my web site, there are two Senegal stamps, both certified by the PF to be Senegal #1's.  But they are not the same stamp.  One of them is #1 and the other, I think, is #4.  I need to get that straightened out today, but I will leave both of them up on the web site for now, in case you want to look at them.       

If the dealer who said "anywhere but APEX" is the one who sold you the Denmark #1a, Jay Smith is probably your best bet for a cert.  If you don't have his address I can give it to you.  Before you send it anywhere though, you should test to see if it is a genuine #1a.  That was the first printing and the burelage was engraved.  You can test by placing the stamp face up on the desk, placing a sheet of aluminum foil over the stamp, holding the foil firmly in place, and rubbing your thumb over the foil and the stamp, only once, smoothly with a firm pressure.  The engraved burelage should show up in relief in the aluminum foil.  Be careful not to damage the stamp in the process.  Maybe try with a cheaper engraved stamp first to see how it works.