Stamp Investment Tip: Colombia 1957 Military Academy Souvenir Sheet (Scott #674a)

In 1957, Colombia issued a set and souvenir sheet commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Colombian Military Academy (Scott #673-74, 674a). While the set is relatively common, only 10,000 of the souvenir sheet were issued, and Scott '12 prices it unused at $20.00 .

The souvenir sheet is somewhat large, and care should be taken to ascertain that it doesn't have creases or bends before purchasing it. It should do well based based upon the growth of Colombia's economy, and the long-term stealth bull market for better Latin American stamps in general.

A nation of 45 million people, Colombia has been plagued by decades of serious internal armed conflict, drug trafficking, corruption, and gross inequities of income, but has nevertheless racked up impressive annual GDP growth averaging 5.5% over the last 5 years. Moreover, until the global financial fiasco cut its GDP growth to 3% in 2009, it had been steadily accelerating, from 2% in 2003 to 8% in 2008. Recently, the government, armed to the teeth by the U.S., has applied a dual policy of combining military pressure with negotiations to cope with the various guerrilla factions within the country. This seems to have worked to some extent, as the number of insurgents has been halved, and the number of homicides and kidnappings drastically reduced. While some argue that the Colombian government is still utterly corrupt, and has violated human rights and supported paramilitary death squads in order to achieve relative peace, it may be that this is par for the course, given the nation's history. The main challenge that the country faces will be that of sharing more of the wealth with the majority of the population so as to develop more of a middle class and political center. Otherwise, it will devolve into an unstable mess.

Those interested in becoming part of an international community of stamp collectors, dealers, and investors are welcome to join the "Stampselectors" group and organization pages at Facebook. These host lively discussions concerning stamp investment and practical aspects of collecting, and are excellent venues for those who wish to buy, sell, or trade stamps.

Phila-Trivia: A Philatelic Poem From 1898

It is sometimes rewarding to spend a bit of time ferreting through old tomes and philatelic journals, as one can uncover oddities like a poem about stamp collecting.


The Eastern Philatelist, in its February, 1889 edition, published this rather charming and evocative poem entitled “Their Designs.”

It reads as follows:
............

Their Designs

by Guy W. Green

As I glance in my haste o’er the pages,

My album presents to my view,

I think of the various symbols

Impressed upon stamps, old and new.

Fair France with her anchor and virgins,

Old Turkey with crescent and star,

Denmark with crown, shield and lions,

Then Baden with griffins and bar.

Proud Austria comes with her eagles,

And Hungary’s horn, wreath and crown

Are followed by Spain’s oblong framings,

From which her dead rulers look down.

While Barbadoes, Cyprus and Fiji,

Tobago and fair Trinidad,

Together with Queensland and Natal,

Do honor to England’s brave head.

At last but not least in my rev’rence,

Our nation among them appears

With her presidents, gen’rals and statesmen,

Who’ve flourished and lived in past years.

The figures confuse and commingle.

Bewildered, I turn me away,

And leave all my fancies and dreaming,

For tasks that await me today.

................

Stamp Investment Tip: Newfoundland 1919 Caribou Issue (Scott #115-26)

In 1919, Newfoundland issued a set of twelve stamps (Scott #115-26) honoring the 1,204 Newfoundlanders who died in World War I. Each stamp pictures Newfoundland's Official Animal, the Caribou, and notes a famous battleground of that pointless war. 48,400 sets were issued, and Scott '12 prices the unused set at $264.25 ($425.00 for NH) .

Aside from being an undervalued B.N.A. issue, the Caribou Issue has the added appeal of being an Animal Topical set.

Many of the better stamps of Newfoundland were issued in modest quantities. I intend to revisit them in the future, as I am "doggedly bullish" (to badly mix metaphors) about better British North America in general. This area is very popular among collectors of both Canada and British Commonwealth, and the better items represent solid investments, as interest in stamp collecting in Canada is much stronger than it is in the U.S. .

With a population of about 31 million, Canada is one of the world's wealthiest countries, and is one of the world's top ten trading nations. GDP growth has averaged 2.2% over the past five years, which takes into account the 0% growth of 2009 due to the global financial crisis. Canada's population is expected to age significantly over the next decades. Canadians over 60 are projected to increase from 16.7% of the population in 2000 to 27.9% in 2025, and 30.5% in 2050. Consequently, in the future, many more Canadians will be spending time working on their stamp collections on cold winter days.

Those interested in learning about investing in stamps should read the Guide to Philatelic Investing ($5), available on Kindle and easily accessible from any computer.

Stamp Investment Tip: Lebanon 1965 Visit of Pope Paul VI Issue (Scott #C437, C437a)

In 1965, Pope Paul VI visited Lebanon, which commemorated the event by issuing a stamp and souvenir sheet picturing the Holy Pontiff and Lebanese President Chehab (Scott #C437,C437a). 50,000 of the stamp and 5,000 of the souvenir sheet were issued, and Scott '12 prices them unused at $5.25 and $52.50, respectively.

I recommend the purchase of both. While the quantity issued of the souvenir sheet was only a tenth that of the stamp, it is very likely that many of the stamps were used as postage and discarded. The souvenir sheet was sold at a slight premium over face value, so virtually all of them were probably saved, either mint or first day-canceled.

The issue has dual market appeal among collectors of both Lebanon and Catholicism Topicals. There are approximately 1.2 billion Catholic Christians in the world, and many live in the emerging market nations of Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Topicals related to the Catholic Church should be bolstered by economic growth in these areas.


Lebanon, a nation of 4.2 million people, is noted for its commercial enterprise. Over the course of time, emigration has yielded Lebanese "commercial networks" throughout the world. As a result, remittances from Lebanese abroad to family members within the country total $8.2 billion and account for one fifth of the country's economy. The country has the largest proportion of skilled labor among Arab States. The tourism and banking sectors are the the most important pillars of the Lebanese economy, though they have at times been disrupted by political instability. Annual GDP growth has averaged about 4.8% over the last 5 years.

Those interested in becoming part of an international community of stamp collectors, dealers, and investors are welcome to join the "Stampselectors" group at Facebook. The group hosts lively discussions concerning stamp investment and practical aspects of collecting, as is also an excellent venue for those who wish to buy, sell, or trade stamps.

Stamp Investment Tip: Costa Rica 1934 Air Officials (Scott #CO1-13)

In 1934, Costa Rica overprinted overprinted 3,100 sets of its current airmail set, creating a set of Airmail Official stamps (Scott #CO1-13). Scott '12 prices the unused set at $ 32.00.

In my opinion, this is yet another example of a neglected Latin American back-of-book issue. Even in the highly unlikely event that every one of the sets issued still remains, it is still grossly undervalued.

This small nation of 4 1/2 million people is unique as the only Latin American country to have escaped the plague of repressive dictatorships and oligarchies endemic to the region. Costa Rica has generally enjoyed greater peace and more consistent political stability than many of its fellow Latin American nations. The government offers generous tax exemptions to those investing in the country,and in recent times electronics, pharmaceuticals, financial outsourcing, software development, and eco-tourism have become the prime industries in Costa Rica's economy. High levels of education among its residents make the country an attractive investing location. Annual GDP growth has averaged 5.6% over the last 5 years.


I have begun a new blog, "The Stamp Specialist", which will feature my buy prices for stamps which I am interested in purchasing. I've just posted a buy list for Costa Rica, including the set recommended in this article. Viewing dealers' buy lists every now and then is an excellent way to keep current on the vagaries of the stamp market.

Stamp Investment Tip: Cyprus 1963 Boy Scout Souvenir Sheet (Scott #226a)

In 1963, Cyprus issued a set and souvenir sheet in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts (Scott #224-26, 226a). While the sets are relatively common (172,806 issued), only 29,971 of the souvenir sheets were issued, and Scott '12 prices it unused at $150.00.

This attractive souvenir sheet has multiple market appeal among collectors of Cyprus, British Commonwealth and Boy Scout topicals. Worldwide membership of the Boy Scouts is estimated at 25 million, and Scouting topicals are extremely popular internationally. There is even a organization dedicated to promoting the collecting of stamps honoring Scouting - the Scouts on Stamps Society International (S.O.S.S.I.).

The island of Cyprus is divided between two separate states: the Republic of Cyprus, with about 800,000 people, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey, which contains another 285,000.The Cypriot economy is prosperous and has diversified in recent years. According to the latest International Monetary Fund estimates, its per capita GDP (adjusted for purchasing power) of $28,381 is just above the average of the European Union. Cyprus has been sought as a base for several offshore businesses because of its highly developed infrastructure. Tourism, financial services, and shipping are significant parts of the economy. Annual GDP growth has averaged about 2.4% over the past 5 years, reflecting a recent contraction due to the global financial crisis.

Information concerning printing quantities of stamps is often useful in determining which may turn out to be good investments. The StampSelector Scarce Stamp Quantities Issued List (SSSSQIL) currently includes over 9,700 listings of stamps and souvenir sheets with issuance quantities of 100,000 or less.

Stamp Investment Tip: Thailand King Vajiravudh Issues

Thailand honored its king with two sets issued in 1912 and 1917. Both the Vienna set (Scott #145-56) and the London set (Scott #164-75) were engraved, and have minute design differences which are described by Scott and other catalogs. 10,000 of each were issued, and Scott '12 prices them unused at $973.00 and $1,936.- , respectively.

The best investments among Thai stamps comprise the better stamps which fall under three categories:

•the early surcharges and overprints, which include the surcharged King's heads, as well as the overprinted semi-postal issues; being overprints, the most valuable of these require expertization;

•the better sets of the early 20th century, most of which feature the King or Royal themes;

•the modern souvenir sheets with low printings and/or topical appeal, especially those of the 1970s and '80s.

I intend to spotlight stamps from each of these categories in future articles, as the prospects for significant long-term growth of the Thai stamp market are very promising.

A nation of 66 million people, Thailand is the second largest economy in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. Despite this, Thailand ranks midway in the wealth spread in Southeast Asia as it is the 4th richest nation according to GDP per capita, after Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia. Though most of the country's population still works in agriculture, the relative contribution of agriculture to GDP has declined while exports of goods and services have increased. Major industries include automobiles and automotive parts, financial services, electric appliances and components, tourism, cement,, appliances, computers and parts, furniture, plastics, textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, and tobacco. Annual GDP growth has averaged just over 3% over the last 5 years, but this takes into account a 2% contraction in 2010, due to the global financial crisis.

Those interested in learning about investing in stamps should read the Guide to Philatelic Investing ($5), available on Kindle and easily accessible from any computer.

Stamp Investment Tip: Kazakhstan 1996 Save the Aral Sea Souvenir Sheet (Scott #145)

In 1996, Kazakhstan issued a souvenir sheet promoting the cause of saving the Aral Sea (Scott #145). 50,000 were issued, and Scott '12 prices the unused souvenir sheet at $5.00.

The sheet makes an interesting and low-risk speculation based on its appeal as both an Animal and an Eco- topical, and as a bet on the economic growth of Azerbaijan and the development of a stamp market there. This recommendation is consistent with my belief that one of the best ways to play the new and newly resurrected countries of Europe and Asia is to focus on popular topicals with low printings.

A nation of 16 million, Kazakhstan is known to many outsiders from the somewhat demeaning film comedy "Borat." It is the 9th largest country in the world, with a territory greater than that of Western Europe, although its population density is less than 15 per square mile. Kazakhstan has plentiful reserves of oil, natural gas, uranium, chromium, lead, zinc, manganese, coal, iron, and gold. It also has a major agricultural sector, and is the seventh largest producer of grain. Annual GDP growth has averaged about 6% over the last 5 years.

Those interested in becoming part of an international community of stamp collectors, dealers, and investors are welcome to join the "Stampselectors" group at Facebook. The group hosts lively discussions concerning stamp investment and practical aspects of collecting, as is also an excellent venue for those who wish to buy, sell, or trade stamps.