Brigham’s ‘outstanding material’ now in hands of new owners

The Brigham sale had three offerings of the 1959 St. Lawrence Seaway inverted error. Lot 310 featured a rarely-seen used example, off cover with a wavy line cancel. It had a catalogue value of $10,000 and sold for $9,500.

Edward VII items proved popular in the seventh sale of the famed Brigham collection, held Jan. 16 at the Brampton Golf Club in Brampton, Ont. According to Charles Verge, chief executive officer of Brigham Auctions, the sale followed what has become a regular pattern. “It had a small floor and lots of bidders over the... Continue reading →

The hobby is evolving

or years, I have maintained that stamp collecting isn't about to die out, but it is evolving. It is easy to complain that young people are no longer collecting stamps, but I don't think that young collectors have ever played much of a role in the financial health of the hobby. Young collectors usually have... Continue reading →

Riel Rebellions rarities, postal history dominate Eastern’s February sale

While several earlier Canadian flights carried mail, the 1918 flight from Montreal to Toronto was the first officially sanctioned to carry mail. This rather routine-looking cover is given some flash with the addition of two special triangular cancels.

Western Canadian postal history will dominate Eastern Auctions’ Feb. 19 sale, as well as several interesting Canadian and world lots. According to Eastern’s Yohann Tanquay, the western postal history includes a fair number of unusual and scarce items, including an essay for a stamp issue from the Riel era. The collections are from the estate... Continue reading →

Canada Post faces changes with its new political masters

I love politics, and I love stamps, so the recent change of government naturally got me thinking about the future of Canada Post. The thought process isn’t really much of a leap, most Canadians still think of Canada Post as a government department rather than as a semi-autonomous Crown corporation. Prior to the days when... Continue reading →

Stamp collecting has many faces

Many people picture stamp collectors as old men, often socially challenged, sitting alone with their stamps. The hobby often tries to counter that vision with such exciting appeals as “stamp collecting is educational.” True, perhaps, but not rather exciting. The other approach is to try and make stamp collecting glamorous, with tales of the great... Continue reading →

Get new collectors off on the right foot

One of the questions that often comes up is: Why collect stamps? There are lots of answers: stamps are history, stamps are fun, stamps are an investment, stamps help us expand our knowledge. I’m sure there are plenty more I have not mentioned. For the most part, they are good reasons, with the possible exception... Continue reading →

Smart collectors consume knowledge

Stamp collecting is not as demanding as some hobbies, however collectors need a few tools if they want to do it right. When we think about these tools, our first thoughts are such basics as tongs, perhaps hinges, and perhaps an album or stockbook. Collectors quickly find that they need other tools, such as magnifier,... Continue reading →

For better or worse, hobby will never shake fakes

Stamp collecting is rarely a world of absolutes; take for instance the subject of counterfeits, which we generally agree are bad. Counterfeits have been around almost as long as postage stamps. The first books on the matter were published in the 1860s, about 20 years after the first modern stamps were introduced. Back then, faking... Continue reading →

Stamps and collectors made for a fun time as editor

After nearly 25 years at Trajan Publishing, nearly half of those as editor of CSN, this is my last column. A fairly long run, considering that I originally hadn’t planned on spending more than a year, or two at most, before going back to regular journalism. I still find it hard to believe that it... Continue reading →

Flag anniversary marked by first-ever fabric stamp

The 50th anniversary of the flag is marked with Canada’s first cloth stamp.

Canada’s first-ever fabric stamp is being issued to mark the 50th anniversary of the Canadian flag, on Feb. 15, 2015. The $5 stamp is printed on a specialized satin rayon fabric, applied to a paper backer using adhesives and silicones. The backer is similar to, but thicker, than that used on most self-adhesive stamps. The... Continue reading →

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