STEVE LEVINE
Postal Stationery
and Stamps

 MAY, 2010

HOW TO ORDER:
1.  DINOSAUR STYLE  If ordering Dinosaur Style (thru the mail), you can print out this sheet, then circle the price of what you want and mail it in with your payment.  PLEASE circle with a fine colored marker; any color will do.
2.  ONLINE  Sorry, this is not a full-function interactive website with a shopping cart and card processing ability.  It's Dinosaur-style; it only has listings.  Still, we can improvise!
     You can send me an e-mail and type out what you want and the price.
     OR, you can cut & paste the item with its description and price.
IF the item exists in several conditions or forms (such as f-vf or vf for stamps, or as Cut Squares or Full Corners) please indicate which you want.
     OR you can cut & paste large portions of the list and HIGHLIGHT whatever you want.  Green (the 00-80-00 shade for the techs out there) works well, as does Red (the FF-00-00 shade).
     I accept VISA, Master Card, and American Express.  I also accept PAY PAL, at my e-mail address of "slwarking@erols.com".
3.  PHONE  IF your order is relatively simple or if you have a few questions, you can phone me at 718-939-5788.  For me, "business hours" are flexible.  I'm usually in, and if I'm not, you get the answering machine.  Leave your #; I'll get back to you.

TERMS OF PURCHASE:  Items from this list may be combined with items from my other lists for a MINIMUM ORDER of $15.  ALL ORDERS will be shipped via Insured or Registered mail, for your protection.  Please add $2 for postage and insurance to all orders.  Smaller orders will carry private insurance and will have NO USPS markings.    There's no "handling" fee; just actual postage expenses.  This is for U.S. orders only.  Overseas shipments, please e-mail me in advance for shipping information.
     New York State Residents, please add the appropriate Sales tax.  VISA, Master Card and American Express are accepted: please include all information which appears in raised print, PLUS the 3 digit security code which appears on the back.  PayPal accepted.
          
        SATISFACTION IS GUARANTEED ON ALL ORDERS

Dear Friends & Collectors,

     It's THAT time again.  Every 5 years a new edition of the UPSS POSTAL CARD CATALOG is released and this year, the 2010 Edition is ON SCHEDULE for an August release.  There are, however, some changes, and that's why I need your help...NOW!!

     The United States Postal Service has issued roughly 200 new Postal Cards during the past 5 years.  To accommodate these additional listings, the 2010 UPSS Postal Card Catalog will be produced - for the first time - in 8½" x 11" format, rather than the old 6" x 9" style.  AND, it will be more expensive.  I believe we will be looking at a price of $72 for the Hardcover and $60 for the Looseleaf Editions.

     MORE IMPORTANT, it has not yet been determined exactly how many copies in each format will be printed.  This is where your help is needed.  The UPSS needs to have some idea of what the demand will be...and they need this information by JUNE 1...at which time they will set in stone the printing quantities.

     NOT TO SCARE YOU...but you won't have months & months to make up your mind, especially if you'll be wanting a HARDCOVER copy, which is usually printed in a smaller quantity.

     THEREFORE PLEASE, if you plan to purchase a catalog from me this Summer, get back to me ASAP (and definitely before June 1) and let me know:

     1.  That you do plan to purchase a catalog from me.
     2.  What format you want to buy.

     That way, I can give my input and make a commitment to the UPSS by June 1.  AND, I can get some idea how many mailers I'll need because whatever I used to mail you the 2005 catalogs won't be large enough for the new ones.  I'll need to do a little shopping.

UX32 CITY TYPES  Not exactly a huge selection. Most of these come from one lot I purchased B.A. (before appendectomy).  Some of these are 1-of-a-kind, so please, call in or e-mail your order.  (I apologize in advance; there will be a few disappointed people...)  Condition is excellent, with some pencil notations, mostly on the back, as was the style at the time.

UX32   S44-9    Chicago.................   50.00
UX32   S44-20   Little Rock.............   67.50
UX32L  S44-26L  Minneapolis, LAKE Shade.  100.00
Matches picture in UPSS, but DOES have left top of "T", CENT lightly inked.
UX32   S44-28   New York................   57.50
UX32   S44-29   New York................   50.00
UX32   S44-33   Philadelphia............   50.00
UX32   S44-35   Portland, ME............   75.00
UX32   S44-41   San Francisco...........   95.00
UX32   S44-42   Seattle.................   80.00

UY9 (FOLDED) CITY TYPES  As above, many 1-of-a-kind; please phone or e-mail.  Excellent condition.  These cards were once common; however, in recent years, prices have come up fast.  2005 UPSS for a folded card was $15.00; current (2009) Scott is $22.50.

UY9    MR16-2    Baltimore..............    20.00
UY9    MR16-3    Boston.................    20.00
UY9    MR16-4    Chicago................    20.00
UY9    MR16-5    Cincinnati.............    20.00
UY9    MR16-7    Detroit................    20.00
UY9    MR16-8    Minneapolis............    20.00
UY9    MR16-9    New York...............    20.00
UY9    MR16-10   Oklahoma City..........    20.00
UY9    MR16-11   Philadelphia...........    20.00
UY9    MR16-12   St. Louis..............    21.50

     (I listed these UX32s and UY9s last year at a time when I was having trouble with my emails.  You may not have seen the announcement...)

SOME NEW ENVELOPES BY UPSS #
 

     Presenting a small selection of Envelopes by UPSS #.  All clean, no problems.  Quantities limited on some, so please get back to me quickly.
 

U348-C   1143     16     86     11     4.75
     U362     1238     10     57     13     1.00   RA
U420c    2039     13     79     24     1.05
U481     2146     10     59     27     1.00
U481     2149     13     78X    32      .80
U481     2150     13     80     26     1.00
U481     2155     23    112     26     1.00
     U429     2210     10     57     43     4.00   RA
U429     2211     10     57X    40     4.00
U429     2218     13     78X    19     4.00
     U429     2220     13     80     24      .80   RA
U436     2560     10     57X    40      .65
U439     2648     10     57     28      .80
U458     2853     17     89     20      .90
U538b    3438     23    116w    45     1.75
U538c    3442     23    116w    43     2.00

U420     2012     10     59     19     4.00
        "Short N" variety, unlisted.  See picture
   below.  The image at the far right is a normal
  envelope; the other 4 have "short" N's in the
word "UNITED".  It's a constant variety.

     (These were also listed last year before I started using my new e-mail service...you may have missed them.)

...AND NOW, SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING I'VE EVER OFFERED....

JOHN W. NICKLIN ASDA SHOW LABELS

     POSTER STAMPS were once a very popular area of collection.  They were, in fact, miniature posters, produced by exhibitions & fairs, as well as governments & organizations.  The "Golden Age" of popularity peaked around WW1.  This had much to do with the printing industry, in which German presses, ink, and art were the best in the world.  After WW1, the landscape just wasn't the same. 
     Still, labels were printed for sporting events, philatelic exhibitions, and a wide variety of commercial & charitable organizations.  Still popular...but not like it used to be.

     Interest in these items - call them LABELS, POSTER STAMPS, CINDERELLAS, or whatever you please - lay dormant for many years.  Then, in the mid 1980s, two collectors published a book called "The Fields-Picklo Catalog of Philatelic Show Seals, Labels,  & Souvenirs".   It wasn't a "value reference" like Scott as much as it was a list of their collection and what they paid for the items.  Many of these items had been purchased in the range of 50c per label.

     Today, collecting these labels has once again become very popular...though it will probably never be what it was in the 'teens.  There is a POSTER STAMPS COLLECTORS CLUB, and if you browse the Ebay listings you'll find no labels in the 50c range.  The supply of many of these items is quite small and demand (plus a little inflation...) has driven prices higher.

     ASDA Show labels have been printed since the first show in 1949.  When I was a collector - just a kid - attending shows in the late 50s thru the 60s - I took no notice of these.  I don't remember if they were given away as premiums or sold.  I couldn't tell you if Nicklin - who was both a Stamp Dealer and a Printer - created ALL their labels from the beginning, or began in 1957.  I don't know when he quit or why.  I'd call him up & ask him...but since he was publishing stamp albums in 1935, I'm taking a wild guess that he died quite a few years ago.

    Nicklin was creative.  Every issue was produced in 4 different color schemes.  Most issues were produced both perforated and imperforate.  Most issues were produced in mini-sheets of 10 stamps...and to make life interesting, very often (but not always) ONE of these stamps was produced with an inverted center or completely upside down.

     AS A RULE, the IMPERFORATE ISSUES are worth the same as the PERFORATED issues, as they are no scarcer.  However, the INVERTED CENTER issues and the UPSIDE-DOWN issues are worth more than the REGULAR issues, as they are 4 times as scarce.

     The labels I'm offering came from...well again, I don't know.  I bought a large lot at auction and it would be a faux pas to ask the auctioneer who consigned them.  But from their overall excellent condition, I'd say they were storage a long time.
     Keep in mind, however, they ARE labels, not stamps, and were not produced to the high standards of the P.O.D..  The paper is thinner, producing OCCASIONAL small creases...and they are OFFSET printed, not engraved.  The inking is OCCASIONALLY a bit darker or lighter than what you see in the scans.  I don't know where they were kept; what I have is generally top-quality, but there is some OCCASIONAL VERY SLIGHT offset ink on the back, suggesting they were stacked before the ink was completely dry.

     As labels go, these are among the best.  The designs are topical (The earlier ones are Space-related) and the artwork is top-notch.

1942 WINE REVENUES FROM THE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM

     Several years ago the Smithsonian Philatelic Museum disgorged something in the neighborhood of 7 million Revenue Stamps, in a move to free up space and raise money for new acquisitions. These stamps, from that holding, are all "Post Office Fresh", having been in vaults for over 60 years. Fresh as they are, you need to keep 2 things in mind.
     1. The sheets of either 50 or 100 are straight-edged at the sides. A sheet of 50 has 26 straight edges; a sheet of 100 has 36.  You may receive a straight -edged copy...which is actually good, as the margins are bigger than the other stamps.
     2. The rouletting lacks the clean-cut look of perforated stamps. IF you've already collected these issues, then you know what to expect.  I promise, you won't be disappointed.
 

SCOTT NUMBER, YEAR, DESCRIPTION           F-VF     VF

Scott #RE108, 1942 1/5c Wine Stamp.        .50    .60
Scott #RE109, 1942 1/4c Wine Stamp.       1.50   1.90
Scott #RE110, 1942 1/2c Wine Stamp.       2.00   2.50
Scott #RE111, 1942 1c Wine Stamp.          .75   1.00
Scott #RE112, 1942 2c Wine Stamp.         3.50   4.50
Scott #RE113, 1942 3c Wine Stamp.         3.50   4.50
Scott #RE115, 1942 3 3/4c Wine Stamp.     7.00   8.75
Scott #RE116, 1942 4c Wine Stamp.         2.50   3.25
Scott #RE117, 1942 5c Wine Stamp.         1.75   2.25
Scott #RE118, 1942 6c Wine Stamp.         2.25   2.75
Scott #RE119, 1942 7c Wine Stamp.         4.50   5.75
Scott #RE120, 1942 7 1/2c Wine Stamp.     6.50   8.25
Scott #RE121, 1942 8c Wine Stamp.         3.25   4.25
Scott #RE122, 1942 9c Wine Stamp.         9.00  11.25
Scott #RE123, 1942 10c Wine Stamp.        3.25   4.25
Scott #RE124, 1942 11 1/4c Wine Stamp.    3.50   4.50
Scott #RE125, 1942 12c Wine Stamp.        5.00   6.50
Scott #RE126, 1942 14c Wine Stamp.       25.00  30.00
Scott #RE127, 1942 15c Wine Stamp.        3.50   4.50
Scott #RE128, 1942 16c Wine Stamp.        8.50  10.50
Scott #RE130, 1942 20c Wine Stamp.        4.50   5.75
Scott #RE131, 1942 24c Wine Stamp.        3.25    OUT
Scott #RE133, 1942 30c Wine Stamp.         .90   1.15
Scott #RE135, 1942 36c Wine Stamp.        2.00   2.75
Scott #RE136, 1942 40c Wine Stamp.        1.75    OUT
Scott #RE137, 1942 45c Wine Stamp.        5.25   6.50
Scott #RE138, 1942 48c Wine Stamp.       12.50  15.75
Scott #RE139, 1942 50c Wine Stamp.        7.25   9.00
Scott #RE140, 1942 60c Wine Stamp.        2.50   3.25
Scott #RE141, 1942 72c Wine Stamp.        7.50   9.50
Scott #RE144, 1942 90c Wine Stamp.       15.00  18.75
Scott #RE145, 1942 96c Wine Stamp.        9.00  11.25
Scott #RE146, 1942 $1.20 Wine Stamp.      6.00   7.50
Scott #RE147, 1942 $1.44 Wine Stamp.      1.00   1.25
Scott #RE149, 1942 $1.60 Wine Stamp.      7.25   9.00
Scott #RE151, 1942 $1.80 Wine Stamp.      2.50   3.00
Scott #RE152, 1942 $1.92 Wine Stamp.     47.50  60.00
Scott #RE153, 1942 $2.40 Wine Stamp.      7.50   9.50
Scott #RE154, 1942 $3.00 Wine Stamp.     60.00  75.00
Scott #RE160, 1942 $7.20 Wine Stamp.     12.00  15.00
Scott #RE173, 1942 $1.00 Wine Stamp.      3.00   3.75
Scott #RE174, 1942 $2.00 Wine Stamp.      5.75    OUT
Scott #RE180, 1942 $10.00 Wine Stamp.     6.00   7.50
Scott #RE181, 1942 $20.00 Wine Stamp.    15.00    OUT
Scott #RE183, 1942 3 2/5c Wine Stamp.    32.50  42.50
Scott #RE184, 1942 8 1/2c Wine Stamp.    18.00  22.50
Scott #RE185, 1942 13 2/5c Wine Stamp.   60.00  75.00
Scott #RE186, 1942 17c Wine Stamp.        9.50  12.00
Scott #RE188, 1942 33 1/2c Wine Stamp.   55.00  67.50
Scott #RE190, 1942 40 4/5c Wine Stamp.    2.25   2.75
Scott #RE191, 1942 51c Wine Stamp.        2.40   3.00
Scott #RE192, 1942 67c Wine Stamp.        7.50    OUT
Scott #RE193, 1942 68c Wine Stamp.        2.25   2.75
Scott #RE195, 1942 $1.50 3/4 Wine Stamp. 30.00  37.50
Scott #RE196, 1942 $1.60 4/5 Wine Stamp.  2.50   3.25
Scott #RE199, 1942 $2.01 Wine Stamp.      2.00   2.75
Scott #RE200, 1942 $2.68 Wine Stamp.      2.00   2.75
Scott #RE201, 1942 $4.08 Wine Stamp.     57.50  72.50
Scott #RE203, 1942 $8.16 Wine Stamp.     10.00  13.25
 

     (The inventory is still strong.  A few items have sold out, but the best items are still available.)

     My Ebay listings of Souvenir Cards have expanded.  BEP and ANA cards have been added, up to roughly 1986.  Much more to come.

     I planned - and still intend - to add some TEXT PAGES to my NEW website (stevelevinestamps.com).  To do this, I had to switch my website to a different "server" (the computer on which my site is hosted).  Murphy's Law came to pass, and in switching servers, glitches were created.  I thank those of you who brought this to my attention.  I believe they've all been fixed, though I wouldn't bet my life - or even a now-scarce lock of my hair - on it.  The world of hi-tech is tough...but the flexibility is worth it.  I can't put 5,000 images on a printed list.  Frankly, I'm not sure when I'll have 5,000 images on my website...but I am trying.

     It sometimes feels like I'm swimming against the current.  Nothing much seems to get done, and that pile of stationery in the next room isn't getting any smaller.  Then I go buy some more.  There WILL be new items for my UPSS listings; I just can't tell you when.  There ARE new ad cards; they will be up...soon. 

     I hope this posting finds you in the best of health, and I look forward to hearing from you.

     Best Regards,