The world's cheapest DUCK STAMPS! As low as 10% of FACE value!

Fresh Mint Australian Duck Stamps at only 10% of Face value!

Almost Impossible to believe, but true.

I bought a decent quantity of full sheets of 20 of the final two $15 stamps in this popular series. The 1995 issue depicts Australia's Green Pygmy Goose. And the final 1996 $15 issue of this series depicts the Blue Billed Duck.

I am offering these as low as 10% of face value - i.e. 10% OF ACTUAL ISSUE COST! Never in history have these stamps been offered even as low as even half face, and this wholesale price is just mind-boggling - and is offered strictly subject unsold of course. Glen Stephens is famous for offering bargain wholesale prices, but this offer takes the cake! Reading my website can save you a FORTUNE! Like Wal Mart, very large volume and very low margins works just fine for me. And has done, for 25 years selling stamps

The stamps were 100% official issues by the Federal Government. They were approved and sold at face value by the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, which changed its name in 1993 to the Australian Nature Conservation Agency. Both governed by the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1975. Monies from their sale went to Federal Government consolidated revenue:

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/num_act/npawca1975n121975417/s46.html

These beautifully printed large sized stamps were primarily issued to receipt the entry fees to Wetland Parks, most notably the famous World Heritage Site - the Kakadu Wetlands in the Northern Territory. These stamps were used on entry tickets to the Kakadu Park. All visitors needed to pay a $15 entry fee to the Park at this time, and the entry ticket was receipted with a cancelled copy of this stamp being affixed.

All these Australian Bird stamps I have here were of course legally obtained, and are all 100% legitimate for anyone to own or re-sell!

I am selling both Mint unhinged and cancelled stamps and "Specimen" overprinted - all in fresh full sheets 20 .. of the 1995 issue. Your choice. And full mint sheets 20 of the 1996 issue. (No CTO or Specimen of that year available.) You may "mix and match" as you wish ANY of these 4 different stamps. Most collectors and dealers have bought a sheet 20 of each type, and I have set a special price for that combination. (Lot "F" below.)

The 1995 $15 issue depicts Australia's Green Pygmy Goose. Designed by Robin Hill.

The 1996 $15 issue depicts Australia's Blue-Billed Duck. Designed by Richard Clifton.

Price is the same for either year sheets, and you may or course mix and match any years.

The stamps have been popular worldwide with not only collectors of Australian stamps, but worldwide collectors of "Bird" and "Duck" stamp thematics. The USA of course has a long history of "Duck" stamp collecting, and has issued one each year since 1934. All the recent USA issues from 1991 are also of $15 face value. The USA $15 Duck stamps are also issued in sheets of 20 as this one is. Most USA annual issues sell in the order of one to two million copies, so this issue was tiny by comparison.

Perfectly centred Mint unhinged copies of many the earlier USA issues sell for many $1,000s, and in fact the first 10 years can certainly cost you $US2,000 each, for a really choice unmounted example, and some can sell for over that. I recall a plate block of 6 of the 1934 issue selling for $US27,500 (=$A35,000) at Auction a few years back, so these are popular stamps. And quite a few plate blocks are known of that issue.

These Australia $15 stamps I now own were bought in quantity by someone, the reason for which I have no clue. I heard it might have been with the intention to on-sell to USA based dealers in Duck stamps and Duck paintings and artwork by Robin Hill and Richard Clifton, the designers of this issue.

The USA 'Duck' issues from that vintage like 1998 and 1999 Duck Stamps and sell for $US275 each on a $15 face value for superb MUH examples from specialist stockists like Sam Houston Duck company. ( www.shduck.com ) That is near 20 times face value already, so these issues can have very strong upside.

My 'Stamp News' columns have recorded the ever increasing prices being obtained each week for the USA 2005 $15 Duck stamp mini sheet that was released mid 2005. Scott RW72b. It was selling for 10 times face value within weeks of issue. On September 9 a pane was purchased for the incredible figure of $US1,937.95 - or $A2,505. All these sales were on the on-line auction eBay. That latter price is near 100 times official PO ISSUE price. And was the "common" black signed pane. The Gold and Blue are many times scarcer. Duck stamps right now are RED HOT! :

Collectors who bought the USA 2005 panes off leading dealers for $US39 in July were selling them for over $US1,400 in August 2005 to frenzied buying. In my 25 years in stamps I have NEVER seen such massive price rises in such a short time frame.

My article tracking the massive prices above was ran as a large half page feature piece in the "Linn's Stamp News" edition of September 12, which is incorporated into my "Stamp News" article below.

http://www.glenstephens.com/snoctober05.html

I have read that only around 1,000 sheets of these latter Australia stamp issues were sold, so they are also in fact a very "Limited Edition" of around 1,000 like the USA issue above, also issued in a 1,000 run. Framed under glass, a sheet of stamps would look most impressive, even to a non stamp-collector. "Birds" are of course the NUMBER ONE stamp topical/thematic on this globe, and these would sell well as thematics, and on eBay, at stamp fairs and shops etc. If you are a bird collector why not get a sheet of each - Lot "F" ... keep a block 4 for your own collection and keep the others for exchanges with other Bird collectors in the future? That is $1,200 face for $A225, and once sold out you will never see these again.

I am selling $7,500 face value parcels for $750, (Lot "E") and I can almost bet some 'creative minds' will be thinking about licking them onto parcels. I now routinely see Norfolk Island and Nauru (and other similar) stamps used on domestic mail - you really wonder if anyone at mail centres even glances at frankings in many cases? All those issues were sold at the Australian Post Philatelic Sales Centre at face value, and for that reason many people assume they are OK to use as postage. I am certainly not advocating or suggesting that usage of course, just noting it seems to occur a lot in recent years. Luckily, they retail for more than face value, so there is no incentive to try and use on mail anyway!

I have a few sheets of the 1995 very neatly cancelled at Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory on each stamp. (See photo below of this stamp) These of course are also in superb fresh condition and have full gum. And of course are FAR fewer in number than the Mint examples. The buyer has the choice of adding one or more sheets of the cancelled ones mixed in with the mint ones, in any ratio you choose. i.e. if you buy 5 sheets of 20 you can choose to be shipped 5 sheets of mint, or 5 sheets of cancelled, or 2½ sheets of mint and 2½ sheets of cancelled etc - your choice entirely. Just let me know before I ship, re your choice.

And the "sleeper" of the whole offering are surely the few sheets of the $15 1995 I have, all overprinted "SPECIMEN". These issues are always highly popular with collectors. Interestingly, the "Specimen" type font used on these appears to be EXACTLY the same font as used by the Australian Post Office on the 1915 Australian Kangaroo issues! ('Type C' overprint) Many Roos with this exact overprint like the 1915 10/- are worth several $1000s each. "Specimen" overprints in Australian Philately are almost always worth far more than the equivalent un-overprinted stamps. At 10% face these will cost you only $1.50 each! Sold as singles on eBay or retail I can imagine they would get $20-$30, as only a few 100 were ever done I understand. I believe they were overprinted to be used as publicity samples for media, and for officials etc.

I assume the buyer will be planning to re-sell these to collectors in singles or in smaller quantities, via eBay or retail, at around face value, leaving you with a ~1000% profit margin in that event of buying Lot "E". In that case, offering a mint and cancelled and "Specimen" at the same time might double or treble your unit sales? "Bird" stamp thematics are of course THE most popular of any collected topical - worldwide, and many collectors outside Australia do NOT own this issue. Offering all 4 stamps together will see most collectors buying all 4. These are the LAST 2 stamps issued in the Australian Federal Duck Stamp Program.

As you can see from the photos, each sheet has two corner imprint blocks and corner sheet number blocks, and the 1995 $15 has a central inscription gutter. All this aids enormously those keen to re-sell. Corner blocks are very popular with collectors, as are printer imprint blocks and gutter blocks and sheet number blocks. All very saleable.

The usual retail of these stamps is of course MORE than the face value. Current retail is $US15 (=$A20) per single stamp of either issue, as per this leading website on the issues:

http://www.nationalwildlife.com/countries/Australia.htm

Retail is therefore around $A10,000 for 25 sheets of 20. At my price of $A750 for $10,000 retail, (Lot "E") the potential for a VERY enormous profit is clearly there.

This wholesale lot I have is unique - I have the only bulk quantity on earth. When they are sold - they are gone forever. Early ordering recommended. At these insane prices - as low as 10% of face value - these will surely vanish FAST!

Prices are as follows - your choice entirely of the 4 types of sheets 20:

A. One sheet of 20 - face value $A300 - $A75

B. 1 MUH sheet of 20 1995 + 96 - FV $A600 - $A135

C. 5 sheets of 20 - face value $A1,500 - $A225

D. 10 sheets 20 - face $A3,000 - $A375

E. 25 sheets 20 - face $7,500 - $A750

F. The 4 diff sheets 20 - face $1200 - $A225

G. As F but 5 sheets ea - face $6,000 - $A650

H. Corner blocks 4, of all 4. Face $240 - $A70

In all cases you may "Mix and Match" 1995 MUH or 'Kakadu' CTO or "Specimen' $15 stamps, or 1996 $15 MUH as you wish!

Registered postage anywhere in Australia is $A10. Anywhere overseas is $A20. Insurance is extra.

Subject Unsold - I reserve the right to increase prices without notice.

Order from Stevo on-line NOW!! Click HERE

More about the artists of these beautiful stamps:

Robin Hill, the designer of the 1995 stamps, is a highly respected waterfowl artist. Hill also did the illustrations for the complete catalog of this genre - "Waterfowl of North America: The Complete Ducks, Geese and Swans" - see detail on that superb book here:

http://www.robinhillartist.com/pubs/wfowl.htm

Robin Hill was born in Australia in 1932, and studied art in both Australia and England before moving to the Washington, D.C area in 1971, where he still lives. He has had many one-man art shows in the United States and abroad.

This stamp was Hill's last design in the series, and a sure-fire hit in the USA. All I know is, no-one else has a large chunk of these, and when mine are gone, they are gone for good. This is a one-time opportunity to seize the initiate, and buy up.

This 1996 stamp was Richard Clifton's first design in the series. Delaware born Clifton is a highly regarded US based painter of ducks and waterfowl. He has designed about 2 dozen different USA state Duck stamps.

His bird paintings work has also graced the covers of national magazines, have been exhibited nationally in the USA, and have even been engraved onto a special edition Model 12 shotgun for Delaware Ducks Unlimited. Clifton even provided the artwork for a limited edition Delaware Ducks Unlimited beer stein sponsored by Coors Brewing Company. The artist is an outdoor enthusiast, and says his experiences with nature continue to be a source of inspiration for his artwork.

Unframed prints of Clifton's waterbird paintings sell for about $US150, generally in editions of 500 copies, and are widely available across the USA from art dealers.

As each sheet of 20 is large sized, I have little doubt sales would be excellent for framing to the many followers of these popular artists work for around the face value of the $A300 sheet - which in $US is about $US225. An art (or stamp!) dealer who buys off me at 10% of face value (Lot "E") will make a cool $A6,750 (i.e. over $US5,000) if these are offered to collectors only at FACE value! Heck after about 10 years from being issued, these are a STEAL at face value to a retail buyer, and I imagine would sell pretty well at that figure.

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Glen Stephens
Monthly "Stamp News" Market Tipster Column

       October 2005

Quack ....... Quack .......


I raised this interesting new Duck issue in my last column, and predicted it had a huge future. Anyone who took my advice and "bought at market" has seen their panes rocket ahead $2,000 in price!

This report of mine below was a half page news story in Linn's Stamp News September 12 edition.   Disclosure - I have not bought sold or bid on any of these panes - but have been fascinated by the rapid price increases and have tracked the items very closely.

I thought local readers would be interested - it just goes to show that buying the scarcer new issues can prove an absolute bonanza if you pick the right items! And HESITATING can, as in this case - cost collectors $1000's.

One alert collector bought one off a leading dealer for $US39 and sold his pane for over $US1,400 only a few weeks later. It does pay to read and subscribe to stamp magazines!

I have been selling a lot of Australian duck stamps cheaply on my website to Americans which is why I noticed the dramatic rises occurring in this stamp:  www.glenstephens.com/duckstamps.html

The much discussed 2005 USA $15 Duck stamp pane first broke the $US1,000 price barrier on August 22 in an eBay auction. Single unit auctions up to August 28 saw the $US1,400 mark quickly reached.

On September 9 a pane was purchased for the incredible figure of $US1,937.95 - or $A2,505. All these sales were via the on-line auction eBay.

The August 22 auctioned pane sold for $US1,034 and was first to breach $US1,000. The seller was Sam Houston Duck Co.

Ironically many "Reader's Opinions" Letters To The Editor published in Linn's Stamp News only weeks before were critical of that company for selling the pane for between $US49 and $US75 in their display ads in that magazine.

One letter writer, Carl A. Hedin described such a profit margin on a $20 item as: "usurious and mercenary" in a letter to Linn's published August 15.

"Distasteful Greed"

Another writer Philip Roscher criticised Linn's for running the ads, and said the ads at $US49 and later $US79 were "the most distasteful example of greed I've seen".

Collectors who instead of whining about modest dealer mark-ups, DID purchase "at market" when these panes were freely offered by dealers for considerably less than $US100 must be rather pleased already. Their timely purchase now worth at least $US1,775 - and rising weekly.

                 Sold for over $2,500

I urged collectors of these Duck issues or "Bird" topicals last month to buy now at whatever the price was - which then was not much over a few $100 each anywhere in the USA.

The $15 face value Duck pane was sold at an issue price of $20 when released mid 2005. Each was signed by the stamp artist, Mark Anderson. It was an un-announced issue in this year's USA Duck series. Scott Catalogues have allocated it catalogue number RW72b.

Only 1,000 of these panes were sold and it has been made clear that no more will be printed.

New information has now come to light in recent weeks that artist Anderson signed the 1,000 panes in 3 different coloured pens.

Anderson reports to the best his recollection he signed only 100 in gold ink, between 100 and 200 in blue ink, and the balance in back ink.

Industry sources tell me it seems likely that Scott will list all 3 colours separately in the Scott US Specialized Catalogue. Keen collectors will of course seek to obtain sets of all three ink colour signatures.

The panes began selling for increasingly high prices on eBay during August, even before the different colour inks were recognised as being significant. My September 12 report was the first in Linn's to highlight the existence of the 3 different colour inks.

Prices rose fast to way past $US500. One poorly centered pane was auctioned August 21 for $US690. There were 26 bids and a start price of just 99c.

One well centred pane sold 44 minutes later for $US835 offered by "jkstamps" of Indiana, and had a starting bid of $US24.42.   There were also 26 bids.

That seller told me after the sale: "I just happened to be in the right place at that time." He may not think so now, as the price has more than doubled in the 2 weeks since!

The 3 panes sold to that date were all purchased by US based eBay member "darze10". This user has a high feedback rating, as did all three sellers. This is a sign those involved were respected and well established buyers and sellers. All 3 panes sold were signed in black ink.

"darze10" won all these 3 auctions with a single late bid, usually indicating that an automated bidding program is used. Setting a very high pre-set maximum bid to hopefully ensure beating out other bids. Takes nerves of steel, and a large cheque book,

After some investigation I can reveal "darze10" is a handle used by stamp dealer Dana Okey of Solana Beach California. Okey has ran several large "Buying" ads for the Duck panes in Linns in recent weeks.

Okey told me: "This item is unprecedented in US stamp history! Truly a modern rarity.

"I haven't bought a single pane off my ad in Linn's now running for the 4th week. I have however received many calls from people wanting to buy them off me. 1,000 printed, but none save a few on ebay are on the market. Therefore, ebay is setting the market for now.

"My current guess is that the pane will reach $US2,000-$3,000 before year end. By my estimation 600-700 of the 1000 are in collector hands and not for sale. People love to point at something in their album that is worth 50 times what they paid for it" Okey concluded.

Another RW72b pane, signed in black, sold on eBay August 28 for $US1,224.99 with 22 bids. The seller was "prochop" from Ohio. The buyer uses the handle "chekevdia" who also made the initial bid $US200.

An hour or so later on August 28 saw the highest price obtained for this pane to date.

Buy $39 - Sell $1,403!

This eBay auction reached $US1,402.99 from a starting price of 99¢.  High bidder was "stampact" a high feedback eBay member based in Delaware. Underbidder was the now familiar name "darze10".

Dansville NY seller of that Duck pane uses the eBay handle "bear420" and is a 5½ year eBay member also with high feedback tally. Account holder Jerry Freeman told me a fascinating story about the pane.

Freeman said: "after reading Linn's I did some research and saw what the few available on eBay were selling for. Although he was reluctant to part with it, I convinced my father to allow me to auction his Duck pane on eBay.

"Dad only wishes he had bought the limit of 2 so that he could have kept one in his collection. We are absolutely ecstatic at the success of the auction, and setting a new world record price.

"My father Gerald Freeman Jr is a 35 year member of the local Dansville Coin and Stamp Club here in New York. He bought the pane off Sam Houston Duck Co for $US39 from their first offering in July." Freeman concluded.

Steve Carey buyer of the pane for $US1,402.99 as "stampact" told me: "I hadn't even realised it was a record price until you mentioned it.   Sadly I was sadly asleep at the wheel in the early weeks of the pane's existence. I was reading the reports in Linn's but awoke to the potential rather late in the tale. I placed my bid from a Hotel lobby in Madison Wisconsin whilst travelling on business."

An aggressive high under-bidder on all these five auctions was eBay user "Interstamps" also a long term member based in San Jose CA. That person placed a gold ink signed pane for auction late August with a starting price $900 but later withdrew it from sale. Presumably thinking prices would rise a lot near term on gold ink.

"Interstamps" is Christine MacAluso.

MacAluso told me at that time: "I think the RW72b panes are great for the hobby of stamp collecting and a superb investment. Only 1,000 were issued.   I also collect WWII Nazi Germany. The Bohemia & Moravia Heydrich souvenir sheet, also had only 1,000 printed. Michel value for that is around $US20,000 for Mint unhinged.

"In an age where 100 million of each USA stamp is issued, nothing is rare anymore and one has to look for odd errors in order to satisfy the "treasure hunter" mentality inherent in many stamp enthusiasts.

"The RW72b sheetlets in particular have made stamp collecting more fun, and gotten more people interested in the hobby. I think the US postal authorities should do more similar things in order to get people involved in stamps again" she concluded.

"Interstamps" offered a black signed pane in an eBay auction that completed September 7, USA time. It sold for $US1,775.99. Buyer again was "darze10" - or California dealer Dana Okey. As the buyer and seller were based in California, the state sales tax of 8.5% applies even on eBay.

So the invoice was it seems - $US1,775.99 plus 8.5% plus shipping = $US1,937.95 or $A2,505. This is very close to 100 times the $20 issue price only a few months back.

                    Graded "XF - 95"

This pane was accompanied with a expert opinion "certificate" that the stamp centring and condition was "XF - 95" graded - or almost perfect. (A "100" grading allegedly being perfection.) The certificate is illustrated nearby.

The seller Christine MacAluso told me September 10: "I still have 3 sheets left, one in each color signature, all with PSE 90 certs. I plan to hold on to them for my investment collection."

This story had a new twist fast emerging with the realization within the trade very late August that Anderson had used 3 different ink colours to sign the panes.

Bob Dumaine, owner of Sam Houston Duck Co told me August 28: "there was a progression of information from when I noticed the three inks, getting in touch with Anderson, and then sorting our stock ... we shipped many out without regard to color.

"Anderson finally settled on the following sequence: he started signing in gold ink and signed one package of 100. He then changed to blue ball point pen, and signed at least 100, but less than 200. Anderson then completed the balance in black ink.

"This occurred over a 24-hour period, so he's not 100% certain of the blue number. That means a maximum of 100 sets of 3 can be possible with gold as the defining number. I had 70+ gold, and started mailing them out, with four people here packaging up without regard to centering or color.

I sold about 100 panes that way, then began sorting and looking closer. I then decided to make sets of 3 colour inks, and was able to put together just a few sets from what I had left" Dumaine concluded.

Want to see (or print out) this column EXACTLY as it appears in 'Stamp News'? If so click snoctober05.pdf - it may take around 30 seconds to load. You will need the Adobe Reader program installed to view it.
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GLEN $TEPHEN$

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