Hi Everyone. I am thinking of bidding on these "stamps" on eBay. They are quite unusual and speak to me (and I love anything Halloween-related re: the Salem stamps). However, I am wondering about their authenticity, esp. with the uneven edges on a couple of them. Does anyone have any information regarding these various stamps and their origin? They are all from one seller. Thanks for any info!
Real would depend on what they are being advertised as
The SALEM stamps are real - they are recent Cinderellas & fairly common
The union square is a bogus stamp - so no real value
The original Union Square US 141L3 2c is black on rose and the 2cents is spelled "Two Cents" and no dot in the top.
It is actually quite common unused
$3 but $3000 genuinely used
Your stamp on the left, the genuine 141L3 on the right
Here is a another one (wrong color) and a genuine on the right value about $30
The seller's Union Square offerings are ALL bogus or forgeries
I would buy NOTHING from this seller
His APS & other credentials would lead me to think he knows the difference ... so make your own conclusions.
Safe buying on eBay - keep getting opinions of fellow members - that is the only safe way.
" Imperforate stamps were often cut clumsily, so that is not a clue."
which got me thinking... were scissors costly in the mid 1800s? In the same way your fountain pen was a valuable possession? Did post offices issue scissors to cut stamps apart, and were they clumsy devices? Or were they using pocket knives and razor blades to cut the stamps apart?
Just trying to account why many were cut so sloppy back then.
Thanks, guys. Funny thing is, he does have the Black on Rose Union available as well. He also has a huge # of sales and a high satisfaction rate, though I know this can be faked. Also a member of the APS. I wish I could trust buying stamps on eBay, but it can be a gamble. I'm glad I have you guys to give a helping hand to a neophyte. Thanks!
After trying Ikeys method then do it as fast as possible because in the PO you have a queue of people getting irritated and wanting to be on their way as soon as possible.
And most of the modern local posts are just stamp collectors playing post office for fun and to sell covers. Very few actually provided a mail delivery service.
Yes, that is quite true. However when these 1st hit eBay he was selling them as "Rare Local Post Stamps." They were not being sold as modern "issues" ( I use issues in the broadest sense.).
Which shows that he was just looking to defraud collectors out of their hard earned money!
Most makers of "Modern" Local Posts make it clear that they don't have and never had any type of postal validity! In other words they are just for fun.
Regarding the Salem Witch Cinderellas, I suppose they can still have some historic interest to them if they were made a very long time ago, but my guess is they were just made to look old. Anyone know the year? I don't think 1866 is very likely.
I believe they were produced post 2010. I have a bunch of these = Santa Claus, Indiana 1860; Tombstone 1881; Boomtown Letter Dispatch 1879; Hell Michigan 1932, etc. Salem Special Delivery - Salem Dead Letter Office. They are cute.
