SALE ANNOUNCEMENT: All stamps on the NYFM Consignment pages are now available at a 20 percent discount from their listed price. Do not miss this terrific sale! This great buying opportunity will not last.
6/19/10: Today's update is not extensive but includes some very nice items. Foremost is a rare 10 cent 1847 issue cover from small Wisconsin town. Other notables are a very clean and scarce NYFM cover with geometric killer, a scarce 40 cent transcontinental internal rate postmark on stampless cover (ex-Risvold), and a funky Blackjack advertising cover. Enjoy the additions.
6/15/10: Announcement: Effective with this posting, The Classic Cancel is changing its email address. Now, whenever you click a Send eMail link, your email will go to classiccancel@att.net. My Comcast email address will remain available only a short while until I terminate my relationship with this ISP. I will be sending email notices to customers about the change.
6/4/10: Forty new items grace today's additions. Pay particular attention to is a nice selection of fancy cancels on 1861-7 issues, many Ex-Skinner. In Officials you will find some great plate varieties. Notable individual items include a clean Waterbury Banknote cover; a very scarce early Leavitt machine killer; a fantastic SOTN killer on 2 cent 1869 issue; and a beautiful 3 cent grilled Banknote with fancy color shield. Indulge.
4/25/10: It has been over two months since my last postings. This means that today's additions are numerous, 90 in total. I have added 13 items into Officials, 12 in Banknote Covers, 11 in Destinations, nine in Possessions (which has been reorganized and a new page added), and seven in Stampless. Collectors of the 2 cent 1883 issue (Scott #210) will find a particularly good choice of material throughout, especially in Destinations. You will find notable individual items in Machine Cancels (including an exquisite example of a rare APMC Boston killer) and in NYFM. Enjoy the selection.
2/7/10: Today's additions are spread across several categories. Notable items include a nice selection of Leavitt machine killers on cards; a new ERU cover for a scarce NYFM killer; and an attractive Baltimore STEAMBOAT/DUE 2 cover. Have a look.
1/1/10: Happy 2010 from The Classic Cancel. I have added over 70 new items across 49 different pages of my web site this New Year's Day. Notable items include a newly discovered multiple use of the 2 cent Continental Banknote double paper variety on foreign destination cover and a new ERU for a scarce NYFM fancy geometric on VF cover. Collectors of Scott 210 2 cent red brown will be pleased with the new selection, including a spectacular "man in the moon" fancy killer on cover and a very scarce use to Costa Rica. Officials gain a dozen new items, including three nice fort postmarks on War stamps. These are just some of the interesting and varied items offered for your collecting pleasure by The Classic Cancel.
10/25/09: The focus of today's updates is the 3 cent 1851-57 issues. I have added nineteen items in this category across covers, stamps and classic advertising. Among the key items are an 1851 issue cover bearing a terrific strike of the rare Shabbonah Grove, Illinois ribbon postmark, and a very attractive melodeon musical instrument cameo advertising cover. More new, interesting and attractive items can be found across other categories. Indulge.
9/12/09: This is the final of my three post-APS StampShow updates. Today premiers a new section, 1847 Issues. I am starting small, but you will find some wonderful and scarce cancellation items here. There are 11 new 1861-67 Issues items, including some nice covers: an attractive 3 cent pink with PFC; a Civil War across-the-lines prisoner of war cover with nice markings; a Lincoln-appointed Supreme Court justice's signature on cover; and a beautiful unlisted NYC blue 3-leaf clover on Blackjack. 1869 Issues feature some attractive stamps with fancy and color cancels. There is a broad new selection of Advertising Covers, including nice early cameos, a scarce Waterbury maple leaf fancy killer on card, and interesting Stampless. Enjoy the variety.
9/2/09: This is the second of three post-APS StampShow updates. Today's items feature Department Officials and New York Foreign Mail. Notable is a combination of the two, a rare NYFM geometric on 24 cent Navy. There is also a very nice fort cancel on high value War issue. Twenty-eight new entries grace the Officials section, mostly cancellation items, including New Orleans geometrics. Take a look.
8/27/09: Buying trips to APS StampShow and elsewhere have brought in a significant number of new items. I will offer this material over the next three updates. Today features items in 1851-57 and Banknote issues. Also included are updates to Destinations, Machine cancels, and Postage Dues. Key items include a very nice Scott 17 twelve cent imperforate and a very scarce Leavitt machine killer. I plan to complete this series of updates over the next two weeks. Stay tuned. Additionally, I have posted in the Articles and Analysis section of the web site a new article that was just published in the U.S. Cancellation Club NEWS. The USCC is a terrific organization that I heartily endorse and encourage each customer of The Classic Cancel to join if not already a member. (See the Links section for contact information.)
8/3/09: This is my seventh and final update featuring items from the Hubert C. Skinner estate ("HCS"). Today's focus is on United States 1861-7 issues, especially the 3 cent values. There are 35 new stamps and 20 covers; 70 percent of this material is ex-Skinner. You will find many beautiful, well struck killers. XF-superb quality strikes appear throughout. The real gems of today's offering can be found in the off-cover stamps. There are several New York City fancy cancels plus a wealth of other terrific strikes of scarce killers. For those of you attending APS StampShow in Pittsburgh this week, I look forward to seeing you there. I will be on the floor buying and selling to other dealers. For those who wish to contact me there, I suggest that you call my cell phone (see contact information, below). I will also be touching base frequently with friends at the U.S. Cancellation Club's society booth. Enjoy!
7/12/09: Today's postings feature the Banknote issues. This is also the sixth and penultimate update to include items from the Hubert C. Skinner estate ("HCS"). There are 37 new stamps (nearly all Skinner material) and 16 covers. You will find interesting, well struck killers throughout. In the covers section I am particularly fond of a Mittineague, MASS. 1877 year date killer, a St. Joseph, MO. negative arrow, and a neat Waterbury leaf killer. The off cover stamps offer a powerful selection: a wonderful commercial advertising killer, a rare steamer cancel, and a number of terrific geometric and representational killers. XF-superb quality strikes appear throughout. Have a look.
7/5/09: This fifth update to include items from the Hubert C. Skinner estate ("HCS") features 1869 issues and cancellations on postal cards and stationery entires. You will find a nicely struck Masonic killer on a 1 cent 1869. There are also two terrific previously unreported Worcester, Mass. large numeral killers on cards. In addition, I combine this update with recently acquired destination and advertising covers. Most notable is a very attractive cover from San Francisco to France bearing the scarce 5 cent brick red 1857 issue. Enjoy!
7/3/09: Today's update, my fourth to include items from the Hubert C. Skinner estate ("HCS"), features NYFM killers. Most items are off-cover stamps. There are many beautiful and scarce NYFM, including multiples and red killers. The Skinner material is combined with other nice items recently acquired. Check it out. And don't forget also to review the many nice remaining items in the NYFM consigned material. Combined with the three pages of The Classic Cancel NYFM items, this is the best selection of NYFM material available anywhere.
6/27/09: This is my third update featuring items from the Hubert C. Skinner estate ("HCS"). Today's focus is on United States 1851-7 issues, especially the 3 cent values, Scott #s 10, 11, 25 and 26. I have added an entire new page of off-cover cancellations as well as numerous covers into the 1851-7 section. You will find several terrific and scarce fancy killers and interesting usages. I plan three to four additional updates featuring Skinner estate items over the next several weeks, so keep coming back to see what's new.
6/18/09: Collectors of Scott #210, the 2 cent red brown George Washington definitive of 1883, should enjoy today's additions. I have added a whole new page of #210 fancy cancels, all from the Hubert C. Skinner estate ("HCS"). In addition, several #210 covers, including an attractive all over map advertising cover, have been posted. This is the second installment of the Skinner material. Lots more to come!
6/13/09: Today begins the first of several updates to The Classic Cancel that feature items from the Hubert C. Skinner estate. The Skinner name is familiar to every collector of cancellations and classic United States postal history. The Skinner-Eno book, U.S. Cancellations, 1845-1869, remains a standard reference for collectors of 19th century fancy cancellations. I had the opportunity to view and buy directly from the estate, allowing me to now offer many items from Mr. Skinner's extensive collection. My first offerings are in the area of U.S. Departmental Officials. This was not an area specifically collected by Mr. Skinner, but he had some powerful items. Shown here (sorry, but these items have already been placed with clients) are two of the most spectacular New Orleans fancy cancels that exist on officials: a spectacular 3 cent War with the finest possible example of the fiery cross, and a 2 cent Navy with negative bow and arrow. Today's offering combines other official items acquired through normal channels with Skinner items (all labeled "HCS"). These include several interesting and scarce covers. I have also added a nice registered cover from Hawaii to the Possessions section. I invite collectors to contact me about the Skinner material regarding specific interests. Please also note that I have begun upgrading scans on the web site, enlarging them and presenting all stamps, not just covers, as thumbnails. More to come!
4/11/09: I have today added 80 new items. Notable areas of concentration are 14 new postal cards with a number of interesting and scarce cancellations and usages; 17 new items in Departmental Officials, mostly cancellations plus plate and printing varieties; six new covers in 1861/7 issues with some nice, listed fancy cancels; mint postal stationery in Possessions; and some nice used blocks of four, mostly Banknotes (see page 8 of Banknote Stamps). Notable individual items are a Scott #134 strip of 3 with vertically split grills; a gem 2 cent 1869 advertising cover; and an unusual use of negro racial imagery on an advertising cover. Enjoy.
2/15/09: Today's 40 additions are spread across several categories. Notable are a 10 cent 1847 cover, the only reported use from a small Kentucky post office (see 1851 issues); a beautiful and rare GE-S4 NYFM double rate cover to France, along with a number of nice off-cover NYFM cancellations; several new stampless covers, including several from Ohio; and a number of new off-cover fancy cancels on 3 cent 1861 and Banknote issues. Have a look.
1/1/09: Happy 2009 from The Classic Cancel. I have added 59 new items over 40 different pages of my web site this New Year's Day. This includes some fantastic items. Of particular note is the NYFM section. Appearing here are several new discoveries, including the fifth recorded and only transatlantic use of GE-EP 13; a previously unreported ringed killer on UX3; a NYFM on 15 cent 1869 issue cover; and several rare off-cover NYFM. The 1869 issue includes two beautiful fancy cancel covers, including a very rare example of the Mittineague, MA "all seeing eye". Destination covers include an attractive B.F. Stevens forwarded cover with 1869 issue and a nice New York supplementary mail cover. For the Banknote collector I have added 13 new stamps and 5 covers. Officials gain nine new items. Gun cover collectors will find a spectacular two-sided advertising cover for Smith & Wesson revolvers. These are just some of the interesting and varied items offered for your collecting pleasure by The Classic Cancel. ANNOUNCEMENT: Please note an update to the Terms of Sale page regarding the use of images and descriptions.
10/19/08: I have today added forty new items. Among my favorites are: three used blocks, including #94 and #159; an immense straddle margin #94; a rare entwined heart fancy killer on #65; three new NYFM covers; an attractive advertising cover to Mexico with NYC simplex killer; a 4-color franking to Uruguay; a very early gun advertising cover; and two covers with New Orleans fancy geometric killers. Of course, please check out the off-cover NYFM cancels posted earlier this week. Enjoy.
10/14/08: As promised in my previous update, The Classic Cancel today offers a terrific selection of off-cover NYFM cancels, a consignment from a major collector. There are 23 new pages consisting of 438 items. These include many scarce killers, high value stamps, colored cancels and multiples. See the announcement below for access to the new pages. Preparing this consignment has kept me very busy. Nevertheless, I continue to acquire other new material and will now begin to prepare this for posting. So, keep coming back. New things should show up soon.
9/6/08: Today I have posted a new article in the Articles and Analysis section of the web site. It details a new, recently discovered NYFM fancy killer. (This article was just published in the U.S. Cancellation Club News. If you are not already a member of the USCC, I heartily encourage you to join. The wealth of information about cancellations in its quarterly publication are an immensely valuable resource. A link to the organization's web site, where you can find its membership application form, is available on my Links page.) NYFM collectors, please take note: I have recently acquired a major consignment of off-cover stamps with many beautiful examples of NYFM fancy killers, some scarce and many on high value Banknote stamps. I am currently working up the over 400 stamps, so this will take a while to complete. If interested, please contact me with inquiries.
8/24/08: I return from StampShow with a smile on my face. As you can see from the many new SOLD signs, sales were good. So was buying. Many new purchases never even made it home from Hartford. Today's new selections are spread across several areas. My favorites are a couple of beautiful early cameo advertising covers; a scarce 1869 combination franking to Scotland; an attractive colored fancy cancel on 3 cent 1851 cover; an Ashfield, MASS fancy negative postmark on FLS; a rare Leavitt machine killer on a 6 cent Navy stamp; and a very scarce used soft paper official block. Have a look.
7/17/08: Some absolutely terrific items make today's postings. Foremost is a wonderful cover to France bearing a new ERU example of a rare NYFM fancy geometric. Along with this are a number of other NYFM stamps and covers with great strikes, including a superb strike of a rare killer on 90 cent with PFC and an XF postal to Austria. Every page of Department Officials has additions. These include a gorgeous, large margin 24 cent Treasury with PFC and a nice selection of fancy cancels. There is a beautiful blue Louisville, KY fancy cancel on 1869 issue cover and wonderful Amherst, MA fancy cancel on #65 cover. Other nice items are found throughout. My next update will appear after StampShow, August 14-17 in Hartford, CT. I will be on the floor. Hope to see you there. Enjoy.
5/25/08: Today's new selections are concentrated in a few areas. In Stampless I have added some scarce and unusual postmarks, including an Exeter, NH straight line, an Orford-Ville, NH arch, and a large red Mount Carmel, IL oval. In Officials I have added stamps and covers, including two scarce penalty cover usages to foreign destinations, one to Portugal. Other nice items include a gorgeous Springfield, MA cover with blue fancy geometric killer on #65. These are but a few of the scarce, quality items offered for your collecting pleasure by The Classic Cancel.
4/27/08: A variety of new items await your shopping pleasure, including several fancy cancels both on and off cover. My favorites are: a gorgeous blue strike of an Indian Head fancy commercial killer on 1 cent Banknote; an unlisted Valentines arrow-through-heart killer on Scott #88; an unlisted blue Louisville, KY Masonic on UX3; and several attractive NYFM items, including a beautiful 24 cent with red killer. Enjoy.
2/26/08: I have today added my usual varied selection of stamps and covers. Among my favorites are a 3 cent 1851 stamp with spectacular SOTN blue WAY in circle; a clean and very attractive 6 cent 1869 cover with clear B.F. Stevens forwarder hand stamp, forwarded to Brazil; a wonderful short paid inbound cover with N. YORK STEAMSHIP postmark; and a gorgeous floral geometric fancy cancel on a #210 cover. Your viewing pleasure awaits.
1/1/08: Happy 2008 from The Classic Cancel. I have added a whopping 61 new items this New Year's, touching almost every category on my web site. My favorite is an immaculate DETROIT AND ALGONAC / STEAMBOAT / RURAL FREE DELIVERY cover, pristine and beautiful in every respect. But this is just the start. There are 13 new items in Department Officials, including three new covers and scarce plate varieties. Six new Destination items include a nice selection of 5 cent Taylor covers, among which is a new ERU for the New York City simplex ellipse numeral 1 killer. There are also five new NYFM items with three clean covers. Seven new advertising covers have two early cameos. Among five new Stampless covers are a scarce Ohio straight line and an unrecorded hand stamp rate marking. These are just some of the interesting and varied items offered for your collecting pleasure by The Classic Cancel.
10/30/07: Twenty-four new items await your perusal. Among these are five new stamps and a cover in Department Officials; five nice advertising covers, including an early one with neat fancy cancel; two very nice stamps with great strikes of NYFM fancy killers; a couple of nice machine killers; and a nice example of an early county name postmark on U59. Enjoy.
9/23/07: I have today added a mixture of items. They are scattered across several categories, including 1869 issues, advertising, possessions and Banknotes. Have a look.
8/26/07: Announcement: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! My customers' screams have been heard! Let the complaints about my terrible email service end. Effective with this posting, The Classic Cancel is changing its email address. Now, whenever you click a Send eMail link, your email will go to classiccancel@comcast.net. The old email address remains, but its use is deprecated. I will also be sending email notices to customers about the change. Thank you for your perseverance. NEW ITEMS: Only a few new items have arrived since my last update, but they are nice. There is an attractive NYFM cover, a couple of early multicolor advertising covers, an attractive Hawaiian postal, and a striking red postmark on #11 cover. Enjoy.
8/17/07: A variety of items have been added today. My favorite is easily a UX5 uprated to Japan. What really makes this neat is the historical import of the message that regards the 1880 Republican presidential nominating convention. Another nice cover is a pretty blue outline star on XF cover from a scarce Massachusetts DPO. I have also added a very pretty blue fancy cancel with matching county postmark on an official entire. Announcement: Effective with orders starting today, I have raised my single item mailing price to $2.50 from $2.00. You can thank the USPS, which now treats my stiffened mailers differently with new rates and regulations.
7/7/07: Today I have posted a number of nice items. Possessions has four attractive new Hawaiian postal cards. In Destinations, there is a beautiful uprated postal card with color fancy cancellation. You will find a terrific on-cover strike of scarce Cambridge, MA skull fancy killer in 1861 Issues. And several new stamps have been added to Department Officials. Have a look.
6/12/07: As promised, I have just posted a terrific selection of of fancy cancels on Scott #210, 2 cent red brown. They are all found on new pages 8-10 of Banknote Stamps. All come from a recently acquired old time collection. They include some truly scarce items. Among them are: rare Putnam, CT "Jehovah" in Hebrew; several of the Harry Nichols postal clerk initials killers from Ann Arbor, MI, including a wonderful example of the "HARRY" in hand-carved ellipse; an incredible strip of 3 bearing full strike of RICHIE C.H., WVa large shield postmark; neat pictorials, including skulls and bones; and a variety of nice numerals (including Mittineague, MA large 7s), letters, and unusual ellipses. Enjoy.
4/28/07: Twenty-seven new items have been added today. These include a gorgeous 6 cent 1869 issue on VF cover to England; a terrific strike of shield fancy cancel on 3 cent 1869 cover; a wonderful and rare South Woodstock, VT numeral 1 killer on postal; and a variety of other items across several categories. For those of you interested in the 2 cent red brown issue (Scott #210), I have recently acquired an old time collection containing a number of scarce and desirable off-cover cancels. Keep a look out for my next posting.
4/23/07: I have started listing new items acquired at Garfield-Perry show in Cleveland last month. You may already have noted the large number of new SOLD signs posted in late March. The many cover dealers at Garfield-Perry were happy to acquire the clean, interesting, and reasonably priced items offered by The Classic Cancel. Don't let the dealers beat you to them! Notable this time are a nice mixed 1867 and Banknote issue registered cover; a 2 cent 1869 issue with HIOGO, JAPAN cancellation; a couple of beautiful NYFM killers; and a clean cover to Haiti, a scarce destination. I still have plenty more to post, so stay tuned.
2/11/07: Twenty-five new items have today been added across several categories. Among my favorites are two covers, one a 2 cent 1869, the other a 1 cent Banknote, each cancelled by numeral 10 obsolete rating stamps used as killers. Another is a fold-out inspirational cover from the 1850s. Enjoy my varied offering.
1/1/07: Happy 2007 from The Classic Cancel. I have added 31 new items for your New Year's pleasure. Eight are destination covers, including scarce Banknote covers to Burma and to Uruguay. There are five nice, new #114 covers, a beautifully struck off-cover Boston fancy negative spade killer, and a variety of other attractive items to please the discriminating collector. Enjoy the new selection.
10/27/06: You can find today's additions in a variety of categories. Most notably, see NYFM for some nice off-cover strikes, a variety of Banknote covers, and attractive illustrated advertising covers. My next posting will not be until after CHICAGOPEX, one of the great regional shows in November. Hope you can make it there.
10/7/06: Today's additions cover a variety of items. Pay special attention to a number of very nice off-cover 1851-57 issue 3 cent stamps. Also, take a look at the Foreign Destination covers for some interesting items. Enjoy.
9/10/06: As promised, I have added a new section to The Classic Cancel: U. S. Possessions. To kick this off, take a look at the selection of attractive and interesting HAWAII covers. I have also added a section called Articles and Analysis (see just above Links). I have moved the articles on the Barre, MA killers from the Main page to this new section. It is my plan to add future writings here as time permits. Also, check out Department Officials for a number of new stamps and covers, including some scarce items.
9/1/06: Today I have added a variety of items. Note particularly 1851-57 covers, including a scarce New Orleans and Vicksburg River Mail postmark, and some interesting postals with fancy cancels. I will be adding a whole new Possessions section my next update. So keep checking the site.
6/30/06: Notable items posted today are a rare combination 7 cent, 1 cent x2 Treasury Official cover correctly paying a triple rate; a very attractive 1861 issue cover to France with fancy killer; and a gorgeous #10 with PFC. Washington 2006 was a terrific show. I bought and sold. Many of the items that I acquired there have already been place into customers' collections. I continue to encourage you to contact me about your collecting interests because many good items never make it to my web site. Have a look.
5/18/06: A wide variety items have been posted today. A couple key items are a beautiful 1 cent 1869 strip of three on cover and a scarce Mississippi River steamboat vessel-named marking. I will be in Washington, D.C. for the international show during its first three days over the Memorial Day weekend. I will be buying and also conducting dealer-to-dealer sales. Many of the items you see available here today are likely to be sold at the show. So, keep this in mind as you review the site and are debating whether to buy that certain item now, or to wait. Hope to see you in D.C. I am sure that it will be a great show.
4/16/06: I have just listed some terrific and scarce items. These include a rare Shabbona Grove, IL scroll postmark on 3 cent 1851 issue cover; two wonderful 6 cent National Banknote cancellations, including a superb strike of Nagasaki, Japan letter N killer with PFC; and a scarce 64b rose pink on cover with blue Chicago Supplementary Mail postmark with PFC. Also note a wonderful piece of Colorado history, an advertising cover for a failed railway tunnel company. Take a look.
2/5/06: You can find today's additions in a variety of categories. Most notably, look at some nice Scott #210 illustrated advertising covers. I have also added an exciting NYFM cover that redefines one of the scarcest of these highly collectible killers. Enjoy.
1/1/06: Happy 2006 from The Classic Cancel. I have added 35 new items for your New Year's pleasure. One of my favorite items is a U218 vermilion Centennial entire with a blue negative OK fancy killer, real scarce. New pages have been added to Banknote and Advertising covers. The latter includes a beautiful selection of illustrated equestrian and horse-related covers. NOTE: With the upcoming increase in postal rates and with other price increases this last year affecting my costs, I have raised my minimum shipping charge to $2.00.
12/22/05: Happy Holidays from The Classic Cancel. I have today added a variety of items. Notable among them is a rare Leavitt experimental machine cancel. I plan to add more next week, some New Year's goodies. Take a look and enjoy the season!
11/12/05: I apologize to my customers for the two day outage that began yesterday. My web hosting service, Yahoo!, failed to pay my domain registration service provider, Network Solutions, causing my domain name to be temporarily suspended. I am still trying to work through Yahoo!'s screw up. The responses from Yahoo! support staff have been of little help. Sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused customers.
11/6/05: A wonderful selection of new fancy cancels await your viewing. Foremost among them is an incredible cover bearing a blue crossed tombstone over grave killer from Roswell, Georgia. Enjoy.
10/22/05: A variety of items are new today. You will find some nice cancellations on #114s in the 1869 Covers section. I have also added a new page to Stampless, which include some attractive Illinois covers. Destinations contain neat New York City killers on UX3s and a scarce Spanish American War with Trans Mississippi issue to Germany.
9/11/05: Today's additions concentrate in two areas: advertising covers, including a nice early multicolor petroleum topic; and destinations covers, including a pretty 4-color franking brewery cover. Also find a scarce 1895 U.S. POSTAL AGENCY, SHANGHAI cover and Banknote fancy cancels.
8/20/05: This is my first update since attending StampShow. You will note the large number of SOLD signs that have been posted. As always, show dealers were happy to buy the quality, varied merchandise offered here. Today's additions focus on three areas. In 1851-57 issues you will find a terrific selection of scarce, quality fancy cancels. Advertising covers show a variety of topics, including bicycles and one exquisite early railroad cover. I have also added new items to NYFM. Enjoy.
7/23/05: I have today added two extremely scarce items, both on-cover grill varieties of wonderful quality: a #136 end roller grill and a #94 double grill with one quadruple split. In addition, check out new additions to Banknote covers, postage dues, and stampless.
6/30/05: I continue to add a broad variety of items. Check out black jack fancy cancel covers, interesting destination items, including a 1886 DPO cover with British official seal, and a nice Port Townsend kicking mule cover.
6/25/05: Postals! A terrific variety of usages and cancellations have been newly added. These include NYFM (quite scarce) and other foreign destination uses, fancy cancels, pseudo-machine killer, territorial postmarks, and some very unusual postal markings. A wonderful and scarce selection.
6/11/05: I have just posted a small but impressive selection of Scott #114 1869 issue items, both on and off cover. This includes a Galena, Illinois blue beer mug fancy killer, a very scarce combination red killer with blue postmark of Deerfield, MA, and attractive advertising covers. Take a look.
6/4/05: Today's updates are all Department Officials. I have added a variety of cancellations and covers. In particular, check out a selection of 3 cent Justice Department stamps with some terrific fancy cancels. Enjoy.
5/29/05: Continuing to catch up on posting new material, I have today added a variety of items. These include a selection of Chicago, IL 1861 issue covers, including scarce markings, and a number of one cent Banknote circular mail covers. Keep watching out for many more items to come.
5/20/05: I apologize to my customers for the nearly 3 months that have passed since my last update. As a part time dealer it is not always possible for me to give my philatelic business the attention it deserves. Anyway, today I have added a selection of foreign destination Banknote covers, some nice postals and advertising covers. Plenty more to come.
2/24/05: I have just added a nice groups of advertising covers. These include classics through early 20th century and a wide variety of topics. Take note of a gorgeous early illustrated cover advertising the Bissell Carpet Sweeper. Enjoy.
2/19/05: I have reorganized the site to add a new category, Postage Dues, moving a few covers from other categories and adding some new ones. There are several new items of note. These include an exceptionally scarce on-cover example of Scott #157 double paper variety (2 cent brown large Banknote); an extremely scarce circular rate use of Scott #214; #139 10 cent grill to Brazil, SHORT PAID; a #32-#36 combination cover to Paita, Peru via Panama; and a variety of off-cover officials, including an incredible and UNIQUE 24 cent Treasury canceled by the rarest NYFM fancy killer, GE-EP 13.
12/31/04: Happy 2005 from The Classic Cancel. I have added numerous items over various categories. Key items today include Masonic killers on #210 to Sweden; an unlisted playing cards fancy cancel on #114; a VF #65 with STEAMBOAT killer and DUE 1; and a number of Official items, including covers. Enjoy, there is plenty more to come.
12/5/04: I have added a variety of stamps and covers, particularly cancellation items. A notable item is a gorgeous #65 with bright green cancel. Have a look.
11/3/04: Just added some nice advertising covers including a great fishing tackle item. Also see in stationery a terrific Dakota Territory postmark.
10/31/04: In three weeks I will be attending Chicagopex. I will be on the floor doing dealer sales. This has always been a good show for me. I am updating my site from the large number of items, especially covers, that I have recently acquired and will continue to do so over the next several days. I would rather sell to my collector customers before the best items go to the dealers. So, have a look and keep coming back. Something of interest is bound to turn up. One item of particular note today is in Machine Cancels. I have added a cover bearing a rare, possibly unique variety of the Leavitt X1-B (Boston) experimental cancellation.
10/1/04: *** HAWAII *** I have today added two new pages of Hawaiian covers, stationery and cards to the Other Items category. This scarce group of 36 items are all clean with good markings, including some very scarce postmarks and cancellations. To analyze the covers, I have drawn extensively on information from, Post Office in Paradise: Mail and Postage Stamps of Nineteenth Century Hawaii, an excellent web site that I highly recommend (see Links). Postmarks are identified by Meyer Harris classification. In addition, I have added a scarce cover with GUAM overprint. Take a look and enjoy.
8/28/04: Today's update starts with numerous additions to Department Officials, both stamps and covers. This includes a selection of plate number margin copies, unusual cancellations, including a great New Orleans fancy, and an on cover 2cent Interior plate variety. I have also added a selection of 1851-57 3 cent covers.
8/4/04: The site has been updated with a variety of items. In particular, you will find a terrific example of Scott #11 with large plate crack, some nice 5 cent Taylor destination covers, and attractive Washington, D.C. fishtail ellipse killers. Take a look.
7/5/04: A variety of items have been added today, including an entire new page of Advertising Covers. I have also added some nice NYFM. There is plenty more to come. I have been busy of late and unable to add to the web site as frequently as I would like. So, keep checking back.
6/2/04: Today you will find a major update to the Department Officials section. This includes several nice fancy cancels, quality covers and used stationery. Included among these is a scarce 12 cent Interior cover. I have also updated the Machine Postmark section with several scarce items, including early flag cancellations and service markings. Enjoy.
5/15/04: Today I added a selection of fancy cancels on Banknote covers. I also added two very scarce machine postmarks. Take a look.
5/5/04: Take a look at a new selection of stampless with nice markings. I have also added several new 1861 issue covers with fancy cancels. Enjoy.
4/16/04: Today's additions are all on-cover 3 cent 1851 and 1857 issues. You will find scarce cancellations and plate varieties. Included are a plated #10 with green postmark and a #11 with major double transfer.
3/29/04: Yesterday I returned from Garfield-Perry in Cleveland. It was a great show with terrific exhibits and very busy, with many happy collectors and dealers. I have not posted anything new today, but I have updated the site with many new SOLD signs. The market remains strong for the quality and interesting items that I stock. Dealers in particular were happy to acquire. Many of the items that I sold, particularly advertising covers, had not yet made it to my web site. So, a word to the wise: Contact me with your interests. I let my customers have the first shot at items that they might wish to acquire. Enjoy the Spring.
3/16/04: I will be heading to Cleveland, Ohio for the Garfield-Perry March Party show March 26-28. Should be a great show, with the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society and the U.S. Cancellation Club holding annual meetings. Hope to see you there! In the mean time, take a look at my new offerings. There's a great #11 double transfer on cover plus some nice early advertising. I have much new material to add but have been busy of late and unable to post new items. So, keep looking and you will not be disappointed. Better yet, write and let me know what you are looking for. It may just be sitting here waiting to join your collection.
2/1/04: I have just added a few wonderful fancy cancels. Among them are an incredible example of the rare Pekin, Illinois blue teapot fancy killer on 10 cent Banknote; a terrific strike of scarce Williston, VT Masonic compass within letter G fancy killer on 1869 issue; a red heart fancy killer on 1 cent Banknote cover; and a superb "MAR." month killer on 3 cent Banknote. Enjoy.
1/26/04: Take a particular look at Department Officials. I have added some great cancellation items, including a superb Fort Apache, Arizona postmark on 10 cent War and a SOTN blue Chicago shamrock on 3 cent Treasury. You will also find variety of new covers in other sections like Stampless, early Advertising and Banknotes.
1/8/04: I have added several new covers and cards to the site. Notable are a nice selection of Washington, D.C. fishtail numeral ellipse killers from the 1880s and nice fancy killers on UX3s. Also, check out the 1851-57 issues for some attractive covers.
1/2/04: Happy New Year from The Classic Cancel. I continue to add numerous items accumulated over the last two months. Key items today include a 3 cent Executive Department official on a VF Executive Mansion cover; a beautiful blue "broken heart" killer from Concord, NH; and a very unusual large "10 AM" time killer from Wahoo, Nebraska on a #210 cover. I have also added attractive star killers on 1869 issue covers and advertising covers. Enjoy, there is more to come.