posted on January 24, 2013 05:59:09 PM new
My husband is a casual collector of Swiss stamps. Tonight he purchased a lot and didn't notice that the seller said that the 4 stamps he was interested in was a "reprint block". What exactly is that? TIA
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posted on January 24, 2013 08:07:24 PM new
Neglus, your husband purchased a set of stamps that are not original - they have been reprinted.
Reprint - "A stamp printed from the original plate, after the issue has ceased to be postally valid. Official reprints are sometimes made for presentation purposes or official collections. They are often distinguishable in some way from the originals: different colors, perforations, paper or gum. Private reprints, on the other hand, are usually produced strictly for sale to collectors and often closely resemble the original stamps. Private reprints normally sell for less than original copies. Reprints are not valid for postage." Linns.com
"In philately a reprint is a new printing of a postage stamp from the original plates.[1] A reprint is to be distinguished from a new print which is not printed from the original medium. A reprint may or may not be valid as postage."
posted on January 24, 2013 08:16:51 PM new
Thanks, Bill. That's not at all what he thought he was buying. Seller was clear in listing - my husband didn't bother to read and reprints were shown at the top of the listing so he thought he was getting a fantastic deal on some valuable stamps. Sigh.
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posted on January 25, 2013 06:28:23 AM new
Thanks Bill. I asked the seller to cancel and he graciously agreed. He stated that he did not intend to mislead but threw the reprint block in as a "bonus" instead of throwing it away. I know my husband just got so excited about getting a $500 stamp block for $25 and didn't read the details. We use the same id so I read him the riot act about being more careful in the future. Thanks for your help.
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