Summer in the city

The World Stamp Show came and went. Gone are the great exhibits - the One Cent Magenta, the US Navy Curits Jenny bi-plane, the Mauritius plate. And gone are most of the dealers. Only Champion Stamps remains, vending from its midtown address Mon-Thu. Weekends however are still kicking with the Cafe Koshichka and their colleague Pete the Greek, it has moved back to its Chelsea Market location on West 25th Street between B'way & 6th Avenues. But in that bazaar it had decided to move to the more shady back area, visible but not accessible from West 26th Street. Same great discounts and selection. Maybe no upsidedown planes, but they have added some significant sections including a spoof section, what with Queen Hillary 1st and the Amelia Earhardt falling out of the sky...and the China spoofs, some of which are only for sale to Allied Military/NATO member armed forces service personell. A strict limitation of 888 makes these the rarest spoofs in the world. So the summer heats up, and the US elections with them - just this week someone was arrested trying to grab a gun and kill Donald Trump - but the stamp collectors in the Big Apple will have it made in the shade with the hottest stamps around. Some, what with the political connotations, too hot for even the World Stamp Show. New Yorkers know how to keep the best for themselves.

Great stamps at great discounts in New York City

This weekend wraps up the World Stamp Show - NY 2016 at the Javits. It ends Saturday, but stamps are still for sale at the outdoor market on 39th St - btw 9th/10th Aves - Hells Kitchen Market. Ask for booth #8. Lots to see there at great discounts! Saturday and Sunday weather permitting. Next weekend there will be stamps at the Chelsea Market, 25th St btw B'way/6th Aves - and every weekend thereafter weather permitting. So we hope you enjoyed the World Stamp Show, but don't be sad it's over as there will be plenty of stamps, covers, etc to choose from all year around in Manhattan! Mention this blog for a bigger discount!

Controversy at World Stamp Show - NY 2016

The World Stamp Show at the Javits in New York is in its third day. The weekend started it off, with blistering hot days. Despite the sun, thousands could be seen walking, like pilgrims on the way to Mecca, towards 11th Avenue midtown. There the immense glass structure of the Javits welcomed the crowds, eager to see the plethora of dealers and exhibitors. Up the road on 39th St., at the Hells Kitchen Market, a quiet riot ensued; all hell was in fact starting to break loose. The first issue of the set of eight designs by Wu which spoof and reveal the actions of the Chinese Communist Party were visible behind a locked case. The image of Mao's police arresting a stamp dealer made for more than interesting conversation. Some of which, being in Mandarin, we can only guess at. There is no joy on the part of the CCP about these. And even some stamps dealers are ready show their support of the CCP and have these blacklisted, overriding free speech. Once you mess with CCP interests in the US, you can expect their agents to come after you. Or if you have a business that conflicts with theirs, such as thorium reactor plants, you can expect their spies to pull strings against you. And if you try to report Chinese counterfeiters on eBay, a large debate on this site (see previous posts), you can expect eBay to disband their fraud prevention team thereby allowing CCP counterfeiters to undermine the US and world economy this way. So we are fighting back. The edition of these stamps is now set to include a stamp showing Chinese counterfeiting operations, and will include the name of at least one eBay dealer on the stamps, one which was listed by H. James Maxwell, president of the China Stamp Society, as a fraud. Fraud is part of the CCP psy ops war against the US. American politicians have gone along with it. The public is in danger not just losing $ to eBay and its criminal members, but to losing its entire economy, and with it, funding for the military. So naming the eBay dealers and shaming eBay and Paypal are a necessary step, letting American companies know that they will be outed if they betray the consumer in the US and side with the CCP. The CCP has ties to US businesses that it has secretly funded. The CCP also has ties to drug dealers in the US, and is known through Wu's notes to be providing these gangs with knowledge of FBI and NYPD undercover information. Thus many criminal gangs in the US now have some allegiance to the CCP, and would be ready to start trouble in the US if this were needed. So these stamps are part of a larger strategy, and an echo of what the British did to the Nazis in WWII. These, however, are not so widely printed up as the agency creating these is a private agency, not any part of the US government or in any way tied to the CIA, but an independent body of former servicemen who wish to defend the US against CCP activities and restart the US economy. Funds being limited, they are only issued in an edition of 888. And only to be sold to appropriate persons, no CCP members, drug dealers or other undesirables will be allowed to purchase these stamps.

Red Monkey and Chairman Mao spoofed on 'Chinese' stamps at Javits show in New York

The World Stamp Show - NY 2016 is coming up at the Javits, and in anticipation of it, a very unique set of stamps is being designed, to be issued in an extremely limited edition of 888, with another 88 imperforates. Designed by an outspoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party who loves China and wants to see Chinese values triumph over this upstart bunch of thugs, whom he sees as disrespecting the old values and harming the environment in China and abroad, they are spoofs in the tradition of the UK and German redrawn designs of each others' stamps during WWII. There have been many spoof stamps since, including a US Michael Jackson stamp with a little boy on Jackson's lap - which caused a cease and desist letter to be issued. Wu's stamps spoof the Cultural Revolution era issues, with an obvious parody of PR China Scott #988, "Raid on White Tiger Regiment." The spoof is titled "Arrest of the Stamps Dealers." Another spoof stamp is unique in design, showing shadowy figures hunched over keyboards - titled "Hacking into the Pentagon." It is a dark, spooky piece of artwork, with figures blending into a five sided centre, a grim reaper-like ghoul being followed by two Chinese hackers who are currently on an FBI Wanted list. The rest are anonymous; hidden symbolism, including references to Operation Northwoods, make this one a top design in the genre of spoofing spooks, though I am told that some of the subliminal messages in it contain real information that both the Chinese and the US press refuse to divulge. Wu, an artist and activist, now believed to be living in the expat Chinese community in New York, seeks to bring attention to a number of issues with these offerings and poke gentle fun at the cult of collecting Red Monkeys and Chairman Mao stamps; the aforementioned "Arrest of the Stamp Dealers" starts this off with the irony of stamps collectors paying high prices for stamps that bear the image of a man who detested stamp collectors. If the ironic images of soldiers arresting dealers and hackers accessing US military secrets is not enough, Wu has just started; his next image is that of Chinese soldiers, portrayed in rather caricature form, attacking Tibetan children. And not without basis in reality are any of his designs. They are meant to make us see beyond the whitewash, (or redwash?), of the CCP, which, by the way, is very active in New York, and is suspected of trying to influence the coming US election; of which, more later. If the viewer is not awakened, and perhaps offended already by the three images mentioned, there is the last, taken from a 1970s issue, PR China Scott #1271. In it, a similar operating theatre image to the one on the stamp sets the scene, with the doctors serenely performing an operation; their serenity, however, is surreal, along with other subtle aspects of the design; on the table, the 'patient', a Fulan Gong member, screams in utter agony, as the heartless doctors are extracting his organs. Such a scene is in fact a well documented reality, and therefore demands attention. Wu could be making easy money drawing nicer, more flowery images for the CCP Philatelic Agency or any other nation's, but he chooses to make stamps that will go much further in the owner's mind than the 12.000 miles that the politically correct regular issues can achieve. So this stamp show in New York, to be held at the Javits from 28 May-4 June 2016, will have some of the rarest and most controversial stamps. Presently there are few dealers entrusted with Wu's, one of whom, whose staff includes Collectors Club and American Philatelic Society members, will be at the Hells Kitchen Market, 39th Street between 9th & 10th Avenues, Saturdays and Sundays. For those wishing to contact those dealers, send an email to nycphilatelic@gmail.com and set up an appointment to view these unique issues. Be prepared for something out of the ordinary, and certainly out of the bounds of political correctness!

Stamps dealers forced to find new home after Easter fire at Serbian Church

For years now stamps dealers, including an outfit called eclectically Cafe Koshichka, owned by Russians, hence the koshichka, or little car po russki, have been plying their trade at the Chelsea Flea Market on West 25th Street, just north of Broadway and to the side of the Serbian Cathedral of St. Sava.
Just when dealers were packing up last night, a blaze occured inside that church. The caretaker, struggling to contain the flames, suffered smoke inhalation, and later, four firefighters were injured putting out what turned out to be a major fire. Red flames shot out twenty feet from the large round window, and the FDNY was fighting the conflaguration for some twelve hours.
When the smoke cleared, the tragedy of having lost a 161-year-old building dawned on the city, softened though by the fact that there was no loss of life. The Serbian community has been using this edifice since WWII, when its fighters were Allies. It has been a city landmark, and a statue on the 25th St. entrance is of Nikolas Tesla, the Serbian scientist who lived out his life in New York.
Oddly, the Orthodox community suffered not just this one loss of a house of worship, but two others, both in Australia, burned in massive out-of-control fires on Easter Sunday. Candles? Terrorism?
Speculation abounds.
And along with the many questions that will have to be answered in regards to his massive ecclesiastical coincidence, there is the one about whether Cafe Koshichka and the other stamp dealers will continue to be in Chelsea on the weekend. As the church is now deemed structurally unsound do to the blaze, there will be areas roped off and the possibility of a street closing for quite some time.
Cafe Koshichka had another home in New York, two actually with the winter spent at the Brooklyn Flea Market; the first was in Hells Kitchen, which was going well until some Homer bike messengers, unable to accept the rules of reality and dismount their bikes on a street full of shoppers - threatened people and assaulted a dealer and his customer. After which they ran off like cowards, and Homer then went into coverup mode never disclosing the names of the two accomplices in the attack. Another dealer had his table stolen by these young men.
So there too calamity forced the hand of the dealers and they moved - back to Chelsea. Now Chelsea may not be an option.
Talking to the staff at Cafe Koshichka, which, despite its name, does not serve coffee (but rumour has it they have share some other drinks with their customers...) - I am told that they were already thinking of moving back to Hells Kitchen so as to be near the Javits show 28 May- 4 June. Which is a great idea - and I am told also they are taking steps to make sure that Homer and its crew are under police surveillance.
It's one thing that a natural tragedy like a fire or snowstorm can stop the philatelic trade, but to let it be stopped by a character named Adam  Price (CEO of Homer) and his thuggish, brown shirt-like employees is something that can be prevented.
 And it will be. Letters are being prepared not only to that company, but to its New York backers, letting them know that small businesses in New York are standing their ground.
We look forward to the stamp dealers thus coming midtown the end of this month and into the summer. And hopefully the Serbian church will be repaired in good time and we will see them both places.

Chelsea stamp dealers

Previous posts have warned people about ebay frauds. Future posts will do the same.
Our advice is to buy from a dealer you know and stamps you can see and fell at the time of sale.
NYC offers little in the way of this, but on the weekends, weather permitting, as it was this last weekend,
there is a table full of stamps, sheets, covers and philatelic material, with prices that are very competitive.
The Chelsea Flea Market, which is now into its 25th year, sets up on Saturday/Sunday on West 25th Street between B'way & 6th Avenue, just a block away from Madison Square Park and by the side of the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, St. Savo.
Over 100 dealers spots are to be found there, so you'll find bargains on just about everything from CDs to furniture, lots of art, it's a great place to spend an hour or two on the weekend, near most trains, 1/2/3, A/C/E, N/Q/R, F/M.

And I might just note also that Madison Square Post Office is a short walk away as well, front entrance on 23rd, back  on 24th, btw 3rd & Lexington. This is a historic PO which I like to use to get the MSPO franking and also admire the Ben Shahn murals. AND, on this trek from the market to the PO, if you are making it of a first Saturday of the month, you could hook up with fellow philatelists at the International Stamp Club which meets in the complex of buildings at 2nd/24th, best to contact us - nycphilatelic@gmail.com for exact directions. So start there and go west young man.

The stamp people on the West Side have everything from Chinese ( I saw a set of goldfish sold ) to Israel MNH w/ tabs, Commonwealth, US, covers ( I just missed a German cover franked in France, how that happened I don't know, but for the $1 someone paid they got a bargain before I could!) - early US specialist is a Greek guy - he also has Hermes heads! And a good assortment of int'l, along with coins, notes, etc. + lots of inexpensive starter sets, pages, random lots, and friendly staff to help out collectors at every level.

So before you spend hours on the phone with ebay getting nowhere over some issues with the wrong watermark, go to the Chelsea Market and go home happy. Free shipping of course!