I love cheap packet mixtures.

They provide many hours of cheap stamp collecting pleasure.

Here's one from the Phillipines from around 1969 with 20 years or so of stamp chronology.

The cost, only a mere 23 cents for 25 stamps in 1969, now worth ten times the price or more.

Notice the official stamps with the overprints "G.O." and "O.B."

"O.B." stands for "official business" and "G.O." stands for "gawaing opisyal",Tagalog for "official business".

Unopened cheap packet mixtures are a favorite in my home.

They're suitable for framing and make great conversation pieces.

Never pass up the opportunity to own an old unopened cheap packet mixture.

Approval sheets, stamps sent to collectors for sale on approval, were popular in the mid 20th century. They're still popular today and sent by dealers to trusted collectors.

A collector would buy what he or she wanted from the approval sheet and return to remaining stamps to the dealer with payment for those retained included.

Angola, known officially as the Republic of Angola, is a country, and Marxist government, located in Southern Africa.

It is the seventh largest country in Africa and is bordered by Namibia to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Zambia to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to west.

The capital and largest city of Angola is Luanda.

From my collection, here are examples from approval sheets featuring Angola.

Notice the old values. Many stamps have increased substantially in value over the last 50 years.

The Isle of Man, also known simply as Mann, is a self-governing crown dependency in the Irish Sea located between Great Britain and Ireland.

The island has been inhabited for thousands of years, since before 6500 BC.

On July 28, 1976 the Isle of Man issued a souvenir sheet of nine stamps featuring examples of Manx ceramic art.

Isle of Man Scott #'s #89 the Cronk Aust food vessel from the early bronze age, #90 the Sansbury Bowl created in 1851, and #91 a 20th century Knox urn.

The Manx are an ethnic group originating from the Isle of Man. They are primarily a Celtic people, though with significant Norse and English influences.

The earliest people in the Isle of Man date to about 8000 BC, the Mesolithic Period, the Middle Stone Age.

The souvenir shhet is not scarce, but you'll have to do a little homework to find it  I'm happy to share this example from my collection with you.

Beginning stamp collectors discovered that the hobby of Kings could become quite affordable.

Especially so when it came to the cheap packet mixture.

You could have a great learning experience with the cheap packet mixture discovering the customs and history of far away lands.

Known as the "V.K.Series", otherwise known as "Very Kaput" (notice the "V.K. Series" at the bottom tucked and folded towards the back of the cheap packet mixture), this cheap packet mixture features 36 stamps from India and was sold for a dollar sometime in the 1960's. 

The cheap packet mixture was sold in drug stores, department stores like Woolworth's, bookstores, small dry good stores throughout America, in souvenir shops, by stamp dealers and Boy Scout uniform suppliers.

Wrapped in cellophane until the air was choked out of the stamps, here is a lovely closeup of the highly regarded cheap packet mixture which provided a lifetime of pleasure for the stamp collector.

Although of low value and worth very little, the cheap packet mixture is probably worth less today than it was in the 1960's unopened.

Do you have a wonderful cheap packet mixture story to tell ?

After a miniature design from the Bible of Borso d'Este, here is the first page of the souvenir brochure commemorating the 1,900th anniversary of Saint Paul's arrival in Rome, issued by the Italian Ministero Delle Poste E Delle Telecomunicazioni, the Ministry Of Post And Telecommunications on June 28, 1961.

Italy Scott #'s 837 and 838

A scarce souvenir brochure  featuring the landing of Saint Paul
in Rome, the illustrations are from the Bible of Borso d'Este, a two volume
manuscript.

The illuminated miniatures, the work of Taddeo Crivelli and
others, were executed between 1455 and 1461.

The work is held in the Biblioteca Estense di Modena.

Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations. It was founded as the police force of the Kingdom of Sardinia.

On June 6, 1964 the Italian Ministero Delle Poste E Delle Telecomunicazioni, the Ministry Of Post And Telecommunications, issued a stamp honoring the 15oth anniversay of the Carabinieri.

The Carabinieri is a military force charged with police duties under the authority of both the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of the Interior.

Italy Scott #'s 891 and 892 are enlarged for you with extraordinary detail.

The stamps are easily obtainable in both mint and used condition.

The souvenir brochure, however, is quite scarce.

Giambattista Bodoni February 16, 1740 – November 30, 1813 in Parma) was an Italian typographer type-designer, compositor, printer and publisher.

Death of Giambattista Bodoni (1740-1813), printer & type designer of theBodoni type, is remembered in this 150th anniversary commemorative stamp and a four page souvenir sheet/brochure from the Italian Ministero Delle Poste E Delle Telecomunicazioni, the Ministry Of Post And Telecommunications.

Scott #893 issued July 30, 1964

Study Bodoni Type.

Read about Bodoni, his life and his work.

Galileo Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an Italian astronomer, philosopher, and mathematician.

He has been called the "father of observational astronomy",the "father of modern physics",the "father of the scientific method",and the "father of science".

Galileo studied speed and velocity, gravity and free fall, the principle of relativity and inertia.

He was honored on the 400th anniversary of his birth, February 15, 1964, in a commemorative stamp and a four page souvenir sheet/brochure from the Italian Ministero Delle Poste E Delle Telecomunicazioni, the Ministry Of Post And Telecommunications.

Scott #'s 888 and 889 .30L and .70L respectively.

The souvenir brochure is more than half a century old and scarce.

Read about Galileo.

The Club Alpino Italiano, also known as the Italian Alpine Club, is active in protecting the Alpine environment.

It was founded in Turin in 1863 by finance minister Quintino Sella.

A souvenir sheet/brochure was issued on March 30th, 1963 commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Italian Alpine Club.

Italy Scott #873, .115L, depicts an illustration of Mount Viso, the Alpine Club Emblem, an ax and rope.

Mount Viso or Monviso (Italian pronunciation) is the highest mountain of the Cottian Alps located in Italy close to the French border.

More to come from my collection.

It was "Stamp Day" in Italy.

Francobollo December 2, 1962, the Centennial of Italian Postage Stamps.100 years in a commemorative stamp and four page souvenir sheet/brochure from the Italian Ministero Delle Poste E Delle Telecomunicazioni, the Ministry Of Post And Telecommunications.

Scott #865 purple, buff and bister .15L

Another example of the fine souvenir programs produced by the Italian Ministero Delle Poste E Delle Telecomunicazioni, the Ministry Of Post And Telecommunications.

In 1959 the Italian Ministero Delle Poste E Delle Telecomunicazioni, the Ministry Of Post And Telecommunications, issued two postage stamps celebrating Europe in a four page souvenir brochure.

On September 9, 1959 Italy Scott #'s  791 and 792, the Europa issues, were released. They are known as the "Common Design Type".

The now scarce souvenir program includes the .25L olive green and.60L blue.
EUROPA stamp issues are among the most collected and most popular stamps in th world.

Giuseppe Francesco Antonio Maria Gioachino Raimondo Belli (7 September 1791 – 21 December 1863) was an Italian poet, famous for his sonnets in Romanesco, the dialect of Rome.

On November 4, 1963 the Italian Ministero Delle Poste E Delle Telecomunicazioni, the Ministry Of Post And Telecommunications, issued a stamp commemorating the life of Belli.

This four page souvenir sheet/program was issued on that day.

Italy Scott #884 red brown 30L appears to be lithographed, the process of printing from a surface on which the printing areas are not raised but are ink-receptive (as opposed to ink repellent).

The Italian Ministero Delle Poste E Delle Telecomunicazioni, the Ministry Of Post And Telecommunications, souvenir programs are scarce.

Two stamps were issued by the Italian Ministero Delle Poste E Delle Telecomunicazioni, the Ministry Of Post And Telecommunications, on August 25, 1962 in a commemorative souvenir sheet/pamphlet representing the 30th anniversary of the International Film Festival held in Venice, Italy.

Italy Scott #'s 855, 30L of a stylized camera eye, and 856 70L depicting the gryphon-like "Lion of Saint Mark" are represented in this four page photogravure souvenir sheet/pamphlet.

The 74th Venice International Film Festival is scheduled to be held from 30 August to 9 September 2017.

Antonio Pacinotti invented an improved form of a direct current-electrical generator, also known as a dynamo, in 1860.

He was honored by the Ministero Delle Poste E Delle Telecomunicazioni, the Ministry Of Post And Telecommunications, in a four page biographical commemorative souvenir sheet in 1962.

Scott #'s851 and 852, the 30Lire rose and 70Lire ultra, are represented which include an illustration of the ring winding dynamo also known as "Pacinotti's Dynamo".

I'll have additional souvenir sheets from the Ministry Of Post And Telecommunications, from my collection, over the next few days to share with you.

They're scarce, tough to find now.

I was visiting Graceland the day Elvis died and left the house before the ambulance arrived to take him to the hospital. I didn't know the ambulance was on the way and left about thirty minutes before the emergency technicians arrived.

I was unaware that he had suffered a heart attack.

This is the most famous illustration of Elvis in the world by artist Mark Stutzman.

Today is the anniversary of his passing.

We will always love and miss Elvis. 

Korea is as beautiful a land as the flora and fauna that inhabit the country.

Six souvenir sheets issued in 1966 confirm this fact.

Below, in the stock page, left to right top to bottom, in row one are Scott #'s 495a Firefly 3 Won and #500a Grasshopper 5 Won both isued September 15, 1966.

Row two Scott #'s 502a Badger 3 Won issued December 15, 1966 and #501a Silk Butterfly 7 Won issued September 15, 1966.

And finally in row three, Scott #'s 504 Tiger 7 Won and #503 Black Bear 5 Won both issued December 15, 1966.

Stamp collectors throughout the world have been delighted for decades with Korea's exciting stamp series evoking emotional admiration for the natural beauty of the land as represented by Scott #504.

In the name of God, let us not engage the machine of destruction with Korea or any nation or people.

Let us try to understand each other's needs in this grave moment and build a better future for the world.

Let us embark on a path of harmonious relations free from dispute, ceasing hostilities.

As American's, our legacy, our obligation is to carry the torch illuminating that state which prevails during the absence of war.

That which is the state of peace for all mankind.

-David Saks-

Memphis, the Memphis Philatelic Exhibition, will be held September 20th and October 1st at the Agricenter International here in Memphis, Tennessee.

Here's a sneak peak at my  exhibit, which will be on display for two days, 'United States Officials - 1873 -1875".

Click the specimens and link to the Memphis Stamp Collectors Society's home page.

Here are some more details for you about "Memphex 2017"

Stock pages are essential.

Without them a seasoned philatelist, like myself, would feel like an unredeemable hoarder.

Here's another page I dug out of the closet for you.

See if you can find the classics.

I'll post more stock pages for you in the days ahead.

Stock sheets are a "must-have" for organizing and preserving your collection.

I like the standard double-sided black stock sheets for three ring binders with 6 to 8 clear pockets for storing, sorting and organizing my stamps.

Amos Advantage, your finest resource, has them in many different sizes.

 Visit Amos by clicking the stock sheet.

Scott #1260, issued December 15, 1960, was issued on the 50th anniversary of the American Radio Relay League, the voice for our nation's amatuer radio operators.

I've always enjoyed experimenting with radio.

It began when I was a kid.

I earned a Morse Code / Signaling merit badge in Scouts at 14 and passed the Extra Class Amateur Radio license exam a few years later.

I bought a box of old cards and letters a while back and found this great picture of amateur radio operator Bill Hannah from Trenton, New Jersey in his rocking chair. His radio call sign was W3EUH.

Bill sent this great picture to another ham radio operator that he had a convesation with on the 160 meter amateur radio band (1.8 to 2.0 megahertz). 

On the back, Bill included a signal report about the 160 meter contact. Q5 means that he heard every word. R8 means that on a scale from 1 through 10 Martin's signal strength was received as an 8, a very strong signal from W4GJV at 3:35 A.M. on the morning of November 3rd, 1940.

Martin was in region 4, indicated by the number 4 in his call sign, and probably in the South. Perhaps Tennessee or Florida, at the time quite a distance for a hobby radio transmission from New Jersey.

Bill had run out of the customary QSL cards, the postal cards sent as a confirmation of the contact between one station and another amateur station. QSL is the three letter designaton, also sent in Morse code, confirming that that amateur radio operator has received and acknowledged the signal of the other station.

Amateur radio operators are among the first responders providing emergency communication during war and disaster to assist and rescue those in peril.

During peace time, amateur radio is a hobby that has no equal and provides countless hours of communication, learning and camaraderie with great friends throughout the world.

I never knew Bill. He was before my time. But from the great photo, and his kind inscription to a fellow amateur radio operator, I'm quite certain that Bill had many, many friends.

I wish that I had known him. I'm sure that I could have learned much about science and electronics from Bill.

The first postal and charitable stamps of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, the RSFSR, were issued on December 31, 1921 by a commission to collect donations to help the starving Volga region, organized under the Central Executive Committee with the direct support of Lenin.

The series consisted of four brands of the same face value of 2,250 rubles, of which 250 rubles was postage, and 2000 rubles - a surcharge (an additional fee), which came to the charitable foundation for helping the hungry Volga.

Three of the four lithographed, imperforated stamps are shown here depicting ships bringing food to the hungry on the Volga River.

Scott #'s B14 green, B15 red, and B16 brown.

B14 Green

B15 Red

B16 Brown

The fourth stamp is of a different design in blue depicting the administration of aid to a famine victim and not represented here.

There were 3 issues of the stamp designs, 2 of which had original drawings.

The Soviet Philatelic Association created a special center, the representatives of which sold these stamps throughout the world to help many starving people.

Unfortunately, forgeries of of Scott #'s 14 through 16, as well as forged cancellations, are abundant.

These historical stamps, in my collection, have light, clear original gum on the back of the paper which is an indication of authenticity.

The Russian Famine of 1921-1922 affected the Volga and Ural River regions.  A drought in 1921 worsened the problem and turned the situation into a worldwide tragedy.  During the course of the famine, it is estimated that over six million people died of starvation.

The Go Green Initiative trains volunteers and teachers to protect human health and natural resources for the future of the world.

Scott #4524, pane of 16, was issued on April 14, 2011

The Go Green Initiative fosters integration of environmental education into existing school curriculums.

The first GGI school was Walnut Grove Elementary.

Read about Walnut Grove by clicking the stamps below.

What could be better than teaching our children about how to save the world ?

No doubt that Jimi Hendrix was one of greatest Rock & Roll guitarists who ever lived !

The United States Postal Service seconded the motion with a stamp honoring Jimi.

 Please don't miss this great event !

I'll be there !

Deuteronomy 16:20

“Justice, justice shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”.

To All For Making This Day So Very Special For Me !

Please Have Some Cake And Ice Cream !

Much Love,

David