The best response (in my opinion) was 'sell your collection and start again!'

 

So here is an idea.  Why not join the Cinderella Stamp Collectors club (or any other philatelic organisation) and write a feature telling them how much fun it has been to create your collection, illustrating it with your favourite examples. 

 

Or send articles or letters to magazines or websites drawing attention to your situation - you never know, someone else might have those 'missing' stamps and simply not want them.  Many collectors of the original DW stamps bought them because of the book not because of any long-term philatelic interest, I bet there are still unopened original LBEs out there.

 

And don't forget that the original Blue Triangle sports that every Discworld collector lusts after were being distributed for quite a while before anyone knew that they existed - so there is still a very good chance that there are more out there than originally thought.

 

And it gives me an idea... why not collectively lobby the people who market the DW brand to restore the original idea behind the Blue Triangle stamp - that it was to be a very, very limited edition reward to be presented by Terry to members of his DW community who had 'done good' by raising funds, awareness, or simply helping other fans without the expectation of reward. 

 

Why not create a special  reward stamp again? - for those collectors who have occupied their spare time; without the assistance or encouragement of the retailers; producing lists of rarities, collating figures on production, listing the various sizes of mount required for each stamp... recognising their efforts before they get bored and move on.  Something really special.

 

And if they won't do it there then perhaps we should consider creating a reward stamp here for the forum member (or members) here who best raise awareness of our hobby through publicising cinderella stamps, helping other collectors or simply bringing the most new members to the forum?

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 . . . that sounds utopian in part Colin.

 

Whilst I am all for your several plans and ideas, I am also aware that the British as a nation tend to be a tad reserved, even private in their outlook. At worst we might ever be referred to as apathetic. Together those failings - if that is what they are - prevent much of what you say ever being enacted.

 

As for those rarities like the Blue Triangle 'sport', I was as you know, very active in the Discworld stamp forum from almost day one. I knew of at least one 'BT sport' that was never declared by it's owner because of a desire not to disqualify themselves from a chance of getting another. You know the kind of thing, "you've already got one, give someone else a chance." Rarities were created by 'gifts' to people who visited the shop.

But I think that the worst excesses were as a result of the realisation of the potential earning power of the stamps. Today, IMHO, Discworld stamps do not 'happen' as they use to, guided by the motto, "in the beginning was the word."

 

 

Go back to the earliest days of the DW forum - when EVERYONE there was a new collector and  contact the ones who are no longer around.    There must be hundreds.  Not all of them will have sold their collections - many will still be convinced that their stamps will be mega-valuable one day (and a quick glance at eBay would put that in perspective) and of those there are bound to be some who would sell to one of the keenest newer collectors rather than plod through online auctions, and those who would probably be quite happy with the cash alternative and would sell to pretty much anyone, anywhere but have never ben presented with the opportunity. 

 

With your inherent charm and the knowledge you have built up while collecting you would be in a very good position to open up a discussion. You could divert anyone who had something worth selling but was asking too much for it, to our forum where we could all take pity on them - but in a nice way - and tell them what a stamp was really worth.

 

Of course that method just gives you access to the previous DW forum members. There are also lots of Terry Pratchett fans who at the time the first stamps came out were visitors to the shop for sculpture, the books, and stuff such as Clarecraft figures - why not join the Facebook and other collector pages for these and enquire who might have bought the odd bag of stamps out of curiosity?

 

And there are other sources too - I made and dropped all over the place (several on my visits to Wincanton) various copies - hardback, softback and US versions too - of Going Postal with some rare stamps stuck inside. I even tore up a whole vertical sheet of the 2005 Hogswatch stamps to make one book extra Christmassy one year and boy do I regret that now!  Some have joined BT triangles in, some have handcut stamps in, some are a mixture of laernu and DW. they all have to be out there somewhere and the stamps were intentionally only ever lightly stuck in.

 

OK you might find people who don't know what they have or might assume something is more valuable than it is - but everyone has a digi camera or camera phone these days and they can even post the pics here if they want a second opinion.

 

Don't give it up, if you've tried digging deep, and tried digging hard, try digging somewhere else  :-)

 

Here was my reply...

Mark wrote: Murgatroyd wrote: I'm curious as to what other members of the forum do when they reach the same stage. Buy a few more LBE's? Oooops we don't seem to have one to buy at the moment... and I'm still waiting for my last order... Whats to do? I think I' get that feeling the same as you - I did start buying FDCs/Con Envelopes and proofs (as stated on my trades list for the exact reasons above you're facing) I can only justify so much cash for an item - be it from 41 or on ebay... I missed out on so many things from the early days and even now when things get withdrawn from the shop. I have to pick and choose what to get :( I took the option of filling out my collection on the affordable items - Stamp Sheets are mainly out of my league - The ones I own are mainly GCTS or journal offers. I find the trade lists are pretty static, or as you say, everyone is looking for the same rare stuff... Even when I find something I need, I have nothing to offer  :roll: (Don't get me wrong I've had some good trades also - but getting harder all the time)  - I know some members will take LBEs or Cash - but again it's a price thing... Cheers Mark :D

 

Edit: PS It's not Wilfred either. He was too busy buying Peter Elliott's Green Susan joined pair common-sport tete-beche.

 

Great spot though Charles!

 

Last week someone rang me to ask about how many green Tower of Art sheets were made with  the falling man facing outwards (or was it inwards?) in the selvedge bullets.  I can't remember specifically turning the man around but apparently I did. I knew we had various combinations of colours in the bullets but don't remember tipping the falling man over.

 

So still lots of oddities out there if you know what you are looking for, and plenty to keep a collection alive, and it would seem, not all things that every ebay seller will be aware of 

I used to do this a lot with the old Ral Partha and Grenadier figures. Some Sellers would put up extremely common figures, sometimes hideously painted, for vast sums of money, convinced that they were sitting on a gold mine, Other sellers would misidentify extremely rare figures and put them up for pennies. If I'd dealt with a seller before, and it had been a good transaction I'd always tip them off about ways of adding detail to the descriptions of their lots if it would help to attract more interest. 

I was obviously quite wrong to suggest that the buyer was Pete. And Wilfred doubtless has that stamp already, Though I was pleased that he got the Green Susan Sport, as I know he's been after one for a very long time.

I think part of the attrcation was that it was also adjoined to a common, pity really as it would be nice to know what a single sport would be worth.  Have any single Susans come up for auction in the past?

I seem to recall a certain couple of gentlemen saying to me at one Hogswatch meet, "Is there anything different with your Susan sto-helit stamps from the LBE'S, " On me replying "no! what am I looking for? I was told "Oh! you would notice!"

I wasn't going to mention any names, That "A level" guilt you have will be your undoing!

 

It's just my council estate upbringing - I couldn't lie to a copper but I might attempt to innocently distract him just a little bit...

 

I wish that member would tell me where that information came from so I can put whoever it was right!