Phila-Trivia: When "Cinderella" Means More than a Fairy Tale

"Cinderellas" resemble postage stamps, but are not issued for postal purposes by a governmental postal administration. They include many different types of stamps and stamp-like labels, such as: locals, advertising/poster stamps, propaganda labels, stamps issued by non-recognized countries or governments,

charity labels, telegraph stamps, coupon stamps issued by companies, ration stamps, fantasy stamps, counterfeits, and more.

Certain types of cinderella stamps are sometimes listed in stamp catalogs. Locals, for instance, have at times fulfilled a legitimate postal function when stamps issued by the national government were not available. Often, however, locals are issued simply as philatelic products for sale to collectors. Revenues are sometimes considered cinderellas, but because they fulfill a tax function and are issued by governmental agencies, they are sometimes listed in stamp catalogs.

Advertising/poster stamps advertise a product or an event, such as an exhibition or stamp show. Propaganda labels promote a particular cause. Stamps issued by non-recognized countries or governments include those issued by rebel groups, governments in exile, shadow governments, etc., and are sold to raise money for their operations. Charity labels are sold to raise money for various charities, and include Christmas, Easter, and Tuberculosis seals. Coupon stamps are issued by companies and given to customers as a bonus when products are purchased. Fantasy stamps are usually created by artists and appear to have been issued by non-existent countries. Counterfeits include postal counterfeits, produced to defraud the postal system, counterfeits of rare stamps created to defraud collectors, governmental counterfeits of postage stamps of enemy nations produced in time of war, and reprints.

Cinderellas are a very popular collecting area, but individual items are often difficult to evaluate because a comprehensive catalog of cinderella stamps doesn't exist. There are simply too many cinderellas to list, and since anyone may produce a cinderella, compiling and periodically updating a complete catalog would be an impossible task.

Those interested in collecting cinderellas should consider joining the Cinderella Stamp Club.

Stamp Investment Tip: Guam

Guam, an island in the South Pacific, is a territory of the United States which was ceded by Spain as part of the Treaty of Paris which concluded the Spanish-American War (1898).

I recommend every stamp which was ever issued for Guam, as all were issued in low quantities, and are eagerly sought by U.S. Possessions collectors. There are not very many stamp-issuing entities for which I'd tip every stamp issued, but in the case of Guam, an investor could do very well by forming an entire collection.

The twenty-five basic stamps of Guam comprise two separate issues: the 1899 "GUAM" Overprints on U.S. Stamps (Scott #1-13, E1), and the 1930 Guam Guard Mail Issue (Scott #M1-11). Printing quantities range from 1,000 for Scott #M3 to 105,000 for Scott #2, and are noted in the Scott Specialized U.S. Catalog. The scarcest basic stamps are Scott #9 and #13, but scarce to rare varieties also exist among the Guard Mail issues.

As most of these stamps have overprints, the better ones should be purchased conditional on obtaining expertization. Centering of stamps of the 1899 issue tends to be mediocre, so consider getting a graded certificate from the Professional Stamp Experts (P.S.E.) or Philatelic Foundation for VF-XF or better examples.

Stamp Investment Tip: Greece 1933 Graf Zeppelin Issue (Scott #C5-7)

In 1933, Greece issued a set of stamps commemorating the Italy Flight of the airship "Graf Zeppelin" (Scott #C5-7), and picturing a Zeppelin flying over the Acropolis. 25,000 sets were issued, and the stamps were intended to prepay postage on covers from Greece carried on that flight. Scott prices the unused set at $ 118.00 ($325.00 for NH).

I recommend purchase of the set- NH, LH, or on covers carried on the flight.

Zeppelin stamp and cover collecting is extremely popular worldwide, and this set is sought by collectors of both Greece and Zepps. Many countries issued stamps for use on the various Zeppelin flights, and those interested in learning more about the Zeppelin issues and their usages should consider purchasing a Michel Zeppelin Specialized Catalog or a Sieger Zeppelin Post Catalog.

Stamp Investment Tip: Guatemala 1935-37 Overprinted Airmails

Between 1935 and 1937, Guatemala issued four scarce overprinted airmail sets which are becoming increasingly more difficult to find. These sets are listed along with their quantities issued and Scott '10 Catalog Values below:

• C32-46 1935-37 Green Quetzal Overprint (3,000;$ 57.30 )


• C47-69 1935-37 Green Quetzal Overprint ( (3,000; $ 70.20 )


• C70-79 1937 Blue Airplane Overprint ( 5,000; $ 35.10)


• C80-91 1937 Black Airplane Overprint (3,000; $ 43.50 )

I strongly recommend these sets in either F-VF+ NH or LH condition.

Guatemala, with a population of about 14 million, is a poor but developing country. Since the end of the Civil War in 1996, the country has witnessed a successful transition from authoritarian dictatorship to democracy, although major inequities in income still need to be addressed. GDP growth has accelerated gradually, and now stands at around 5%.

Stamp Investment Tips: Danish West Indies 1905 St. Thomas Harbor Issue (Scott #37-39)

In 1905, the Danish West Indies issued a pleasant bi-colored set picturing a sailing ship in the harbor at St. Thomas (Scott #37-39). 25,000 sets were issued, and Scott catalogs the set at $ 168.25.



The Danish West Indies were purchased by the U.S. in 1917, and became the U.S. Virgin Islands. Technically, stamps issued before 1917 should be treated as stamps issued by D.W.I. as a Danish possession, but both Scott and U.S. collectors classify them as if they were issued by a U.S. Possession, so they have a dual market in both the U.S. and Denmark.

Stamp Investment Tip: Hungary 1948-49 Chain Bridge Souvenir Sheets

In 1948-49, Hungary issued three souvenir sheets honoring the Szechenyi Chain Bridge (Scott # C66, CB1D,CB2). The bridge is one of the most famous landmarks in Budapest, and has great historical and cultural significance for Hungarians. I recommend all three souvenir sheets, and have listed their quantities issued and Scott '10 values below:

C66 1949 50fo Carmine and Lake ( 15,200; $ 325.00)

CB1D 1948 2fo +18fo Brown Carmine (25,000; $ 110.00 )

CB2 1948 3fo + 18fo Deep Greenish Blue (25,000; 110.00)

As with many Hungarian issues from the 1920s on, imperforate versions of these souvenir sheets exist, and they are considerably scarcer than the regular issues.

After a difficult transition from a centrally-controlled economy to capitalism, Hungary has experienced moderate economic growth until it was hit hard by the 2008-09 financial crisis.
As the newest member of the European Union, this nation of 10 million receives nearly a third of all direct investment flowing into Eastern Europe. Agriculture, metallurgy and mining, and tourism are major components of the economy, According to a governmental forecast, annual GDP growth is projected to return to about 4% in 2011.

General Commentary: The Topic is Topicals!

Topical, or thematic, collecting (the formation of stamp collections based on the themes pictured on the stamps) is probably growing worldwide. Unfortunately, as is true of stamp collecting in general, no hard demographic data exists on the number of topical collectors in the world, or the breakdown of the population of topical collectors by country, topic, or level of "seriousness" as collectors.

The American Topical Association (A.T.A) conducted a survey in 2008, and determined that the following topics (listed in order of popularity) were the most widely collected by A.T.A. members:

1. Animals


2. Famous Men


3. Sports


4. Medical/Nursing


5. Flora


6. Religion


7. Birds


8. Railroads


9. Americana


10. Ships


11. Fairytales/Folktales/Disney/Mythology


12. Marine Life


13. Space Exploration


14. Insects


15. Geological Features


16. Music


17. Fine Arts


18. Literary Subjects


19. Military Subjects


20. Aviation

The survey is useful as far as it goes; certainly, some notion concerning the popularity of a topic should be taken into account when attempting to evaluate the investment potential of a stamp.

The dearth of demographic data regarding this and other areas of the stamp market illustrate one of the differences between investing in stamps and investing in equities. While information concerning the supply of a stamp may sometimes be known or estimated, getting anything clearer than a fuzzy, nebulous view of demand trends is usually impossible. A philatelic investor who knew how many "serious" collectors specialized in particular topics and which topics were growing in popularity, and by what rate, would not have to make "educated guesses." Contrast this with stocks, which are frequently analyzed based upon a veritable feast of numerical and technical information. With stocks, tragedies occur only as a result of mis-analysis, hysteria, or when the numbers reported by a company turn out to be lies.