Monday 31 January 2011

Poll Results: Most Favourite Stamp Issues For 2010

Consecutively for the second year I put up a poll asking visitors to this blog to vote on their most favourite Malaysia stamp issues (you may click here to see previous year result). After roughly one and a half months of poll race for the 16 stamp issues for year 2010, 39 times of vote casting had been recorded. Visitors were asked to choose three most favourite stamp issues. However, I noted that not all vote casting followed strictly the instruction (some only chose one or two stamp issues instead of three). Nevertheless, my great appreciations go to those who had taken part in the poll. The result from the poll is shown in the graph below.



Among the 16 stamp issues for year 2010, 125 Years of Malayan Railway tops the list with 20 votes, and this is followed closely by Malaysia-Korea Joint Issue (Tigers) gaining 18 votes. Old Post Offices is also one of the favourite issues with 15 votes. Malaysian Currency (11 votes), Ferns (10 votes) and Upin Ipin (10 votes) are not doing badly. On the other hand, the rest of other issues received less than 10 votes each, with Grand Knight of Valour bottoms the list (0 vote).

It is not unexpected that 125 Years of Malayan Railway and Malaysia-Korea Joint Issue (Tigers) top the list because these two stamp issues were hot, particularly the 125 Years of Malayan Railway. The miniature sheet of the 125 Years of Malayan Railway was so hot that it was completely sold out by noon on the date of issue in almost all the post offices throughout the country! The RM1 stamp of the 125 Years of Malayan Railway was also in high demand. The Malaysia-Korea Joint Issue (Tigers) was also in high demand, and it was sold out in all post offices after one week from the date of issue. Therefore, I wouldn’t be surprised that both the stamp issues received high number of votes in the stamp poll.

Malaysian Currency is unique due to the round shaped stamps, and I guess this uniqueness has impressed a handful of stamp collectors to give their votes to this issue. Old Post Offices is one of the commemorative stamp issues ever issued by Malaysia postal authority to have the highest number of stamps in a stamp set – 28 altogether! I am not sure if this is the selling point for this stamp issue to have high number of votes. On the other hand, Traditional Festive Food should be an attractive stamp issue but received low number of votes (only 4 votes).

I shall again conduct similar stamp poll for year 2011. Please do come back to cast your votes in December 2011!

Happy collecting……………



Saturday 29 January 2011

Stamp Storing II

I wrote some time ago about how I store my stamp collection using silica gel (click here to read the write-up). In this blog entry I share with you how I display my stamp collection and also how I keep my extra stamps, stamp sheets and covers.

I use PRINZ cardboards to create my own stamp albums. These cardboards come in different formats on the number of storing rows - from one to eight rows - catering the different sizes of stamps (or formats of stamps) that need to be displayed. I display my Malaysia stamps by year (Figure 1), and I normally put a small piece of paper next to the stamp set. The small piece of paper contains information of issue date and other neccessary notes. I am also into other stamp formats - corner block-of-6 with serial number. I display this block-of-6 stamps on 3-row PRINZ cardboard (Figure 2). Then, I place these PRINZ cardboards in a 4-ring folder binder (Figure 3).

Figure 1: stamp sets displayed by year on PRINZ cardboards


Figure 2: block-of-6 stamps displayed on PRINZ cardboards


Figure 3: A 4-ring folder binder holding up PRINZ cardboards



I also use PRINZ cardboards to store my extra loose stamp sets. For extra loose stamp sets, I stack up them so that I could save space and cardboards (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Extra loose stamp sets are stacked up on PRINZ cardboards



I also collect stamp sheets. Most Malaysia stamp sheets are too large to be stored by PRINZ cardboard. Therefore, I use different approach for storing stamp sheets. I use OPP plastic sleeves to store my stamp sheets. If the size of stamp sheet is not larger than 8 in x 12 in (the maximum size of OPP plastic sleeve I use), the stamp sheet will be store without folding. However, I do fold large stamp sheets before storing it in OPP plastic sleeve for easy handling/storing (Figure 5). I normally treat stamp sheets with silica gel (to dry the stamp sheets) before putting them in OPP plastic sleeves. Then, I place these stamp sheets in a large envelop.

Figure 5: large stamp sheets are folded once before being placed into OPP plastic sleeves



For storing my covers, I simply use OPP plastic sleeves (Figure 6). I normally dry the covers with silica gel before putting them in OPP plastic sleeves.

Figure 6: covers are protected by OPP plastic sleeves



All the above stamp albums (PRINZ cardboards), stamp sheets (in OPP plastic sleeves and large envelops) and covers (in OPP plastic sleeves) are then placed in air-tight plastic containers with the presence of silica gel (click here to see the method of storing).



Monday 24 January 2011

Maxicard - Rabbit

I created this maxicard using the rabbit stamp (RM5) from the miniature sheet issued on January 18, 2011.




2011 - Children's Pets

Pos Malaysia released its first stamp issue for year 2011 on January 18, 2011. The stamp issue is on topic of children's pets, and three different cute pets were depicted on the stamps - rabbit (60s), cat (80s) and dog (RM1). One beautiful miniature sheet (RM5) was also released on this issue. The miniature sheet containing a rabbit stamp is unique in design to cater the Lunar New Year (Year of Rabbit). The miniature sheet is a hot item for collectors.





Friday 14 January 2011

Monday 10 January 2011

ISC Catalogue

I browsed through my books in the cabinet, and I noted a blue book with some stamp images on its cover. Yes, it is an ISC catalogue, an old one, released in 1984 - 26 years ago! The cover of the book seems to be attractive though the printing inside the book is totally black and white with "grossy" paper.





I'm a bit of dinausor type of person.... I'm still using an ISC catalogue released in 1999! Well, I tried to compare the catalogue price between the 1984 catalogue and 1999 catalogue for some of the stamps. Here you go.....


Catalogue 1984: RM0.80
Catalogue 1999: RM5.00
Catalogue 2011: to be known soon :)


Catalogue 1984: RM4.50
Catalogue 1999: RM5.00
Catalogue 2011: to be known soon :)



Catalogue 1984: RM125.00
Catalogue 1999: RM280.00
Catalogue 2011: to be known soon :)


Catalogue 1984: RM0.70
Catalogue 1999: RM9.00
Catalogue 2011: to be known soon :)



Some stamp sets have their catalogue price appreciated greatly but some seem to move like a tortoise!


Que sare, sare
Whatever will be, will be
The future is not ours, to see
What will be, will be




Saturday 8 January 2011

A Cover from Taiwan

A Cover from Taiwan cancelled at Fengshan Post Office of Kaoshiong County..... Paul said December 24, 2010 is the last day of the operation of this post office, and on December 25, 2010 this post office disappeared....




Kuala Lumpur Mail Centre

Currently all the mail posted in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam, Klang etc. is processed at National Mail Centre Shah Alam (NMC Shah Alam)...... For quite some time that many of us felt bored to receive covers processed at Kuala Lumpur Mail Centre (as the below cover), but now we don't get anymore mail with Kuala Lumpur machine cancellation, and that we start to miss cover franked with Kuala Lumpur machine cancellation.....




Friday 7 January 2011

A Simple Cover from NMC Shah Alam

I just love this simple cover from NMC Shah Alam.... so simple and tidy... though it is a bit common :)