56th AUCTION - Day 5

56th AUCTION at 12. June - 16 June 2023

What do a Wehrmacht Leica and a canceled and damaged Berlin souvenir sheet have in common?

Maybe you know them: Both are easy to counterfeit. Be especially careful if you find one at a flea market or on one of the many platforms on the Internet, possibly as a supposed bargain. The cheaply offered Wehrmacht Leicas are usually replicas or conversions by fraudsters who use them to make fools of people; the stamps on the currency-damaged blocks are often wrong or fake. How should a collector without experience deal with this?

I quote Aurel Bacs, one of the world's most influential watch experts: "Read all about its model, immerse yourself in its history, and learn to navigate the universe of timekeeping. As in art, the more you know, the better you buy. And the more you understand about the subject, the more you will enjoy it. Now, stamps and covers are not watches - but Mr. Bacs' advice can certainly be taken to heart in philately. Here are two examples of many: Whether you want to check the gum of a stamp in case of suspected regumming, or whether you want to check a cancellation to see if it was made with an original tool or with a remanufactured lead cliché - in both cases, knowledge is required. This knowledge is easy to acquire today. In the age of the Internet, information is easily accessible. Forums such as "stampsX" offer extensive databases of stamps, as well as advice on how to identify forgeries, printing methods, and much more.

There is an abundance of printed literature on the various collecting areas, and it is easy to obtain. Also the publications of the working groups are recommendable to become acquainted with a collecting area. Anyone who thinks he can get a bargain should think twice before spending money. Even experienced auctioneers do not know everything. Continuing education and reading the latest publications are just as important as having an archive that has been built up over many years and can be consulted whenever necessary. The specialists in our company also keep their knowledge up to date, are often in contact with experts, and thus guarantee our customers the greatest possible security when purchasing collector's items.
Here is a quote from Plato: "There is no shame in not knowing, but there is in not wanting to learn. I would add "...and not to protect oneself from harm". I cordially invite you, dear friends of philately, to the viewing and to the auction days.