Stamp Column Archives

The Glassine Surfer Column Archive

This column originally appeared in the American Philatelic Society's monthly magazine, "The American Philatelist." Since then some of the information may be out-of-date depending on how far back you're reading.

February 2001

The Precancel Stamp Society

The first thing you notice about a precancel is that the design's blotted out by the city and state printed on the stamp, and that makes all the difference to the world's  precancel collectors.

Everyone has an accumulation of precancels in their collection for one reason or another, and though I wouldn't spend too much time with those from Boston Mass., Chicago Ill., or NY NY, I have a selection or precancels of Vermont towns.

Now should you wish to learn about precancels all you need to do it hop over to the Precancel Stamp Society's site and mouse around.

It's a well laid out and written site that will help you understand this aspect of philately and perhaps make sense of it for you.

You can read "The ABCs of Precancels," as well as some in depth details from the experts.  You can find out where to get catalogs and journals should you be smitten, but the place to start has to be the glossary of terms and the listing of precancel styles.  To get on the fast track check out the list of dealers, events and related links, and the pictures from the Precancel Stamp Society's 2000 convention.

Be sure to bookmark the site when you're there because it's the best of its kind and you know you're going to need to come back sometime or other.

The Precancel Stamp Society
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/9885/

InoculateIT

Computer Associates produces an anti-virus program called InoculateIT, and they have now produced a free personal edition.  It's an anti-virus program that does what other programs do and it's free for home use.

InoculateIT Personal Edition works with Windows 98/95/ME PCs, Windows NT Workstation and Windows 2000 Professional.  InoculateIT PE automatically detects and cleans conventional file and boot sector viruses as well as macro viruses that infect Office 95, Office 98, and Office 2000 Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, Powerpoint files, and Access databases.

The brains of a AV program is its virus signature or database file, and as virii proliferate everyday, signatures must be updated to keep up with the threat.  CA is also offering free signature updates with InoculateIT PE.

CA hopes that millions of people will like using InoculateIT at home, and then when they're getting AV protection for their workplace PC's, they'll just suggest CA to purchasing department.  It's the web's way of increasing market share, but it really doesn't matter how they expect to make money, just as long as your AV protection is adequate.

Though it provides protection against Internet and email-borne viruses and from infected attachments sent to you via email, my advice is never to open any email attachments unless you're sure of what's inside.

If your annual signature update period is coming to an end with another AV program, check out CA, and if you do not have an AV program now, then at least get this one and drive it around the block.

InoculateIT PE
http://antivirus.cai.com/

SG's Online Catalogues

Catalog publisher Stanley Gibbon is opening another web site.  Their "Stamp Cafe" is about new issues, and the new one, called "allworldstamps.com" essentially will be a free online version of their printed stamp catalogs.

According to Stanley Gibbons, they will "provide information on every stamp ever produced - here you will find catalogue descriptions of over 330,000 stamps with technical information and their current market value."

Furthermore, allworldstamps plans to let site members create a virtual portfolio of their own collections, in what seems to be a private online stamp database linked into the online Stanley Gibbon's catalog.

Obviously, if I use allworldstamp I won't feel compelled to buy a new SG catalog every year, but you can bet I'll be on their site every other day or so.  And that's the plan.  SG is looking to sell stamps to visitors and to sell those mouse clicks to advertisers.

It's a good idea.  I have a web site where I get a steady stream of email asking what a "3¢ red stamp" is worth, and now I can direct them to SG.  Making the site work smoothly might take a month or two, but whatever the immediate outcome you've got to admire this big move to the Web.

Either they have nothing to lose and everything to gain, or they've decided to get out of bookselling altogether.  I'm writing this about six weeks before publication, which in Web time is equal to one year of print time and more than enough time for the site to be up and running.

Stanley Gibbon's Allworldstamps
http://www.allworldstamps.com/

Thanks for reading the "Glassine Surfer," and remember Punxsutawney Phil is rumored to say, "Spring comes earlier when I read the 'AP'."