SPECTACULAR INTACT ESTATE FROM FRANCE 19TH CENTURY Start Price USD 10,000.00 Current Price USD 10,100.00 Time Left - Bid Count 2 Buy It Now Price USD 15,000.00 Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, August 28, 2008 End Time Sunday, September 07, 2008 Location West Hollywood, California See more about 'SPECTACULAR INTACT ESTATE FROM FRANCE 19TH CENTURY' Description From Paris France one of the better collections consigned to The American Philatelic Foundation to view and sell for your pleasure. In the past I have made a joke occasionally about opening this or that French red wine but on my last trip and having seen my descriptions for the Barons estate the nephew (one of the heirs) invited me into the Barons chateau outside Paris and in the wine cellar opened a bottle of 1947 Petrus. Our respective families sat down to just crackers and cheese and this splendid old bottle of the most famous wine ever produced in France. So as you enjoy viewing the pages of this splendid American set of Internationals just pretend you can smell the aroma as you sip your own glass of Gallo as you view this auction. The collection is housed in two immaculate (condition) leather-bound Scott International NE series, which are seldom seen today. These are spring back albums and contain spaces for all better varieties just like the specialized albums printed today. Vintage is about turn of the century. The collection represents the world except British and US. A separate set of collections on pages represents better German States and overall condition on the States is very fine with few dubious items if any (possibly Bavaria#1 though it is signed). As to the set of albums the overall condition of stamps is mostly categorized as European condition. This is defined as much better than the American standard of collecting with marvelous cancels and overall better condition. There certainly are a few dubious items (or reprints) but the majority are genuine. Ebay policy prohibits me from attempting to highlight this or that item, as it is a ground for return if I even made one mistake. While every auction house Worldwide sells large collections “as is” the “good old boys” who run the show for Ebay say nay. I have carefully reviewed what I think are genuine which is a very high percentage of what you will be viewing and set the reserve discounting the items I think might be reprints. An example is the France collection with very rare stamps on the first few pages I have viewed the one-franc #8 and it has full original gum and perfectly sound but it might be the official reprint. The Prussian blue #87 looks great but is not estimated. There are dozens of countries that could be run as an individual auction lot but I wish my customers to have a lifetime opportunity to purchase the collection intact as it was formed. These collections were inventoried some years back by an old French dealer hired by the estate and I do use those figures, as they are not mine. This collection was inventoried at over $200,000 using only Scott as a basis not Yvert. The collections are all inventoried at both Scott and Yvert and I use Scott figures. You certainly may ask my opinion on any stamp or stamps by email or through Ebay “ask seller a question” and I will give you my thoughts as best as I can. I always set reserve at dealer wholesale and the buy it now at low collector levels. Good luck a superb collection and especially if you want an original unpicked over collection with fabulous cancels throughout. Place a Bid!