Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Stamps are dying! From the road in Ireland, I repeatedly tried to purchase from local post offices, a few nice stamps to put on my mail. Most post offices no longer sell stamps. They print custom "stamp labels".Tried to purchase the latest commemoratives. Go to the Dublin main Post Office I was told. Did so. Only place to buy philathelic material was at the philathelic counters which were at the entrance to the Postal Museum (stiff entry charge, when most Irish major State museums are free!).
Even there, it was a battle.
Did manage to buy some, mostly definitives, and get an employee at another counter to hand cancel the envelope. But could not help wonder if this may signal the end?
So I am wondering how far behind we are in the US and elsewhere, and if Real Stamps are only printed for collectors? (are we taken for suckers?)
I am only stopping in Paris now, and the stamp activity is still good at post offices, IF you can speak French.
What do you think?
Rrr...
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When you look through the new issue listings in Linns each month, you'll find that most stamps are now (and have been for quite many years)issued in souvenir sheets and miniature sheets. Look at the Mendoza stamp issued by the US. No perforations to separate the stamps from the backing. These are clearly printed without the intention of being used, and forcing collectors to collect the entire sheet since they will be dissuaded from trying to tear the stamps from the backing paper.
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"But as long as they still have guinness, life is good! "
If it's all the same to you, I'll have a Harp, thank you. (Yo ho ho and a bottle of lager.
)Tedski
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i've heard similar things from our UK friends; Royal Mail sells labels, not stamps.
as to the US, one CAN buy stamps in any PO, but the selection is at the discretion of the postmaster who may, or may not, care a whit. I am lucky with my little country PO; they are accommodating to the max.
philatelic assistance is all but dead. NYC's main PO used to have a philatelic window, but no more. It died a painful, slow, often ironic death. The RI PO, run by our lovely Donna, has been disbanded. Alone she knew more than all the folks in KC, and got you whatever you needed.
I had great luck with the French POs in both the countryside and Paris. My French was sufficient to get me what I wanted. I also had luck in Czechoslovakia (back when it was one country), where I essentially created a modern collection from a single window and probably doubled the country's GDP while barely touching my wallet. Both of these events are dated.
David
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Stamporama members:
This is a pessimistic outlook on the philatelic universe and is one that I don't share; the hobby environment has certainly changed, its occupants less so. I believe that the glory days of stamp collecting lie before me
and this pleasant thought keeps me in the hobby. With more than sixty years of exposure, and a lot of globe-trotting, I haven't had a negative postage-stamp experience worth remembering.
It's springtime and the sun is shining on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Hope springs eternal and so does
John Derry
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02:04:01am
" ..... care a whit. I ....."
It must be hard to care a whit when a person is witless.
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Hi
Lee and I were just in Dublin at the post office. We went into the main post office, turned right and started looking and buying quite a number of souviner sheets as well as single stamps. When we were there, there was no entry fee. Did you go into the museum part? I think there was an entry fee to go into the museum part. The folks there were really helpful and friendly. Hope next time you have a better experience.
Gro
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Let me echo "Gro's" response.
Although my visit to Ireland is two-year's old, my wife and I had a great experience at Dublin's historic main PO. Postal staff were helpful, we spent a good half-hour poring over all the stamps for sale and no one rushed us, received favour-cancels for all our mail, were admitted to the museum without charge (we purchased a lot of stamps, mind) allowed to take photographs in and outside of the building, and some of the staff even posed for pictures with us.
Although Ireland's economy had cratered, we encountered smiling Irish eyes everywhere we went in Ireland; people were friendly and helpful, and those who couldn't help were apologetic and polite. As for the rain, that's what makes Ireland so green.
John Derry (who is not Irish but who got maximum mileage out of his surname whilst in Ireland)
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This is why I've decided to concentrate my collecting on pre-1960 stamps.
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Quote: "Did manage to buy some, mostly definitives, and get an employee at another counter to hand cancel the envelope. But could not help wonder if this may signal the end?
Well, even the good part is misleading.
The nicely hand cancelled envelope was then passed through a cancellation machine that imprinted heavy bars over the whole thing. Ugliest cover now in memory, says my recipient.
rrr...
Not to say that the Irish people were not terrific, and the trip was fantastic (thinking Guinness burrrppp emotion 
), but my experience getting stamps (the real stuff) at small local post offices was a failure. Stamps are dead, for postal use anyway, in all but Dublin's philatelic main post office counter!
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@Grorod: quote "When we were there, there was no entry fee. Did you go into the museum part? I think there was an entry fee to go into the museum part."
Yes, no entry fee at the philatelic counters (3 of them) and no real wait either, plus friendly collectors in line advising me to purchase certain items(the new 10 Euros stamp still being sold has already jumped in value, they say...but I don't purchase modern stamps any more! I was just looking for some good looking stamps to adorn my envelopes...see commentary on the results just above!)
The museum has a relatively stiff entry fee, seems to me it was 4 Euros, which is strange since most government museums are free in Ireland. (the post office is still government owned in Ireland, if I am correct?) I skipped the museum.
I like the stamp museum, and the adjacent stamp store in Paris, in the shadow of the Montparnasse tower, and had planned to visit it.
rrr...
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4 euros is not that expensive, over here in the Netherlands the admission for the Communication Museum is 8.50. But then again you can see one of the famous Blue Mauritius stamps there 
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I think its a bit soon to be pessimistic....
I live in Ireland and generally speaking have no real problems with post offices.
I visit the Philatelic Bureau in the General Post Office in Dublin about eight times a year, usually on or near the date of a new issue.
The staff are always helpful.
I think the "museum " referred to is now in cold storage. The space has been extended and is now being used for a more general exhibition on the Easter Rising ...the centenary occurs this year and the GPO was the headquarters. I think it is €12 per adult but it is not specifically related to "stamps".
I generally buy new issues at the Philatelic Bureau and really the bigger challenge for Irish collectors is getting a stamp cancelled.
All too often a stamp posted in the Republic of Ireland will have no visible franking or will have an ugly machine cancellation. To be frank (no pun intended) I prefer a commercial cancellation to none at all...but generally speaking, I hand over stamps to the philatelic counter and I get a neat cancellation.
As to getting new issues in ordinary post offices....I have found it a bit hit and miss.
In Galway city ....no problem.
In a large town in Galway....they dont get new issues.
In at least two small villages in Galway ...no problem.
In a large town in County Donegal ....they dont get new issues.
But in at least two small villages in County Louth...no problem at all.
It seems to be at the whim of the person running the post office. And I suppose the Stamps on A Roll machines have made it too easy for postmasters to decline getting commemoratives sent out from the distributing post offices.
arguably collectors in north of Ireland have more problems. My local village does not stock regional stamps or commemoratives (except for Christmas).
There is no Philatelic Shop in Belfast main post office but there is a single window, which covers new issues. But some clerks can be more enthusiastic than others. Again getting a cancellation is difficult ...and the Royal Mail tell me that if I receive an unfranked item, I can bring it to the delivery centre and it will be cancelled....with a pen!...well basically I can do that myself.
The real problem is NOT that post office procedures north and south make life difficult for collectors. ...the real problem is that we are now so few in number, few post office people know...or care ....how to deal with us.
Individual Post Offices treat us as either.
1 a total pain in the neck who mess up their routine.
2 lovable eccentrics with crazy requests.
3 "oh wow....I havent seen a stamp collector in years" and bend over backwards to facilitate us.
The trick is finding a "good" post office
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If I were going to Ireland, and wanted current postage stamps, I would order a pile from the IE philatelic service (or equivalent) a month/two before I traveled, and keep the unused extra stamps as post-vacation trading fodder.
Compared to what I would be spending on airfare & hotels & meals, a goodly pile of varied postage is a trifling expense.
For the same reason, I've learned to bite the bullet, and buy some of the local cash at my airport before I board my plane.
No, its not the cheapest way to change money but, in terms of the total travel budget, the extra expense is cheap insurance against the chance that I won't have the time & patience to change money after I arrive.
For the favor cancels, okay, true enough, one needs to visit the post office ... but since you are only posting (and not shopping), one can feel guilt-free asking to jump the line.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
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Sheesh! No wonder it is almost impossible to find recent used Irish commems! Why do they keep printing them if they don't want anyone to actually use them? Yeah yeah, I know - it's a cash cow. Sigh.
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Certainly it is increasingly difficult to find commemoratives used in some towns.
Stamp Collectors are increasingly at the mercy of local post office staff and to be fair, most are very tolerant of our ways. And pretty easy to get a handstamp of most places.
Stamp Collecting is kept alive by the mutual respect of three stake-holders....collectors, dealers and the Post Office.
There are so far as I know only two stamp shops in Ireland....one in Dublin and one in Cork.
There are fewer regional fairs and clubs.
Collectors are mainly middle-aged and elderly. And I daresay many individual collectors operate under the radar and never actually join any kind of "society".
And I think An Post does its fair share to keep us happy...yes of course there are too many issues.
But I note that the publicity for the upcoming "Stampa Exhibition" (14-16 October) mentions "Promoting Stamp Collecting". I am not sure how that can be achieved without the co-operation of the three stakeholders. Otherwise....its just rhetoric.
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Theresa said;
"Sheesh! No wonder it is almost impossible to find recent used Irish commems! Why do they keep printing them if they don't want anyone to actually use them?"
....and how many times have we said that about U.S. issues.....!!
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09:54:39pm
Yes, postal services worldwide only want to create issues to be bought by people who will not use them, hoping they will be stuffed in the side drawer of an old desk to languish in darkness till they become unusable.
The biggest scam since indulgences were sold in the marketplace
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We just returned from a trip to the Emerald Isle.
I encountered the same challenge at the GPO. Was able to get some nice stamps but could not get any assistance with a hand favor cancel at all.
The museum was Fantastic and well worth the price of admission. It has only been open since April in honor of the centenary of the Easter Revolution.
It was also the first time I was able to drag my family to a post office without complaint :-)
Was disappointed with the lack of philatelic assistance though.
Jere
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This surprises me a little.
I know th staff pretty well.
When I buy a new issue, I keep one set as mint and asecond set I hand over to the Philatelic Staff and they get a nice cancellation for me. I usually receive the "used" stamps within 48 hours.
The Philatelic counters are now housed in the two "cages" nearest to the new Museum. (They were previously in an alcove where the entrance to the museum is now.
The "grill" between staff and customer is not as user-friendly as pane of glass thatwas in the old "PHilatelic Shop" ...but as far as I know the current arrangement is temporary and the Philatelic counter will be re-allocated to a more user-friendly location.
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Retired Ap. Book Mod, Pres Golden Gate Stamp Club, Hi Tech Consultant
06 Jun 2013
06:33:21pm
Stamps are dying! From the road in Ireland, I repeatedly tried to purchase from local post offices, a few nice stamps to put on my mail. Most post offices no longer sell stamps. They print custom "stamp labels".
Tried to purchase the latest commemoratives. Go to the Dublin main Post Office I was told. Did so. Only place to buy philathelic material was at the philathelic counters which were at the entrance to the Postal Museum (stiff entry charge, when most Irish major State museums are free!).
Even there, it was a battle.
Did manage to buy some, mostly definitives, and get an employee at another counter to hand cancel the envelope. But could not help wonder if this may signal the end?
So I am wondering how far behind we are in the US and elsewhere, and if Real Stamps are only printed for collectors? (are we taken for suckers?)
I am only stopping in Paris now, and the stamp activity is still good at post offices, IF you can speak French.
What do you think?
Rrr...
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re: From the road in Ireland
When you look through the new issue listings in Linns each month, you'll find that most stamps are now (and have been for quite many years)issued in souvenir sheets and miniature sheets. Look at the Mendoza stamp issued by the US. No perforations to separate the stamps from the backing. These are clearly printed without the intention of being used, and forcing collectors to collect the entire sheet since they will be dissuaded from trying to tear the stamps from the backing paper.
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re: From the road in Ireland
"But as long as they still have guinness, life is good! "
If it's all the same to you, I'll have a Harp, thank you. (Yo ho ho and a bottle of lager.
)Tedski
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re: From the road in Ireland
i've heard similar things from our UK friends; Royal Mail sells labels, not stamps.
as to the US, one CAN buy stamps in any PO, but the selection is at the discretion of the postmaster who may, or may not, care a whit. I am lucky with my little country PO; they are accommodating to the max.
philatelic assistance is all but dead. NYC's main PO used to have a philatelic window, but no more. It died a painful, slow, often ironic death. The RI PO, run by our lovely Donna, has been disbanded. Alone she knew more than all the folks in KC, and got you whatever you needed.
I had great luck with the French POs in both the countryside and Paris. My French was sufficient to get me what I wanted. I also had luck in Czechoslovakia (back when it was one country), where I essentially created a modern collection from a single window and probably doubled the country's GDP while barely touching my wallet. Both of these events are dated.
David
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The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
07 Jun 2013
02:39:14pm
re: From the road in Ireland
Stamporama members:
This is a pessimistic outlook on the philatelic universe and is one that I don't share; the hobby environment has certainly changed, its occupants less so. I believe that the glory days of stamp collecting lie before me
and this pleasant thought keeps me in the hobby. With more than sixty years of exposure, and a lot of globe-trotting, I haven't had a negative postage-stamp experience worth remembering.
It's springtime and the sun is shining on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Hope springs eternal and so does
John Derry
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
12 Jun 2013
02:04:01am
re: From the road in Ireland
" ..... care a whit. I ....."
It must be hard to care a whit when a person is witless.
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re: From the road in Ireland
Hi
Lee and I were just in Dublin at the post office. We went into the main post office, turned right and started looking and buying quite a number of souviner sheets as well as single stamps. When we were there, there was no entry fee. Did you go into the museum part? I think there was an entry fee to go into the museum part. The folks there were really helpful and friendly. Hope next time you have a better experience.
Gro
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The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
13 Jun 2013
01:37:57pm
re: From the road in Ireland
Let me echo "Gro's" response.
Although my visit to Ireland is two-year's old, my wife and I had a great experience at Dublin's historic main PO. Postal staff were helpful, we spent a good half-hour poring over all the stamps for sale and no one rushed us, received favour-cancels for all our mail, were admitted to the museum without charge (we purchased a lot of stamps, mind) allowed to take photographs in and outside of the building, and some of the staff even posed for pictures with us.
Although Ireland's economy had cratered, we encountered smiling Irish eyes everywhere we went in Ireland; people were friendly and helpful, and those who couldn't help were apologetic and polite. As for the rain, that's what makes Ireland so green.
John Derry (who is not Irish but who got maximum mileage out of his surname whilst in Ireland)
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re: From the road in Ireland
This is why I've decided to concentrate my collecting on pre-1960 stamps.
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Retired Ap. Book Mod, Pres Golden Gate Stamp Club, Hi Tech Consultant
18 Jun 2013
10:00:40pm
re: From the road in Ireland
Quote: "Did manage to buy some, mostly definitives, and get an employee at another counter to hand cancel the envelope. But could not help wonder if this may signal the end?
Well, even the good part is misleading.
The nicely hand cancelled envelope was then passed through a cancellation machine that imprinted heavy bars over the whole thing. Ugliest cover now in memory, says my recipient.
rrr...
Not to say that the Irish people were not terrific, and the trip was fantastic (thinking Guinness burrrppp emotion ), but my experience getting stamps (the real stuff) at small local post offices was a failure. Stamps are dead, for postal use anyway, in all but Dublin's philatelic main post office counter!
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Retired Ap. Book Mod, Pres Golden Gate Stamp Club, Hi Tech Consultant
19 Jun 2013
09:54:40am
re: From the road in Ireland
@Grorod: quote "When we were there, there was no entry fee. Did you go into the museum part? I think there was an entry fee to go into the museum part."
Yes, no entry fee at the philatelic counters (3 of them) and no real wait either, plus friendly collectors in line advising me to purchase certain items(the new 10 Euros stamp still being sold has already jumped in value, they say...but I don't purchase modern stamps any more! I was just looking for some good looking stamps to adorn my envelopes...see commentary on the results just above!)
The museum has a relatively stiff entry fee, seems to me it was 4 Euros, which is strange since most government museums are free in Ireland. (the post office is still government owned in Ireland, if I am correct?) I skipped the museum.
I like the stamp museum, and the adjacent stamp store in Paris, in the shadow of the Montparnasse tower, and had planned to visit it.
rrr...
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re: From the road in Ireland
4 euros is not that expensive, over here in the Netherlands the admission for the Communication Museum is 8.50. But then again you can see one of the famous Blue Mauritius stamps there
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08:48:53am
re: From the road in Ireland
I think its a bit soon to be pessimistic....
I live in Ireland and generally speaking have no real problems with post offices.
I visit the Philatelic Bureau in the General Post Office in Dublin about eight times a year, usually on or near the date of a new issue.
The staff are always helpful.
I think the "museum " referred to is now in cold storage. The space has been extended and is now being used for a more general exhibition on the Easter Rising ...the centenary occurs this year and the GPO was the headquarters. I think it is €12 per adult but it is not specifically related to "stamps".
I generally buy new issues at the Philatelic Bureau and really the bigger challenge for Irish collectors is getting a stamp cancelled.
All too often a stamp posted in the Republic of Ireland will have no visible franking or will have an ugly machine cancellation. To be frank (no pun intended) I prefer a commercial cancellation to none at all...but generally speaking, I hand over stamps to the philatelic counter and I get a neat cancellation.
As to getting new issues in ordinary post offices....I have found it a bit hit and miss.
In Galway city ....no problem.
In a large town in Galway....they dont get new issues.
In at least two small villages in Galway ...no problem.
In a large town in County Donegal ....they dont get new issues.
But in at least two small villages in County Louth...no problem at all.
It seems to be at the whim of the person running the post office. And I suppose the Stamps on A Roll machines have made it too easy for postmasters to decline getting commemoratives sent out from the distributing post offices.
arguably collectors in north of Ireland have more problems. My local village does not stock regional stamps or commemoratives (except for Christmas).
There is no Philatelic Shop in Belfast main post office but there is a single window, which covers new issues. But some clerks can be more enthusiastic than others. Again getting a cancellation is difficult ...and the Royal Mail tell me that if I receive an unfranked item, I can bring it to the delivery centre and it will be cancelled....with a pen!...well basically I can do that myself.
The real problem is NOT that post office procedures north and south make life difficult for collectors. ...the real problem is that we are now so few in number, few post office people know...or care ....how to deal with us.
Individual Post Offices treat us as either.
1 a total pain in the neck who mess up their routine.
2 lovable eccentrics with crazy requests.
3 "oh wow....I havent seen a stamp collector in years" and bend over backwards to facilitate us.
The trick is finding a "good" post office
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re: From the road in Ireland
If I were going to Ireland, and wanted current postage stamps, I would order a pile from the IE philatelic service (or equivalent) a month/two before I traveled, and keep the unused extra stamps as post-vacation trading fodder.
Compared to what I would be spending on airfare & hotels & meals, a goodly pile of varied postage is a trifling expense.
For the same reason, I've learned to bite the bullet, and buy some of the local cash at my airport before I board my plane.
No, its not the cheapest way to change money but, in terms of the total travel budget, the extra expense is cheap insurance against the chance that I won't have the time & patience to change money after I arrive.
For the favor cancels, okay, true enough, one needs to visit the post office ... but since you are only posting (and not shopping), one can feel guilt-free asking to jump the line.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
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re: From the road in Ireland
Sheesh! No wonder it is almost impossible to find recent used Irish commems! Why do they keep printing them if they don't want anyone to actually use them? Yeah yeah, I know - it's a cash cow. Sigh.
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11:48:28am
re: From the road in Ireland
Certainly it is increasingly difficult to find commemoratives used in some towns.
Stamp Collectors are increasingly at the mercy of local post office staff and to be fair, most are very tolerant of our ways. And pretty easy to get a handstamp of most places.
Stamp Collecting is kept alive by the mutual respect of three stake-holders....collectors, dealers and the Post Office.
There are so far as I know only two stamp shops in Ireland....one in Dublin and one in Cork.
There are fewer regional fairs and clubs.
Collectors are mainly middle-aged and elderly. And I daresay many individual collectors operate under the radar and never actually join any kind of "society".
And I think An Post does its fair share to keep us happy...yes of course there are too many issues.
But I note that the publicity for the upcoming "Stampa Exhibition" (14-16 October) mentions "Promoting Stamp Collecting". I am not sure how that can be achieved without the co-operation of the three stakeholders. Otherwise....its just rhetoric.
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re: From the road in Ireland
Theresa said;
"Sheesh! No wonder it is almost impossible to find recent used Irish commems! Why do they keep printing them if they don't want anyone to actually use them?"
....and how many times have we said that about U.S. issues.....!!
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
21 Sep 2016
09:54:39pm
re: From the road in Ireland
Yes, postal services worldwide only want to create issues to be bought by people who will not use them, hoping they will be stuffed in the side drawer of an old desk to languish in darkness till they become unusable.
The biggest scam since indulgences were sold in the marketplace
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10:01:30pm
re: From the road in Ireland
We just returned from a trip to the Emerald Isle.
I encountered the same challenge at the GPO. Was able to get some nice stamps but could not get any assistance with a hand favor cancel at all.
The museum was Fantastic and well worth the price of admission. It has only been open since April in honor of the centenary of the Easter Revolution.
It was also the first time I was able to drag my family to a post office without complaint :-)
Was disappointed with the lack of philatelic assistance though.
Jere
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06:01:10am
re: From the road in Ireland
This surprises me a little.
I know th staff pretty well.
When I buy a new issue, I keep one set as mint and asecond set I hand over to the Philatelic Staff and they get a nice cancellation for me. I usually receive the "used" stamps within 48 hours.
The Philatelic counters are now housed in the two "cages" nearest to the new Museum. (They were previously in an alcove where the entrance to the museum is now.
The "grill" between staff and customer is not as user-friendly as pane of glass thatwas in the old "PHilatelic Shop" ...but as far as I know the current arrangement is temporary and the Philatelic counter will be re-allocated to a more user-friendly location.
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