CHINA First Day Covers

We came across some First Day Covers from CHINA. FDCs are relatively new interests of ours. But seeing them only reinforced the attractiveness of FDCs as collectibles and we got some of them for our collections. The FDCs from CHINA have beautiful cachets and a short description is at the back of the envelope. Incidentally, we have some of the stamps featured in the First day Covers. We are posting some of them at http://angelas-collections.blogspot.com and at http://angelas-fdcs.blogspot.com . Hope you like them and comments and additional information from you are always welcome.

MINT Souvenir Sheet Philippines-Mexico 50 years of Diplomatic Relations

Japanese Occupation Era Philippine Stamps and Covers are HOT!!??!!

We would like to thank you who have taken time out to go through our blogs and its links; and everybody who has taken an interest in our auctions in http://www.ebay.ph (seller name angela_m2m). Some of our auctions are currently ongoing and will end within the next couple of days.

It is heartening to note that aside from the well informed collectors both here in the Philippines and abroad, there seems to be a lot of new collectors taking to the hobby and looking at our auctions. Their interests vary and we are glad to be able to offer some of our items to them.

Most collectors took to bidding Philippine MINT Republic issues, (esp the newer souvenir sheets and the older individual sets), and the various used stamp lots (both local and foreign); we auctioned.

Collectors of paper money also took their share in bidding. We sold several lots of foreign paper money to collectors abroad. If not for the hassle of delivery (couriers screen items to be sent), we also have a lot of coins for collectors to offer. We have coins from the spanish-philippines era and lots of foreign coins. Right now, maybe an appointment to meet in makati would be a start.

But what surprised us is the big interest in the items from the Japanese Occupation Era. of the Philippines. We have also just began collecting them. Seeing covers from the era also led us into collecting USPI and Jap Occ Covers/FDCs (First Day Covers) and the older Republic FDCS.
We received several emails and inquiries from the long time collectors, and the new collectors who were looking for items from that time period. Luckily, we had some and promptly put it out for bidding. The items we put in auction were priced to sell because we got them at low prices back then; and they got sold out at once. The other items which we got only recently were priced higher but surprisingly, they were also sold. And now as we continue to look for items for our auction, the past dealers from whom we got our items, don't have more or are now simply priced higher.

The demand seems to have spilled over to our suppliers and is driving the prices higher and the Jap Occ items are getting harder to come by as more of them gets locked in collections. After all, the Japanese Occupation era lasted for just several years.
Just a few years. Maybe from the collectors point of view, but its passing was none the moment sooner for those who lived through it. Items from this era surely gives a lot of history.

Is this a trend for collecting? Will these items be harder to come by?Will these items appreciate in price? We really don't know. But we sure will continue to be watching out for stamps, covers and other interesting items from this era. Thanks again and do watch out for our auctions and future postings in our blogs which we will feature more items from the Japanese Occupation Era.

Philippine Cacti and Succulents

Kind of Issue: Special
Denominations aand Quantity: PhP 6.00 - 200,000
Date of Issue: December 5, 2003
Size of Stamps: 30mm X 40mm
Perforation: 14
Printing Process: Lito-offset (4 colors)


Mammilaria spinosissima
Oval shaped, bluish-green plants up to 20 cm high, 6 -7 mm thick. They have oval, cone-like tubercles and white woolly and bristly axils.

Ephithelantha bokei
From the Big Bend area in West Texas, USA. E. bokei is probably hte most beautiful of all species in the Genus. The plant is usually found growing solitary in the wild although multi-headed specimens have also been found. It is difficult to find among the limestone it inhabits.
In addition, it sometimes produces offsets and clusters, although other specimens remain solitary. the creamy white or pure white spines lie very close to the plants body, and gives the plant a smooth appearance

Rebutia spinosissima
Genus of mostly clump forming, spherical to columnar, perennial cacti with flowers prodeuced in profusion from plant base, usually 2-3 years after raising from seeds. Much ribbed tuberculate, green stems have short spines.

Turbinicarpus alonsoi
From Guanajuato, Mexico. First described in 1996 and named after its discoverer, a Mexican boy named Alonso. It is one of the most beautiiful and distinct members of the Genus Turbinicarpus, a group of rare and small sized, globular cacti with spine which are usually papery, hairy or feathery and found only in Mexico.
The plants have beautiful flowers. T. alonsoi is solitary, possesses a large tap root, is globose greyish-green or glaucous with a flattened top. In the wild, it grows partly underground and attains a size of up to 4.4 inches long (11 cm.), 2.4 to 3.6 inches in diameter 96 to 9 cm.). The spines are weak and generally fall off from the older tibercles of the plant. T. alonsoi generally flowers from March to October, mainly between April and June. The flowers are cherry red to pink-magenta, with a more intensely coloured mid-stripe.

Lighthouses in the Philippines (MINT) Stamps and Souvenir Sheet

Selling Price: $3.50

Philippine Waterfalls on Stamps

Kind of Issue: Special
Denomination and Quantity: PhP 6.00 - 200,000 (4 designs)
Date of Issue: June 27, 2003
Size of Stamps 30mm X 40mm
Perforation: 14
Printing Process: Litho-offset (4 colors)


Stamps:
Bagongbong Falls - is located in Barangay Caubcab in the town of Almeria, Biliran. The island province of Biliran is a land of flowing streams, white sand beaches, and mighty mountains, home to many spectacular waterfalls

Maria Cristina Falls - is the most beautiful and tallest waterfall in the country at 58 meters high and nearly as wide. It is located nine kilometers south of Iligan City, a prosperous city which owes its wealth to the hydroelectric power the falls generate

Katibawasan Falls - is located in Mambajao, Camiguin Islan, a beautiful and enchanting island teeming with volcanoes and falls

Pagsanjan Falls - is the most famous of all Philippine Waterfalls. It is actually located in the town of Lumban, Laguna. The famous falls got its name from the mighty Pagsanjan River that runs through several towns in Laguna. Pagsanjan Falls and shooting the eleven rapids in a banca meandering down the brown stillness of the Pagsanjan River and entering gurgling rapids strewn with large boulders have always been perennial tourist attractions.

Game Cocks on Stamp Souvenir Sheets

PhP 12 and PhP 16 souvenir sheets
COCKFIGHT
Selling Price: $4.00

Philippine Marine Turtles Souvenir Sheet

Kind of Issue: Special
Denomination and Quantity: PhP 26.00 - 8,000
Date of Issue: March 31, 2006

The United Nations has declared 2006 the year of the turtle in an effort to save the gentlespecies. Twenty-five countries in the Indian Ocean Southeast Asian (IOSEA) region, including the Philippines, have signed a Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) dedicating 2006 to the protection of sea turtles, locally known as pawikan.

5 of the 7 known species of marine turtles in the world are found in the Philippines; the loggerhead, leatherback, olive ridley, hawkbill and green turtle. The IOSEA Marine Turtle MoU is working to conserve six of the world's seven species of marine turtles inhabiting the IOSEA region, including the Flatback turtles (Natator depressus).

GREEN TURTLES (Chelonia mydas) - are widespread, preferring the tropical and sub-tropical waters. Named after the green color of their body fat, they feed on algae and sea grass very efficiently.