Availability of Korean Stamps for Collectors

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(Originally from KP double number November 2012 / February 2013, Vol. 54 Nr. 4 / Vol. 55 Nr. 1) I’m member #85, and I am 73 years old. I have a few questions but you might not be able to answer all of them. 

Figure 13 (top): 1957 Boy Scout issue with Korean cancellation / Figure 14 (bottom): 1957 Boy Scout issue with English “scaut” cancellation

First, I wrote Howard Maxcy, our VP, but the letter came back with a yellow sticker on it saying they can’t deliver it. I sent that sticker to our President but never got an answer, maybe because I forgot to enclose an SASE. So then I wrote John Talmage and enclosed an SASE. He said he has not heard from Howard in over a year. Now is he alive or dead? I used to deal a lot with him. In fact, the one cover that spells SCOUT SCAUT (See Figures 13 and 14) was purchased from him a year ago. It was shown in an issue of Korean Philately years ago. Seems like all the dealers I used to deal with are dead now. I know Maxcy sold his business and went into the grocery business, that is the last I heard.

Figure 15: Kaesong, North Korea, October 19, 1942 / Figure 16: Kaesong, North Korea, July 6, 1942

My next thing is, Are there any Korean history buffs who can help me? I have probably over 100 postcards between the 30’s and 40’s that have Japanese stamps with Korean postmarks. All the years I belonged, I can’t remember reading about that time. I got the covers from a Korean who found them in a basement. I traded magazine subscriptions for them, and he even marked them. I also have a lot of covers of that era but no way to read the postmarks. Note they are both North and South Korea. Rogers claims that there are a lot of them, and they are worth about $2.50 each, but I have never seen one. (See Figures 15-18.)

Figure 17: Central Post Office, Seoul, Korea, July 22, 1943 / Figure 18: Chonju, Chollapukdo, Korea, August 25, 1942

Korea is getting harder to collect. I signed up with a new issue dealer in Indianapolis 2 years ago and have yet to get my first stamp. I talked to a person years ago who had an account with the PO and was told they send what they want, not every issue. I wrote to a dealer who sells foreign Christmas Seals. After a while, he sent me a letter saying that they won’t send him any.

The only dealer I can get my Korean from is Bombay in Florida, and I still don’t know if he gets all of them. Every so often, the mixture dealer in Florida used to get current used South Korean. I have not seen them in a few years. Any help on that one? Japan issues a bushel of stamps, and you can get all of the used that you want, but not from S. Korea.

[Ed. Try Swan Philatelic Imports, Inc., P. O. Box 1430 Lee’s Summit, MO 64063-7430. They offer used mixtures from both South and North Korea, though the North Koreans are clippings from FDCs found in Europe.]

Love the articles on forgeries. That is what we need. When you go to a stamp show, you know what to look for, like the KORFA error and a few others like them.

Leo Walasinski
Toledo, Ohio

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1 thought on “Availability of Korean Stamps for Collectors

  1. You might want to look up YoonSung Im on Facebook. He lives in Korea and I’ve seen some of his posting online. I think he could help you with collecting stamps from Korea.

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