Kiloware From Africa

Does anyone know of a supplier of modern African kiloware,
mainly from West and Central African countries?

Thanks
Gordon

'
https://www.nordfrim.com/stamps ... good reputation, but nobody ever accused them of being cheap

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

At one time I tried to get kiloware sources from the area mentioned but a couple of larger stamp dealers seem to have control of all incoming kiloware there.

The price for kiloware was extremely high. A high price fixed by only a couple of people. Easily done. They could offer large amounts but the price was the same cost as for a small amount.

Bashed away for months trying to break a deal but could not get a decent buy.

Oh well. Sounds like another good idea that bites the dust.

To Nordfrim's credit, the quality is quite high, often "bank mix" type quality. They're not like the old foreign mission mixture cloth bags offered in US variety and department stores that had extremely common stamps, each salted with one or two faulty high values. Even as a kid, I thought they were picked over already. Cancels and varieties could be found, but how many of the same Canadian, Indian and Ceylonese definitives could a body want? Still, you probably got what you paid for including time spent. The bag was useful.

Turntostone, I'd set up searches for individual countries (as "used" or maybe "modern used") as well on eBay for notification. Sometimes small lots or groups of covers will show up. Of course, that means wading through lots that might not be useful to you. If you only want stamps from the last year or two, that is a much tougher thing as you've probably already found out.

'
Q/ How come nobody is suggesting that Turntostone do the simple thing, and sign-up with a new issues service, and collect the CTOs ?

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey (who is building his omnibus African GPU (Genuinely Postally Used) collection one cover at a time)

Because there'd be none of the thrill of the search and the chase, mon ami. New issue services are philatelic arranged marriages.

I've never encountered a new issue service selling CTOs much less French Africa CTOs. Other individual post offices like Germany and Switzerland would sell favor-cancelled stamps, yes. I don't know if anyone would buy French Africa CTOs at face plus. It used to be that full sheets (at a very large discount off face) needed to be bought to get CTOs directly.

One could always buy mint new issues, apply them to envelopes, send to the appropriate country and hope they get there and back in good shape.

My brother has been to West Africa numerous times and always tries to find recent commems to use on his postcards home, but its a real challenge to find them at the PO.

Sometimes its a challenge even to find a PO!

And sometimes the 'new' stamps have foxing or whatever, as the climate is tough on stamps.