Fly Specking

[zepherusbane]

Like the poll says, I was interested to know if anyone on these boards is an avid "fly specker" or hates the idea.



Please share your experiences here!  I was on the fence trying to decide whether to keep some hoards of single issues I've somehow acquired over the years and was curious about other peoples experiences.  I'm leaning towards offering them to someone else who is interested at this point.

[zepherusbane]

Here are a couple examples of candidates for fly specking that I have hundreds of examples I could look at.

[sharonb]

zepherusbane, I have oodles of those too! But I am not sure I am cut our for too much fly specking -

[kacyds]

In the Unitrade Catalog for Canadian Stamps, it shows: plate flaws, re-entry points, cracked plates, varieties, etc. When I first received the Unitrade Catalog, I started flyspecking my album to see if I could find any flaws. Well after about 40-50 stamps, I couldn't find a one and got bored real quick. That's about my extent of flyspecking.

[khj]

My eyes can't handle it, and I don't have the patience for it. I prefer letting others identify note-worthy varieties, and will then collect those when I see them. I prefer knowing what I'm looking for, rather than looking for a needle in a haystack. Finding Waldo is about my limit.

Although, I admit, I've been flyspecking the indicia since I've been scanning them, and before I throw them away . It's a lot easier to flyspeck when the stamp is enlarged on your laptop screen.

[khj]

BTW, many of the modern plate flaws listed in the Scott US Specialized are not that difficult to find. Even easier if you like to collect mint panes.

And even more easier if you like to tear up mint panes! 796411137

[unclebaldie]

Well, excuse my ignorance, but what is this fly-specking of which you speak ?

Is it something that happens if I leave my album open on the table ? On a hot day ? In summer, perchance ?

Do I need some kind of spray for it ?

Yours confusedly,

Phil

[khj]

Fly-specking is carefully examining the stamp for any spots, smears, drop-outs, scratches... introduced during the production process. Damage due to sales, storage, handling, mail use... doesn't count (at least not for me).

Typical causes -- plate flaws, poor plate wiping, gunk stuck on plate...

[stampie78]

Nov 1, 2018 10:26:39 GMT -5 unclebaldie said:

Well, excuse my ignorance, but what is this fly-specking of which you speak ?

Is it something that happens if I leave my album open on the table ? On a hot day ? In summer, perchance ?

Do I need some kind of spray for it ?

Yours confusedly,

Phil

I assume you are asking "tongue in cheek" but if not you can check out some of my flyspeck entries under "Stampie 78 Nitpicking varieties" right here on Stamp Bears. Happy hunting.

[stampie78]

Oct 31, 2018 14:40:08 GMT -5 zepherusbane said:

Like the poll says, I was interested to know if anyone on these boards is an avid "fly specker" or hates the idea.

Please share your experiences here!  I was on the fence trying to decide whether to keep some hoards of single issues I've somehow acquired over the years and was curious about other peoples experiences.  I'm leaning towards offering them to someone else who is interested at this point.

I am indeed an avid "flyspecker". I keep just about anything out of the normal. From a single small (flyspeck size) dot up to a large part of the stamp being "not what it should be." (I could use other words but not here)

For some of my entries check out my "Stampie78 Nitpicking Varieties" right here on Stamp Bears. Happy nitpicking.

[stampie78]

Nov 1, 2018 8:20:35 GMT -5 kacyds said:

In the Unitrade Catalog for Canadian Stamps, it shows: plate flaws, re-entry points, cracked plates, varieties, etc. When I first received the Unitrade Catalog, I started flyspecking my album to see if I could find any flaws. Well after about 40-50 stamps, I couldn't find a one and got bored real quick. That's about my extent of flyspecking.

But therein lies the fun of finding that one elusive stamp. For a lot of the Canadian stamps in Unitrade that list varieties, there is only one per sheet in most cases. Some have repeated flaws on the same sheet. (eg. Krieghoff painting of 1972 #610 has broken frame variety on all stamps in the fourth row, so not a hard one to find) Some only have one flaw on a sheet of 100. No stamp gets past me without at least a quick look. (I make no claims that I get them all, but I do have three binders of them and a bunch still on paper. Oh, the problems of having too many stamps and not enough time. But winter is fast approaching.

Another good set is the 1970 Xmas issue. (set of 12) this set is rife with real "flyspeck" varieties with some of them even constant.

If you have a few of these on hand I think you should find one or two specks. (this goes for the 5, 6 and the two higher values. but the 5 and 6 have the most flaws.)

[stampie78]

Nov 1, 2018 9:53:26 GMT -5 khj said:

My eyes can't handle it, and I don't have the patience for it. I prefer letting others identify note-worthy varieties, and will then collect those when I see them. I prefer knowing what I'm looking for, rather than looking for a needle in a haystack. Finding Waldo is about my limit.

Although, I admit, I've been flyspecking the indicia since I've been scanning them, and before I throw them away . It's a lot easier to flyspeck when the stamp is enlarged on your laptop screen.

For some unknown reason these things just pop out at me when checking stamps. Even specks that are too small even to scan and post here.

I must see what I can do with my scanner to get them larger. I use a 17 power and a 3 power glass. The 3 power seems to be adequate for most of the flaws.

[zepherusbane]

Nov 1, 2018 10:26:39 GMT -5 unclebaldie said:

Well, excuse my ignorance, but what is this fly-specking of which you speak ?

Is it something that happens if I leave my album open on the table ? On a hot day ? In summer, perchance ?

Do I need some kind of spray for it ?

Yours confusedly,

Phil

Thank you for being willing to ask! I should have put the definition in the original post.

Nov 1, 2018 10:37:02 GMT -5 khj said:

Fly-specking is carefully examining the stamp for any spots, smears, drop-outs, scratches... introduced during the production process. Damage due to sales, storage, handling, mail use... doesn't count (at least not for me).

Typical causes -- plate flaws, poor plate wiping, gunk stuck on plate...

Thanks for such a succinct answer to the question khj, you answered this much better and clearer than I would have done.

[zepherusbane]

Nov 1, 2018 11:14:54 GMT -5 stampie78 said:

Oct 31, 2018 14:40:08 GMT -5 zepherusbane said:

Like the poll says, I was interested to know if anyone on these boards is an avid "fly specker" or hates the idea.

Please share your experiences here!  I was on the fence trying to decide whether to keep some hoards of single issues I've somehow acquired over the years and was curious about other peoples experiences.  I'm leaning towards offering them to someone else who is interested at this point.

I am indeed an avid "flyspecker". I keep just about anything out of the normal. From a single small (flyspeck size) dot up to a large part of the stamp being "not what it should be." (I could use other words but not here)

For some of my entries check out my "Stampie78 Nitpicking Varieties" right here on Stamp Bears. Happy nitpicking.

I thought you probably were based on that nitpicking thread of yours. I enjoy reading about and seeing varieties, especially when they are pointed out in such easy to see ways, but I struggle to find them myself and haven't had a lot of luck since my eyesight doesn't seem to be good enough.

Nov 1, 2018 11:38:21 GMT -5 stampie78 said:

Nov 1, 2018 9:53:26 GMT -5 khj said:

My eyes can't handle it, and I don't have the patience for it. I prefer letting others identify note-worthy varieties, and will then collect those when I see them. I prefer knowing what I'm looking for, rather than looking for a needle in a haystack. Finding Waldo is about my limit.

Although, I admit, I've been flyspecking the indicia since I've been scanning them, and before I throw them away . It's a lot easier to flyspeck when the stamp is enlarged on your laptop screen.

For some unknown reason these things just pop out at me when checking stamps. Even specks that are too small even to scan and post here.

I must see what I can do with my scanner to get them larger. I use a 17 power and a 3 power glass. The 3 power seems to be adequate for most of the flaws.

Maybe I should look into ways to more fully amplify when looking at the stamps. I often have my scanner piled with junk so it's not easy to access to use for that. I usually use a regular magnifying glass and I don't know what magnification it is, but it can't be very much.

[khj]

A good cellphone camera is much faster than using the scanner if you want to do initial fly-specking, as you can quickly enlarge the pic immediately after taking the pic. You can even take pictures of several stamps at a time. Play around with your cellphone and you'll figure out the "true" resolution of your cellphone, thus, how many stamps you can take a pic of together.

Once spotted, you can then use the scanner to preserve the oddity for posterity (or at least take up space in your stamp album and hard drive!).

[stampie78]

Nov 2, 2018 9:29:50 GMT -5 zepherusbane said:

Nov 1, 2018 11:14:54 GMT -5 stampie78 said:

Maybe I should look into ways to more fully amplify when looking at the stamps. I often have my scanner piled with junk so it's not easy to access to use for that. I usually use a regular magnifying glass and I don't know what magnification it is, but it can't be very much.

Most regular magnifying glasses are 3 power. (no idea why). If you are close to a Staples store they should have bigger glasses that you can attach to your desk or table. Just google "Desktop magnifying glasses" and you can see what is available. Cheap to expensive.

[mourningdoves]

A year ago or so, I decided to try my hand at flyspecking, and I concentrated on the French Peace issue of the 1930s, because I had quite a few of them and knew that several varieties existed.

After a couple of hours, I had picked out several. I consulted Scott's, and I consulted a 45-year-old Yvert et Tellier that I'd picked up for a modest number of greenbacks (I don't have a Maury, sad to say, nor the relevant volume of Michel), and I found that, indeed, there were many varieties. None of them resembled anything I had.

I was forced into a pair of possible conclusions. The first is that I am one of the world's great philatelists, renowned for my unmatched eye for detail, and destined to go down in history among the likes of King Farouk, William Gross, and even Sir Rowland "Blueberry" Hill. The second is that I can't tell the difference between a plate variety and a scuff mark the stamp picked up in a mailbox somewhere. I liked the first possibility; I really, really liked it. But I knew in my heart of hearts what the real answer was, and I hung my head in shame.

But I did find a perforation variety in a Jugoslav definitive series from the late 1980s. One of these days I'll send it to the experts at Scott and reach for the brass ring of fame again.

Nov 1, 2018 10:26:39 GMT -5 unclebaldie said:

Well, excuse my ignorance, but what is this fly-specking of which you speak ?

Hey unclebaldie , welcome! (Wonder if we're related?) khj pretty much wrote you the ticket on flyspecks. BTW, the concept of an "ignorant question" is unrecognized here, so if you see anything else that looks confusing, ask away.