Gustamps the Sussex Stamp Dealers
Hi and welcome to Gustamps, one of the UK’s foremost stamp dealers
Situated in Brighton, East Sussex, Gustamps were established well over 4 decades ago in 1971, since then Gustamps have been helping stamp collectors with all aspects of philately. It’s at Gustamps that you can have a valuation of your own stamps from Gustamps completely free of charge. Whether you are buying or selling stamps, Gustamps is the place you should be contacting first. Please contact Gustamps now by telephoning on 01273 326994 for more information or visit Gutamps at their shop at 12 Prince Albert Street BN1 1HE next time you are in Brighton.
Gustamps have lots of nostalgic memories connected with stamp collecting for the benefit of those interested in Gustamps and stamp collecting. Gustamps have published some of these interesting nostalgic memories.
New Nostalgia Page from Gustamps
This is the new nostalgia page from Gustamps where stamp collectors and philatelists can delve into interesting events connected with Gustamps.
Gustamps manager wonders if Nella Adams extended her stamp collection
Gustamps manager remembers Gustamps being contacted by Nella Adams. Nella told Gustamps she was receiving new issue stamps of the Falkland Islands directly from the Falkland Islands post office. Gustamps heard that Nella was thinking about extending her stamp collection to include stamps of South Georgia. Nella asked Gustamps if Gustamps knew when the first South Georgia stamps were issued and if Gustamps could give her some info about South Georgia. After a little research by Gustamps manager, Gustamps’ reply to Miss Adams was that South Georgia stamps were issued consistently from 1963, but Gustamps pointed out that a single set of Falkland Island stamps were over-printed for use in South Georgia in 1944. Gustamps added that the first South Georgia Post Office came into existence in 1909 under the authority of Mr Wilson, the local magistrate. Gustamps said that back then only Falkland Island stamps were used on South Georgia. Thanks to Gustamps manager for his nostalgic memories and thanks to Nella Adams for allowing Gustamps to publish this blog.
Fond memories of Mrs Shanklin at Gustamps…
…FAMOUS NAMES AT GUSTAMPS
Mrs Shanklin once had an eventful visit to Gustamps. During her visit to Gustamps, Mrs Shanklin told Gustamps she had a specialised thematic collection of famous people on stamps. Gustamps was asked if Gustamps had any suggestions on how she could expand on her collection. Gustamps suggested that she might consider adding some stamps designed by famous people. The novel idea from Gustamps was quickly taken up by Mrs Shanklin and she bought several stamps from Gustamps designed by famous people, including Royal Princes Charles and Andrew who had both designed stamps for the UK. Gustamps also sold Mrs Shanklin stamps from the Isle of Man designed by famous ‘Beatle’ Paul McCartney, also an American stamp designed by President Roosevelt who was a keen stamp collector himself. Although Gustamps did not have one in stock, Gustamps also recommended Mrs Shanklin to look out for a Hejaz (Saudi Arabian stamp) which was designed by Laurence of Arabia. Many thanks to Mrs Nora Shanklin for allowing Gustamps to share nostalgic memories of her experience at Gustamps with other stamp collectors.
Machin man helped by Gustamps.
Peter, a regular customer at Gustamps’ Brighton shop only collects British Machin stamps. On a past visit to Gusatmps, Peter asked Gustamps if Gustamps knew how many Machin stamps had been printed in the UK. Gustamps could not come up with an exact figure but Gustamps told Peter that it is likely to run into billions. Gustamps said that the GPO started reproducing the iconic Machin design in 1967, and it could be the most reproduced picture of all times. Thanks to Peter for allowing Gustamps to publish this nostalgic recollection of his visit to Gustamps and allowing Gustamps to share it with fellow stamp collectors.
A trip down memory lane for Mr Bloom
Highly respected fellow stamp dealer and philatelist Brian Bloom called into Gustamps Brighton shop for a free Gustamps stamp valuation. Mr Bloom an old customer of Gustamps has been a regular caller at Gustamps for many years, often coming to avail himself of Gustamps free stamp valuations. Brian Bloom likes to have an expert appraisal before he sells his stamps at auction. On his most recent visit to Gustamps, Gustamps manager asked Mr Bloom when was the first time he sold stamps in auction and asked him which auction he used. Mr Bloom told Gustamps manager it was in 1960 at Shanahans’ stamp auction. “I was in my early twenties then and I’ve been buying and selling stamps at auctions for over 50 years” said Mr Bloom. Mr Bloom told Gustamps’ manager that Shanahans’ had bought the prestigious Maurice Burrus stamp collection the previous year for £3,500,000. “Gosh, that takes me back! Just thinking about it makes me feel young again,” said Mr Bloom.
Gustamps would like to thank Mr Brian Bloom for his nostalgic recollections about Shanahans’ stamp auctions. Gustamps are also grateful to Gustamps’ manager and Brian Bloom for allowing Gustamps to publish this blog.
Gustamps Information Directory
Here is the updated Gustamps directory for 2015 giving easy access to some of Gustamps top web pages:
During his visit to Sussex Dr Pete Southey looked into Gustamps shop in Brighton. Dr Southey told Gustamps staff he liked to collect Channel Island stamps. Looking through Gustamps stock of CI covers Dr Southey noticed one particular cover of interest to him personally. The Gustamps cover was for a stamp exhibition in 1986. Dr Southey explained to Gustamps sales person that the exhibition was staged by four national post offices the British Guernsey, Jersey and French Post offices. Dr Southey said to Gustamps ‘unusually the exhibition was held at sea on a cross channel ferry, and I was on board.’ Gustamps sales person asked Dr Southey what route the ferry took. Dr Southey’s reply to Gustamps sales person was that it sailed from Portsmouth to Cherbourg via the Channel Islands.
Gustamps would like to thank Dr Pete Southey for allowing Gustamps to publish his experience at Gustamps and for his nostalgic memories of 1986.
Simon Dawson had seen Gustamps adverts in Linns Stamp News the American stamp magazine. So when he came on holiday to England Simon made sure he visited Gustamps at Sussex. Whilst at Gustamps Simon asked Gustamps to have a look at some USA Civil War stamps of the Confederate States of America. Gustamps valuation of Simon’s stamps was free of charge but unfortunately the stamps were identified by Gustamps as faux or reprints and Gustamps told Simon that the value was only a few pounds. ‘I thought as much’ said Simon ‘I only paid $20 for them from a New York dealer.’ During his visit to Gustamps, Simon bought some British QEII stamps from Gustamps. Simon bought several complete year collections from Gustamps starting from the Millenium issues of 2000 up to 2005. When Simon got to 2006 he told Gustamps manager ‘that was a great year, it was the year they held the world philatelic exhibition in Washington D.C. and I went along to it.’ Gustamps manager asked Simon if he remembered any particular rare stamps there ‘I certainly did, there were great stamp displays in the Court of Honour Postal Museum as well as from Prince Albert of Monaco and the Royal Display from your own Queen Elizabeth’s collection.’ Simon ended up buying the 2006 British year collection from Gustamps too and told Gustamps manager that Gustamps was all he expected and more.
Gustamps would like to thank Mr Simon Dawson from the USA, in conversation with Gustamps manager, for allowing Gustamps to publish this information on the Gustamps nostalgia page on wordpress.
Gustamps regular customer Ronald Faith visited Gustamps Brighton shop recently. Mr Faith who lives in Bath comes to Gustamps every year during his Brighton holiday. There is always a nice welcome for Mr Faith at Gustamps. Mr Faith who collects philatelic items of postal history from Bath always finds something to interest him at Gustamps shop. On his most recent visit to Gustamps Mr Faith bought several old Bath postcards and a pre-stamp cover dated 1823 which had been posted from London to Bath. Whilst at Gustamps Mr Faith looked through some modern covers, when a particular cover caught his eye. The cover on sale at Gustamps commemorated the opening of the Bath postal Museum in 1979. Mr Faith said to Gustamps staff ‘I have to have that, I remember being there when the postal museum was first opened’. Gustamp heard from Mr Faith that it was opened by the Marquess of Bath. Mr Faith pointed out a cache on the cover ‘Carried by Stagecoach.’ Gustamps was told by Ronald Faith that the covers were delivered to the Bath Postal Museum by stagecoach. Mr Faith explained to Gustamps that Tom Jackson secretary of The Postal Workers Union was in the coach.
Many thanks to Mr Ronald Faith for his Nostalgic memories of 1979 and allowing Gustamps to publish them.
John Kennedy stamps sparks memories
Mr Kershaw visited Gustamps shop in Brighton to see if he could enhance his famous people’s stamp collection. Gustamps staff showed him selections from some Gustamps stock books and Gustamps Churchill stamp packs as well as Gustamps Gandhi stamp packs and Gustamps president Kennedy stamp packets. When Bob Kershaw saw Gustamps president J.F.K stamps he told Gustamps it reminded him of 1962. Mr Kershaw told the Gustamps staff that 1962 was the year president Kennedy sent US ships to blockade Cuba due to the Cuban crisis. Mr Kershaw told Gustamps that the Soviet leader Kruschev warned President Kennedy that the US action could lead to conflict. Bob Kershaw told Gustamps he remembered the Pope pleaded for both sides to back down. Gustamps heard from Bob that luckily crisis was averted. Then Bob said to Gustamps staff now you’ve had your history lesson how about showing me some more famous people stamps after all that’s why I came to Gustamps.
Bob Kershaw bought several famous people stamps from Gustamps including Gustamps President Kennedy stamps packet.
Gustamps thanks Bob Kershaw for his memories of 1962 and allowing Gustamps to publish them.
EMBARGO ON CHUCK’S STAMP COLLECTION
When Chuck Carey found Gustamps shop whilst on his holiday in Sussex he was impressed with Gustamps stock of Cuban stamps available for sale at Gustamps. Chuck told Gustamps manager it was great to be able to buy Cuban stamps so easily. Chuck said he lives in the USA and he remembered that back in the 1970s there was an embargo on the import of stamps from Cuba and he told Gustamps manager it was difficult to obtain new Cuban stamps for his collection. Gustamps manager heard how pleased Chuck was when the USA embargo on Cuban stamps was lifted in 1977. Chuck told Gustamps manager that it was fortunate he did not collect stamps from North Korea and Vietnam as there was also an import embargo on those countries during the 1970s in the USA. Gustamps manager replied to Chuck saying that he remembered a similar situation with Rhodesian stamps in the UK during the Ian Smith UDI period (unilateral declaration of independence) when Rhodesian stamps were illegal in the UK temporarily.
Chuck bought lots of Cuban stamps from Gustamps and said he was coming back to England next year. Chuck told Gustamps manager his first port of call would be Gustamps shop in Brighton.
Thanks to Mr Chuck Carey for his nostalgic memories of the USA in the 1970s and also to Gustamps manager for his memories of the Rhodesian UDI stamps and for allowing Gustamps to publish this blog.
Mabel’s locket worth £100,000+++
Gustamps valuer was giving Mrs Tess Jones a free Gustamps stamp valuation. Mrs Jones stamps were valued by Gustamps at £130 and she was offered £130 by Gustamps. Tess Jones accepted Gustamps offer and sold the stamps to Gustamps.
Gustamps valuer noticed that Mrs Jones was wearing a silver locket which contained a Victorian 1840 1d Black stamp. ‘Do you want to sell that too?’ Gustamps valuer asked. Mrs Jones reply to Gustamps valuer was that she did not want to sell it as it had sentimental value. She told Gustamps valuer that her husband had bought it for her. Gustamps valuer said that the locket reminded him of a news story in the national papers in 1956. Gustamps valuer said that Col. Ned Green owned a complete sheet of the USA 1918 inverted Jenny stamps (an inverted Jenny stamp is a picture of an upside-down plane printed on the stamp.) The sheet was worth a fortune. Col. Green split the sheet up and sold it off as single stamps but said Gustamps valuer he kept one stamp back and presented it to his wife Mabel in a locket. According to Gustamps valuer Mrs Green kept the locket until 1950 when she died and passed it on to her friend Dorothy Nicholson. The locket was eventually sold for well over £100,000.
Tess Jones was amazed and asked Gustamps valuer if her locket might possibly be worth £100,000. Sorry said Gustamps valuer, the stamp inside is probably worth £170-£180. No, I’m going to keep it said Mrs Jones, the sentimental value is worth more to me than that. Tess Jones thanked Gustamps valuer for the £130 cheque for her stamps and also for the interesting story about Mabel Green’s locket.
Gustamps would like to thank Gustamps valuer and also to Mrs Tess Jones for allowing Gustamps to publish this blog.
Andy contacted Gustamps for a free Gustamps stamp valuation. When Andy arrived at Gustamps stamp shop in Brighton he brought along his collection of Mauritius stamps. Gustamps valuation of Andy’s stamps was for £115. Andy was pleased with Gustamps valuation but decided to keep the stamps as they had some sentimental value to him. Gustamps valuer remarked to Andy that the Mauritius stamps reminded him of a visit he made to the British postal museum archives in 2012. Gustamps valuer said he heard a talk by Michael Sefi, the keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection. Mr Sefi’s talk was about some of the stamps in the Queen’s stamp collection. Gustamps valuer told Andy that some of these stamps were the Victorian post office Mauritius stamps.
Gustamps thanks Andy for letting Gustamps publish his valuation experience at Gustamps and also Gustamps valuer for his comments about the Queen’s Mauritius stamps.
The world’s first self adhesive stamps
Charles wrote to Gustamps in Brighton and asked Gustamps which were the world’s first self adhesive stamps. Gustamps reply to Charles was the first self adhesive stamps ever issued in the world were issued by Sierra Leone in 1964.
Gustamps told Charles they were shaped like a map of Sierra Leone, Gustamps also said that they commemorated the New York world’s fair. When Gustamps manager heard about Charles question he said it reminded him of the UK’s first self adhesive stamps. Gustamps manager said he remembers buying a booklet of 20 x 1st postage class stamps in the Post Office in 1993. Back then they only cost £4.80 for a book, because of inflation a book of 20 x 1st class postage stamps would now cost £12.40p. Gustamps manager remembers everyone saying how nice and hygienic they were. Gustamps manager said the drawback is that philatelists find them hard to remove from the envelopes.
Gustamps would like to thank Charles Whiteley for his question and also to Gustamps manager for his nostalgic memories of 1993 and for allowing Gustamps to publish this blog.
With everyone talking about the World Cup for 2014 in Brazil, Gustamps manager was thinking back to 1979. Gustamps manager said he remembers going to see the Brighton Seagulls (Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club). Gustamps manager said all the Brighton fans were excited as it was the First Division home debut against Arsenal FC. Gustamps shop was very busy as the big match attracted lots of people to Brighton. Gustamps staff were busy producing special commemorative covers. Gustamps manager remembered that the covers depicted a great picture of the Seagulls and the postmark was a pictorial commemorative Brighton cancellation depicting a Seagull flying.
Thanks to Gustamps manager for his memories of Brighton and Hove FC in 1979.
Gustamps manager was looking through a stamp catalogue recently when he came across a British issue of 1964. Gustamps manager was chatting to some of Gustamps customers in the Brighton Gustamps shop and said, “that takes me back. It reminds me of when I was a schoolboy.” Eager to hear more, Gustamps customers asked him to explain. Gustamps manager said that when he was a boy, he remembers queueing at the main post office in Edward Street in London to buy the latest set of British stamps. The set was for the 1964 Forth Road Bridge issue, costing 3d and 6d in old money (about 5p in today’s money). The man at the post office counter offered Gustamps manager (then 0nly a boy) a presentation pack of the stamps costing 2s (10p in today’s money.) Gustamps’ manager was about to buy it when an elderly man behind him in the queue said “You don’t want to waste your money on that, it’s double the price of the set of stamps for a bit of extra cardboard.” Gustamps manager ignored the elderly man’s advice and bought the pack anyway. Now, 50 years later pointed to the presentation pack in the stamp catalogue and remarked to the Gustamps customers “Look, the stamps have increased in the catalogue in value from 5p to 50p, but the presentation pack has increased from 10p to £450.” Gusatmps manager added “its lucky I did not take the old man’s advice when I was a schoolboy.”
Gustamps shop display organiser remembers the excitement at Gustamps back in March 2001. He said, ‘To be precise it was the 29th March 2001.’ The day Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited Brighton. The day before this, all of Gustamps staff were rushing to complete the ‘Royal’ window display at Gustamps Brighton shop. When she came thousands of tourists and visitors also flocked to Brighton in Sussex. Many visited Gustamps shop whilst in Briton, and sales of Royalty stamps and Royalty FDCs readched an all time high. Several popular Royal items sold out at Gustamps, including Queen Elizabeth’s birthday commemorative covers.
Gustamps’ shop display organiser said he was complimented by quite a lot of people about the professional Gustamps window display. He said ‘I’m not sure if the Queen will visit Brighton again, but we certainly won’t forget her 2001 visit. ‘
1971 was an important year for Gustamps and for England
One of the most important years for Gustamps was 1971. That was the year that Gustamps was established and the first year Gustamps’ London shop was opened to the public, stamp collectors who visited Gustamps’ London shop were able to have their stamps valued by Gustamps. Gustamps also gave away free complimentary stamp tweezers and stamp albums as an introductory offer to new customers to Gustamps’ shopn in London. The main talking point between Gustamps’ custormers and Gustamps’ sales staff had nothing to do with stamps. Everyone was talking about decimalisation. The UK’s change of currency from sterling to decimal had its impact on Gustamps too. All of Gustamps’ staff had to explain the value of the new coins to Gustamps’ customers who looked on in wonder as they were given new pence in exchange for their shillings for change, at Gustamps’ cash register (till). Thinking back, Gustamps’ manager said, nostalgically, ‘Did you know that sterling £.s.d. came from the Roman money Lira (£) soldi (s) and denari (d)?’
1971 was an important year for England and a historic year for Gustamps.
Gustamps and the 1971 postal strike
The famous British postal strike was in 1971 – the same year in which Gustamps was established.
Gustamps’ manager remembers how popular GB postal strike stamps were in 1971. Lots of Gustamps collectors contacted Gustamps looking for ‘new’ postal strike stamps that were issued during that year. Gustamps stock of British postal strike stamps grew and by the end of 1971 Gustamps had one of the most comprehensive stocks of different strike stamps in the UK. The postal strike was a short period in British postal history and Gustamps manager recalls how the Post Office granted licences to private delivery companies to deliver mail in the United Kingdom. If any stamp collectors would like some British Postal strike stamps to enhance their collection, then contact Gustamps who are giving some of these stamps away free of charge to anyone visiting Gustamps’ shop in Brighton for two months from 1st June 2014. When you come to Gustamps shop in Brighton, Sussex. Please quote Gustamps’ reference number: Gustamps 73 STRIKEPOST.
King Farouks stamps were sold by Gustamps
Gustamps had not started dealing in stamps in the mid 1950’s when Farouk King of Egypy was deposed and sent into exile. In haste, in fear of his life he left his valuable, vast postage stamp collection behind him in Egypt. Many of the stamps were put up for sale by the Egyptian authorities together with official certificates confirming the provenance of the stamps.
Twenty years later Gustamps were at a stamp auction when Gustamps were fortunate to buy several of the stamp from King Farouk’s collection. Gustamps held a special sale of these stamps at Gustamps shop in London. It was a busy time and many collectors flocked to Gustamps after reading about the sale in Gustamps advertisements in the stamp magazines. These stamps sold by Gustamps at Gustamps’ London shop were all previously owned by the King of Egypt and had official Egyptian certificates showing the provenance and as guarantees. Gustamps sold many of these stamps, which ranged in price from five pounds to several hundred pounds each. Some of Gustamps’ older customers still remark to Gustamps how they remember buying King Farouk’s stamps from Gustamps back in the 1970s.
Valuable stamp information from Gustamps
Gustamps made recommendations to stamp collectors back in 1972. Long before the existance of the internet and before the advent of Facebook, Google, and Twitter, Gustamps were making contact with stamp collectors via advertisements in national newspapers and stamp magazines. Adverts for Gustamps appeared in Stanley Gibbons Stamp Monthly and Gustamps advertised in Stamp Magazine as as well as the Stamp and Coin Mart magazine. Now over 40 years later, Gustamps still have full page adverts in these magazines. One Gustamps recommendation back in 1972 was for stamp collectors to buy the GB Machin 1/2 p side phosphor band. This came from the Wedgewood prestige stamp booklet. The stamp had a face value of only a half penny and had been issued barely one year earlier. Gustamps ‘tipped’ the stamp to increase in value and recommended stamp collectors to pay up to 25p each if necessary. If you took Gustamps’ advice back in 1972 and invested only £55 your investment would have a Stanley Gibbons catalogue value of £11,000 Gustamps are confident you will agree this was a good tip from Gustamps. For free advice about stamps, contact Gustamps on 01273 326994.
Gustamps’ valuation expert’s philatelic lesson in the 1960s
Back in the mid 1960s Gustamps valuation expert was learning about stamps. Prior to working for Gustamps, Gustamps’ valuation expert was working for another stamp dealer in London. Whilst working in the stamp dealer’s shop, Gustamps’ valuation expert (only a teenager at the time) was present when a man visited the London stamp shop. He showed the shop owner a fine, used GB 1929 PUC £1 Black stamp. Gustamps’ valuation expert thought it was a fine stamp but the older, more experienced shop owner put the stamp under an ultra-violet lamp. The ultra-violet light showed that the stamp had had a purple fiscal postmark which had been removed chemically and not visible by the naked eye. A faux black postmark had been added afterwards. Gustamps’ valuation expert saw the original purple fiscal postmark appear as if by magic under the UV light. It was a good philatelic lesson for Gustamps’ valuation exper, adding to his valuable philatelic experience.
You can benefit by having a free stamp valuation at Gustamps, carried out by Gustamps’ valuation expert. His valuation experience of the last 44 years is available to you free of charge. Contact Gustamps on 01273 326994 and ask for his help free of charge.
Lord Lichfield’s visit to Gustamps
Back in the 1980s Gustamps made headline news in national newspapers. Tips for stamps to look for by Gustamps were praised in the finantial pages of national newspapers. One news article caught the eye of Lord Litchfield. He came to visit Gustamps’ shop which was based in London at the time, during his memorable visit Lord Lichfield mentioned to Gustamps’ manager that his photographs were used for the designs of Queen Elizabeth’s daughter, Princess Anne’s Royal Wedding Stamps of 1973 issued by the Royal Mail. Gustamps’ manager asked Lord Lichfield if he would be kind enough to autograph some 1973 Royal Weding First Day covers. Lord Lichfield said he would and signed several FDCs for Gustamps. Gustamps manager was a little embarrassed when he noticed the covers were simply being signed ‘Lichfield’. Lord Lichfield explained that as a Lord it was customary to only sign ‘Lichfield’ not ‘Patrick Lichfield’ or ‘Lord Lichfield’. He told Gustamps’ manager that during his days in the army he had to sign lots of things and simply signing Lichfield made life easier. The Lord Lichfield FDCs signed at Gustamps in the 1980s are sought after by many collectors.
