Tuesday 20 September: Corners and nooks in British philatelic monthlies.
Summer 2016 made no exception to the taste of exploring as many places and times through the reading of British monthly magazines.
Don't miss: Daniel Scheepers' article on the South African 'War Effort' issues and its bantams (Stamp Magazine dated August) ; Alaistair Gunn's one on Australian 'Living Together' social series of the 1990s (Stamp October).
More classical yet very didactic on historical and financial values of the Secession period letters: John L. Kimbrough (Gibbons Stamp Monthly September) explained the difference between the seceeding states' decision to secede the Union, the establishment or their joining to the new Confederation, and finally the split of the postal services. One day more or less on a letter from one of the considered states and...
Thursday 22 September: Jacques Renollaud, French-British Isles postal relations specialist passed away.
Article translated in English here.
Friday 23 September: Even Centrafrican corner studied in Gibbons Stamp Monthly.
Just the day after Tuesday's article, a new unexpected corner of the world appeared in the October issue of Gibbons Stamp Monthly: the Centrafrican Republic by Michael Round, rarely (never?) seen in French philatelic press.
A summary from colonial age to the last times of civil peace, with almost only cancelled stamps after independence! A tour de force considering the country was a furnisher of cancel-to-order stamps for stamp dealers' packets for beginners.
Saturday 24 September: an article soon to be translate here.
Video gamers and collectors of Poland must wait until tomorrow, please.
[The next Monday: Thank you for your patience: over here, please.]
Saturday 24 September in newsstands: Timbres Magazine going full French reverse...
The French monthly has gone an identity crisis for the last year: the September 2015 "new formula" looked mostly like its former self despite editor in chief Gauthier Toulemonde's promise to follow the wishes of the majority who answered the latest magazine survey.
I was happy: the three last issues of the 2015-2016 season were in my humble opinion the best read with articles on many parts of the philatelic topics, places and times, some writers adding bibliography and context to their exhibited collections encouraging further research and readings.
But, surprisingly, Toulemonde announced in his July-August editor's note that a complete revolution was underway for the September issue, without precising what neither why.
However the September and October issues showed that Timbropresse team put their leader in a straitjacket, booked him for a long stay in the desert of Oman for the Autumn if he refused to apply the previously mentioned survey (or has he eventually volunteered that desert experiment?).
For the revolutionary part yet: the magazine moved from Paris city center to a Paris outside doorstep office building in Pantin (larger cheaper offices), between August and October - forcing the part media, part commemorative cover operation to Oman be delayed.
For the conservative revolutionary part: the new Timbres is "more current" as said on the cover... Understand in the current French political mood: for French (and France lovers) only. Only short articles on France and its colonies, with an accent on immediately useful to French collectors (short columns on current prices vs catalogue quotes, recent frauds presented to two experts, redefinitions of popular collections such as plating and phosphorescence errors).
My personal opinion: very deep sigh... as I am not very interested into all-French collecting. Some articles keep some interest but mostly thank to the sharpen writing style of their authors. Un-French topics can be found in Toulemonde's special issues and in small corners, especially if boobs are shown. Sigh...
Hopefully, English speaking readers who can read French or professionally use Google Translate, now President-Philatelist Nicolas Sarkozy's Gallic France's now got a full philatelic magazine for you. Yeah!
The French version of this "more current formula" in thoughtful preparation (mostly waiting the next Sarkozy's stupid quote on history).
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