Czechoslovakia Michel #Block 7, FD Cancel

I "grabbed" some free time from my job, and I don't know why, I "surf" my Czechoslovakia collection, by way - I come across this beautiful sheet! Something, that will not catch Your eye at first glance, but if You will take it by hands, and little "think" about design and message that it deliver, You will find something more than worth to include this sheet in Your collection.

This sheet are issued on August 29, 1945 - smoke of WWII still "on the air", and Czechoslovakian Post issue an set commemorating Slovakian/National Uprising against the Germans, great! Set of 5 stamp, perforated 10 1/4 - not something special at all, but sheet come on "hard" paper, without perforation, no glue, dimension 148x210 mm, design is more like "classic" for war and post-war period, flags (SSSR, GB, USA and CSSR), sunrising, soldier, town (B. Bystrica, T. Sv Martin, Zilina).

What is "capital" on the sheet? Picture - on right up part of sheet, one beautiful drawing of mother and three children cry on tomb of fallen soldier (father)!!! So perfect symbol and message for future generation! I'm really sorry, that today's generation didn't remember past - even that it is not so long ago, just over 60 year - and they didn't know even what is that stamp and sheet telling to them!

Let's see what catalogue say about prices. Michel (2002 yr), have this block with first day cancel valued at 320.00 euro, that is one "good" starting prices for dealer - I think that on market today You can buy it for 80% of this price, but just in the case that You will find someone who are selling it! Because this disparity, Scott catalogue (#288-297, note) value used sample just 100.00 US$, I opened my other catalogue (Specialized Manual for Czechoslovakia, 1988 edition) - and see that they are really near identical value like Michel catalogue. In this "Manual", prices are not stated, it have one "point" grade for value stamp - and there are "great" 300 point for this sheet with FD cancel!!!

What that mean 300 point? It is like - if standard, not cheap, common stamp have an minimum price of 1 point, this one issue are 300 time more valued than that!!!

I personally like it - and specially, because it remind me about past, about our grandparents and about something that can not be forgotten!

Yugoslavia fauna issue

Michel #738-749 fauna: 

issued Jun 30, 1954, one really great set of 12 value, with picture so perfectly designed for postage stamp, and really-really worth to include in collection. It is one classic material, that any serious collector need to have! Prices? High and worth it, Michel catalogue from 2002 year valued it for mint set 150.00 euros, and Scott have it too low just over 40.00 $. This is point where Scott editors need to think, because this set is not easy available on market, and recent eBay offer are around 100.00 euros starting prices - because that I think, this disparity need to be corrected, specially today, when US$ are sliding every single day against euro! Quantity issued for this set ranged from 2 400 000 to low 80 000 pieces, hardly to satisfy collectors need.

This topic continued with issuing another set from same fauna on September 10, 1956 - Michel numbered 795-803, 

set of 9 value, where we see drastic decrease in catalogue prices, it come down to 50.00 euro, in Scott it is more down just little bit over 20.00 US$.

Even that, because quantity issued, it will be hardly to find it on free market, quantity printed range from 2 and half million, and lower quantity is 112 354 pieces.

Other set in this topic, issued after this two, have rapid decrease in value, mostly reason was

quantity printed, 2 and half million with lower quality design, but again in very satisfactory way. I think, that it is worth to have.