Olympics Issues Not Worth Much

Question: I have several souvenir sheets of commemorative stamps from the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Do these have any value?--F.K.

Answer: Maybe $15 apiece if in mint condition, $25 each if legitimately cancelled (retail prices); this is an example of how certain stamps are more valuable cancelled than mint.

Your sheets are listed in the Scott catalogue under German semi-postals, with catalogue numbers B91 and B92. They had a first day of issue Aug. 1, 1936, just in time for the Olympic festivities.

Germany then, as always, had many enthusiastic stamp collectors, who purchased enough of these souvenir sheets so that their market value is only moderate today. These sheets sold for 1 Mark each in Berlin, with a substantial part of the stamp revenue earmarked for the German Olympic effort.

Q: I have a U.S. Government Thrift Card, containing seven 25-cent Thrift Stamps. While in grammar school during World War I, I bought these weekly. Are they worth anything now?--G.M.

A: The current catalogue value for this stamp, listed in the Scott catalogue under War Savings Stamps (catalogue number WS1), is $10. Issued by the U.S. Treasury Department on Dec. 1, 1917, these stamps were redeemable in U.S. Treasury War Certificates. If you had a mint margin block of six stamps with the plate number on it, you would have a $500 item. As it is, your Thrift stamps affixed to their savings card lose a little of their collector appeal in the eyes of some philatelists, and maybe your whole card is worth about $20 or $25 retail price.

Q: I would like to order British stamps directly from the British government at face value. Is this possible?--P.M.

A: Yes. Write to: British Philatelic Bureau, 20 Brandon St., Edinburgh EH3 5TT, Scotland, Great Britain. They accept personal checks and international money orders, and they have a procedure for a “standing account” whereby you send them a deposit and automatically receive new issues of British stamps. Mint stamps, first-day covers and special postmarks are available.

Of course, if you need only a mint single of each British new issue for your collection, it might be cheaper to get it from a local stamp shop to avoid paying the postage and check fees connected with ordering from the British Philatelic Bureau.