Thursday, November 22, 2012

Post and Go - Hytech Releases 

Recent weeks has seen some new developments regarding the Hytech kiosks. In October we saw the release of Perth 2012 Machins and Flags. The BPMA is to receive a kiosk on the 3 December and now we learn that a Pop Up Post Office has appeared at Camden Market with two new Hytechs - A3 and A4.

The worrying thing is the lack of information being released as to these new developments that could result in a few people who happen to be in the right place at the wrong time making a killing on ebay by overcharging collectors.

Autumn Stampex 2012 saw session numbers from circa 10 to around 500 on the faststamps produced at that show. Perth 2012 saw the highest session number around the 700-750 mark. This shows that the demand is there for these products, yet the collector has to rely on dealers or being there to get examples. This sort of material should be available through the Philatelic Bureau.

Already, there are suggestions that Royal Mail is seeing the Wincors and the Hytech "specials" as cashcows and that some collectors are threatening to stop purchasing the "specials".



Thursday, November 8, 2012

Twelve Kiosks, Four Offices and One Day (and no Partridge in a Pear Tree)

Yesterday, I had a day off from my duties. I had to go to Croydon for some information. I used this as an opportunity to visit four offices. These were Croydon (009013), Broadway (010011), Trafalgar Square (015010) and Farringdon Road (100003).

I can report that Croydon now has FIVE Wincor-Nixdorfs. According to information received, kiosks 4 and 5 were installed around April 2012. At the same time, kiosks 1 and 2 were modified to card only operation. All five kiosks were vending Robin stamps. Kiosk order (left to right) is 4, 5, 3, 1 and2.

Royal Mail have re-released the Robin stamp from the Birds 1 set for Christmas 2012 on 6 November 2012. Easiest way to identify the Christmas version is by having a pair.

Both of the Broadway kiosks were vending Robins as was the Farringdon Road office.

Trafalgar Square had kiosks 3 and 4 with the Robins while Pigs were available on kiosk 1 and Cattle on kiosk 2.