These offers are 100% genuine
NEVER to be repeated
- All Offers expire today at 3pm -
Dear Reader,
My name is Mike Hall and I am the Chief Executive of Stanley Gibbons.
Today is the 31st of December, the last day of our financial year...
Most of you won’t read this e-mail, if you’ve got any sense you will already be preparing for the New Year festivities.
Unfortunately I am still here right up to the last minute...
So...to make my last day of the year interesting I have decided to make some “once in a lifetime” offers to any of our customers still listening...
My phone is on all day until 3pm (I am catching a flight at 4:30pm so this is the absolute deadline for these offers).
I 100% guarantee that none of these offers will be repeated. At 3pm today ALL offers expire and revert back to full price.
You won’t find a better deal offered by Stanley Gibbons for some of our top investment items ever again…
So why am I doing this?
Simple really, it is my way of saying a big thank you for your loyal support during the year. Also, not a lot happens on the 31st December and, since I’m here, I wanted to make my day interesting.
I cannot stress enough, these offers are exceptional – I would not dream of offering these prices at any other time of the year. I won’t even make much of a profit. I will be just as happy NOT to sell them!
I love my business and I cherish all our clients who, like me, believe in what we sell. I think you deserve a special treat. I can’t guarantee I will ever feel this generous again.
The Offers
Now here goes with the offers, you will be amazed. I have selected 10 of our best stock items only. I cannot offer any more than this as I am literally giving away our profit to you here – read on…
Rare Stamps from Great Britain
Great Britain SG 410
1915 5s Pale carmine (Worn plate). Pristine unused original gum halfsheet of twenty printed by De la Rue complete with full sheet margin, lightly mounted on two stamps only. A magnificent exhibition piece, Ex Hassan Shaida gold medal collection.
Price: £35,000
Special Offer Price: £32,500 (Saving £2,500)
Investment potential: the single stamp has shown growth in value between 1998 and 2007 of 138% (15% per annum return). The value of rarer multiples, such as this, have been achieving record realisations in recent auctions. Click here.
Great Britain SG 2
1840 1d Black Plate 5 (2nd registration sheet). The superb unused huge four margin imprimatur lettered TL, from the bottom right hand corner, showing plate number and part sheet inscription "ove the Cement.". An exceptional line engraved rarity of the highest calibre, unique. Ex. Lord Crawford, R.B. Sparrow & Colonel Bates. 1980 BPA Certificate.
Price: £250,000
Special Offer Price: £230,000 (Saving £20,000)
Investment potential: a "top end" piece of GB philatelic history, representing the area of the market showing strongest growth in recent years. Click here.
Great Britain SG 401var
1913 5s Seahorse die proof. Very fine imperforate proof with small even margins printed by Waterlow in red-brown on thin wove paper. Very rare, only two or three example of each colour exist in private hands.
Price: £25,000
Special Offer Price: £22,500 (Saving £2,500)
Investment potential: a fantastic rarity of the most attractive GB stamp design (I would be tempted to buy it personally!) Click here.
Great Britain SG 450/2var
1934 2s6d-10s "Seahorses" (Re-engraved). Superb unmounted original gum set of three overprinted "CANCELLED" type 33. Very rare, only six possible sets available. Spec. N73(1)t, N74t and N75t. 2005 BPA Certificate.
Price: £16,000
Special Offer Price: £14,000 (Saving £2,000)
Investment potential: appears under-valued at this time in the context of its rarity; perfect buy and hold investment. Click here.
Rare Stamps from British Commonwealth
Queensland SG 230
1896-1902 6d green, watermark 6, perf 12½,13, the celebrated mystery stamp in the type 19 design (with figures of value in the lower corners), a phenomenal HORIZONTAL PAIR, used with 'PARCEL POST/BRISBANE' cds, dated 'MAY 02'. Minor separation and wrinkles mentioned for accuracy, but very fine appearance with fresh colour. Both stamps are Design 1, type 'A' (with bust lines at lower left touching oval) as defined in the most recent (2004) study (ASC Vol 1, pp 88-9).
16 single examples (many with faults) were discovered between 1903 and 2004, but this is the first recorded multiple, recently discovered in an old 'junior' collection. The most likely explanation of its existence remains the inadvertent substitution of cliches of this otherwise unissued design into a plate of the type 21 design (with figures of value in all four corners).
A unique and wonderful piece, a star item of early Australian Commonwealth philately of the 1901-12 period. BPA Certificate (2007).
Price: £30,000
Special Offer Price: £27,000 (Saving £3,000)
Investment potential: unique items provide the best potential for exceptional returns. The stamp market in Australia is entering a phase of "high growth" making this the perfect time to buy in to an important philatelic piece from this market. Click here.
Rare Signatures
Ludwig Van Beethoven
One of the greatest German composers. Beethoven's symphonies, quartets, concertos, and piano sonatas are significant advances in their respective genres, revealing a passion marking the move from the classical to the romantic period. Naturally democratic, Beethoven strove to express his ideal of a world of freedom and equality.
A light grey clipped letter (approx 4x9.5 in) written in German and signed in black pen ink. The letter translates:
'Please send me corrected copy of the group of songs on the "Distant one". It is about time. The coarsest blocks should be corrected on the existing copies with lead-pencil at the nominal cost.'
This statement refers to a group of songs "On the Absent Beloved, Opus 98", published in December 1816 and composed by Beethoven in the same month. Beethoven continues in his letter:
"I should like to send a letter to Count Lubkowitz to whom this was dedicated because "I cannot use the group of songs from Barberey now".
Barberey refers to the faulty production of a number examples which Steiner permitted to be printed from the last corrected copy. The letter closes:
'No one asks how I am despite the fact that I have been in bed for eight days."
Beethoven signs the close of the letter 'The G(enius) in bed'.
Some scholars contend that the 'G' may refer to 'The Generalissimo'. Beethoven was bedridden and suffering from a chill since October 15th. Also accompanying this item is a letter from renowned Beethoven expert Emily Anderson, who explains her reasons for dating the Beethoven letter as she does, a piece from the letter reads:
'Meanwhile I am sending you the reasons for my dating your Beethoven letter c October 23, 1816, which, by the way, tallies with the dating given in the big Kinsky-Halm Catalogue of Beethoven's works published at Munich in 1955. It is Kinsky-Halm p 275, where the letters referring to Op. 98 are quoted. The song cycle "An die ferne Geliebte" was published by Steiner in October 1816. Beethoven had sent Steiner from Baden a corrected copy in September 1816. Prince Lobkowitz to whom the work was dedicated, died on December 15, 1816. But what narrows the date down to October 22nd or 23rd is that Beethoven says that he has been in bed for eight days. He went to bed on October 15th with a violent chill, which seems to have persisted for several weeks. The approximate dating of Beethoven's many undated letters is an interesting study'.
This fantastic rare item is from the collection of Dr Max Thorek. It was acquired through Gilhofer & Ranschburg auction house of Vienna. The piece is in excellent condition. With some light soiling and mailing fold creases. Mounted, framed and glazed together with a reproduction portrait.
Price: £75,000
Special Offer Price: £60,000 (Saving £15,000)
Investment potential: a letter written and handled by the greatest composer who ever lived. Manuscripts have sold at auction for in excess of £1m. Click here.
Vincent Van Gogh
An extremely rare handwritten poem on a portion of a leaf cut from an album (with pre-printed parallel red lines at the left margin), approx.5.5x10.7 cm. The item is undated but is from Van Gogh's days as a theology student, circa 1876. The leaf was originally included in an album containing about sixty entries (approx. 180 pages) written during Van Gogh's residence in England in 1876 when he was 23 years old.
The son of Calvinist preacher, Van Gogh was obsessed with religious and social questions. In mid-April of 1876 Van Gogh arrived at Mr. Stoke's school in Ramsgate. At the school, Van Gogh served as an assistant teacher. While there, Van Gogh first wrote to his brother Theo of his love for English hymns and mentioned one of his favourite verses "Tell Me the Old, Old Story" (May12, 1876). Due to the fact that Mr. Stoke would not give him a salary, Van Gogh left on July 1st for school run by Rev. Thomas Slade Jones and it was during that period that Van Gogh wrote out this evangelical hymn.
The four verses of "Tell Me the Old, old Story" are neatly penned in tiny script. In the verso are penned (also in Van Gogh's hand) 32 partial lines of Dutch religious verse. This outstanding piece was originally a part of a visitors book belonging to Annie Slade-Jones, the wife of Congregational minister from Turnham Green. Van Gogh lived with the couple during 1876.The visitors book and Van Gogh's handwritten entry have been documented and verified by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
The item is in very fine condition. Handwritten material of Vincent Van Gogh is exceedingly rare and desirable. The few letters that have come onto the market in the last ten years have all sold in the six-figure range.
Price: £40,000
Special Offer Price: £30,000 (Saving £10,000)
Investment potential: appears under-valued based on rarity and prices fetched for similar pieces at auction. Click here.
Paul McCartney
A fantastic chance to own a specially made, unique and personalised item signed by the former Beatle Paul McCartney. A miniature, cream hard-back book, embossed with gilt decoration, measuring approximately 4.5x6 cm, which contains hand-written lyrics in fine black pen ink by McCartney to 'Hey Jude'. McCartney also comments on his delight to be writing in a book which does not have a leather binding, as he is a strict vegetarian - 'Thank you for not making this book out of leather'. He has added an illustration of a cow with the word 'Ta!' noted underneath.
The piece is signed on the last page in black ink 'Paul McCartney 2004'. An exquisite piece in excellent condition.
Price: £40,000
Special Offer Price: £36,000 (Saving £4,000)
Investment potential: the value of McCartney's signature alone has increased in value by 1020% in the past 10 years (double your money every year!), the item offered here has the key ingredients for an excellent long term investment in collectibles - it is both unique and desirable. Click here.
The Beatles
A one-off historic document. An original Beatles letter on Apple Corps letterheads from 29th January 1969 sent to EMI Records and signed by George Harrison and Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr's legal name). The letter is addressed to Sir Joseph Lockwood and reads:
"Dear Sir Joseph, This is to inform you that Alan Klein is also acting on our behalf, and request you to give him all information and co-operation concerning our business affairs".
John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr wanted Allen Klein to represent The Beatles and McCartney wanted his father-in-law Lee Eastman. The letter marked the split in management representation of the group which led to The Beatles breaking up legally. The item is accompanied by a letter of authentication from a well known the Beatles specialist Frank Caiazzo.
Price: £19,500
Special Offer Price: £15,000 (Saving £4,500)
Investment potential: Beatles memorabilia continues to be the most popular amongst collectors. Historic growth in value of Beatles signatures over the past 10 years of 355%. A one-off historic document such as this will hold long term appeal and importance to any collector of Beatles memorabilia. Click here.
Marilyn Monroe
Amazing and possibly one-of-a-kind vintage ballpoint signatures of four cast members of Some Like It Hot: Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Joe E. Brown, on an off-white 4.5 x 6 sheet of Dramamine stationery.
The film's title, Some Like It Hot, has been added to the top left corner in another hand. Some Like It Hot won the Golden Globe for Best Comedy, as well as Marilyn Monroe winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress in Musical or Comedy, and Jack Lemmon for Best Actor in Musical or Comedy. The film has been acclaimed worldwide as one of the greatest film comedies ever made. It ranked #1 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest comedies as well as 14 on their list of the 100 best American films. The film has also been deemed 'culturally significant' by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
A single horizontal fold, perforation along top edge, through a single stroke of Marilyn's signature, and a small spot of toning to top right, affecting nothing. Possibly unique item from one of Hollywood's most beloved films.
Price: £12,500
Special Offer Price: £10,000 (Saving £2,500)
Investment potential: Historic growth in Marilyn Monroe signatures over past 10 years averaging 14% per annum but this item is much more special. Click here.
As you can see these are some of the most coveted items by collectors. But you don’t need to be a collector to desire these items – this is our history and you can own it today.
Not only that, as an investment, these items have the perfect combination of rarity and desirability to ensure long term price growth.
Now what to do...
Call me today on:
+44 (0) 1481 708 273
When my buying team come back in 2008, I’m sure I’ll get a hard time from them... “Why did you sell my best items at such silly prices”? or “Do you know how hard it is to find that sort of material and you just go and sell it at what I paid for it”?
This is a one-off opportunity at these prices.
First come, first served – I apologise in advance for those of you who will miss out.
If you can’t get through first time, please keep trying or leave me a message. I promise to get back to you as soon as I can.
Wishing you all a happy and prosperous New Year.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
+44 (0) 1481 708 273
email mhall@stanleygibbons.co.uk
TOLL FREE from the USA 1 866 644 6146
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Sincerely,
Mike Hall
Chief Executive
The Stanley Gibbons Group
+44 (0) 1481 708 273
mhall@stanleygibbons.co.uk
www.stanleygibbons.com/investment
P.S. If you don't have the cash available right now, I'll even offer you extended payment terms so that you don't miss out - I can't say fairer than that!