What's the deal with Pen Cancels?!

Have you received items in the mail that have been scribbled over with pen?
Let's take a look at the many pen cancels that I and other philatelists have received and explore the reasons for them. Share your experiences with pen cancels in the comments.
Learn more about the sponsor: stamps.org/
Joe Sullivan's blog post 'the script cancel returns with a vengeance'
stampsite.org/great-britain/t...
#philately #stampcollecting #postalservice

[@AmericasStampClub]

Another fascinating video, Graham! Your wit, in depth knowledge and ability to share your enthusiasm for philately is extraordinary! Love the scene of you getting pelted by tongs...as well as "PG"...Philatelic Gore. Your channel is a tremendous asset to the philatelic community.

[@ExploringStamps]

Thank you APS! :D

[@ryrylamby]

"Philatelic Gore" hahhaha I'm dying of laughter, great way to start the morning.

[@ExploringStamps]

LOL thank you!! Glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@janpiwowarczyk2858]

It should be banned. The post office is so poor in performance. It is same in here in the UK.

[@jossy314]

YOU, sir, are helping me in BIG way during this pandemic. You are teaching me so much, AND making me laugh on lonely rainy days. I love this new hobby and YOU are helping with humor and good intell! Thank you so much.

[@ExploringStamps]

You are very welcome 😊, I’m glad to see that you have enjoyed the videos and the hobby during this pandemic. Philately has been a great friend to me as well over the last several months. Thank you for watching!!

[@paulledington8022]

Another great video. Here in New Zealand now only international mail is bothered to be canceled, no domestic mail has any cancel unless verbally asked to cancel at the teller by hand. I guess they think the loss from re-use is cheaper than running the cancelling machines.

[@ExploringStamps]

That is an interesting question... Is the use of ink more costly than the risk of postal fraud? I had never thought of that. Thanks for sharing this, (oh and thanks for watching) :)

[@LouisGedo]

Excellent episode. Whether machine or hand cancel, it's all the same to me since ANY method of defacing a stamp is......well defacing a stamp. I often receive enough mail every year with affixed stamps that have not been canceled at all that I can use for all my holiday cards sent at the end of the year. In fact, receiving uncancel stamps encourages me to send cards I probably wouldn't normally send........thank you Post Offices around the world for enticing me to stay in touch with people using lovely greeting cards send at no direct cost to me!

[@elainet5870]

Fabulous video! I use stamps in my crafting, as I make junk journals. I was horrified the first time I had purchased stamps that came back to me pen cancelled! I just cringed! When I informed the Etsy seller, she always makes sure that she requests hand cancellation now.

[@michaelsmorowski8633]

Thank you Graham. Very interesting video and by the way, I wish you a wonderfull year!!! Michael

[@RudneiDiasdaCunha]

Dear Graham; I've also had my share of ugly pen cancelled stamps on letters I receive. Your video is very welcome on the matter. It has left me wondering: if the postal worker needs to cancel a stamp, perhaps even when delivering a letter or parcel, why don't they use those handy rubber stamps, self-inking? They could even be issued with an appropriate postmark! Finally, keep up your good work on the channel! Cheers, Rudnei

[@ExploringStamps]

Thank you Rudnei. I wonder that as well, maybe it takes too much time for them and so they couldn't be bothered... I dont know. Thanks for watching :)

[@hunironman]

Thanks for coming up with this very important issue! Postal workers MUST watch this on their training days! (specially in UK...)

[@ExploringStamps]

I get the most pen cancels from the UK, they seem to be enthusiastic with the pen. Thanks for watching :)

[@robin56rf78]

Back in the days, in France, postal workers were trained how to handle letters, cancel stamps (with odd stamps named "Timbres des cours d'instruction" ou "fictifs").

[@P99AT]

The issue with requesting hand cancels (at least in America) is that unless you pay the non-machinable surcharge, your mail will also receive the standard machine cancel. Even places that have a special postmark, like the post office inside the National Postal Museum, aren't exempted. Also, I tried to have my Christmas cards hand-cancelled, but even despite paying the extra 15¢, they got the same mechanical postmark of the sorting facility half the state away.

[@ExploringStamps]

Interesting! I havent run into that issue yet. When I get the mail hand cancelled it doesn't get an additional machine cancel... Maybe Ive just been lucky so far.

[@STScott-qo4pw]

time to get on craigslist and negotiate a hit...

[@thecollinanderson]

Hand cancelling shouldn't have an extra charge. It's possible that when the item is mailed it ended up getting a machine postmark as well but that's a different issue. If you are referring to the sorting barcode printed on mail that's a different thing and is unavoidable even if you request it to be hand cancelled. USPS varies on how things are done and some issues like this could just be your local post office not knowing what they are suppose to charge and how they are suppose to handle certain mail. Also non-machinable isn't something that people can request from what I can tell it appears that it only applies to items that can't be machine sorted.

[@kenjayaseelan7090]

I am so happy that your channel is growing! So close to 10k!!!!

[@ExploringStamps]

Thank you Ken!... Just get a few more of your friends to subscribe, say 320 or so?

[@dandiaz19934]

I just ran into your channel yesterday. You are super creative and have a great sense of humor! I'm happy to embark on this newfound hobby of mine!

[@ExploringStamps]

Welcome Dan the Man!! Glad to see that you enjoy the videos and embarking on an exciting adventure into philately. Enjoy!! 😊

[@silenceisgolden705]

Enjoyed your video! I’m new to your channel and I am glad I found you. One thing I do is take a copy of the post office rules about stamp collectors with me. When I travel I love to put a stamp of the place I visit on a postcard of a similar picture. I have gotten so many tore up by mailing them to myself so I would stop at a post office and get them hand canceled. When they are busy I ask if I can cancel them myself, and they usually say yes. A few times the post office worker did not want to let me take the canceled postcard with me (?) and I show them the copy of the rules for stamp collectors and have not had a problem since then. My post office at home always just hands me the cancelation stamp when I come in with a group of letters. Through the years My mail men have loved my mail with all the cool stamps and most have brought letters that would have to bend to my door at an apt complex. (Going out of their way) Of course they always get cookies in the mailbox from me at appropriate times of the year.

[@barrydrees3617]

Great video as always. I have mixed feelings about pen cancellations - sometimes they are rather elegantly done and look better than the smudged mess that completely obliterates the stamps design that I also see, but of course, I would rather have a nice round cancellation on the corner. It does seem particularly malicious in some of the examples you showed.

[@ExploringStamps]

Thanks Barry, I'm with you on the mixed feelings, some can be quite elegant. Thanks for watching :)

[@muhammadnaji1143]

Congratulations... You have an amazing collection

[@flyguyinmotion]

Your videos on stamps are the best I've seen anywhere. Great job. I often repost them to our stamp collecting group on facebook. Keep up the good work. Admin. - STAMPS OF THE WORLD on facebook.

[@ExploringStamps]

Glad you are enjoying the videos, thanks so much for sharing!!! 😀

[@markmcdonald3492]

Hello Graham, enjoy all your post. very well done. You have done a good job investigating each topic. on this particular subject, i have worked in Post Office. It was one of my duties to cancel stamps that came by me that were not post marked. i operated sorting machine and had to use a pen. i put a small star on stamp to cancel it. There is an inner struggle to cancel a stamp when one is a collector. But as you pointed out, it is only fair to cancel a stamp on mail. A stamp loses a lot of value once canceled any way. On other hand the value of existing uncanceled stamps would increase over time if there were less of them.

[@weelooaldemita7904]

I am new in collecting stamps and watching your video makes me more interested in collecting stamps. God bless you!

[@WallOBrix]

You have really grown in subs! Great work this video! This was super helpful!

[@ExploringStamps]

Thank you, and thanks for continuing to watch the videos and support the channel :)

[@WallOBrix]

@@ExploringStamps no problem

[@Rarehouseplants]

Thanks for the new video Graham. At least I only have 2 mails stamps has pen cancelled both from U.K. But still so upsetting.

[@ExploringStamps]

You are very welcome 2 is not bad, but you are right, it is still upsetting to receive them :/

[@masterofcents.8175]

Thank you I enjoy your videos and look forward to all of them..

[@ExploringStamps]

You are welcome, glad you enjoy the videos :)

[@ashstubbings2603]

I thought the envelope that you showed which looked like it had been almost completely destroyed was disgusting! It's a good job you got a formal apology for that! I thought the 'Philatelic Gore' thing was hilarious by the way!

[@jayfranco6180]

Glad you raised this issue on pen cancellations. I hate this when mail delivers are insensitive to the beauty on the stamps. Certainly they do not know if the recipient is a collector or not. But common sense should tell them to leave them as they are if the stamps are not cancelled.

[@thisguy9400]

Great video!!! A little scary though... 😱

[@ExploringStamps]

I warned you! :) Thanks for watching

[@muhammadtaufiqlimbinmuhamm3029]

Heya, Graham! Happy #Stampex2020 ! This might be my most favorite video on your channel, especially 10.46 that's the finest and most hilarious part of the video XD. Again, have a good time during Stampex!

[@IIoveasl10]

Graham, very good video. In the 1980's until 1990, I lived in Los Angeles. There, I had a lot of pen cancels. Today, I don't see a lot, for the simple reason that, as you said in the video, everything is sent through mail through the internet.. But I like the pen cancels. Waiting for your other videos. David

[@ExploringStamps]

Thank you David. Interesting that you dont get many today. More videos to come :)

[@dgwhite87]

I was just thinking the other day how the game DnD (which was once considered nerdy and only played by outcasts) has become mainstream now, largely thanks to podcasts and video content creators. I believe stamp collecting can also become more mainstream with podcasts and video content creators like you. So, thank you for all you do! (Also, out of curiosity, what video editing software do you use? I wouldn't mind trying my hand at making stamp videos one day)

[@ExploringStamps]

Thank you, I don't doubt that the hobby will become more mainstream in the future as our ability to share it with more people through video and podcasts becomes more apparent. I use Final Cut Pro, it is an Apple software to edit my videos.

[@trevorashman2258]

I always ask for hand cancels on everything I mail. Even if I'm sending a bill payment! I've found it's easier if one frequents the same postal outlet regularly. I explain that I'm a stamp collector sending to other collectors. I am nice to the employees (what a concept!) Often they will hand me the postmark to service the covers myself while they help the next person in line. For special covers I've picked up resealable clear sleeves that I put the cover I'm after it has been postmarked to ensure it isn't scribbled on nor machine canceled a million times enroute. And for imposing on them throughout the year, ai always take a tin of cookies at Xmas. 🎅

[@trevorashman2258]

and when stuff arrives uncancelled, I take it to the post office to be cancelled so I can soak it off and have a nicely cancelled item to trade!

[@ExploringStamps]

What a concept!! Yes! Being nice to the post office employees and becoming a regular will solve any concerns of getting a hand cancel. I havent heard of using resealable clear sleeves to send mail in after it is postmarked. That sounds like a great idea. Thanks for sharing :)

[@silenceisgolden705]

Lol! I just posted nearly the same thing! A little kindness goes a long way.

[@bustergundo516]

What do you mean by *hand cancel*? I may have to ask about that at the post office.

[@silenceisgolden705]

Buster Gundo they cancel the stamp with a handheld stamper, your letter or package doesn’t go through a machine to cancel the stamps. Like in the olden days! Lol! It keeps your stamp nice and pretty with a round cancelation in the corner. Some postal workers will let you cancel your envelopes if there are a lot of them. Hope that helps.

[@MichaelHadac]

Good video , very informative as always. Keep it up.. Thanks Michael.

[@MillerMeteor74]

Here's another issue- sending envelopes to far away post offices to have them cancelled and sent back, only to have one or more of them ignored and not sent back. As for pen cancels, I actually bought an item on Ebay several years ago because it had a pen cancel. Even though it wasn't old, it was interesting to me. I definitely have gotten envelopes in the mail that were not cancelled at all, and I think I might have at least once that received a pen cancel. It doesn't happen very often, in my particular experience. Thanks for the video.

[@lostrelics4169]

Thanks for making another great video !!

[@ExploringStamps]

You are welcome, thank you for watching it :)

[@claytonlee9570]

I haven't had very many pen cancellations, but I'm more frustrated with no cancellation at all and I've received many of those. I live in Canada. Excellent video!

[@loreauvillephil]

Judging from most of the postal workers I've come in contact with here in the US, I get the impression that they really aren't worried about what condition the stamps are in when they leave the post office.

[@peterdeserres7999]

You are correct. They’re happy as long as they can deliver the envelopes. Why? They don’t want to have to take the envelope out two days in a row.

[@marcalfontiespi5264]

Please, do a video a month maybe, but don't stop doing them. You are amazing and those videos intemporal.

[@indigonils]

Philatelic gore indeed! Disgusting! I'd assumed pen cancels was a thing of the past, something only done back when it was the only reasonable solution because no hand stamp was available. Then again, your presentation of the pov of the postal services does make sense! Great video!

[@John.Crowther]

Great video Graham I have a video request: how about a behind the scenes video where you show us how you make these awesome videos, and your office etc? :)

[@ExploringStamps]

That is a good idea, I have put some thought to it. Once I complete season 3 I will likely do something like it. Thanks for watching :)

[@devenderjain5352]

Pen cancellations a phenomena. World over,sometimes killer cancellation. impressive discussion.

[@paritoshdabral2946]

Some of my really beautiful, interesting and collectible stamps have been defaced by unsympathetically by careless postal workers....

[@jimpulcine9925]

I've only been collecting stamps for a few years. I just received my first black marker cancelation last month. It was fromthe state of Delaware USA. I only hope to never see this again. I love your videos and would love to here from you. Thanks Jim From the state of Wisconsin USA

[@davidclinghamable]

I often send covers and stamps overseas together with a self adhesive prepaid label on the envelope so that postage is sufficient. The staff at the post office prefer to cancel the label and leave the stamps untouched, even after I have explained that if they do not cancel the stamps they could be used again. I usually get annoyed looks. In other cases they tell me that the stamps get cancelled at the sorting facility which is not always the case.

[@ExploringStamps]

That's frustrating. I know of people that go out of their way to use a different town's post office for mailing philatelic covers, just because they find the staff more understanding :/

[@bobtablackdo8264]

I enjoy your videos. I like old us stamps that Have pen cancels that Have been scribbled on In a circular motion artfully. I made a term for it. I called them squiggly Cancels .

[@garyholdener2470]

Funny, entertaining, and a joy to watch. I share the comments left by APS!

[@ExploringStamps]

Thank you Gary. Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@robin56rf78]

Once again a great video ! Pen cancels and stamps reuse take place bacause of the lack of serious in stamp cancelling. Moreover ppl are tired to pay more for postage. In France, pen cancels are oftenly seen as well as uncancelled stamps (almost daily). So it is very easy to reuse stamps and doing this, i don't pay postage anymore and i make great savings. I know it's illegal but the cost for a 1st class mail is now €1,16 against €0,46 in 2000, it's enough ! Moreover there are 0 risks !

[@kemplecollectables5863]

Incidence of pen cancellation in the UK Post Office is now at ridiculous levels. Just about every piece of mail I receive with stamps attached have pen cancellations even stamps that have been machine or hand franked. I've given up sending mail to collectors with stamps attached it's just pointless.

[@ExploringStamps]

:( It does seem that the UK has abandoned proper ink cancels.

[@josephpostma1787]

Try writing a short note about it under stamps.

[@avikghosh9920]

Very important issue pointed Graham.. I've actually received a lot of these pen cancelled stamps.. coincidence is, all of them were eBay purchases..but it is truly frustrating, I've got atleast three such envelopes which were so badly marked that the face values can't even be read.

[@rbullmb]

Thanks for mentioning my example of pen cancelled stamps. 5:00 I wish I provided a better photo. ;)

[@rbullmb]

There is plenty of talk about the US Postal Service to be privatized which is mostly political. But, private companies have done business with postal services, I think all over the world as in printing the stamps. People still believe that the US Mint only produces stamps and currency. That could be a good topic for future video. :-)

[@harisbecic5360]

Another great video, (un)fortunately I have not seen stamps canceled with pen, although I wouln't mind having few of them in collection, since it is part of philatelic history.

[@ExploringStamps]

Great point Haris, it is a part of philatelic history. So a few of these in your collection is actually something to note. :) thanks for watching

[@stevejohnson1577]

The cancel is ohh so important. I am currently looking for covers or stamps postmarked at Churston-Ferrars It is a small parish post office in GB. Try finding material from this office!

[@ExploringStamps]

That sounds like a fun challenge :D

[@coincollectingfun]

Thumbs up! Very cool video l!

[@aworldofsnailmail1845]

Stampex2020 As a sender of letters and postcards, I like using stamps for their intended purpose. I dislike pen cancels. Royal Mail supposedly has issued posties with the wavy line stamping things but I haven't seen that many of them used...

[@KvisTwig]

I got some sealing wax from jetpens and I'm learning about the cancelling process bc they have a little disclaimer that tells you to hand cancel wax sealed envelopes if possible due to the cancelling machines chewing up the wax seals! I didn't know that postage collectors had such an intriguing community (before today, I was mostly interested in calligraphy instruments, but maybe this video will get me into postage!)

[@MyFilmEpics]

Excellent handling of this contentious subject. I was very one sided in my views but I see the point you made for the postal authorities side of this. BUT it doesn't make it any less frustrating.

[@ExploringStamps]

YES!! It does NOT make it any less frustrating. Good to consider the other side though, and thanks for watching :)

[@nicolacosanni]

Here in Italy 99% of stamps are with pen scribbled. It's a drama

[@tanhungpham3986]

Received a cover postmarked from Alessandria (18-12-2019), just so you know.

[@marathomy]

:-) Postal Horror! Again an interesting and funny film!

[@ExploringStamps]

Thanks Thomas, I'm just glad KZbin didn't ban the video for all the philatelic gore ;)

[@marathomy]

@@ExploringStamps :-) !!

[@swapnilsule1234]

Hey there ! I follow your videos and they are really informative. I always wondered if UK Post has a facility where I can subscribe to the commemorative stamps ? Like in some countries, you prepay a certain amount (as a standing order) and the philatelic bureau will post the commemorative issues as and when they release (or quarterly or yearly).

[@yoongzmoon8872]

this is a great video. i'm sorry this happen. i live in sri lanka and i've never seen a pen cancelled stamp.

[@jimmyg.]

This makes collecting even more of a challenge for the modern collector but one that can be rewarding. A stamp used within the correct period and correctly postmarked on cover will be tomorrow's collectable cover. ;)

[@ExploringStamps]

Great point! Season 32 of Exploring Stamps "And here we have a rare 2020 cover featuring an actual postmark" ;)

[@schuey089]

Great video & content! Love the wit! But seriously hate having pen cancellations as it does ruin the stamps! Never really use to happen years ago! As you say we are helping the postal service with the commerative stamps we also buy mint so they should have some respect for the hobby!

[@robertcalhoun3123]

I hate pen cancels, but at least on my newer stamps that I cant soak, Sometimes they come off with Pure Orange when I remove them. I have a new used set of Canadian fishing tie stamps that had that happen.

[@MikePascoePhD]

Collector here, I don’t appreciate contemporary pen “manuscript” cancellations. I do make custom covers and ask they are hand canceled to carry out at the post office. The only decline I got was in central London, so I went to the next nearer post office and they were happy to “frank” my letters. I do really want to know what USPS employee opinions are. I bet they are unaware and just trying to get through their delivery routes on time while helping to reduce fraudulent reuse. May a sample opinion can be found in Seinfeld episodes. Please review the Newman transcripts and report back Graham! :)

[@davidroell6780]

Eschewing with pens, it’s also low mentality employees they are underpaid for their hard work and the conditions are horrible here in the USA, I have been collecting for over sixty one years now, the hobby of Philately is a joyful teacher of the history of humanity! The pen in this case is not speeding up the postal workers job that’s bully excuses on managers dribble!

[@ags0301]

Never knew that stamps can be hand canceled in US. I am going to try it.

[@ExploringStamps]

Yes! Go into a post office and simply ask for it to be hand cancelled. If you get to know the postal workers behind the counter, they may let you do the cancelling yourself, letting you get it placed jusssstttt right :)

[@TsukiCondor]

To be honest...I've never encountered any thing like this with my experience,The worst I'll gets the "Killer" stamp never pen. But amazing informative video as perusal Graham :D

[@ExploringStamps]

Oh you are one of the lucky ones, Tsuki. :) Thanks for watching as always!

[@xavier3011]

Suggestion, review Strait Settlement and the Malayan state stamps.

[@samsahoo6833]

The pen cancellation has been a pain in the @$$ for we philatelists. I believe we must write "Please do not pen cancel" or "please hand cancel only". Just above and below where the stamps are pasted on the envelope.

[@jxavier3876]

Have to point out the Canadian definitive right in the centre of the , unique commemorative stamps stock footage. Lol

[@jwbjpb1338]

Great video of how stamps are ruined by staffers who don't care.

[@ExploringStamps]

Some dont care.. that is a good point to acknowledge. Thank you for watching :)

[@jwbjpb1338]

@@ExploringStamps Oh, you are right. Love your videos. Great as always!

[@IndieOctopus]

I got a beautiful row of old stamps on an ebay parcel once with a huge thick black sharpie line down the middle

[@RottingEarth]

"Philatelic gore" 😂 Great episode!

[@henrys3629]

I have gotten stamps on letters I needed for my album and scratched out stamps are a no go. I try to get them cancelled at the office. I got a 1971 11c Canal Zone stamp on a domestic USA letter last week!

[@johnhickey4784]

I experience the other way round.The majority of postal items i get from England to me here in Ireland arrive uncancelled. Only a very small amount are cancelled

[@chrissahar2014]

Actually I got a nice postcard from Canada but the pen cancel was a nice thin wave that somehow didn't really hurt the stamps. Seems the postal worker had an artistic flair with their cancel.

[@litvamp]

Avoiding postal gore is the exact reason I am looking into obtaining a permit postmark.

[@cuongmaiviet5275]

Oh oh i spot a cover from my country of Vietnam. So cool !!! Personally i dont hate pen cancellations as long as the cover isnt a collectable ones. I am just happy with any covers really.

[@ExploringStamps]

Yep that was a cover sent to me from Vietnam :)

[@Saturinus]

I have a side of a carton that was completely plastered with Australian stamps and whole blocks. But there was tape, several labels and black marker cancellations over them. 😨 I can't get the labels off, not even with benzine.

[@Saturinus]

And one time I received a postcard from a friend, with a beautiful UN stamp on it. He wrote "I hope the stamp makes it okay". But there was a gash the whole length of the stamp through the middle. 😩

[@yanmarin4445]

I actually like pen cancellations! I find it interesting to see how the stamps where canceled... And I always get exited to get pen canceled stamps!

[@erikmulder2574]

I collect my stamps used, in my view they have to do the job they are created for and then they are mine, on or off cover. It is a challenge to find stamps, especially commemorative stamps nicely used with the correct rate in the correct period used on cover. The appeal is important too, and pen cancels destroy a large part of the fun. Pen cancels are mostly obscuring the image. Well so do cancels, especially the so called killer cancels. The cancels however normally add to the cover, showing names of places the item has been, the date when the item was at that place and in a lot of cases it helps you to reconstruct the route your item took in the mail. What about killer cancels? They are lacking that information. However a lot of these killer cancels are hand carved canceling devices, showing figures, like the NYFM cancels , animals, The letters US in different forms or something else, which makes them nice to the eye. And then we have the killers who are ugly, almost as ugly as a pen cancel. Don’t get me wrong, all are collectable however not all are desirable. I get it that the stamps need to be devalued, although in Canada they seem to disagree as most of the mail I receive from Canada has uncanceled postage on the envelope. What I don’t get is why an envelope with nicely cancelled stamps needs that pen cancel, and that happens quite often. Erik

[@ExploringStamps]

I am in agreement with you Erik. A used stamp has a story to tell, it has been on a journey. I am actually working on a video all about different types of cancels, I find them fascinating. Thanks for sending the cover, it was perfect for the video :)

[@erikmulder2574]

Most welcome, it is a pleasure to contribute to the hobby

[@IIoveasl10]

My preferred stamps though, are: mint and canceled, depending on the stamps and obviously the country.

[@ExploringStamps]

I like mint, but I LOVE used with a good postmark, something about the stamp's journey that appeals to me.

[@IIoveasl10]

Graham, I love good postmarks, but they are very hard to get, or vey expansive....but I am like you. Unfortunately, great mints, and great postmarks are very hard to find.

[@IIoveasl10]

I guess people in the post office have a mind too, and they want to send the mail with the cancelation

[@bevaroni27]

This reminds me of my wife’s grandfather. He says he likes two kinds of pie: hot pie and cold pie. Just don’t cut them up too much.

[@tutorden9515]

Here in the UK it happens all the time, I have complained several times but the Royal Mail say it's done for speed and any thing that is not a flat envelope. Just plain lazy in my opinion, they are ruining a hobby that they started really.

[@ExploringStamps]

I think most of the pen cancels I receive are from the UK. :(

[@WeMuckAround]

@@ExploringStamps Interestingly enough, I'm British but currently in Canada receiving post from the UK and of the three letters I've had, only 1 had cancelled stamps. It seems your point at 7:36 makes sense as Canadian postal workers would have no interest cancelling British stamps.

[@schuey089]

@Tutor Dan your absolutely right! I collect stamps & coins but do get annoyed when they use a pen to cancel the stamp even on a flat envelope! Never use to happen years ago!

[@alexzzz9618]

@@schuey089 😆

[@marcosesteban4392]

Depending on the pen ink, sometimes if you soak the stamp in ethyl or isopropyl alcohol (at least 70% solution) for a day or two it will dissolve the ink. Worth a try.

[@marcosesteban4392]

@J. I have never found unscented Isopropyl rubbing alcohol, the kind used as an antiseptic, to leave lingering smells on the stamps when the stamp dries. Drinkable alcohols will most likely leave smells behind. Also the adhesive removers for no lick stamps leave a smell behind.

[@johnscamardo2145]

i have received some stamps which were pen cancelled and i consider them ugly. I recently purchased a stack of old sales books. these were all pre 1920.there were perfins and some of the commonwealth stamps were pen cancelled with dates .i'm not sure if they ran out of ink or whatever

[@peternakitch4167]

Pen cancellation I can cope with, but marker or felt-tipped pens which often completely destroy the cover and stamps, nah. Another trend I see is the increased use of machine-printed labels for postage, frequently postal workers and post office clerks will produce the label in a flash before you have the chance to ask for stamps, or tell you they don't have sufficient to make up the correct postage.

[@ExploringStamps]

I agree, I prefer the pen to the marker. My post office if very quick to print out a label, I now just purchase stamps and apply them at home. Thanks for watching Peter!

[@peternakitch4167]

@@ExploringStamps Thanks for the tip. You make good content, 'tho some of the topics are a little basic for me as I have been collecting for about 30 years and now try to specialise; I enjoy how you combine travel with philately. If you keep making and I will keep watching! P.S. A big cricket fan too, of the Australian variety.

[@JamesDavis-ke5qk]

I am a new collector and I find all of your videos very helpful. But I can't find season 4 on youtube ? Can you let me know about season 4 . Thank you, Jim

[@ExploringStamps]

Hello James, welcome to the hobby :) There is only 3 seasons, no fourth season has been filmed. Thanks for watching

[@guillaumeqc2202]

Yay a new video! Thank you so much 😊

[@ExploringStamps]

You are welcome so much, thanks for watching :)

[@ckildegaard]

I don't think I've ever seen pen cancellations done, but I don't pay very close attention. That said, I'm considering getting into the hobby and am wondering if you have any advice on how to get started. :)

[@davidwigston9808]

Royal Mail introduced a hand-stamping tool in 2015 to postmen who are considered to be the last line in catching uncancelled stamps. But, alas, alack, to no avail. As recently as November 2017, a vitriolic letter from a reader appeared in the Stamp Magazine expressing the contempt of Post Office workers for regulations. And so, it would seem, the ballpoint pen remains the tool of choice amongst postal workers. As a postscript, Article RL117 of Article 8 in the Letter Post Manual issued by the Universal Postal Union in 2013 reads as follows: 4 Unless designated operators have prescribed cancellation by means of a special stamp impression, postage stamps left uncancelled through error or omission in the service of origin shall be cancelled by the office which detects the irregularity, using one of the following means: 4.1 with a thick line in ink or indelible pencil; 4.2 using the edge of the date-stamp in such a way that the name of the post office is not identifiable. So, it looks like the ubiquitous ballpoint has won the day.

[@ExploringStamps]

Ah, so they have issued hand-stamping tools to the last line of defense. Sad that it just goes back to the ballpoint pen :(

[@user-njyzcip]

In Australia we have a completely opposite issue: mail usually show up without any sort of cancellation, neither by machine nor hand. Not even pen! That's why I always send mail by going to a post office Also I prefer marker over pen. One thick line looks slightly better than a thin squiggly ballpoint line

[@bevaroni27]

There is a mini post office a short walk from my home. I do all of my philatelic trading from this location. I ask if they would hand cancel the stamps. Recently the clerk mentioned that it would still be machined canceled. Is there a problem with double canceled stamps?

[@Diamond18116]

Yes, I do agree when I was in India many post office workers have bad mood & character always uses pens to scratch over the stamps instead of using the official stamping from the Post office - that’s a terrible attitude I do not accept it

[@charliecharliecharliecharl3784]

Looking at my postcrossing album I notice a postcard from Belgium with 4 stamps none of them have cancellation! I could in theory go to Belgium and remail it to myself!

[@LadyTomoyo1]

Stamps from Belgium often make it to the recipient without cancellation. I am living abroad now and at least half of the mail from Belgium receives no cancellation.

[@suzannacuypers6014]

I am from Belgium and I take my mail to another city so it will get cancelled. Mail from Antwerp: no cancel, mail from Ghent: cancel! 😄

[@ExploringStamps]

Another ride around the world, in theory you could absolutely do that!

[@ExploringStamps]

@@suzannacuypers6014 🤣

[@shu7684]

I love your video, i from mauritius

[@ExploringStamps]

Thanks for watching in Mauritius!

[@lucatoscani1525]

recently every item of mail that has stamps on the envelope arrive cancelled at my place with a blue (relatively thick) marker pen. maybe it's the postgirl employee who delivers the mail in my block. or it happens at the receiving post office...i'm sure it's when the mail gets here because whether the mail comes from my country or from Kazakhstan or Far Oer, etc there is always the same exact blue pen mark....grrr....i got used to it, sometimes he/she touches the stamp slightly, sometimes it's a big cancel. i feel like saying something next time i see her but then i forget or i just don't bother but it can be annoying especially when you receive a postal cover with very nice stamps on the envelope. it makes no sense as stamps were already cancelled in most cases at origin with the classic postmark. i don't know if they use the marker pen as a way to mark things (as delivered or else)

[@heidicole5566]

I have gotten them marked with Sharpie

[@zekymmer]

I have joined the APS, The Perfins Club and Georgia (USA) Postal History Society and when they have sent me mail, they always affix it with a lot of stamps that I can remove and collect, BUT twice now the post offices have cancelled these beautiful stamps in RED SHARPIE MARKER!!! I was appalled! How can I put them in my stamp albums looking like that!? The societies go out of their way to help collectors with these stamps they provide on envelopes and larger mailing envelopes. I’m hoping that this doesn’t continue to happen. Do you know if we can contact anyone in authority about this postal practice? Thanks! Love your videos!

[@ExploringStamps]

😦 that is the worst! From my understanding, a lot of the pen cancellations happen in the final part of the postal journey, so your very own post office could be responsible for the pen cancels as they catch the items that didn’t get postmarked on their trip. I think it’s worth speaking to your delivery person or the actual post master at the the Post Office.

[@jennalamvidic15]

Pen cancellations are notorious... but I realized that it usually happens in the US. As a philatelist in Hong Kong, we never had such issues.

[@alysonthompson2580]

I have never had pen cancel stamps yet I had mail that’s come with no stamps on it

[@sauravkumar5589]

Truly speaking though pen cancellations is not practiced that frequently in india.. But yes whenever it does it hurts me badly as it's like you are killing an postage stamp!!

[@ExploringStamps]

Good to hear that it's not that bad in India, but as you say...when you do receive one, it hurts :/

[@DiegoRooks]

Oh bro that csncellation of the hot wheels car that was vicious

[@Diamond18116]

I am from Taiwan and I am Lucky and Happy Postoffice staffs are kind and very helpful I request them to stamping should be neat when I sent anything out and do not use PENS to SCRIBBLE OVER… Taiwan Postal is very strict and the Govt will take charge over if any people complaint online…these days the Postal office staffs will have a terrible day & life to work ..

[@armandrollice3467]

Excellent video. I prefer cancellation stamps not ink especially red ink of death.

[@ExploringStamps]

Thank you, I prefer them NOT inked with the red ink of death as well ... :(