Bill Shein
@billshein.bsky.social
Writer. Journalist. Friend to animals. Graying rapidly. Founder: The RGM Dispatch (coming soon).
#Philately peeps: What makes these 19th century bank checks with revenue stamps interesting/valuable? Two lots like this of ~270 each went for $162 today.
Discuss and enlighten me about the life-changing magic of 1870s bank checks and revenue stamps (and also the life-changing magic of tidying up…)
Discuss and enlighten me about the life-changing magic of 1870s bank checks and revenue stamps (and also the life-changing magic of tidying up…)
November 29, 2025 at 9:52 PM
#Philately peeps: What makes these 19th century bank checks with revenue stamps interesting/valuable? Two lots like this of ~270 each went for $162 today.
Discuss and enlighten me about the life-changing magic of 1870s bank checks and revenue stamps (and also the life-changing magic of tidying up…)
Discuss and enlighten me about the life-changing magic of 1870s bank checks and revenue stamps (and also the life-changing magic of tidying up…)
From “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster, written in 1909. (Or was it 2025?)
November 29, 2025 at 7:58 PM
From “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster, written in 1909. (Or was it 2025?)
Glad to be traveling over the RFK Bridge, and not the RFK Jr. Bridge, which would likely ignore all fundamentals of materials science and engineering and lead to certain disaster.
November 29, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Glad to be traveling over the RFK Bridge, and not the RFK Jr. Bridge, which would likely ignore all fundamentals of materials science and engineering and lead to certain disaster.
UPDATE (with jacket)
November 29, 2025 at 3:34 PM
UPDATE (with jacket)
Old Country Dog still fired up for her city time.
November 29, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Old Country Dog still fired up for her city time.
Notice as well the hallway, apparently a spacious 8.5” wide.
November 29, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Notice as well the hallway, apparently a spacious 8.5” wide.
Ladies and gentlemen, I offer for your consideration the “kitchen” in a $2,700-a-month studio apartment offered for rent on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
November 29, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Ladies and gentlemen, I offer for your consideration the “kitchen” in a $2,700-a-month studio apartment offered for rent on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
To recap my experience at last night’s Brooklyn Nets game, my first pro game in 30 years:
My job, in sum, was—as much as possible—“to MAKE SOME NOISE!”
Frankly amazed at the constant loud music *during gameplay*. Back in the day, that was only during timeouts, etc.
PS: I am 125 years old.
My job, in sum, was—as much as possible—“to MAKE SOME NOISE!”
Frankly amazed at the constant loud music *during gameplay*. Back in the day, that was only during timeouts, etc.
PS: I am 125 years old.
November 29, 2025 at 1:53 PM
To recap my experience at last night’s Brooklyn Nets game, my first pro game in 30 years:
My job, in sum, was—as much as possible—“to MAKE SOME NOISE!”
Frankly amazed at the constant loud music *during gameplay*. Back in the day, that was only during timeouts, etc.
PS: I am 125 years old.
My job, in sum, was—as much as possible—“to MAKE SOME NOISE!”
Frankly amazed at the constant loud music *during gameplay*. Back in the day, that was only during timeouts, etc.
PS: I am 125 years old.
My job is to make some noise, friends.
November 29, 2025 at 2:46 AM
My job is to make some noise, friends.
It didn’t say. Story also noted that “a pair of Mauritius stamps were recently sold for £870.”
It also includes this about overprints that I know you’ll appreciate!
It also includes this about overprints that I know you’ll appreciate!
November 28, 2025 at 2:34 PM
It didn’t say. Story also noted that “a pair of Mauritius stamps were recently sold for £870.”
It also includes this about overprints that I know you’ll appreciate!
It also includes this about overprints that I know you’ll appreciate!
November 28, 2025 at 2:24 PM
“Why should any sane individual pay £500 for a scrap of paper an inch square, gum on one side and a smudge on the other? Yet the stamp-collecting mania produces examples of lunacy of exactly this degree.” — The Melbourne (Australia) Argus, October 2, 1897 #philately #stampcollecting
November 28, 2025 at 2:04 PM
“Why should any sane individual pay £500 for a scrap of paper an inch square, gum on one side and a smudge on the other? Yet the stamp-collecting mania produces examples of lunacy of exactly this degree.” — The Melbourne (Australia) Argus, October 2, 1897 #philately #stampcollecting
Perfected “I’m Ready for Thanksgiving Leftovers, LFG!” expression. 💯
November 28, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Perfected “I’m Ready for Thanksgiving Leftovers, LFG!” expression. 💯
Post-Thanksgiving Friday vibe.
November 28, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Post-Thanksgiving Friday vibe.
URGENT ICYMI (Black Friday Edition)
November 28, 2025 at 1:13 PM
URGENT ICYMI (Black Friday Edition)
Old Country Dog(TM) loving her city time.
November 28, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Old Country Dog(TM) loving her city time.
NYC Subway art, Thanksgiving 2025 (14th & 8th Avenue station)
November 28, 2025 at 1:52 AM
NYC Subway art, Thanksgiving 2025 (14th & 8th Avenue station)
Per usual, many were mocked. The Seattle Star’s editorial board called the rush to acquire the stamps “incomprehensible” as they are just “little printed pieces of paper that are intrinsically worthless.”
November 27, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Per usual, many were mocked. The Seattle Star’s editorial board called the rush to acquire the stamps “incomprehensible” as they are just “little printed pieces of paper that are intrinsically worthless.”
A veritable army of philatelists:
On Jan. 1, 1932, an estimated 65,000 collectors traipsed through the main post office in Washington D.C. to purchase the 12 new George Washington bicentennial stamps and get first-day-cover cancellations. The AP called it “a stamp rush unequalled in its history.”
On Jan. 1, 1932, an estimated 65,000 collectors traipsed through the main post office in Washington D.C. to purchase the 12 new George Washington bicentennial stamps and get first-day-cover cancellations. The AP called it “a stamp rush unequalled in its history.”
November 27, 2025 at 3:54 PM
A veritable army of philatelists:
On Jan. 1, 1932, an estimated 65,000 collectors traipsed through the main post office in Washington D.C. to purchase the 12 new George Washington bicentennial stamps and get first-day-cover cancellations. The AP called it “a stamp rush unequalled in its history.”
On Jan. 1, 1932, an estimated 65,000 collectors traipsed through the main post office in Washington D.C. to purchase the 12 new George Washington bicentennial stamps and get first-day-cover cancellations. The AP called it “a stamp rush unequalled in its history.”
1932 version of Rogaine, just “60c at all druggists…”
Works “wonders for many who were bald for a number of years.”
(Spokane Daily Chronicle, Jan. 6 1932)
Works “wonders for many who were bald for a number of years.”
(Spokane Daily Chronicle, Jan. 6 1932)
November 27, 2025 at 3:31 PM
1932 version of Rogaine, just “60c at all druggists…”
Works “wonders for many who were bald for a number of years.”
(Spokane Daily Chronicle, Jan. 6 1932)
Works “wonders for many who were bald for a number of years.”
(Spokane Daily Chronicle, Jan. 6 1932)
Thanksgiving means: Extra dogs in the house.
November 27, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Thanksgiving means: Extra dogs in the house.
Partway through this book and enjoying the mix of history and insight/perspective. cup.columbia.edu/book/the-ame...
November 27, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Partway through this book and enjoying the mix of history and insight/perspective. cup.columbia.edu/book/the-ame...