Inside Linn’s: A King Kong cinderella to go ape over

By Charles Snee

The April 8 issue of Linn’s Stamp News just landed on the presses and goes in the mail to subscribers Monday, March 25. And if you subscribe to Linn’s digital edition, you’re at the head of the line with early access Saturday, March 23. While you wait for your issue to arrive in your mailbox, enjoy these three quick glimpses of exclusive content available only to subscribers. 

A King Kong cinderella to go ape over

Wayne L. Youngblood, in The Odd Lot, recounts the fascinating story behind a 1932 cinderella (stamplike label) that was created to help promote RKO Pictures’ 1933 King Kong movie. Youngblood describes the stamp, pictured above, as “a bicolored 6-simoleon issue from the Kingdom of Skull Island, with King Kong featured in the vignette (central image).” In addition to showing the stamp, he also pictures the only reported example of a cover bearing the 1932 King Kong cinderella. According to Youngblood, little was known about this label until the cover just described turned up in an eBay auction in 2012. Online writers then began commenting about that auction, with several stating that the King Kong cinderella came from a promotional mailing. There’s much more to learn, so be sure to read the entire column.

Tip of the Week: 1909 Temple of Heaven set from China

In their Tip of the Week, Stamp Market Tips columnists Henry Gitner and Rick Miller recommend the set of three 1909 China stamps illustrating the Temple of Heaven in Peking, China. According to Gitner and Miller, “The stamps were marketed as approvals at the time of issuance, and they are often found in many older general collections. The trio is now one of the better sets.” Overall, Scott catalog values for the set have softened somewhat since the set was first tipped in the Feb. 6, 2012, issue of Linn’s. Read the tip to get Gitner and Miller’s current buy recommendations for the set.

Kitchen Table Philately: worldwide stamps from 1966 to 2010

In each weekly issue of Linn’s, either E. Rawolik VI or E. Rawolik VII dissects the contents of a stamp mixture offered to collectors. E. Rawolik is a pseudonym that is also the word “kiloware” (a stamp mixture) spelled backward. This week, E. Rawolik VII sorts through a sample of 47 stamps from worldwide mixture offered by a seller in New Jersey. The sample included stamps from 15 countries, and Montserrat led the way, with 11 issues. Rawolik found that the earliest issue was a 1966 set of four from Barbados while two Australia stamps issued in 2010 were the most recent. Enjoy the full review in this issue.

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