| Information
(Including FAQs, Help, Guide
to Services & Philatelic Links)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
 What
is Ian Kimmerly Stamps?
Ian
Kimmerly Stamps is a
full-service, retail stamp shop in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
As a store, it began business in 1984 on the Sparks Street Mall
in Ottawa, and has continued thriving and serving collectors in
the Ottawa region and, increasingly, throughout North America and
the world.
Who is Ian Kimmerly?
Ian Kimmerly is a well-regarded Canadian stamp dealer and collector.
He has won a national vermeil medal for his Prince Edward Island
cancels and collects literature, fakes and forgeries, and Solomon
Islands. From 1976 to 1991 he was a weekly stamp columnist for The
Ottawa Citizen and later the Toronto Globe & Mail.
For more background, see Ian's philatelic biography.
What do you have for sale
on-line?
Our site is meant to showcase much of our retail inventory in a
conveniently-organized and well-displayed format. See the Search
page or follow one of the links on our home page to get started
looking around. You can search for a specific country, topic or
term, or simply follow the links to countries of interest and browse
the entire listing.
Our Dutch Auction is a way to purchase very nice
material if you're willing to be patient. Place your bid at the price you want, when you want it, and you might just get a bargain.
On a weekly basis, we will feature
one exciting item from among our recent acquisitions at special
prices, and provide a more detailed description in our Weekly
Features.
As time goes on, we expect to have
the largest part of our 100,000 plus item inventory on-line. We
will eventually be providing listings of supplies and collecting
materials (albums etc.) and are always interested to know what other
areas you would like to see here.
What countries do you specialize
in?
Do you buy stamps? What items
are you currently buying?
Most of our purchasing is done from estates or from advanced collectors
who are discontinuing their interest in some areas to concentrate
on other specialities. We do have a brief listing of Stamps Wanted,
which you can see here. As well, we will
buy modern mint Canada and USA stamps beginning at 60% of face value.
Do you sell stamps for postage?
We sell modern Canadian stamps for postage use for the same price
as the Post Office. We also sell packages of 10 or 100 to make up
the domestic rate using two stamps (for example 100 40 cent and
100 12 cent stamps) on which we provide a small discount. Some customers regularly buy tens of
thousands of dollars' worth annually. We also sell U.S. postage
(as well as U.K. and other major countries) for use on self-addressed
return mail back to Canada. Our rates are quite competitive.
Do you sell stamp collecting
supplies?
We have a full range of stamp collecting supplies at our
retail store, including albums, album pages, mounts of all sizes,
catalogues, literature, fluids, tongs, hinges, bulkware, etc. As
well, we can special order just about anything you might need in
the way of philatelic supplies. It is our plan to make more of this
material available via our web-site as we expand our on-line boutique.
Can I pay for goods with
my credit card, and is it secure?
We employ the shopping cart facility of Shopdaddy.com. This is a
completely secure, encrypted e-mail based method of sending credit
card information (card number, authorization code, and name) via
the internet. For more information, see their web site here.
Do you accept payment in
US dollars?
Yes. Most of our website prices are given in both Canadian and US
dollars. We will provide invoices in US dollars for American customers
who request it, and accept US dollar cheques. In the case of credit
card sales, our bank requires us to bill in Canadian dollars which
are then converted to US by your credit card company at their prevailing
exchange rate. Exchange rates change daily, but as a comparison, for the last year, $1US=$1.05CDN approximately.
Do I have to pay taxes when
I buy something from your web site?
We must charge 13% Canadian Harmonized Sales Tax on items sold
to the following Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia. and Newfoundland & Labrador.
Items which are exported to the United States or elsewhere out of
Canada are not charged tax.
What services are available
on your site?
While our site is intended to provide a comprehensive retail presence,
you can also join
our mailing list for special e-mail offers, and find links to
our current listings on eBay and Zillions of Stamps.
Ian's internet journal is the place to learn what's new and
interesting in our world.
Do you have public stamp
auctions?
From 1990 to 2001, Ian Kimmerly Stamps held stamp auctions at our
store in Ottawa. We produced a lovely catalogue for each sale, usually
featuring several pages of colour reproductions. The auctions were
very successful and featured some memorable highlights, including
the sale of a several Twelve Penny Blacks. We found the auction
business to be exciting, demanding, and time-consuming. Ultimately,
though, we decided to turn our energies to new markets and methods
of reaching customers. There are no plans at this time to hold future
public auctions.
In 2007, a new firm was established
under the name of Sparks
Auctions, with Ian Kimmerly serving as President and Auctioneer.
Sparks has a separate Auction Gallery at our premises at 62 Sparks
St., and plans to hold 2-3 auctions a year of exceptional material.
Sparks' auctions are truly international, with a vital internet
presence. The live auctions are conducted before floor bidders and,
via the on-line services of StampAuctionNetwork.com, on the internet
as well.
Can I give you my Want List?
Will you find a specific stamp for me?
We do keep want lists for advanced collectors of some areas, in
most cases specifying items with catalogue values of $100 and up.
We also enjoy locating those elusive but lesser value items that
seem to leave a gap in many collections. Contact us for more details.
Will you tell me what my
stamp collection is worth?
We do two types of appraisals, Cash Value and Replacement Value.
See below for more information.
Do you sell coins or coin
collecting supplies?
Coins, no. We do however have a selection of coin collecting supplies. Contact us to find out what we have available.
What is a philatelist?
A "philatelist" is a stamp collector!
I have a question that wasn't
answered here. How can I contact you?
Our contact information is below (and on every page on our web site).
We do our best to reply to e-mail within a day of receiving it.
You can always reach us by telephone or fax during business hours
at the number below. We would be delighted to hear from you!
About Us
-
Ian
Kimmerly —Owner. A collector (A.P.S. #40836), Exhibitor,
and Stamp Dealer. For a fuller philatelic biography click
here.
-
Brian
Wolfenden —Store manager. Collector, stamp dealer.
-
Kate
Winsor —Store staff: Database Co-ordinator, publications,
bookkeeping etc.
Also
-
Doug Ross, packets etc.
Former full-time employees Elizabeth Buchan, Amy Winsor
and Matt
Johnston (Webmaster & Systems) continue part-time. Collectors
including Maurice Rondeau, Larry Smith, and
Jim Waal help a great deal. Guillaume Vadeboncoeur
continues in friendly association.
Stamps
Our inventory of mint and used Canada and British North America
is comprehensive. We also have at hand extensive British Commonwealth,
and European countries are well represented in our stock. Some popular
topical collections are also available, as are a good selection
of lots and collections.
Our
Guarantee
Our standards for grading stamps are as strict and accurate as is
humanly possible. We have built an outstanding reputation throughout
our years as a retail stamp store and formerly as an auction house.
We believe that our on-line relationship with our customers must
adhere to the same high business standards we have always applied.
Privacy and Security
Your privacy and security is very important to us. Therefore, you
can be sure:
-
We do not store any personal
information about our customers on our site.
-
Ian Kimmerly Stamps does NOT
share, sell, or disclose any of the information you submit on-
or off-line, including e-mail addresses or other personal information.
-
Our credit card transmission
service, provided by Shopdaddy.com,
is completely
encrypted and safe. The information you send us this way
will not be stored on-line.
-
As well, we don't use "cookies"
to store information on your computer.
-
We manage and maintain
our own e-mail
list, where messages are checked to be sure:
- They don't contain viruses;
- We are the only account that is authorized
to use our mailing list, so you won't get "spam",
- We won't allow document attachments on
the messages, so you will be doubly protected against viruses
or other damaging files.
 General
Our historic and spacious new store stands one block from Parliament
Hill on the bustling Sparks
Street pedestrian mall in Ottawa. You can find a map to our
store at this
link. Our friendly and bilingual staff are always ready to help.
We offer a complete line of stamps, supplies and materials for beginning
and advanced philatelists.
Literature
We have a wide-ranging library of philatelic literature, and are
always happy to provide comfortable space for our customers who
would like to spend a few moments expanding their appreciation of
our hobby.
Web Site
Ian Kimmerly Stamps has been on-line since 1996. Our site features
information about our store, links to our other on-line endeavours
(eBay, Zillions of Stamps, mailing list), and a Boutique where you
can purchase material from our inventory.
Please address any problems about
the web site, its functioning, or things you would like to see here
to our Site
Administrator. All philatelic or general inquiries should be
sent to Ian
Kimmerly Stamps, or use the contact information below.
Our Services
eBay Auctions & Store
eBay stamp auctions is where we list new material, or items that
we expect to attract interest from multiple customers. As well,
you can often find good stamps or sets that just don't fit into
one of our normal retail and Boutique classifications. Have a look
at what
we're offering right now! In addition to our seven-day auctions,
we have many items on offer in our eBay
store.
In 7 years as a seller, we have more
than 18,000 positive feedback reports, with 7500-plus unique buyers
praising our careful and prompt service. Read what our winning bidders
have to say about dealing
with us!
Zillions of Stamps
You can also check our inventory listing at the website of Zillions
of Stamps, the stamp marketplace at Linn's
Stamp News.
Stamps Wants
We have also listed thousands of auction and store items with the
stamp specialty auction site StampWants.com. You
can see our listing here.
Appraisals
Stamp Collection appraisals are available
for several purposes. A written appraisal suitable for various purposes
is done by Mr. Kimmerly himself. Appointments are usually necessary,
and you should phone ahead. In rare cases, Mr. Kimmerly will travel
for appraisals at the customer's expense. A written appraisal includes
a general description of the whole collection and a specific description
of better single items.
Cash Value Appraisal
Most commonly done for estate purposes or in other situations when
the current cash value of a stamp collection is needed. A Cash Value
Appraisal is our offer to purchase the material for the total price
given.
Price: The greater of $50
or 2% of the determined cash value.
This amount is refundable if your material is sold to us at the
time of appraisal.
Replacement Value Appraisal
Usually done for insurance purposes, either at the time of taking
out a policy or sometimes for a claim. The value determined is the
estimated cost of replacing the collection as it exists at the time
of the appraisal.
Price: 1-1/2% of the determined
replacement value, minimum $50.
Ownership
Ownership of the material submitted for Appraisal must be established
to our satisfaction.
eMailing
List
At regular intervals, we keep our internet customers and others
up-to-date about changes in our web site and other upcoming announcements.
Our Mailing List is 500 members and growing. We will sign you up
if you send
us your e-mail address, or you can easily do it yourself:
Our
Guarantee
We have built an outstanding reputation throughout our years as
a retail stamp store and auction house. We believe that our on-line
relationship with our customers must adhere to the same high business
standards we have always applied.
Privacy:
Ian Kimmerly Stamps does NOT share, sell, or disclose any of the
information you submit on- or off-line, including e-mail addresses
or other personal information.
Links
to Other Resources
We are pleased to provide the following links to other destinations
which we expect will be of interest to our customers.
Philately On-Line
The following philatelic organizations offer a wealth of information
for collectors of all levels and interests:
Ottawa—Canada's
Capital
We are fortunate that our hometown
of Ottawa is also an important tourist destination. Just about every
week we welcome out-of-town customers who recognize
our store on The
Sparks Street Mall, just steps from Parliament
Hill.
As Canada's political and cultural
capital, Ottawa is the location of several major museums and galleries.
Our city is truly a four-season outdoor destination as well: busy
in summer, but also popular for the spring Tulip
Festival, the gorgeous fall colours of the Gatineau
Hills, and for Winterlude.
A good basic guide to the many attractions and museums in Ottawa
is the website of the National
Capital Commission (whose Visitor's Centre is 100 metres away
from our front door!).
And of course, for collectors, no
visit to Ottawa is complete without spending a few hours at the
Canadian
Postal Museum. |
