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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.
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 65%
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 absorb the G.S.T., thus you
save six percent. 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. For
the last year, $1US=$1.25CDN, approximately.
Do I have to pay taxes when
I buy something from your web site?
We must charge 5% Canadian Goods &
Services Tax on items sold to Canada. Sales to Ontario also attract 8%
Ontario Retail Sales Tax, but this tax has exceptions including books,
postage, or where the purchaser has a valid exemption number. Items which
are exported to the United States or elsewhere 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?
No, sorry!
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
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Ian
Kimmerly —Owner. A collector (A.P.S. #40836), Exhibitor,
and Stamp Dealer. For a fuller philatelic biography click
here.
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Brian
Wolfenden —Store manager. Collector, stamp dealer.
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Kate
Winsor —Store staff: Database Co-ordinator, publications,
bookkeeping etc.
Also
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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:
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We do not store any personal information
about our customers on our site.
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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.
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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.
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As well, we don't use "cookies"
to store information on your computer.
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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.
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