Cherrypicker's Guide

Cherrypicker's Guide
Name	Cherrypicker's Guide
Language	English
Subject	Philately

Cherrypicker's Guide is a specialized reference work for collectors focused on errors, varieties, and plate flaws of postage stamps. It is used by hobbyists and professionals to identify scarce issues, study production anomalies, and appraise collections. The guide intersects with major philatelic institutions, auction houses, and catalog traditions in Britain, the United States, and continental Europe.

Overview

The guide functions as a compendium of stamp varieties and is commonly consulted alongside catalogs and auction records from Royal Philatelic Society London, American Philatelic Society, Smithsonian Institution, British Museum, New York Public Library, Royal Mail, Deutsche Post, La Poste, Poste Italiane, Canada Post, Australia Post, Japan Post. Collectors cross-reference entries with listings from Stanley Gibbons, Scott Catalogue, Michel (catalogue), Yvert et Tellier, Sassone, Zumstein and auction results from Sotheby's, Christie's, Spink, David Feldman, H.R. Harmer. The work is frequently cited in literature associated with exhibitions at London Philatelic Exhibition, World Stamp Championship, PhilaNippon, and by societies such as Italian Philatelic Society, Royal Philatelic Society of Canada, Hong Kong Philatelic Society.

History

Origins trace to mid-20th century enthusiasts who compiled error lists paralleling studies by printers and postal administrations such as Bradbury Wilkinson, De La Rue, Waterlow and Sons, Harrison and Sons, Thomas de La Rue. Early contributors drew on investigations tied to archives at Post Office Research Station, correspondence with officials at Universal Postal Union, and auction catalogues from Robson Lowe, John Bull and dealers like Stanley Gibbons (company). Subsequent editions responded to discoveries publicized in journals including The London Philatelist, The American Philatelist, The Philatelic Exporter, Gibbons Stamp Monthly and papers presented to conferences at International Federation of Philately events.

Format and Content

Entries are organized by country and issue, linking plate positions, perforation varieties, watermarks and color shifts to known examples handled by experts from Royal Philatelic Collection, Smithsonian National Postal Museum, Fédération Internationale de Philatélie committees, and specialist study groups like British North America Philatelic Society and American First Day Cover Society. Illustrations reference scans comparable to images in databases maintained by Royal Mail Archives, National Postal Museum, German Postal Museum and auction houses such as Sotheby's (company), Christie's (company), Spink and Son. Technical descriptions use terminology adopted in reports from Stanley Gibbons Ltd., Scott Publishing Company, and conservation notes aligned with practices from Getty Conservation Institute and Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts.

Collecting and Usage

Collectors and dealers rely on the guide when preparing lots for sale at firms like Sotheby's, Christie's, Spink, David Feldman SA or when exhibiting at competitive shows adjudicated by panels from Federation Internationale de Philatelie and national juries from Royal Philatelic Society London and American Philatelic Society. Museums including the Smithsonian Institution and British Library use it for provenance research alongside auction archives of Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams. It is referenced in expertizing processes conducted by boards such as Royal Philatelic Society London Expert Committee, American Philatelic Society Authentication Service, and in dispute resolution involving dealers from Warwick & Warwick and agencies like Philatelic Traders' Society.

Editions and Publication History

The work evolved through multiple editions responding to discoveries reported in periodicals like Gibbons Stamp Monthly, The London Philatelist, The American Philatelist and auction catalogues produced by Sotheby's, Christie's, Spink, David Feldman. Successive printings incorporated research by experts associated with institutions such as Royal Philatelic Society London, Smithsonian National Postal Museum, British Library Philatelic Collections, and specialist authors linked to Stanley Gibbons, Scott Publishing Company, Michel (catalogue). Revisions have paralleled the development of online databases hosted by archives at Royal Mail, National Postal Museum and commercial platforms run by eBay vendors and dealers like Stanley Gibbons (company), Spink.

Reception and Impact

The guide is regarded by collectors and curators from Royal Philatelic Society London, American Philatelic Society, Smithsonian Institution and auctioneers at Sotheby's, Christie's as an authoritative tool for identifying plate varieties, influencing pricing in markets monitored by Bloomberg, Financial Times, The Times (London), and specialist press including Gibbons Stamp Monthly. It has shaped research agendas at academic gatherings associated with Fédération Internationale de Philatélie and contributed to cataloging standards used by Stanley Gibbons, Scott Catalogue, Michel (catalogue), Yvert et Tellier.

Category:Philately