PHILAS house Sydney, bought 1977, has been sold for $7.3m

[Global Admin]

$5.2 million plus the 10% GST that is applicable on commercial property = $5.72 million on tin shed purchase. Plus all the legals and fees and duties and consultants etc.

Plus another million or so, to put 'Lipstick on that Pig', adding mezzanines, internal lifts, Fort Knox security for the carton lots of junk for Auctions, and that is IF Philas are ever approved by Council to conduct their business there = close to $7 million after all legals, and consultants, and endless fees and duties etc.

Brisbane Street sold for $7.3 million LESS the very hefty commercial real estate agent fees, stamp duty, and legals, and other costs, leaving under $7 million nett I'd suggest.

This stuff up has seen all of Brisbane Street contents imprudently placed into storage at short notice at unknown cost, in an unknown locations(s), for a totally indefinite period. No library, no auctions to generate SOME revenue etc. No displays or meetings there etc, which is WHY Philas House was purchased.

So the '$2 Million' of buffer funds promised to NSW Collectors, who OWN these assets, to be placed on interest earning term deposit, to promote NSW Philately in the future, is actually around ZERO. Genius stuff.

WHAT a brilliant Committee PHILAS have.

Their sole income of any substance going forward, to pay rates and the huge utilities on such a shed etc, are AUCTIONS, who clearly cannot sell even totally donated quality material, or execute firm confirmed bids many times estimate, or even invoice buyers. And pray future volunteers do not steal $30,000 a time in Auction lots, as has occurred before,measing PHILAS LOSE money each year not makes any fiscal sense.

They should be running Stanley Gibbons. Whose share price fell from £4 to ONE PENNY a share, before being delisted recently from the London Stock Exchange, due to totally incompetent management.

[BrianBURU]

The 20 Egerton Street sales information just came through:

Silverwater Sales

[Aden]

I have been informed that there is a meeting of the Building Committee on Saturday.

Hopefully they can make a sensible decision and let the members kown about the decisions made,

David B

Do we have the agenda?

[BigSaint]

Who is invited to attend?

[David Benson]

Aden,

It is a meeting of the Philas Executive, they would have an agenda. I doubt they would let anyone outside of the Committee know,

Big Saint,

only members of the Executive Committee,

I never got an invitation,

ps. If there is any members of the committee reading this, could you organise for me to attend as an observer,

David B.

[worldstamps]

Sounds like a totally unnecessary secretive mess.

This is not a Bank Boardroom, but a low key collector body it looks like.

The APS here are an object lesson on how to keep members fully informed, and a part of property purchases etc.

[David Benson]

worldstamps,

I have been to the complex in Bellefonte and was amazed to see and to realise the planning that went into it.

You cannot compare a National Organisation with many Philatelic Philanthropists to that of a State organisation with none.

One of the major reasons for Philas to sell it's headquarters was their opinion that it needed extra space.

Philas should be divided into two activities.

1. A meeting place for Philatelists and the Library. There was plenty of space for this in the Brisbane Street building.

2. Running an Auction. The Ground floor was completely full and cluttered. The quantity of large boxes which were stored there were mainly full of kiloware from various missions. These boxes were mainly full of clippings collected by various churches and which were given to the missions to sell. Most of the buyers were unscrupulous members who shipped the material to China for the stamps to be cleaned and then sent back to Australia. The unscrupulous members would them sell to people or companies who used them on parcels. The only crime that the Postal Inspectors could look for when the items were noticed at Post Offices.

I have mentioned this many times to various members of the Philas Committee to no avail as it was a large source of income. I am sure that when Philas eventually restarts there will be a huge quantity of this type of material ready for the missions to send to Philas and the cycle will begin again.

Philas should refuse to accept this material. As far as I know there is only one other Auction House in Australia that accepts this type of material.

David B.

[Global Admin]

David you are correct. PHILAS should be careful not to appear to be abetting fraud against the PO.

For years, they blatantly offered uncancelled letter rate stamps per 1000 or per kilo in their auctions. Lot after lot, after lot. I'd suggest everyone senior connected there knew that this material had already been through the mail, and/or had the cancels chemically removed. REAL stamp auctions in this country refused to touch it of course.

You, me, and many others were vocal this material was NOT something a stamp collector body should be profiting from. They did not care. Sad. Be rather like the priest or minister or Rabbi selling little baggies of dope on the side outside the church 'to raise funds'.


As to kiloware, yes it is VERY bulky, harbours silverfish and other vermin, and storing it for 6 months in a CBD building was and is totally insane, given the pittance of profit it generates. No-one there has a stamp business brain. The reality is kiloware these days is like PHILAS Volunteers and members ... diminishing rapidly. Mail bearing stamps is near non-existent as we know.

I used to sell several THOUSAND kilos of untouched mission mix a year - have barely seen any in recent years. And so it will be at PHILAS. Which again makes this DOPEY passion to buy something TWICE the Brisbane Street footprint totally insane. In 5 years there will be no kiloware to fill their tin shed.

ZERO Big Picture forward vision from anywhere there. As we see above, they will have squandered EVERY penny they get nett from Brisbane Street, on a vast shed miles too big for what they actually need in future. LESS space going forward was the savvy goalpost, not DOUBLE what they have.

Dump all that space hogging Industrial Revolution printing and collating nonsense, and like anyone else sane, farm it out commercially. CHEAPER, much faster, and far more efficient. They've been told this in recent times, by a professional in this area, and they yawned. Again no-one has any vision in there, or any idea what occurs in 2023 in the REAL commercial stamp world outside of PHILAS.

The fact they still have a FAX machine sums them up, sadly. They probably have quill pens and inkwells in there to do the accounts. Well not my auction invoice - they ran out of ink.

[Global Admin]

The North Korea Super secret Committee is meeting today we hear.

I suggest they all read this note I got from the ASDA President today. I am a Life Member, and while this excerpt of course does not touch on anything confidential in the communication, these few points SHOULD be read aloud to the PHILAS JUNTA. They can learn much from the American Stamp Dealer's Association. They too are living in fast changing times.

Like the APS in the USA, they are well run, and transparent, and professional. And have just had the humility to accept they could have done things better in recent times, and apologised they could have communicated with members better.

They have had the grace to admit to members they have not done well lately, and had the sense to advise they are now actively addressing that shortcoming. The basic common sense reality to post Meeting Minutes PUBLICLY on their website, not play Secret Squirrel with them is a prime example.

PHILAS treats Committee Minutes like the Official Secrets Act. That is not good, not smart, and not normal.

ASDA Board Members, like the PHILAS Committee are also unpaid volunteers. Melbourne dealer Michael Eastick is one of them.


'Let history be a teacher and learn our lessons while we celebrate our successes. History should not be a ball and chain that constrains us from moving forward and making improvements.

Please remember that the ASDA Board members are all volunteers. They are not compensated. They give graciously of their time in support of the ASDA and its mission.

The Board of Directors met on Feb 7, 2023. At that meeting, the Board decided to reorganize. Those changes were communicated previously. The minutes from the meeting will be available on the ASDA website to members.

Membership has been declining for several years. Some members have retired from the business. Some members have health issues. Sadly, death has taken away other members. Like many philatelic organizations, the ASDA membership is aging and there are not enough new/younger members joining. The ASDA is not immune to the trends of organized philately.

The Board has done a good job communicating internally with one another. However, the Board has not done a good job in communicating externally to the membership.

Were mistakes made in the past? Yes. Could things have been communicated better or done differently? Absolutely. Will there still be room for improvement in the future? Of course.

The ASDA is not a perfect organization. There is a sense of urgency in fixing the things that are wrong with the ASDA, and promoting the things that are right.

The ASDA will walk-the-walk. Some changes will be more immediate or noticeable. Other changes are longer term or more subtle. Change is coming though.'

etc.

Every member of the JUNTA should be asked to READ this, and reflect on these notes, and follow this example. It is not too late to address the train wreck PHILAS mess of the past 6 months, by just being open and honest.

[Aden]

David you are correct. PHILAS should be careful not to appear to be abetting fraud against the PO.

For year, they blatantly offered uncancelled letter rate stamps per 1000 in their auctions. Lot after lot, after lot. Everyone connected there knew that this material had already been through the mail and/or had the cancels chemically removed. REAL stamp auctions in this country refuse to touch it.

That is disgraceful.

Using large scale fraud to fund the association.

Maybe that is why they need the big shed; they are planning to move the illegal postmark removal 'business' in house.

Seriously though, people have gone to jail for similar activities; as they well should.

[Global Admin]

Aden,

Just to clarify .. PHILAS simply sold the material .... there is no suggestion, by me anyway, that they cleaned off any cancels -- I'd be quite sure they did not.

But lot write ups would say something like '1000 x 60c stamps, not cancelled on pieces, or off paper'. Join up the dots.

Real stamp Auctions refuse to touch this stuff in general. If a stamp has been through the mail, re-using it is indeed an offence, and 1000s at a time .....

[Aden]

Aden,

Just to clarify .. PHILAS simply sold the material .... there is no suggestion, by me anyway, that they cleaned off any cancels -- I'd be quite sure they did not.

But lots would say things something like '1000 x 60c stamps not cancelled on pieces or off paper'. Join up the dots.

Point taken Glen.

While not being involved at all in the cleaning operation, joining up the dots suggests they were still a key part of the rort.

It would be good to see a statement on their defunct(?) auction web site stating they no longer accept this type of material.

[David Benson]

I sent emails to all of the Church missions involved explaining that the stamps were being bought by unscrupulous buyers, cleaned in China and then sold to buyers in Australia to reuse. Not a single reply.

What I cannot understand is how do the buyers afford to pay the freight costs to China and back and the answer may be, they do not go to China but the cleaning is done locally.

I have also been in contact with a Postal Inspector who instead of me going to his office in Bankstown, he came to my house. He told me that there are only a few Postal Inspectors in NSW. He explained that they have very little powers and virtually none regarding the buyers. I asked him to attend an Auction and he said that he has no powers to ask Philas any questions or inspect their books. He cannot even ask the buyer his name. The only action he can take is when a user sends letters or parcels. That is usually after the items are detected. He told me that there was a parcel from China two years ago that was seized by Australian Federal Police which contained 400,000 forged $1.00 stamps. he also told me that the AFP do not want to get involved with cleaned stamps.

The main aspect why I brought this up is the space this material takes up and the comments that the long lost Publicity Officer stated that they were short of room. If Philas refuses to accept this type of material there would be plenty of room. I have no idea how much of it is now in the storage facility and how much is waiting in the various Church Missions waiting to be shipped to Philas.


Here is an excerpt from a previous sale

121 4 Kg x $1.10 stamps. Closely trimmed on paper. 400
122 $1.00 Commems closely trimmed on paper. 5
Kg.
400
123 $1.10 stamps trimmed on paper. 3.7Kgs 400
124 50c - 70c commems trimmed on paper. 5Kg. 300
125 Mission mix, as received, close trimmed, mainly
70c to $1.10. 2.4 Kg.
200
Page 5
Lot No Est A$ Lot No Est A$
126 Close trimmed Charity mix 50c to $5. 9kg. 200
127 5 Kg x 50c-70c Commem, closely trimmed on
paper.
200
128 8.7 Kg 50c and over on clipped paper. Lions
charity mix.
150
129 1 to 49c, close trimmed, U on paper. 16.7 Kg. 150
130 11.3 Kg 50c plus on paper. Lions charity mix. 150
131 Dec on/off paper, mostly letter rate values, some
higher, also few pre-dec. 2 boxes, 10 Kg.
150
132 Box of Australia bulk used, mainly AIF 1d, 2d,
but some others and later bundle ware. Many
thousands, some pmk intertest. Weighs 3.5 Kg.
150
133 Dec on/off paper + few FDCs, some pre-dec
stamps, cond mixed.
140
134 Dec & pre-dec plus KGV & States, including
NSW, SA & QLD. (1000s)
120
135 11.8 Kg 49c & under clipped paper. Lions charity
mix.
120
136 8.8 Kg 50c and over on clipped paper. Lions
charity mix.
120
137 10.8 Kg 49c and under on paper. Lions charity
Mix.
100
138 8kg close trimmed 50c-$1. Some Internationals. 100
139 4.5Kg closely trimmed on paper. 100
140 5.1 Kg off paper. Lions charity mix. 100
141 5 Kg Concessionals (2nd set). Closely trimmed
on paper
100
142 3.3 Kg pre decimal off paper. Lions charity mix. 100
143 Close trimmed 9kg kiloware 50c-70c, plus $1,
$1.10 & Internationals.
100
144 5 Kg Concessionals (second set) closely
trimmed on paper.
100
145 Recent dec to $1, in shoe box. Off-paper.
(1000s)
100
146 Recent issues 17.5Kg. 3 boxes. 100
147 3.5 Kg off paper. 80
148 9 Kg on paper. 2 boxes 80
149 2.7 Kg pre-decimal on paper. Lions charity mix. 80
150 Concessional stamps on close clipped paper.
(100s)
80
151 Australian U early dec. 80
152 6.3kg 50c to $1 closely trimmed. 80
153 on paper in box. Some pmks, all over $1.00. 1
Kg. Vendor's estimate.
80
154 KGV & KGVI issues on paper in large shoebox,
pmks NSW. (000s)
80
155 Recent issues 9.5Kg. 80
156 Recent issues 10Kg. 2 boxes. 80
157 1.2 kg mostly 70c-$1.10 on paper. Incl
International stamps & foreign.
80
158 Recent issues 9.5Kg. 80
159 Dec off paper, sorted by issue and value up to
$1. Many 1000s of stamps in 2 boxes
80
160 Decimal U on & off paper. 2 boxes. 80
161 1 to 49c, close trimmed, U on paper. 10.5 Kg. 80
162 Recent issues 9Kg. 2 boxes. 80
163 Recent Issues 1Kg. 80
164 3 Kg Australia pre-dec off paper. 80
165 5kg dec on paper - close trimmed. 80
166 Pre-dec & dec off-paper. 4Kg. 80
167 Recent issues 11.5Kg. 2 boxes. 80
168 Recent issues 9.5Kg, close cut & envelopes. 2
boxes.
80
169 Large lot of Aust & World, U in bags & loose.
Great fun sorting. 3 boxes.
80
170 2.9 Kg off paper pre dec & dec. Lions charity
mix.
80
171 3.6 Kg off paper decimal. Lions charity mix. 80
172 4.5kg on paper. Up to $1. 80
173 2.9 Kg dec and some predec off paper. Lions
charity mix.
80
174 Onpaper close crop - up to $1. 7Kg. 80
175 3.2 Kg off paper, decimal. Lions charity mix. 80
176 Dec on/off paper, values up to $1.00, some
higher values & few pre-dec. 15 Kg in 3 boxes.
80
177 Aust/Aust States/GB on/off paper in bags.
Decimals (8 bags), pre-dec(2), GB(2),
Dependencies(1), all Aust States(1 sm bag
each).
80
178 2.9 Kg off paper decimal. Lions charity mix. 80
179 U on/off paper as received from charity, patchy
accum in old s/b + literature & accessories. 2
boxes 9 Kg.
80
180 8 Kg on paper. 60
181 7 Kg on paper. 60
182 10 Kg on paper. 2 boxes. 60
183 10 Kg on paper. 2 boxes. 60
184 12 Kg on paper. 60
185 10 Kg on paper. 60
186 8 Kg on paper. 2 boxes. 60
187 10 Kg on paper. 60
188 15 Kg on paper. 60

compare the estimates to the realisations

https://www.philas.net.au/_files/ugd/817a78_f52590623f5642e6b1ed06336e09cbd3.pdf

lots 121 to 188

Here are some results

121 estimated $ 400 realised $ 1200 plus.
122 estimated $ 400 realised $ 1300 plus
123 estimated $ 400 realised $ 1200 plus

David B,

[Allanswood]

If you think there's a large scale (industrial sized!), cleaning operation going on, then where are the large scale sales being offered for "mint no gum" peel and stick Australian stamps?

Any time I've bought a box or two of kiloware, they are mostly used with cancels, but there is a reasonable percentage of uncancelled in the mix. And its a MIX, you're not buying 8kg of uncancelled $1.10 stamps! Taking the time to pull them out, successfully remove them off the paper and store them takes ages. Fiddling around with the security slits is a challenge for someone who want fines used off paper in their album.

I've never heard of, or been anywhere near successful in removing a cancel - cancels are inherently impossible ink to remove without damaging the stamp. Even if someone found a way, then the labour involved in the process negates the value of the stamp.

Much of the kiloware being offered is for decades old, well out of date 45/50/60c stamps. Which has always been the case with anyone selling kiloware. You're making it sound like all the offerings are bulk uncancelled stamps.

[David Benson]

I mentioned the subject because of the space it takes up and Philas using the excuse to sell is that they needed more room,

The reason why they are mainly older stamps is they most probably been stored by the various missions for years.

The sorting and describing is done by volunteers at the Missions not Philas.

David B.

[Aden]

If you think there's a large scale (industrial sized!), cleaning operation going on, then where are the large scale sales being offered for "mint no gum" peel and stick Australian stamps?

Any time I've bought a box or two of kiloware, they are mostly used with cancels, but there is a reasonable percentage of uncancelled in the mix. And its a MIX, you're not buying 8kg of uncancelled $1.10 stamps! Taking the time to pull them out, successfully remove them off the paper and store them takes ages. Fiddling around with the security slits is a challenge for someone who want fines used off paper in their album.

I've never heard of, or been anywhere near successful in removing a cancel - cancels are inherently impossible ink to remove without damaging the stamp. Even if someone found a way, then the labour involved in the process negates the value of the stamp.

Much of the kiloware being offered is for decades old, well out of date 45/50/60c stamps. Which has always been the case with anyone selling kiloware. You're making it sound like all the offerings are bulk uncancelled stamps.

Allanswood, you may be right and I am not joining the dots correctly. Time may tell.

Unlike the junta, I am quite happy to admit I am not always correct.

Maybe after the meeting today in the big walk in safe on the floor they may still own or not own or rent or lease or have access to under a false flag operation possibly involving Kim Il-Jung's daughter, they may put out a communique which we can read in the cloud while lying on a beach in NSW sucking on some brown nectar.

[David Benson]

I did not get an invite to the meeting.

The reason I wanted to attend was to find out the plans for the future and not what has happened in the past.

They only have limited funds to remodel the building and find out what a professional designer can do with the funds available.

If they still plan to add a mezzanine floor that will take a lot of the funds available and may suggest that they use the existing ground floor only,

David B.

[towradji]

You are an optimist David

There has been a huge pile on here so why would they invite ongoing ridicule whatever was discussed

You will see strategic updates and then the opening of a new home for Philas

Stan Griffiths and Norm Hobson were Philas icons but they didn’t have to contend with social media, they just got on with it

[David Benson]

I would not call Stan Griffith an icon.

He angered a lot of people when he rejected easily sellable lots because they were on his list of unpopular countries.

I will call Norm Hobson, Frank Thompson and many others as icons as they never ran a secret society, everything was public at meetings,

Your statement suggests they will inform the members after it is completed without any input by them,

David B.

[towradji]

I don’t have inside info, just applying common sense

In a media pile on you go out on the front foot or close down. I think they will issue selected releases

This mob here would want to select the carpet, unisex toilets etc

[David Benson]

I am not asking this mob to make any decisions, I am asking for members of Philas to be involved with the decision making, not a few members of the Executive.

The Philas members have hardly been told anything and I doubt that this will change in the future,

David B

[Global Admin]

I've never heard of, or been anywhere near successful in removing a cancel - cancels are inherently impossible ink to remove without damaging the stamp. Even if someone found a way, then the labour involved in the process negates the value of the stamp.

You are kidding right?

A $1 bottle of Bleach and you are on your way.

No need for it to go offshore. The Feds have busted industrial level stamp cleaning rings here in the past.

[Allanswood]

Sorry, but in my experience, the bleach removes the stamp image long before the cancel disappears - same as Sperati did.

As I said - "without damaging the stamp".

Isn't that the whole point of the special inks they use, even on modern self inking CDS?

Maybe I'm just not devious enough.

[Global Admin]

Greg .. most of the water based ink stamp pads PO's use will come off in warm water - forget Bleach. You do really need to get out more.

Nothing above letter rate has security slits, and none are peel and stick either.

[Global Admin]

The Philas members have hardly been told anything and I doubt that this will change in the future,

David B

As pointed out above yesterday's email from the ASDA shows that bodies that stuff up, CAN come clean, say 'sorry' and offer more into to their MEMBERS, moving forward. PHILAS does not even have Executive Minutes of meetings on their clunky website. APPALLING.

The North Korea Super secret Committee is meeting today we hear.

I suggest they all read this note I got from the ASDA President today. I am a Life Member, and while this excerpt of course does not touch on anything confidential in the communication, these few points SHOULD be read aloud to the PHILAS JUNTA. They can learn much from the American Stamp Dealer's Association. They too are living in fast changing times.

Like the APS in the USA, they are well run, and transparent, and professional. And have just had the humility to accept they could have done things better in recent times, and apologised they could have communicated with members better.

They have had the grace to admit to members they have not done well lately, and had the sense to advise they are now actively addressing that shortcoming. The basic common sense reality to post Meeting Minutes PUBLICLY on their website, not play Secret Squirrel with them is a prime example.

PHILAS treats Committee Minutes like the Official Secrets Act. That is not good, not smart, and not normal.

ASDA Board Members, like the PHILAS Committee are also unpaid volunteers. Melbourne dealer Michael Eastick is one of them.


'Let history be a teacher and learn our lessons while we celebrate our successes. History should not be a ball and chain that constrains us from moving forward and making improvements.

Please remember that the ASDA Board members are all volunteers. They are not compensated. They give graciously of their time in support of the ASDA and its mission.

The Board of Directors met on Feb 7, 2023. At that meeting, the Board decided to reorganize. Those changes were communicated previously. The minutes from the meeting will be available on the ASDA website to members.

Membership has been declining for several years. Some members have retired from the business. Some members have health issues. Sadly, death has taken away other members. Like many philatelic organizations, the ASDA membership is aging and there are not enough new/younger members joining. The ASDA is not immune to the trends of organized philately.

The Board has done a good job communicating internally with one another. However, the Board has not done a good job in communicating externally to the membership.

Were mistakes made in the past? Yes. Could things have been communicated better or done differently? Absolutely. Will there still be room for improvement in the future? Of course.

The ASDA is not a perfect organization. There is a sense of urgency in fixing the things that are wrong with the ASDA, and promoting the things that are right.

The ASDA will walk-the-walk. Some changes will be more immediate or noticeable. Other changes are longer term or more subtle. Change is coming though.'

etc.

Every member of the JUNTA should be asked to READ this, and reflect on these notes, and follow this example. It is not too late to address the train wreck PHILAS mess of the past 6 months, by just being open and honest.

[David Benson]

Glen,

I was told a few years ago that there was someone who lives in the Central Coast area of NSW who cleaned large quantities of stamps with bleach and then offered them for sale on Philas. I do not know who it was.

David B.

[Global Admin]

David,

Yes there certainly was a large operation going on with wholesale cleaning of Australia stamps. Legitimate Auctions would not touch this stuff, and sadly PHILAS had no such scruples. Do you see any of this garbage offered in Phoenix or Prestige/Abacus/Leski etc in large tranches, all offered discreetly as 'kiloware' - of course not.

Yes this stuff takes a ton of space to store so they spend millions more than they need to buy a vast warehouse to store material which goes on to rip off Australia Post. Lovely folks.

Founding Father of PHILAS Norm Hopson was a wonderful guy, and as we both know, was Postmaster at Clarence Street.

A lifetime Post Office staffer would turn in his grave to see his beloved PHILAS used as a front for such arguably illegal, and most certainly unethical actively, designed to defraud Australia Post in the end, on a huge and ongoing scale.

The current head of PHILAS auctions, Michael Nibbs is a career ex-policeman we are told, and again, with that background in upholding law and order, how this actively is condoned, and knowingly profited from, gobsmacks me.

They need to get a Moral Compass installed in there at PHILAS, not more needless computers, and expensive full page colour ads bragging about the 'success' of their Auction.

David you are correct. PHILAS should be careful not to appear to be abetting fraud against the PO.

For years, they blatantly offered uncancelled letter rate stamps per 1000 or per kilo in their auctions. Lot after lot, after lot. I'd suggest everyone senior connected there knew that this material had already been through the mail, and/or had the cancels chemically removed. REAL stamp auctions in this country refused to touch it of course.

You, me, and many others were vocal this material was NOT something a stamp collector body should be profiting from. They did not care. Sad. Be rather like the priest or minister or Rabbi selling little baggies of dope on the side outside the church 'to raise funds'.

[David Benson]

Glen,

Norm was not a founding father of Philas, at the time of the founding, I think he was Postmaster of Manuka, ACT. He joined the Philas board when he moved to Sydney a few years later. He is sadly missed and the debacle that is now occuring would never had happened if he was still around.

Norm once told me that Clarence Street had the largest PO turnover in NSW. Of course the reason for that was that it had the account of NRMA

There are still a few founding fathers still around,

Wilson Ilbery, Richard Peck, Russell Stern, me.

I apologise to any others I forgot,
,

David B

[Global Admin]

Not sure of the exact year when Norm got involved, but this was sent to me from the early days when Richard Peck, a great friend of Norms, was Editor of 'Philas News' of which this was a part. I understood Norm was there from the very early days.

The exact year is lost in the mists of time, probably, and for this discussion, is not relevant. I recall he was very senior, or even Postmaster at Clarence Street Sydney even in the 1970s. And agree with you, under his steady and sane leadership none of this childish and counterproductive SECRET JUNTA nonsense would be occurring.

The fact that a Founding Father like yourself, who is interested in seeing sensible actions going forward, is in your face monstered by blow-ins like ex-copper Michael Nibbs, yelled at by the clueless 'Publicity Officer' Mark Bailey (with the large 'look at me' ID badge) and put on a 'shoot on sight' ban list from visiting the new Tin Shed, or even asking questions by Darren Jones shows what a directionless and paranoid rabble are in charge now. And all should be ASHAMED of this hostile treatment.


THIS was the level of precise and helpful detail given to members (who technically 'own' the monies!) in saner days -

[David Benson]

I know that I should not mention this, but there were only two large donors to the 'Buy a Brick' campaign by Richard Peck.

Colonel Frank Thompson who donated $2,000 which was a lot of money in 1975, and one other who donated $1000. His initials are DB.

David B

[Global Admin]

Well done David.

A shame these recent 'blow-ins' do not acknowledge this essential support, instead of forming a stand over Gang of heavies.

A First Class stamp cost 10c then, and is $1.20 now, so $1,000 in 1975 is roughly $12,000 now in relative value.

If it were not for the support of those early fundraisers, Brisbane Street would never have materialised, so these dopes could then squander those proceeds in total secrecy, with zero consultation with those who 'own' the monies.

I was talking to the Managing Director of Renniks Lighthouse recently, also gobsmacked at this ongoing trainwreck, and who also remembers stumping up 'Buy A Brick' donations to support the hobby in this state, as I also did.

[David Benson]

There were many who also donated material for the initial auction.

I can remember a few of the names but again the largest donor was again, the first president, Col. Frank Thompson.

I also talked to Alan Pitt at the last Auction. He was the Bank Manager at the time who organised the loan. I told him that the building had been sold.

He asked me where the new building was, I told him they were still looking, To use your words, He was Gobsmacked,

David B

[towradji]

All of the people you mention did a great job with Philas, but none faced a 2 + month social media pile on.

None were personally named and attacked for decisions they made.

Mind you, if they had been, the membership would have supported them. And now, except for half a dozen people here, no objections have been raised, no clubs have revolted, they want the Committee to get on with it and let’s get together at Silverwater.

[Global Admin]

None were personally named and attacked for decisions they made.

Because they were inclusive and transparent with members as you can see above. Clearly you do not get it - you are from Secret Squirrel Headquarters down there. Make stupid decisions in secrecy, and you WILL pay the price.

The Committee Member names are clearly publicly posted on the PHILAS website, and in 'PHILAS News'. No breaches of secrecy whatever have been made.

You are in Victoria. You are not member of any NSW Club. You have paid zero to support PHILAS over 50 years. Many of us have. Keep going to your Brighton Philatelic Society meetings - well run, in a perfect location - an old church. And thank heavens some Committee member sanity prevailed down there, when they purchased that.

You are a faceless businessman, and Big End Of Town board member. You folks REVEL and excel in secrecy and hidden agendas, and deception, and hiding the truth. Terrific. Nice work if you can get it.

Go back to doing that, and unless you have something constructive to add (there is a first time for everything) to this current disaster, go and get your board fees for turning up somewhere, keeping the chair warm, and keeping members/shareholders in the dark, that you clearly revel in. PHILAS might have a spare seat for you - you clearly fit the CIA mould.

THIS thread is about rescuing PHILAS from the JUNTA. And demanding more detail and more transparency. Which those NSW members who 'own' the funds are fully entitled to get.

[towradji]

I will show this to the chaps at the Club when I get back. It will get a good laugh. Mind you, have to print it out as “ no mobile devices” rule applies.

Did show it to a few in the Members at Randwick today, they said, keep going , you are backing a winner. Time will tell.

[Global Admin]

Yes you stick to chatting to the 'chaps' in the Racecourse Members Stand over Dry Martinis and Pimms, and we'll here stick to talking about the mess at PHILAS. Sounds like a perfect plan.

[David Benson]

Glen,

The important thing is.

What is the nett amount that Philas received from the sale of the Brisbane Street building.

What is the amount paid for the purchase of the Silverwater building including all fees.

What is the difference between the two,

David B.

[Global Admin]

Glen,

The important thing is.

What is the nett amount that Philas received from the sale of the Brisbane Street building.

What is the amount paid for the purchase of the Silverwater building including all fees.

What is the difference between the two,

David B.

David ... my Nostradamus prediction is basically ZERO will remain in the kitty when this lot have raped and pillaged the accounts, (with zero advice and accounting to members) with their loopy renovations - and that is ASSUMING Parramatta Council allow them to carry on their activities there, which are strictly prohibited under the current Zoning Laws.

The TWO MILLION promised to be invested at 5% pa to promote philately in NSW, and keep a nest egg - = $100,000 a year interest, has been blown apart by this rabble, who have zero big picture vision for the future. Just a tin shed next to a massive prison. .

$5.2 million purchase cost plus the 10% GST that is applicable on commercial property = $5.72 million on tin shed purchase. Plus all the legals and fees and duties and consultants etc.

Plus another million or so, to put 'Lipstick on that Pig', adding mezzanines, internal lifts, Fort Knox security for the carton lots of junk and kiloware for Auctions, and that is IF Philas are ever approved by Council to conduct their business there = close to $7 million after all legals, and consultants, and endless fees and duties etc.

Brisbane Street sold for $7.3 million LESS the very hefty commercial real estate agent fees, stamp duty, and legals, and other costs, leaving under $7 million nett I'd suggest.

This stuff up has seen all of Brisbane Street contents imprudently placed into storage at short notice at unknown cost, in an unknown locations(s), for a totally indefinite period. No library, no auctions to generate SOME revenue etc. No displays or meetings there etc, which is EXACTLY WHY Philas House was purchased.

So the '$2 Million' of buffer funds promised to NSW Collectors, who OWN these assets, to be placed on interest earning term deposit, to promote NSW Philately in the future, is actually around ZERO. Genius stuff.

WHAT a brilliant Committee PHILAS have.

Their sole income of any substance going forward, to pay rates and the huge utilities on such a shed etc, are AUCTIONS, who clearly cannot sell even totally donated quality material, or execute firm confirmed bids many times estimate, or even invoice buyers. And pray future volunteers do not steal $30,000 a time in Auction lots, as has occurred before,measing PHILAS LOSE money each year not makes any fiscal sense.

They should be running Stanley Gibbons. Whose share price fell from £4 to ONE PENNY a share, before being delisted recently from the London Stock Exchange, due to totally incompetent management.

[gavin-h]

I asked him to attend an Auction and he said that he has no powers to ask Philas any questions or inspect their books. He cannot even ask the buyer his name.

I'm afraid that is just so much baloney. The Post Office inspector may not have the AUTHORITY to make anything stick, but he can ask Philas questions. He can ask to inspect their books. He can ask the buyer his name.

Of course, Philas and the buyers have the right to refuse to answer those questions or accede to those requests.

But simply by being a bit more "in your face" and asking awkward and uncomfortable questions, you can put any putative criminals on notice that any nefarious activities they may be involved in are being watched.

And one this we all know is that criminals don't like to be watched.

I've never heard of, or been anywhere near successful in removing a cancel - cancels are inherently impossible ink to remove without damaging the stamp. Even if someone found a way, then the labour involved in the process negates the value of the stamp.

Spoken like an Honest Man!

Of course, a criminal may have ways to do this that involve illegal chemicals, possibly even carcinogenic ones.

And as to the labour involved, so-called "organised" criminals use kids, illegally trafficked people and other vulnerable people to do their work for them, effectively at zero cost to themselves.

If you want to catch a crook, think like a crook.

[The Pom]

Glen,

The important thing is.

What is the nett amount that Philas received from the sale of the Brisbane Street building.

What is the amount paid for the purchase of the Silverwater building including all fees.

What is the difference between the two,

David B.

I would suggest that there are some other important things.

Assuming that the move to Silverwater goes ahead, once operations are resumed:

How many people/clubs will be using the place, compared to the previous establishment?

How much material will be placed in their hands for auction, compared to previous sales?

In view of the way things have been conducted, and the location of the new building, I would suggest both will be greatly reduced.

[Global Admin]

I'm afraid that is just so much baloney. The Post Office inspector may not have the AUTHORITY to make anything stick, but he can ask Philas questions. He can ask to inspect their books. He can ask the buyer his name.

Of course, Philas and the buyers have the right to refuse to answer those questions or accede to those requests.

The Federal Police here take a rather dim view of this kind of stuff as I reported in Stamp News. Australia Post only needs to refer this to them and anything can occur then. The Government owns the Post Office here. The Australian Federal Police do the policing of breaches. And they certainly do act when things reach them.

If some spiv is using this stuff bought off PHILAS in the mail, they will of course tell cops where they bought it, if searched or raided. Could get sticky for PHILAS.

https://www.glenstephens.com/snfebruary21.html


The AFP began investigating last year, after Australia Post staff intercepted hundreds of mail items bearing forged stamps. Police say the forgeries were of a high quality, with perforated edges on the stamps. However, vigilant Australia Post staff noticed inconsistencies in stamps going through the mail network and seized hundreds of suspect items.

“Creating an unfair playing field”

“We will allege this man was forging stamps to create a financial advantage for himself,” AFP Detective Superintendent David Berston said. “He was able to entice customers to his business and away from his competitors because the free postage made his products cheaper, creating an unfair playing field” he continued.

“We also allege this conduct put his customers at risk of not receiving the goods they purchased in good faith, with Australia Post needing to intercept and hold hundreds of mail items that had counterfeit stamps. This crime also siphons money away from Australian taxpayers, because Australia Post is owned by the Commonwealth Government.” Detective Superintendent Berston concluded.

[David Benson]

Gavin,

re Postal Inspectors,

you are wrong, I have spoken to a Postal Inspector and he definitely stated they have no powers to ask questions or inspect books. They are not policemen. They can refer their findings to NSW Police or Australian Federal Police who may take action.

The Postal Inspectors in the UK may have the power there but not here.

The Pom,

re.

What is the nett amount that Philas received from the sale of the Brisbane Street building.

What is the amount paid for the purchase of the Silverwater building including all fees.

What is the difference between the two,

That will give the amount that Philas may have in funds to do the remodelling at Silverwater. Whatever it is it will not be enough to add a mezzanine floor and all the other changes and additions needed to make it a building that is required both a meeting place and offices for Auction purposes.

re

How many people/clubs will be using the place, compared to the previous establishment?

How much material will be placed in their hands for auction, compared to previous sales?

In view of the way things have been conducted, and the location of the new building, I would suggest both will be greatly reduced.

There were less than 100 individuals who attended about 5 monthly meetings in Brisbane Street. There is no way of knowing how many will attend at Silverwater.

There is also a possibility that some Clubs that are in close proximity to Silverwater will have their meetings there but that may depend on how much Philas will charge for use of meeting rooms. It would have better facilities than their current meeting rooms with wall display boards instead of placing material on tables or passing album sheets around.

There is no way of knowing how much Auction material will be accepted at Silverwater. A lot of material comes by mail.

The move to Silverwater only affects those clubs that met in Brisbane Street. Royal Sydney, PSNSW, ACCC, States Study Circle. All of the suburban and country clubs are not affected. I have been told that the other society PSA has already found a place to meet. Most of the other clubs will be using meeting rooms at Pilgrim House, Pitt Street, Sydney.

I have been in contact with a person who would know about Parramatta Council Zoning Requirements. He has informed me that when Philas presents a plan for the building it will go through OK as the requirements are not written in stone and allowances can be made by the Council.

David B.

[towradji]

Two sides to every coin

Philas auctions cop a pounding here

But when a National newspaper splashes, yesterday, another Sydney auction house employing a convicted conman in their mail room who liked to commence work ( unsupervised) at 5am, nothing said

After all he knew a lot about coins

You don’t need to ask if anything went missing

[norvic]

Well there’s a blank canvas for you to write about it - over in the auctions or numismatic folders.

[Global Admin]

Well there’s a blank canvas for you to write about it - over in the auctions or numismatic folders.

Expecting towradji to start a thread, add an image, add a link, and do something useful here to add to the knowledge base - that would be a world first.

He is free to do that but never will of course. He is the Secret Squirrel king, gliding about posting vague and oblique hints of things, that may or not be factual, between Martinis in the Members Stand at the Sport Of Losers, and never anything of substance.

This will be his last attempt to de-rail this thread which is about PHILAS - an Association he is not a member of, in a state he does not even live in .

Admin

[David Benson]

I have been informed that there will be an announcement on Philas News Online soon.

I do not know when or what the announcement is but I hope it is better than the last announcement that stated they will let members know when they can visit the site and see the work that has been done.

David B.

[Aden]

I have been informed that there will be an announcement on Philas News Online soon.

I do not know when or what the announcement is but I hope it is better than the last announcement that stated they will let members know when they can visit the site and see the work that has been done.

David B.

Bit risky visiting the big tin shed at the moment as the shoot to kill policy enacted by the junta might still be in place.

[Global Admin]

I have been informed that there will be an announcement on Philas News Online soon.

Well FOUR MONTHS since the last update - these troggs do not believe in 'rushing into things', after squandering $6 MILLION of member funds, with no advice or confirmation whatsoever of what they have bought, and where, and at what cost, and on what advice.

I want to see full transcripts of all Minutes, on this website. If they have nothing to hide, they should be done - as they are, on all WELL MANAGED Associations.

The PHILAS JUNTA believe they above any member scrutiny or timely advice.

[David Benson]

Glen,

I have no idea what will be mentioned and what is not mentioned.

Hopefully it will mention the planning schedule for the building.

David B.

[Global Admin]

Bit risky visiting the big tin shed at the moment as the shoot to kill policy enacted by the junta might still be in place.

Being right next to a huge Prison they've been asked not to use firearms, (spooks the inmates for some reason) but they might have the OK to access holding cells and handcuffs in there for any pesky members (who OWN the monies after all) curious to see WHAT one gets for a mere $6 mllion these days in the drafty Tin Shed market.

We are a day short of MARCH, and still this mega secretive rabble have not a word about this purchase on their 'website'.

PHILAS still have Fax Machines we know, and doubtless atill use quill pens for Minutes etc, but a low-tech update for them -- a website can be updated from ANYWHERE. ZERO valid reason for any delay past JANUARY.

https://www.philas.net.au/philas-news