[Onket]

[Sam Am]

Jumping on this thread, ZoeKoe23 has prints for £20.

[Bill]

Well done mate! 

I am least salty with you onket as I ended up grabbing those two Rasta phatzos you showed me he had going . 

Genuinely keen to know what people are writing to score with Actually. I'm wondering if they just CBF posting to Australia..? Has anyone further than France has any luck? 

Onwards and upwards. The prints are stunners so much love to anyone who grabbed one. 

Oct 19, 2024 14:24:37 GMT 1 Onket said:

[Onket]

Oct 19, 2024 20:59:23 GMT 1 Bill said:

 I ended up grabbing those two Rasta phatzos you showed me he had going . 

 I'm wondering if they just CBF posting to Australia..? 

Oct 19, 2024 14:24:37 GMT 1 Onket said:

Really good to hear you picked those up. I really liked them.

I think it can be a problem shipping round the world when you're dealing with a small outfit. I had real trouble as I wanted a print from a Brazilian writer (Eneri PSM) and it just wasn't realistic until she visited Europe and brought some with her.

[zoomrider]

Oct 19, 2024 14:24:37 GMT 1 Onket said:

Nice! Did the tube come tagged like the previous print?

[Onket]

Oct 19, 2024 21:51:23 GMT 1 zoomrider said:

Oct 19, 2024 14:24:37 GMT 1 Onket said:

Nice! Did the tube come tagged like the previous print?

Not this time. 

[met]

Oct 19, 2024 12:27:20 GMT 1 Onket said:

Did everyone get Wallace and Gromit stamps? At least they're real this time!

Oct 19, 2024 12:49:01 GMT 1 zan said:

Oct 19, 2024 12:53:47 GMT 1 zan said:

Just arrived!

Oct 19, 2024 14:24:37 GMT 1 Onket said:

1.  Please forgive the nerdiness of what follows.



2.  While the postage stamps in the above photos may have slipped through the reliably‑inconsistent security net of Royal Mail on this occasion, they do look potentially fake to me.



3.  Since Royal Mail's introduction of barcoded definitive stamps in 2022, counterfeiters have focused more of their attention on (non‑barcoded) commemorative stamps, like this Aardman Classics release from 2022.

The significant increase in UK postage prices also seems to have fueled cases of fraud. Two‑and‑a‑half years ago, a 1st Class stamp would cost £0.95. Now it's £1.65.



4.  Most fakes apparently originate from China.

They are then offloaded wholesale by the thousands or tens of thousands to unscrupulous UK‑based retailers, for a few pence per stamp, and resold especially on eBay and Amazon.

The retailer listings sometimes feature photos of authentic sheets of stamps, but what buyers end up receiving are fakes. Bait and switch.

More often than not, the quickest way of spotting scammer‑retailers is by their prices. Fakes (resembling Royal Mail stamps released over the last few years) are typically sold to punters for about a third of their face value.

Presumably, buyers will kid themselves into believing they're somehow getting a bargain. They might even falsely assume they're acquiring stolen genuine stamps, as opposed to counterfeit ones.



5.  Regarding the stamps themselves, there are multiple tells that help to identify fakes, but of course they're much easier to notice when compared side‑by‑side with authentic Royal Mail stamps.

Because the paper used for fakes is cheaper, and the printing process is more cheaply done, colouration can sometimes be a bit off. The perforated edges in particular are also more prone to fraying and to ink loss.

When an image with perforated edges is reproduced to create a fake, this is most easily done by first cropping the perforations. A counterfeit stamp will therefore often feature a slightly cropped version of the original (wider) image from an authentic stamp.

Among the many security features for a number of Royal Mail stamp releases are phosphor bands. These can be viewed under UV light. Here, it's worth mentioning that some of the good fakes have bands that are created using varnish, which has the misleading appearance of phosphor bands when examined only superficially in raking light.



6.  Circling back to the Aardman Classics 1st Class stamps, below are what authentic, 2022 Royal Mail versions should look like:







Note, for example, the spacing along the edges, such as the relative distance between the Queen's profile silhouette and the left edge of both stamps. Now compare that distance with the stamps used by Actually when dispatching their TOX prints.



7.  In case anyone has the inclination to do their own side‑by‑side assessments, independently and in‑person, then (for reference purposes) authentic Aardman Classics Presentation Packs can be purchased on:


(i)  the Royal Mail website for £21.70:

shop.royalmail.com/aardman-classics-presentation-pack

or

(ii) eBay (using search terms like "Aardman Classics Presentation Pack No 623") for about £14 or £15.


[Since there isn't a sufficient financial incentive to fake entire Presentation Packs, postage stamps from these packs on eBay are unlikely to be fake.

The difference in cost between the Royal Mail website and eBay can in part be explained by the fact that, when Aardman Classics was originally released in 2022, 1st Class and 2nd Class postage stamps were significantly cheaper than they are today. Pricing on the Royal Mail website reflects the current higher prices.]

[Onket]

Oct 20, 2024 3:22:52 GMT 1 met said:

 the postage stamps in the above photos may have slipped through the reliably‑inconsistent security net of Royal Mail on this occasion

[Onket]

Many of us had to pay again to receive items posted out to us by Actually in the past, so for me the above quote is the important bit! 👍

[Acme Thunderer]

By adding the Wallace & Gromit stamps, I’m impressed it meant the ‘Special Delivery by 1pm’ label was just 15p. 😉

[Devizes /\_/\]

Love the tube train blind stamp!

[Charlie]

Oct 21, 2024 11:55:42 GMT 1 Devizes /\_/\ said:

Love the tube train blind stamp!

That's a nice touch

[inefficiency of]

Hi all, great to see the prints arriving, would love to see more photos, especially of people get them up on the wall.

I haven’t logged on here for a couple of weeks, but if anyone got a spare hand signed map they don’t want I would love to add one to my collection. Hit me up! 🙏🏻🙌🏻

[Onket]

I finally took mine out the tube yesterday and took this-

[Someone Like You]

Oct 23, 2024 10:23:10 GMT 1 Onket said:

I finally took mine out the tube yesterday and took this-

Fantastic!! 

[Devizes /\_/\]

Oct 23, 2024 9:48:44 GMT 1 inefficiency of said:

Hi all, great to see the prints arriving, would love to see more photos, especially of people get them up on the wall.

I haven’t logged on here for a couple of weeks, but if anyone got a spare hand signed map they don’t want I would love to add one to my collection. Hit me up! 🙏🏻🙌🏻

I was going to keep mine as it’s different to the last little map they gave out, but then I’m thinking what am I going to do with it? I had the last one framed so I’m not going to do another.
Fuck it, send me your address and I’ll post it to you.

[drip]

Wonderful gesture, Devizes /\_/\.

Super stuff.

[Lroy]

Oct 23, 2024 10:35:55 GMT 1 drip said:

Wonderful gesture, Devizes /\_/\ .

Super stuff.

Yeps ! Would like one too ! 

[inefficiency of]

Oct 23, 2024 10:33:06 GMT 1 Devizes /\_/\ said:

Oct 23, 2024 9:48:44 GMT 1 inefficiency of said:

Hi all, great to see the prints arriving, would love to see more photos, especially of people get them up on the wall.

I haven’t logged on here for a couple of weeks, but if anyone got a spare hand signed map they don’t want I would love to add one to my collection. Hit me up! 🙏🏻🙌🏻

I was going to keep mine as it’s different to the last little map they gave out, but then I’m thinking what am I going to do with it? I had the last one framed so I’m not going to do another.
Fuck it, send me your address and I’ll post it to you.

Ah mate, that’s very kind. I’m happy to do some trades, I’ll DM you. 🙌🏻🙏🏻

[Devizes /\_/\]

Oct 23, 2024 10:44:44 GMT 1 inefficiency of said:

Oct 23, 2024 10:33:06 GMT 1 Devizes /\_/\ said:

I was going to keep mine as it’s different to the last little map they gave out, but then I’m thinking what am I going to do with it? I had the last one framed so I’m not going to do another.
Fuck it, send me your address and I’ll post it to you.

Ah mate, that’s very kind. I’m happy to do some trades, I’ll DM you. 🙌🏻🙏🏻

No worries mate, don’t want anything for it unless you live in Timbuktu and it’ll cost £500 to post it 🤣 

[Onket]

This is what it's all about. 👍👍

[thisisthesam]

Super kind gesture Devizes! Good karma for you. 

Genuinely gutted I didn’t land one of these prints or a signed map. Kudos to all - hope you all enjoy it and makes the wall 👀

[Acme Thunderer]

I’m pleased with my t-shirt (which is ‘actually’ very good quality) and for those with an interest in stamps, they very generously used £10.65 worth of commemorative stamps. 😉

[Acme Thunderer]

Signed map unveiling…

[Lroy]

Wow 😮

[Onket]

It's a different map, isn't it. I've not put them side to side, but ithe cover isn't the same as the one from last year.

[Devizes /\_/\]

Oct 23, 2024 22:24:28 GMT 1 Onket said:

It's a different map, isn't it. I've not put them side to side, but ithe cover isn't the same as the one from last year.

Correct, last year was the quote from the judge.

[Lroy]

I wish that I will get one too. For the print I have no news. I’m wondering if the tube 🚇 will cross the Channel with all these Wallace and Groomit Stamps ! Borders or customs are too serious and need a filled form. No tracking number too and the tee is not yet dispatched..,
Well I won’t ask again .., But I feel fear 😰.,,,
Happy Thursday all

[Lroy]

I received the tee ! Immense one ( well I’m not too skinny so it will match )
Only stamps and tee. Waiting for the print now and pray to get it with a map too 🙏





come back gif

[The Origin]

My 2 tube maps! 

Was there one for 22 or is this it so far?

Almost didn’t notice it stuck to the side of the print tube..