I like this Pictorial Cancel - Big and Clear - Malaysia Kebaya

This is one of the largest Pictorial Cancel Cachets ever made by Pos Malaysia, it is superb for the cancellation of stamp on Maximum Card - Big and Clear .....  I do not know why Pos Malaysia did not continue to produce such Big Pictorial Cancels ?

• A maximum card realised with "Kebaya" stamp, FDI pictorial cancel @ Seremban

Mourning Postcard - Mourning Maximum Card ?

Everyone is talking about the recently issued "Pahang Heritage" stamp with black borders and seeing the design of the issue rather unusual as postage stamps with black borders are normally regarded as Mourning Stamps. There are mourning stamps, are there mourning postcards (with black borders) ? Yes, there are mourning postcards, BUT there do NOT necessary come with black borders. I have seen many postcards with black borders around, BUT they are NOT mourning postcards. If there are mourning postcards, then, there will be mourning maximum cards - yet to see one ! Above is a maximum card with thick black borders, it is NOT a mourning postcard.

• A maximum card realised with "royal barge" stamp, CDS Cancel @ Bangkok

Discover Dubai - remember "DO BUY"

Dubai is a shopping paradise with many shopping megamalls .... What an interesting name it has , If you do go visiting Dubai - DO BUY ...

• A maximum card realised with "Gift" stamp, CDS Cancel @ Taipei

A glimpse of MC exhibits @ Joburg 2010 held from 27-31 October, 2010

Joburg 2010 is due to close on 31st October, 2010. There are 5 Maximaphily Exhibits on display at the FIAP exhibitions. As usual a majority of the exhibits are related to Architectures and sculptures - that is the area where most of the classic MCs can be found. 

1. Italo, Greppi    "Beautiful Italy"    Italy    8  frames
2. Shoujiang, He  何守江 "A brief History of European Architectural Art Illustrated by MC's"
    China    5  frames
3. Syhy-Rong, Leu  吕世荣    “Transportation”   Chinese Taipei    5  frames
4. Vincenzo, Scicutella    "The Sculpture in the Centuries"    Italy    8  frames
5. Dino, Taglietti   "France Sightseeing Tour"   Italy    5 frames

Ad Card makes it possible for this Lollipop MC

Where to look for a commercial Lollipop PostCard? It is difficult really ! However, Ad card provides a solution for the successful realisation of this Maximum Card . Without Ad Cards, many of the subjects depicted on the stamps may NOT be possible to be captured on the MCs .. Whether you like it or NOT, Ad Cards are imperative to maximaphilists. Hence, treasure all your Ad Cards, they may be of use  one day when come to the realisation of maximum cards. Happy Hunting !

• A maximum card realised with "Lollipop" stamp, CDS Cancel @ Taipei

When will POS Malaysia issue a beautiful ATM stamp like this ?

ATM label stamps are very popular in many of the European countries, in ASIA, Israel and Taiwan are ahead of others in the issue of ATM labels. ATM stamps prove to be very popular among the stamp collectors. We are still waiting for  POS Malaysia to issue the ATM stamps. POS Malaysia introduced PAM labels last year, however, PAM labels have no pictorial designs on the stamp, hence, they are unable to stir up a collecting spree for the items. Singpost has been quite moderate in the issue of ATM labels, these labels which are dispensed through the ATM machines are with colorful pictorial designs. The ATM labels are suitable for the realisation of Maximum Cards ..

• A maximum card realised with "Botanical Garden" ATM label stamp, Pictorial Cancel @ Tanglin, Singapore

This is the Classic MC that most Maxiamphilists are chasing after

The Egypt Pyramid and Sphinx MC is an early maximum card that most  maximaphilists are looking for ... Due to its popularity, the price tag for a proper postmarked Pyramid MC can range from USD 300 to USD 4000 . The earliest known Pyramids and Sphinx MC is dated back to the year 1893 .. however, earlier dates  of the MC could still be discovered since the de-la-rue stamp was issued as early in the year 1888. Happy Hunting.

• A classic MC of the Pyramid and Sphinx, CDS cancel @ Cairo, 1910

This card is on the way to Pekan Post Office to request for a CDS Postmark, Will it be back safely ?

This card is already in an envelope on its way to PEKAN post office seeking for a descent CDS Cancel on the stamp.  Will the finished product - the Maximum Card be returned to me safely ? Will the postal staff places a clear and vivid cancel on the stamp ? I have many queries and worries on the fate of this card ... Well, if all of you do NOT see me posting this card again, it must have GONE disappearing forever . I am just posting this unfinished product for a record ... in future, if anyone see this MC, it could be mine . I have my SEAL stamped at the back of the card. Creating MCs is filled with thrill and suspense ... NOT until the finished product reaches your hand, you will never be sure whether it belongs to you !

• An MC to be realised with a "DYMM Sultan of Pahang" stamp, seeking for a CDS cancel @ Pekan PO

MC itself is a pleasant Gift ..

Create More MCs , you can present them to your friends when you really do NOT know what to give ....

What I will like to receive as Gifts - Besides MCs still MCs

If you ask me, what I will like to receive as Gifts - My reply will be straightforward - Maximum Cards.

• A maximum card created with "Gift" stamp, CDS Cancel @ Taipei

Cheers All .....

• A maximum card realised with "Glasses of wine" stamp, CDS cancel @ Taipei

Cheers to the ladies ..

Although Males dominate the World of Maximaphily, however, the first maximaphilist to win a Gold Medal for Maximaphily in an international exhibition was a Female , the late Madame Magaret K.  from Greece. She was living in the age when Maximaphily was practically unknown to everybody, she had the passion to research and look for early MCs which were created by chance by the then collectors. Her collection has the rarest MCs of the World.  Cheers to the ladies ... 

• A maximum card created with "glasses of wine" stamp, CDS date Cancel @ Taipei

Cheers to Maximaphily !

Many do NOT like Advertisement Cards, BUT whether you like it or NOT, Ad cards are excellent materials for the realisation of  maximum cards. Many a times, I could NOT find relevant commercial post cards BUT Ad Cards do provide me with an excellent alternative for the realisation of a MC.

• A maximum card realised with "Glasses of Wine" stamp, CDS Cancel @ Taipei, Taiwan

Adjoining hearts

• A maximum card realised with a "heart" stamp, CDS Cancel, Taiwan

Lovely Heart

• A maximum card realised with "Heart" stamp, CDS cancel @ Taipei

Maximaphily - you are the joy that fills my heart

Yes, Maximaphily - you are the joy that fills my heart !

• A maximum card realised with "heart stamp", CDS cancel @ Taipei

Result - World Best MC competition 2009 concluded @ Portugal 2010

World Best MC Competition 2009

From Top to Bottom :

1st Prize : Portugal

2nd Prize : Cyprus

3rd Prize : Russia, Spain

The above are the Award winning MCs for the recent concluded World Best MC Competition held in Lisbon, Portugal - 7th October,2010

Do you know covered under the stamp is a WATCH ?

For an Ad Card like the above, image of an advertising product appearing on the card cannot be avoided. Fortunately, the image is printed on one corner and can be ideally covered over by a stamp. This is an Ad Card by a renown Watch Company, by covering the image of the Watch by a postage stamp, it becomes an ideal Maximum Card.

• A maximum card created with "great warrior" stamp, FDI pictorial cancel @ Seremban

I recall the XIV Commonwealth Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the year 1998

India is currently hosting the XIX Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, I recalled my country Malaysia hosted the XIV Games in Kuala Lumpur in the year 1998. A series of postcards depicting various sports and games were issued by the authorised souvenir agents bearing the 1998 Games logo and the Mascot - Orang Utan. These postcards had been very useful for me to utilise to create several MCs for these years on relevant topics on sports events. 

• A maximum card created with "Sport event -hurdle" stamp, FDI pictorial cancel, Singapore

Singapore 1st Youth Olympics - the Mascots LYO and MERLY

Singapore became the 1st Nation to hold the  Youth Olympics in the World. The event had just been concluded in August, 2010. The 2 mascots of the Games - LYO and MERLY are derived from "LION" and "MERMAID" which is the icon symbol of the Republic.

• A maximum card realised with "Lyo & Merly" stamp, FDI Pictorial Cancel @ Singapore

Tugu Malaysia War Memorial VS USA IWO JIMA War Memorial

Without a closer look, the USA IWO JIWA War Memorial monument with the Soldiers upholding a US Flag looks similar to the Tugu Malaysia War Memorial with the soldiers upholding a Malaysian Flag. Does the similarity happen coincidently ?

• A maximum card created with "Great Warriors" stamp, FDI pictorial cancel @ Seremban

Kuala Kangsar Post Office on Maximum Card

Pos Malaysia Bhd issued a set of 28 stamps on "Old Post Offices of Malaysia" on 9.10.2010, it was difficult to find relevant postcards to match all the 28 post offices. Out of the 28, I could ONLY find 3 matching postcards to realise as Maximum Cards i.e The GPO, Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Fraser PO and Kuala Kangsar PO. In fact, the key subject on the 3 postcards are NOT focused on the Post Offices, so happened that the post offices locate so prominently next to the key subject that makes them possible for realisation of a maximum card. The key subject for the Fraser Hill and Kuala Kangsar post card is the Clock Tower of the 2 towns, the key subject for the Kuala Lumpur post card is the Daya Bumi Complex. It would be a difficult mission if there existed 28 different postcards of the post offices and I had to realise them into MCs  on the First Day of issue, that sounds almost impossible! Since, there were no other post cards available besides the 3 I found, I was able to make a round trip Seremban-Kuala Kangsar-Fraser Hill to have the maximum cards done on a Saturday leaving the Kuala Lumpur GPO MCs done by my friend. A round trip Seremban-Kuala Kangsar-Fraser Hill-Kuala Lumpur-Seremban took me a distance exceeding 800 kms and the whole day to complete the mission of realising the maximum cards. It was a fruitful trip with great satisfaction ... NOT a minute devoted to sightseeing BUT solely on the creation of Maximum Card. These MCs will certain leave a great memory in my maximaphilately life.

• A maximum card realised with "Kuala Kangsar PO" stamp, FDI pictorial Cancel @ Kuala Kangsar

I made my first trip to Fraser Hill in my life on 9.10.2010 for the creation of a Maximum Card on the local Post Office

I have NOT been to Fraser Hill before, although since my younger days, I had heard of the hill resort many a times. It was the urge to create a maximum card of the Bukit Fraser Post Office , I made a trip to this little hill resort town on 09.10.2010 . It was NOT an easy driving route with narrow and winding paths, the worst of it was the uphill and downhill traffics were controlled by the odd and even hours of the day. I missed by 5 minutes of the odd hours, and I had to wait for more than an hour to have the downhill traffic cleared before I could proceed my route up the hill. It took minutes to complete the cancellation of the maximum cards and some First Day covers, however, I had to travell few hundred Kilometers and many hours of time wasting to get the mission done. Anyway, it was an "enjoyable" trip , in the sense that I had my valuable maximum card done.

• A maximum card created with "Fraser Hill PO" stamp, CDS first day cancel @ Bukit Fraser

I did find relevant "Pearl Necklace" on a Movie Card

In this Movie Card, the little lady standing besides the Film Star Julia Roberts is wearing a Pearl Necklace, isn't it good to have a Maximum Card done for this with a matching stamp of a pearl necklace ?

• A maximum card realised with a "Pearl Necklace" stamp, CDS date cancel @ Taipei

A Pearl Lady

Natural pearls are cultivated in a kind of seashell. This Ad Card depicts a legendary lady wearing a long chain of Pearl necklace evolving from an open shell.

• A maximum card realised with a "pearl necklace" stamp, CDS date cancel @ Taipei

An ornament that generally appeals to a lady - Pearl Necklace

• A maximum card created with "Pearl Necklace" stamp, CDS date cancel @ Taipei

I thought this was a useless postcard, however, when comes to the subject on "necklace", it does give a good match as an MC

• A maximum card realised with a "necklace" stamp, CDS date cancel , Taipei

If you are hunting for a "necklace" postcard, look for "women" on the cards.

If you are hunting for a postcard like subjects " Necklace " "jewelery", it is simple to look for "Women" on the postcards, these ornaments associated with ladies are bound to be worn on them. Happy hunting ...

• A maximum card with " Pearl necklace" stamp, CDS date cancel @ Taipei

Local Indian titbits

• A maximum card realised with "indian titbits", FDI pictorial cancel @ Kuala Lumpur

A fun MC of Adult + Children + House + Sun

 

(Adult + Children + House + Sun) with a pictorial cancellation of a SUN