Wincor Nixdorf and Hytech Scrapbook

I have just started working on another project based on these two kiosks varieties within Britain. To this end, I need lots more information. I need listings of what people have in their collections but in an unidentifiable form for security. What I require is office/date//kiosk/session number/issue data along with any other data on the receipt and office.

Could I have the data in the form:

Office location       ID code      Date      Kiosk   Session      Issue                      Notes

Trafalgar Square    015010     29/2/14      5       09876       Freshwater3           Address in lower case on

                                                                                                                         receipt. Font 1 on stamp

The more data I receive, the better the picture that can be put together on the usage of these kiosks and what they have produced. 

I can handle doc and xls files.

E-mail: pmechuk@gmail.com

I DO NOT ENDORSE ITEMS FOR SALE ON EBAY OR THROUGH ANY DEALER.

I have just noticed a reference to my blog on e-bay. I feel that I must clarify that I do not endorse any sale(s) of Wincor-Nixdorf and Hytech material on any site and, therefore the decision to purchase the item depends on whether you are happy with the description. Any data I place on my websites or blogs is based on the information that I have at the time of writing. It is NOT to endorse sales for dealers - professional or amateur. 

Therefore, I take serious exception to any mis-use of data or  information that I publish to make a sale.

My intention in publishing the information that I collect is to ensure that collectors have the best data available to build a representative collection of Wincor-Nixdorf and Hytech material NOT to make money for people. 

The reason that I started to produce the ATM Informer and published the first issue of Wincor-Nixdorf and Hytech ATM Listing is to try to get the best information out to individuals. Both publications are starting to pay dividends and is fostering discussion within this area of collecting.

I do not give advice on what to buy. I do not deal in stamps or any other collectible. I do not endorse others sales. I do not like the mis-use of terms such as "scarce" and similar.

The only real advice that I do give is as follows:

Consider carefully what is on offer and check with other sites/dealers before committing. 

Purchase what interests you.

Always purchase within your budget.

I also recommend the website postagelabelsuk.com. It is very reputable and worth consulting. It does NOT endorse products but gives quality information in this area.

Thank You

I have had some feed back from those who have received copies of the Wincor-Nixdorf and Hytech book. It has been very positive. 

However, I feel humble at the generosity of you. Some neurological charities have already received donations. There is not much that I can say but

THANK YOU!

ATM Informer Issue 5 is Now Available.

The fifth issue is now available for down loading from my pmechuk website or the ATM Informer website. Either way, the newsletter is FREE. You can even e-mail me for a copy.

I still require data on session numbers, dates and what was available at Wincor-Nixdorf equipped offices within the UK. I know that the information is available given the number of views on the Stamp Magazine Forum thread and the large number of items for sale on e-bay. As may be seen in the Informer, a picture can be painted of the usage of the kiosks and when events have occurred such as resetting the session counter. 

I would appreciate the data in the format:

Office                  ID               Date             Kiosk     Session Number  Variety

Trafalgar Sq  015010     29 Feb 2014            1             012345            Pondlife 4

I can accept the data in .xls  or .doc format.

e-mail address is   pmechuk@gmail.com

Faststamp and Post and Go Catalogue

Since the last posting, I have had some feedback which has suggested some modifications and additions. These are being worked on.

As regards publishing, the most probable format will be as a .pdf file. I am considering making it freely available to all but requesting a donation to Neurological charities such as the MS Society, Parkinson's or INS. I hope to have the final version complete in the next month or so.

Faststamp and Post and Go Catalogue

About a year ago, I decided to do something about listing what material was available from the Wincor-Nixdorf ad Hytech kiosks in the UK. For the last month, I have been circulating draft versions for comment.

Initially, I thought that the whole thing would be about a dozen A4 pages in length but, as time went on, this was a severe underestimate in size. So many developments have happened and just had to be included even if it is as a warning to the unwary.

This last year has seen Pop-up post offices, "private" overprints and fakes. These are all covered in the draft. Other side lines had to be included such as the meaning of the datastrings, leaflets, receipts and so on. The result is a draft of around 70 pages.

Once I have a definitive draft, I have then to solve the problem as to how best to distribute it. I am investigating a few possibilities but I am open to other suggestions.

So, I Have a Draft Publication, Where to Now?

For the last year plus, I have been trying to put together a catalogue covering the Wincor-Nixdorf and Hytech produced to date and the associated material. I have got to the stage where I have a draft with most, if not all, of the issues listed along with a section on subsidiary material. 

My problem now is how to proceed. As a carer, I don't have the resources to print off a copy and then photocopy and bind a load of copies with the hope of selling them. I could always go down the route of e-publishing but the problem I have is no pay-pal account and I don't like using the internet for financial transactions. 

I would welcome advice and suggestions as to how best to proceed in publishing this 60 page booklet.

Salisbury Overprints on Second Class Machins

Some of you may be aware of the existence of overprints on second class Hytech Machins from the Salisbury Stamp Fair. No official overprint was sanctioned and this fact was well publicised.

However, Rushstamps decided to produce a souvenir for their customers and purchased 6000 of these stamps and overprinted using a 100 year old printing press. These were then used on mailings to customers. Apparently there are no remaining mint examples and Rushstamps do not intend selling examples.

This sort of activity is to be frowned upon. It sets a precedence which could result in other organisations believing that they, too, could purchase bulk examples of these stamps and print adverts or other messages. Some dealer then might come up with the idea that these were rarities and start to sell them at premium prices. Instead they should be looked on as common stamps defaced by a biro - worthless and only fit for the bin.

I should also point out that by defacing the stamps in this manner, one is essentially invalidating the stamp (cf biro cancels) making it worthless for the prepayment of postage. Therefore, knowingly using such an item to pre-pay postage may be seen by Royal Mail Revenue Protection as a fraud and therefore liable to recovery of postage and even prosecution.

Spring Stampex 2013 - Aftermath

Well, Stampex is over  for another six months. I've had a bit of time to sort out my purchases - two "collections" of Poland covering up to about 1970 and my usual material from the Hytech machines.

There were the usual amount of dealers there with the expected stock. However, there seemed to be so little for the junior collector - at least on the two days that I visited. I suppose that this is to be expected since most of the people visiting were over 40. 

How do we encourage the younger collector to come to these events? Stampex does have a "junior" stall at the weekends but is that enough. There were many stands which had significant material for the more "mature" collector. Penny blacks galore were available from £95. Covers of all descriptions from around the world were there by the box load. But what about packets and equipment for the junior collector?

I have been to philatelic societies around the country and found that I was frequently the youngest person present.So what can we do? We cannot send collectors into schools because they would require a CRB check which costs at least £36 a time but can remain valid for up to 3 years. But who would organise the CRB? Schools won't because you are not permanent staff and supply agencies wouldn't be interested. I think that the Philatelic Trust organises visits and school clubs.

What sort of school should be targeted - primary or secondary? Primary would give the best feedback and give a positive boost to collecting but as soon as the pupils hit secondary school the stamp collection would find its way to the back of the cupboard at best. 

Using stamps and postal history material in association with class work would be beneficial. The BPMA has some material which is downloadable for key stage 2 on the Victorians, WW1 and even on aspects of design covering the Festival of Britain.

Year 5 and 6 do work on ancient Egypt, why can't something be put together using the wide variety of stamps illustrating pharaohs, gods and artifacts.

 

All those Shakespeare stamps could be used to illustrate stage and costume design associated with the plays that secondary pupils have to study. Art is so richly covered but why do so few teachers illustrate the works of the great masters through stamps. Look at the quality of artwork associated in producing some of the stamps - there have been some great engravers.

It would just take a bit of time and research to associate the appropriate stamps and material with the course of study.

Back to Stampex... I did spot a talk on Jane Austen and the new stamps on the Friday close to the Royal Mail Stand but surely it could be an advantage to all to have such talks throughout each day with the Saturday talks targeted at junior and new collectors.

And the "Aftermath" for me... Well I filled in some large gaps in my Polish collection (around 700 covering 1919 to 1965). I also found a single 1919 bogus stamp and a charity "stamp" for a Warsaw based charity for the blind. All this gives me some areas to research and learn about.

I was tempted to buy a bundle of 100 covers for £15 because of the top cover showing the 1970 Declaration of Arbroath stamp. There were a number of other covers of interest for cancels.

I have also scanned the Hytech material and have produced the third issue of the ATM Informer. so  just look at the earlier entries for the links.

Stampex 20 February 2013

Spring Stampex 2013 was held between the 20-23 February at the Design Centre in Islington, London, NW10.

Royal Mail, once more, had a presence. They had two stands – a main stand allowing collectors to catch up on issues at the back of the hall and another at the front for the Hytech kiosks.

There were three Hytech kiosks - A3, A4 an A2 from left to right. In addition there was a stand alone colour printer for Smiler’s sheets.  As in the last three shows, kiosks B1 and B2 were reportedly round the back to fill dealers’ orders.

The initial menu has three columns. The first column refers to the services available for stamps on reel A, the middle column for reel B and the third column for Collector Strips. The fifth button down in the third column allows the purchase of Smiler Sheets. These are NOT printed by the Hytech but by a separate process. One pays for the service on these kiosks then a staff member takes your photograph on a special App on an i-pad which is then transmitted to the printer. The process takes about a minute to complete.

 

Receipts produced were in the same format as the previous Stampex shows. Each Collector’s strip received its own receipt. In addition, a card receipt was also produced for the purchase.

Two values – second class up to 100g and second class large up to 100g. Background print is in blue with one phosphor bar. First day was 20 February 2013 at the Spring Stampex Exhibition at The Business Design Centre, London on 20 February 2013.

It is expected that the second class stamps will appear at offices with more than one Wincor-Nixdorf machine but not immediately. The suggestion is that this will occur over the summer of 2013. Both stamps are 56mm x 25mm in size and printed by Walsall Security Printer. The background print is a turquoise colour. This means that the only examples of these stamps, initially, will be from Tallent’s House or the kiosks at Stampex (and other stamp fairs). Presentation packs were available from the first day. They contained both of the new values.

The datastring used on these was A2GB13 C2-051840-10 or 11. This coding suggests that C2 is now located in Britain. The cattle packs from 2012 used the code A2NL12 and kiosk ident C2 suggesting that the printer was located in the Netherlands. Transaction number for the second class stamp is 10 and for the second large this number is 11. Stock from C1 was used to produce stock for the stamps used on first day covers from Tallents House. C1 prints stock from a roll while C2 prints sheets for presentation packs.

If one takes the time to compare the presentation pack stamps with the kiosk Hytechs at Stampex one can see that there are slight differences in the font size. In addition the second line of text is indented by 1-2mm.

Therefore all of the earliest second class stamps will be Hytech versions. I would welcome reports of Wincor versions appearing throughout the country.

Spring Stampex 2013

Spring Stampex will run between 20-23 February 2013 at the Business Design Centre in Islington. I hope to attend this fair and upload details on to my pmechuk website: sites.google.com/site/pmechuk/

Royal Mail will have their usual stand which is expected to have 2 backroom Hytech kiosks and at least 2 publicly accessible kiosks. On the first day, the new second class Machins are expected and will consist of two values - second class up to 100g and second class large. These two will only be available from presentation packs, Tallents House FDCs and from the Hytech kiosks at this shoe - at least initially. Roll out of these is expected over the summer and will probably occur at offices with more than one Wincor-Nixdorf Kiosk. I would welcome reports of introduction dates.

On the Friday, the new freshwater life - Ponds will be introduced. There will be the usual six stamps which on this occasion depicts: the Three-spined Stickleback, Emperor Dragonfly, Smooth Newt, Lesser Silver Water Beetle, Fairy Shrimp and Glutinous Snail. These should be available as Hytech versions from these kiosks while normal Wincor-Nixdorf versions should be found in the Wincor equipped post offices.

There should be an overprint available for the 60th anniversary of the coronation at Westminster.

I would also welcome reports of session numbers, dates and times from all four days of Stampex and any irregularities which may appear.

Newsletter

At the beginning of January 2013, I produced the first edition of a newsletter covering the postal ATMs in the UK. The second issue will be ready soon for distribution. Copies may be obtained by e-mailing me at pmechuk@gmail.com. The February issue will give the story of the first home made faststamps along with defining the terms in use covering this filed of study in the UK. Pulled stamps, office idents, fonts and news of issues. Hopefully, the March issue will include information on Spring Stampex 2013 and the first of three freshwater life issues.

I would welcome contributions of material fro this publication whether it is just session number data from one office to a multi-page article. 

Pulled Faststamps

The Norphil blog entry for 8 January makes it clear that it is unfortunate that a few people trying to make a few pounds because they have found a weakness in a system. I questioned the legitimacy of the extended strips that appeared at Autumn Stampex 2012 and rightly so. At the previous Autumn Stampex, a  flaw in the Hytech kiosks allowed a few people pull on the strip of stamps to generate blank and partially printed stamps. This problem was fixed by Spring Stampex 2012 with the addition of a cover making it impossible to reach the strip.

I must point out that a letter to Stamp Magazine at the time of Spring Stampex warned of this mis-use of the machine and rightly so as these "errors" were made available on ebay the same day as they were produced at a heavy premium.

With the new design of Hytech kiosk that appeared at Autumn Stampex 2012, it looked as though the problem could recur and, I mentioned it to others while waiting in the queue to purchase examples form the kiosk on the first day of the show in the presence of the engineer. When this error subsequently appeared, and again quickly appeared on ebay led one to suspect a repeat. 

I subsequently asked for information supporting the genuineness of these new errors via the Stamp Magazine forum, Norphil and other sources. This prompted a reply that these were genuine and that a video had been made of the strips being produced. This video is now on You-tube and it clearly illustrates that these particular examples are genuine errors.

I agree with Ian at Norphil that it is ridiculous that some one such as myself has to question the authenticity of some stamps. I apologise if this has upset anyone but surely it is better for this new area of UK collecting that we question the irregularities and stop any abuse before it turns people away from this field of interest.

Once more, I stress that I am not a dealer. I am a stamp collector who has collected since I was 5 (in 1961).  I do not have the temperament to be a dealer. My background is science and I have published a number of papers in learned journals. When I see a wrong result, I check it and re-check it to see what the problem was. That was my training and profession.

Therefore if I see something out of place with the Hytechs and Wincors  or indeed any other field should I keep quiet and let it go or ask for clarification? I want to hear from other collectors in this area. I want data on usage, dates of use, session numbers, what stamps were used where, faults, receipt varieties, etc. My email address is pmechuk@gmail.com.

Happy New Year

OK, so this  blog has not been as regular as expected but, as they say, "so much to do, so little time to do it!"

I have tried to keep this blog and the six websites up to date with developments. Much of the data is in relative raw form but just requires care and time to process it. As noted in the last blog entry, I have started a newsletter to disseminate the information and encourage more data to be sent in my direction. There are other organisations out there which charge for this service such as ATEEME who operate on  a business model. I do not. I don't have the business skills, money or mobility to set up such an organisation. 

What I do have is enthusiasm for knowledge and a background in scientific research. This is what I am trying to bring to to this new area of UK collecting - trying to record the data at the time it is being produced rather than waiting for a decade plus to try to piece things together like a jigsaw with more than half the pieces missing. I may not have that 10 years for those bits to come together.

So 2012 has seen three new pictorials and a re-released robin along with the overprints for Stampex, Perth and the BPMA. And don't forget the pop up post office!

2013 will see three pictorial issues - freshwater life and a second class machin. Add to that more Stampex varieties with overprints and yet another re-released robin.

Please get in touch if you have data that will help me put together a more coherent picture.

Happy New Year to one and all.

Newsletter

There is so much information on UK ATMs on the net, in the press and available with each visit to a post office equipped with these kiosks. In the last year, I have set up about half a dozen websites listing the raw data that I have obtained along with scans of material in my personal collection. Then there is this blog.

From monitoring the hits on the Stamp Magazine forum, it is clear that there are a lot of people interested in this area of collection. Therefore, I have put together a first issue of a newsletter which can be downloaded from my pmechuk website or by e-mailing me at pmechuk@gmail.com. As I have often stated, I am not a dealer and I feel that the approach to dealing that some have taken on sites such as ebay may be misleading the unwary collector with regard to some of the terms used in advertising material (such as "SCARCE"). Therefore, the Newsletter is primarily for collectors to enable them to make informed choices. 

I would like to produce at least a few pages on a regular basis and would welcome input from others. The first issue covers from Autumn Stampex to the BPMA issue but I would welcome input not only on British Wincors and Hytechs but from around the world. 

As I have no financial support for this activity, all issues will be produced electronically and emailed to those interested. This means that there is no membership costs, no hassle with record keeping and accounts, no printing costs for me and no worry about finding postage costs.

 It is up to you whether this is a worthwhile activity.

The newsletter may be found at:
                     
                         https://sites.google.com/site/pmechuk/newsletter

The file is at the bottom of that page.

Stampex Data and Possible Newsletter

Kiosk B1 Information Wanted

I have been asked for information on the use of Kiosk B1 at Autumn Stampex. It was noticed that the date-line (1952-2012) is slightly indented from the line above (Diamond Jubilee) on the Cattle stamps erroneously overprinted for the Diamond Jubilee (it is clearly visible in the image on the pmechuk website). Can anyone supply jpeg images of items from this “backroom” kiosk (and time of purchase) as it is of interest as to when the indented date-line first occurred, by looking for the first overprinted Flag stamps from B1 with the same indent. So far, the indent is present on Flag stamps from session 334 at 12.48, session 390 at 15.06, session 446 at 17.50 all on 28 September; the latter session is very close to session 452 which produced the Cattle overprint. So it would be expected that the indent may have occurred on stamps from session 361 at 13.50 that you report in your table on the website.

Any additional information would be gratefully welcomed. Apart from knowing when the indent variant first occurred, it would also be interesting to know if it continued on stamps issued on Saturday 29 September, but so far no examples have been illustrated on the internet. 

E-mail me at pmechuk@gmail.com.

Possible Newsletter

I have been considering the suggestion about producing a regular newsletter on the UK ATMs which would be distributed electronically. There is some merit in the idea if others would be willing to contribute to its content. As a one man effort, my fear would be that it would fade away after a few issues but that would depend on you. E-mail address above.

Hytech Kiosks A1, A3 and A4

From 16 November 2012 to 24 December 2012, two new Hytech kiosks will be available for use at a "Pop Up" Post Office at Unit 17A, Stables Market Camden, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AH. The kiosks involved are coded A3 and A4.  

From data on the net and a visit today (3/12/12), the impression that I am getting is that it is mainly dealers and collectors of this material that are serching out this venue. Apparently, Saturday (1/12/12) was a busy day because the ident changed from ANGB12 to ADGB12. 

The desk cancels have as the location "Equipment Team Temporary" and have the codes 32 and 42. I asked if they were associated with the Head Office Model Office who tend to oversee these sort of trials of new machinery but was told that they weren't. They were just volunteers to man the office.

The British Postal Museum and Archive (BPMA) have received Hytech kiosk A1 and the first day of use was Monday 3/12/12. The unit is vending Machins and Robins with the overprint "The B.P.M.A.". This kiosk was used at Autumn Stampex 2012 and Perth 2012. The session numbers continue on from Perth2012. My examples were obtained at 14:19 on 3/12/12 and were from session 746.

After Christmas, the Robin stamp is to be replaced by the flag issue.

There were some teething problems with the kiosk at the BPMA on the first day requiring regular intervention by staff. 

Post and Go - Hytech Releases 

Recent weeks has seen some new developments regarding the Hytech kiosks. In October we saw the release of Perth 2012 Machins and Flags. The BPMA is to receive a kiosk on the 3 December and now we learn that a Pop Up Post Office has appeared at Camden Market with two new Hytechs - A3 and A4.

The worrying thing is the lack of information being released as to these new developments that could result in a few people who happen to be in the right place at the wrong time making a killing on ebay by overcharging collectors.

Autumn Stampex 2012 saw session numbers from circa 10 to around 500 on the faststamps produced at that show. Perth 2012 saw the highest session number around the 700-750 mark. This shows that the demand is there for these products, yet the collector has to rely on dealers or being there to get examples. This sort of material should be available through the Philatelic Bureau.

Already, there are suggestions that Royal Mail is seeing the Wincors and the Hytech "specials" as cashcows and that some collectors are threatening to stop purchasing the "specials".