What's in your kiloware? How the Machins are spread.

Interesting results from the latest batch of office clippings I've been given.  Not a huge amount - I don't have time to plough through sacks of kiloware - only a c5 envelope-full.

The results were largely what I expected: mostly 1st & 2nd class Machins, with a few Christmas stamps, and just three recent special issues.  A closer examination of the Machins showed that most of them were of pre-2010 printings (ie without the MA10 code, but one piece had a 50p and £5 value, so they are around, albeit hard to find.

The MA10 stamps included about 10 each of 1st MTIL, 1st MSIL, and 2nd MTIL - with just one 1st class MBIL, ie from a Business Sheet.  A much larger proportion of the 2009 mix included 1st & 2nd class stamps from Business Sheets, suggesting either that businesses or post offices still have good stocks without acquiring the new versions.

One of the big surprises was finding 5 stamps from counter sheets - code MAIL - all second class.  This supports the view expressed by many people that Post Offices are selling special 1st class stamps (of which there have been many), or booklets and have no need to order recent printings of 1st & 2nd class Machins.  Indeed some are still using PIP self-adhesives from 2006, and (from local knowledge) some still have pre-self-adhesive stamps.  My mix included no Large Letter stamps from any source.

The special stamps included one wildcat from the Mammals issue, and two Olympics stamps from mixed booklets - but no 1st class MCIL stamps from those booklets!

The other surprise was finding that most of the stamps were postmarked: this is different from our own incoming mail, much of which is not postmarked.

What comes in to your office?  Or what have you found in kiloware?  Let us know in the comments box. 

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