Parker Envelopes
 

What do our readers think about the envelopes advertised on ebay as "NOS" and "Vintage" items? Does anyone think they are real? Thanks for your opinion.

Bill,
He seems to have multiple copies of all his vintage envelopes. They are priced very reasonable. I think I will pass!

Very doubtful that they are real. Too clean and the postage rate appears wrong. Three cents, or less, during the time that Parker was using advertising envelopes. My guess, they were made in the last year.

It is a federal crime to print US paper currency or US postage stamps.

Dean, you are correct and it is a Federal crime to counterfeit U.S. coins yet the Chinese are mass manufacturing old and not so old coins for sale to collectors. The secret service is well aware and nothing is done. These envelopes may not fall under the law as they are a "fantasy" item--not a true copy as the postage is wrong.

I checked the postage on google. First class was three cents in the time period I asked about. The envelopes may not be faked, they may be real. The Parker logos are probably faked since they are being sold by more than one vendor and appeared at the same time.

If the claim is made that they are "new old stock", should we ask the vendor if it would be OK to use the three or four cents as partial postage to mail one of these envelopes?

I think that would be quite appropriate.

I have plenty of time, so I may do it.

OK, it's done, for both vendors. I'll let you know.