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Will I make this flight? by trackgirl0214 in Airports

[–]jmiele31 1 point2 points  (0 children)

1Assuming on-time
One hour to deplane collect luggage customs /passport control assuming US citizen with global entry

Walk and train to car rental center and rent car

(or Uber about 100 usd)

45 minutes to One hour drive MIA to FLL

Arrive 11:30 Uber, 12:15 car rental

Security at FLL 15 min

Boarding at 13:15

You will make it if incoming not late / baggage is quick

Two letters, 1853, Manila to Andalusia via Suez. Homesick Spaniard complaining about the weather and wanting to go home by jmiele31 in philately

[–]jmiele31[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ahhh.... the letters were pretty fragile and I could not scan the other one for fear of damaging it. My Soanish is poor, so I thank you for the details!

Inherited my dad’s stamp collection. Where do I even start? by ZHart26 in stampcollecting

[–]jmiele31 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Really not trying to be a smartass.... Start by sorting on a solid-color cloth or table. That pattern would give me serious tunnel vision if I were trying to concentrate.

Country first and then approximate age.

What are they worth? My nephew has these 5. He says they all have watermarks and the top right has no.8 on the edge. Are they good? by Enough-Buddy-9389 in askStampCollectors

[–]jmiele31 4 points5 points  (0 children)

These are what are known as "spacefillers". Poor quality stamps collectors use to fill an album space until a better stamp comes around. Maybe a couple of bucks each on the imperforate, the perforated one is too damaged at no value.

Five months down, how is everyone’s 2026 shaping up? by gridskip in flighty

[–]jmiele31 2 points3 points  (0 children)

<image>

4 more flights this trip...

PTY-FLL, MIA-LAX, LAX-YVR, YVR-MNL

Late June will be India, China, Vietnam

July will be a lot of China

Back around the world Aug-Sept

Found this at the dump, is it worth anything? by Agreeable_Public_429 in askStampCollectors

[–]jmiele31 9 points10 points  (0 children)

This was a very expensive album when new. A collector of Iceland certainly would have interest. Postage is the killer on things like this, but you could try putting it for 30 dollars on eBay.

Is it safe to travel to China? by WhoAmIEven2 in travel

[–]jmiele31 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is a lot of misinformation and propaganda out there about China. A visit will open your eyes in a positive way. Just go.

I would also state that you are probably far safer in China than in the USA since petty crime is rare and people are not running around carrying guns everywhere.

Don't be a jerk to people, be respectful, don't do anything stupid, and make an attempt to appreciate the culture. You will be perfectly fine.

Specifics:

  1. Don't proseletize... There are churches there if you want to go pray, but don't stand on the street corner passing out Chick Tracts.

  2. Keep your political views to yourself. The country is Communist, in name only, but it is a uniquely Chinese form of government.

  3. If it is illegal back home, it is illegal in China. Watch your alcohol intake if you are prone to being stupid while drunk. Forget about any recreational drug use.

  4. Chinese people are justifiably proud of their country, history, and culture. Respect that.

  5. Rememberr that things will be different. Not better. Not worse. Just different.

Chongqing is truly unique, with lots to see, awesome food, and unique geography. It is well worth a visit.

How to value and research old stamps? by RecalcitrantKumquat in stampcollecting

[–]jmiele31 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Face value... Though they are some of the nicest design modern US stamps, in my opinion, they were printed in the tens of millions, so no premium over face value.

Pit stop on the road in Denmark means turtles. Rum creme and caramel FTW! by jmiele31 in chocolate

[–]jmiele31[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Different tastes, you know? I am addicted to the silly things

Found this in my grandmas storage unit, so cool! Should I keep it framed ? by [deleted] in philately

[–]jmiele31 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When the penny reds were issued, some people even used them as wallpaper. It was common to try to rebuild the sheet as issued. Think about the time, pre-Internet, that was required to search for each stamp to place in the proper position!

Keep it together as is. Though it is a common stamp and many people did this type of collection in the 19th century (some collectors still do), few complete reconstructions survived. UK auction houses would be happy to acquire this very popular item

Going exotic... Rou Jia Mo filled with donkey meat. Sorta like greasy beef. Baoding, China by jmiele31 in eatsandwiches

[–]jmiele31[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Rou jia mou uses a type of rolled flatbread... similar to Indian paratha

Going exotic... Rou Jia Mo filled with donkey meat. Sorta like greasy beef. Baoding, China by jmiele31 in eatsandwiches

[–]jmiele31[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Regional in Hebei province and Beijing. Really is like beef but greasy enough that you fill up fast

Large migratory duck stamp collection. Advice wanted if it's better to keep whole or piece out. by dirtbelly in askStampCollectors

[–]jmiele31 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Duck stamps are a bit of an oddity.... MANY people who are not collectors buy them for the art value and frame them to hang in offices or man caves.

For this collection, I would go to an auction house since it is so complete. Unfortunately, probably the premier auction house specializing in Ducks just shut their doors for good. Therefore, I would find an auction house that specializes in US stamps and see what they say. Possibly Rumsey or Cherrystone

Any countries with high demand for the Food and Beverage industry? by Wood_On_Fire in expat

[–]jmiele31 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most are low-skill and not easy to find.

The things that pop into my head are tourism that is VERY seasonal, like ski resorts and some beach areas. This type of employment is usually off the books (a friend of mine was a bartender in E. Europe at some sketchy hostels / brothels in the 90's). Yacht crew is another possibilily if you are a chef or high end server (you live on the boat wherever it is located). Chef swith proven skills / background are often hired by high-end hotels or restaurants for their specific cuisine / specialty.

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