Exchange Books
About Exchange Books
CPS operates an "Exchange Branch" which provides members with a facility to buy material for their collections and dispose of their duplicates. Members who have surplus items for sale make up booklets of nine pages that are supplied by the Society. The selling member will price the items at what he/she thinks is reasonable and obtainable. Often the catalogue price is shown as a comparison. Ten individual booklets are made up into a book and each month members who are on circuits will receive two of these books to peruse for material they wish to purchase. Each circuit has between 3 and 9 members, the number determined by their geographic location. On city circuits the books are passed on by hand. The Society also operates postal circuits for out of town members who have to pay for postage charges. A set procedure for recording material removed from Circuit Books and making payments is contained in the Circuit Rules (see below). CPS charges a commission to sellers. Payment to sellers is made twice a year. Circuit books are a bit of a lottery as they are not tailored to an individuals' collecting requirements. However, there is usually something to interest bothe the specialist collector as well as the more general and the thematic collector.
Joining the Exchange Circuit
Only members of the CPS can join the stamp circuit. If any member would like to join a stamp circuit, please contact the Exchange Superintendent by mail to: CPS, PO Box 29, Christchurch 8140 or by email to: exchange@cps.gen.nz. Members with surplus material are also welcome to use the circuit for selling. Please contact the Exchange Superintendent for details.
Rules of the Exchange Circuit
A member of the Society who is under the age of 20 years shall not be entitled to receive Exchange Books until he or she has forwarded to the Society a written indemnity from at least one person to be approved by the Superintendent indemnifying the Society against any loss or damage to the Exchange Books while in the possession and custody of such member and in respect of monies payable for stamps taken from Exchange Books the indemnity to cover any such monies payable or any such loss or damage occurring while the member is under the age of 20 years.
2. All stamps for exchange must be priced in New Zealand currency and prices marked must be net. Any loss arising from breach of this Rule must fall on the owner of the stamps concerned. Stamps for exchange must be attached to the printed sheets supplied by the Society at a rate fixed by the Superintendent from time to time and must be securely mounted by hinges on the spaces provided, legibly priced in ink above, and forwarded to the Superintendent for circulation. The name of the owner and the total value of the stamps on the sheet shall be written or printed on each sheet.
3. The Society shall not accept any responsibility for loss or damage to stamps forwarded for circulation in the Exchange Branch.
4. The blank spaces on the pages consequent to the removal of stamps must bear INITIALS. If these are missing from the space from which a stamp has been removed it shall be the duty of the member next in turn to notify the previous recipient of the exchange book and the Superintendent. Failure to comply with this rule will make the last party responsible for payment for any stamp that has been removed without a proper record.
5. Each member must enter purchases on the front of booklets and complete ALL columns on the circulation list. He or she must then fill in the advice note to be found at the back of the exchange book and forward it to the Superintendent.
6.The exchange books shall be distributed in rotation, each member thus having the benefit of a first selection in his or her turn. No member shall retain a book for more than four working days.
7. The Superintendent and the Assistants operating the exchange shall have priority of choice from the exchange books.
8. An exchange book may be delivered by hand; in which case the member who delivers it shall obtain a receipt for it. If an exchange book is sent by post it must be sent by traceable courier bag.
9. If a member is to be away from his or her address for more than seven days, he or she must advise the Superintendent. Wherever possible, the member preceding the absent member on the list should forward the book to the member whose name follows that of the absent member.
10. A member shall be held responsible to the Society for the safety of an exchange book while it is in his or her possession and shall be required to make good any loss or damage to the book and contents during such period.
11. A commission of fifteen per cent (15%) on the sale price of stamps removed from sheets circulated shall be deducted by the Society.
12. Remittances for stamps purchased must accompany the advice note unless members have made special arrangements with the Superintendent for payment.
13. As each exchange book is returned from its final circuit the Superintendent shall return sheets to the owners, with remittances for stamps sold, less commission, postage, and any other expenses that may have been incurred.
14. The Superintendent shall have the power to decline to circulate any stamps submitted to him for exchange.
15. The Executive Committee with the agreement of the Superintendent shall have the power to arrange exchanges with kindred Societies.
16. Failure to observe the Rules will render offending members liable to deletion from the exchange circuits.
