Manchukuo - Stamp Dealers

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Stamp Dealer Covers from Manchukuo

Notes

The (mostly) White Russian Stamp Dealers of Harbin

Harbin was the centre of stamp dealing in Manchukuo and most of the dealers were Russian Jews or White Russian. The Russians built Harbin, it started off as a small railway supply yard or depot with the building of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) in 1905 and evolved into a thriving railway town. Later the population was swollen by Jews fleeing pogroms in Russia and the Ukraine, then by White Russians fleeing the Bolsheviks. After the war things changed and while some dealers continued for a time, most left China as it came under Communist rule.

Many of the covers found today have a link to these dealers but they are poorly documented, this is why I include these notes - any further information would be appreciated.

N. Tarakanoff & A. Ivanoff

Corner of Commercial & Novogorodnaya Streets, Harbin, Manchoukuo

Later trading as Tarakanoff, Ivanoff & Ogawa from the same address.

Later trading as ,>> Ye-Ta-Yang-Hong<< Tarakanoff, Ivanoff & Shigidsumi from the same address.

This company specialized in Cancel to Order MLO's between 1945 and 1949, these represented a number of towns but all had a Harbin postmark which may have been made by a looted or stolen dater. The above trading names can all be found printed on covers.

Geo Yaroshevitch and A. S. Yaroshevitch

PO Box 242, Harbin-Manchutikuo and later at 14 Kitaiskaya Str, Harbin.

His trading style was A. S. Yaroshevich (postage stamps for collectors). A general stamp dealer, the above address is printed on covers. It is not clear whether A.S. and Geo are the same person or relatives, Father & Son perhaps? He regularly sent stamps to collectors and dealers in China and the U.S.A including the well known specialist dealer Harry Tamer..

Alexander T. Nedelsky

2 Pogranichnaya Street, Harbin.

Also at PO Box No 204, Harbin

His covers are usually hand typed and addressed to himself, he would then take the covers to Harbin Post Office and ask a clerk to cancel with the latest commemorative postmark. This could simply be a profitable sideline but his covers are quite numerous. A typical example is seen here.

George T. Murasheff

PO Box No. 471, Harbin, Manchu-ti-kuo

On his printed covers he describes himself thus "Journalist and Philatelist, Wholesale and retail occasions", later as a "stamp dealer and publisher". He supplied stamps to customers in the USA, England, and elsewhere.

Jacques Klemantaski

Harbin

This is the only information printed of his covers so no full address. He is known to have supplied collectors in the USA and Europe. I suspect that his PO Box number may have been 302 based on this number being scrawled below his name on a First Day Cover.

Ivan Fedorovitz Malicheff

PO Box No 38, Harbin, Mandchoukouo

later at PO Box 30, Harbin

This dealer used a rubber stamp to mark his envelopes with his full name and his eccentric spelling on Manchukuo, later he had printed envelopes reading I. F. Malicheff, PO Boite No 30, Harbin, Chine (later changed to Harbine). He also sometimes used Malischeff with an "s" as shown above. This dealer was widely known and had customers in North America and Europe. He had a standard letter printed in French and English which he used to tout for business.

F. N. Stroganoff

58 Tserkovnoya St, Apt 7, Harbin, Modiagow

Mr Stroganoff hand wrote his name and address on envelopes describing himself as a Russian Emigrant. He is known to have supplied the Japan Postage Stamps Association in Tokyo and Alexander Schumann's Mercury Stamp Company in Shanghai. I have seen a cover from him indicating that survived the war and was still in business in March 1946.

Ing V. Feoctistoff

6 Tzerkovnaia Str. Harbin, Manchoukuo

This is a very long established dealer who seemed to be the main agent in Harbin supplying The Universal Stamp Co in Tsingtao. He marked is early envelopes with a purple hand-stamp in English and Chinese. Later envelopes were printed V. Feoctistoff (Russian Emigrant) Harbin. Tzercovnaia St. 6, also in Chinese.

John V Sweet (Ivan V Svit)

PO Box 269, Harbin, Manchou-kuo, Asia

and later

PO Box 4098 Shanghai.

A Ukrainian, John V Sweet has his own page please click in the link. When Mr Sweet moved to Shanghai, Mr Grigor (also a Ukrainian) seems to have taken over the running of the Harbin office and PO Box. From covers sent to Mr. Sweet I assume he was an employee.

V. E. Kauffman

56 Mostovaya Str. Harbin P.O.Box 6

Specially printed envelopes with his details in English and Chinese headed "Stamps for Collections" encased in a black border. He traded before the war and continued until at least 1946 as some of his covers may be found with Manchurial Local Overprints.

Harbin Stamp Co

Harbin, Manchukuo, Box No 445

This company may or may not been run by Russians and they are seldom encountered. Most covers seem to be sent to customers in China. I have seen no covers prior to 1940 so the company may have been short lived. Printed stationary with a Chinese hand-stamp is the norm.

Lian Liu Stamps Co

57 Diagonalnaya St. Harbin

This company sounds like it probably has Chinese owners, the only cover seen from them is addressed to Japan in Chinese.

B J Bjelousoff

79 Pochtovaya Str. Harbin. Manchutikuo

This dealer seems to deal mostly with the Russian market. Most of his output appears to be F.D.C.s sent to customers in Russia. Covers have also been seen sent to Poland.

M F Shoolack

Harbin, Box No 436

Shoolack dealt with customers throughout Europe and America who could buy in small lots or wholesale. He also claimed to supply the complete stamp issues from Manchukuo in a special album.

V S Jiganoff

Harbin, Manchukuo, Box No 427

Very little is known about this dealer other than the fact that he is associated with First Day Covers. Sighting of his material is rare.

The dealers from outside Harbin.

Yi Kuang Stamp Co

Hsinking, Manchukuo

Mostly supplying the Asian market with First Day Covers, the envelopes are printed in English and Chinese.

The Oriental Postage Stamp Collecting Club

PO Box 158, Dairen, Manchuria

Look out for brown envelopes with a red border and the address printed in red. Very little is known about this organisation.

Ming Lang Philatelic Society

375 West Street, Hai-Cheng, Man-chu-kuo, Asia.

Dr Y. C. Sung was a very enterprising Chinese stamp dealer based in Haicheng, Manchukuo. The Ming Lang Philatelic Society started life as the Ming Lang Stamp Club in c1932. His 1935 Catalogue of stamps from Manchukuo was probably the first English language catalogue devoted to this country. See link.

Mr B Rio

103 North Street, Kirin, Manchukuo and at 53 North Street, Kirin, Manchukuo (I assume he moved).

Mr Rio was an academic working at Kirin University but he was also a keen philatelist and part time dealer. Typically he hand wrote his name and address in the top left hand corner of each envelope.

He supplied collectors worldwide and acted as an agent for other dealers, such as Harry Tamer in the USA. He also made a habit of dressing his covers up with special cancels and adhesive labels.

Alexander Schumann The Mercury Stamp Co

Home: Avenue Rui Albert, 359 King Street, Apt F5,Shanghai Business: 1237 Avenue Road, Shanghai.

A very well known dealer with his own catalogues devoted to Manchukuo. Follow the link.

Pao Chieh-Hang South Manchurian Stamp Co

Kuan-tien, Antung Manchukuo

I know very little about this dealer other than he had a possible customer in Belgium and he was active in 1935.

Constantine Dourneff

1-8 Surugandai Kanda, Tokyo, Japan

This Russian Emigrant is known to have links to V. E. Kauffman of the Kultura stamp shop in Harbin. His name also appears on First Day Covers sent from Harbin so he may have operated from there before moving to Tokyo. His covers are linked to the Harbin Philatelic Section. Another link is Mr A. J. Kiriloff of 59 Ajieiskaia Street, Harbin (although this may only be a customer).