Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-05-02
coLLEcTlCN OF ODDITIES,
The Fascination of Possessing Something
Which Your Seighbor Cannot Get

when Your NelEhDOr cannot Get
According to a writer in the P5Hak.
lie Gazette one of the reasons, if not
the main one, why philately has such
a fascination about tits because thode.
sire TO obtain something which your
neighbOr lacks is so strong as to keep
the collector in what may be called a
state of delightful expectancy He is
always looking out for something
rare, and when he obtains a stamp
Which none Of his companions possess
es or possibly has ever seen, what
thrill of JOY radiates throughout bis
whole system as he triumphantIy ex.
hibts it! Thanksgiving dinners, the
new gun and such triGes sink into 10.
significance alongside the pleasure eE.
perienced in the possession Of that
stamp, and if in his transports he feels
a momentary superiority can we blame
him, for have we not all at some period
i'm our life as u collector had taste Of
the same pleasure?
Taking this, then, as an acknowI.
edged fact, feel safe in saying that
tie collection of oddities or rarites, is
by far the most fascinating branch Of
the whole pursuit, and for these
reasons.
The regular issues of stamps can be
obtained from any large dealer by
simply paying his price, aud II youI.
means are unlimited your album will
be graced Cor disgraced) by few blank
spaces.
Then these stamps are the same as
all collectors get. but where is there
dealer who can supply oddities on de-
mand? True there are a few dealers
who cater TO the wants Of collectors ID
this line, but they cannot furnish any
variety which may be ordered. They
only have a number of varieties OF
hand, and when they are gone they
must wait for others to turn up, Win
no certainty that they will materali1e'
while with the regular issues 1t Is
somewhat different, as there are ie"
stamps which cannot be produced Il IAs
price is forthcoming.
Ii you look over two or three CO.,
lechons Of the regular issues YOU VIII
lind chat they comprise pretty much
the same specimens, allowing oteouI''
for the size of the collection, ol.
examine the same number Of "Old
collections and you will find them coz
tanning hundreds Of different speH
mems.
4 collection which has been OBJ
tanned through exchanging or from
your own efforts in discovery atora'
much more pleasure than one when
has been purchased This opinion !
suppose Will sound strange as coming
from dealer, but | nevertheless ilIll
ly believe in what | state.
4 collection which has been pui'
chased possesses interest as having
cost many dollars, but valuable spee-
mems which have been picked up "
various times possess a greater inter-
est as having cost nothing IN money
but much in time and patience, ana 4
is this time spent in discovering WhleIt
gives oddities interest in the eyes Y
the possessOr, as time and paueN5'
must be his mainsJay in order ta ~
tain them, aud all practice these arc
sure to meet with abundant reward
Here then is where oddities posses
a peculiar charm. They car1ot pc nag.
on demand. so tue collector delyeS "
them, and while others are striving Y
obtain the regular issues, which q.
collectors have, he is unearth'l7
specimens Of which some are very ua i..
10 duplicate, and while exhibiting IL
collection az can point with pride -
certain stamps aud SAY, Il never iii"
others like them How many eo.lss,
tors Of the regular issues can say ia0
same3