The evening world., 1889-12-23
MONEY IN POST STAMPS
SOME FAMOUS COLLECTIONS MADE Bl
ENTHUSIASTIC CONNOIssEURa

A Phlad elphian Who Has Expended
e25, 900 in Collecting $4,000
stamps-Queer Ways in Which
the "Adhesives" Are Obtained
High Prices for Rare SpecimenD.
Six years ago q business man in this
city. says the Philadelphia Netos. who had
plenty Of money. determined to COLLECT q
magnificent assortment Of foreign postage.
stamps. For six years he has done little
else than pursue this occupation. He be-
came connected with all the leading deal
era in the world, and left with them orders
to secure rare varieties at any price. He
has already expended cas-. 900, and has
now a collection Of about fourteen thou.
sand stamps. This may include all the
"ndhesives," as there are but eight thou
sand of them in existence. Occasionally
you read. and SO do I, Of postage-stamp
collections containing millions of differ
emit stamps. Such things are myths, un-
less they consist of innumerable dupli-
Gates.
Perhaps dealers and advanced collect
ors consider the collection OF NJ. Ferrari
son of the Duchess Of Galatea, the finest
collection OF postage stamps in the world.
It is said to outrank even the famous
Rothschild collection. The Ferrari collec-
ton is worth $3.50, 900, and its happy owner
employs n well-educated secretary who
does nothing whatever but attend to 1t.
This secretary classifes and pastes the
stamps, and corresponds with all the lead
ing dealers of the world. endeavoring to
obtain what collectors call ''unattAina-
bles."
The stamp dealers frequently obtain
specimens Of rare stamps in queer ways.
Not long ago o bookkeeper employed by
q Philadelphia merchant entered the
Office Of the firm of which Mr.. Hanes ID
o member. and throwing q stamp on the
counter asked whether it was worth my
thing. This was one of the first stamps
issued by the city of Baltimore many
years ago, and the bookkeeper said he had
found it on q letter of an old correspond
ent of the firm for which he worked.
Apparently the man did not think the
stamp would bring more than 30 cents OF
q dollar. You can judge of his amaze.
ment, therefore, when he wLs offered q
sum very far beyond this, and which
bcen6u 10 ulm IhUulOub. ne DhrI0u VIII
the stamp gladly. and hurried out of the
office as if he were afraid the money
would be asked back. Several days Later
this stamp was sold for $3.50.
One of the most famous collectors Of
the world is Mr.. Tapling, an English
member of Parliament. He lives at Dull
wich. not for from London. His coliOc
ton, which is valued at $500, 600. II
mounted on cardboard and includes {
long list of what connoisseurs call the
"unattainables." Dozens and dozens o.
Mr.. Tapling's stamps are worth from $1OI
to $3.50 apiece.
Several weeks ago o very small boy whC
has been selling stamps at intervals to
local dealer called upon him with a United
States stamp-1 think It vas one of the ok
eighty cents "-Rnd asked how much i
was worth. This was n stamp which sell
readily for $40. But the lad had neve,
received more than five or six cents apiec,
Tor his stamps before. ana the dealer wa
afraid Of frightening him at first BY
mentioning o high value. , o he told thu
boy q it was Il mighty good stamp" Thel
offering IS for it. he asked the lat
whether he would sell it at that figure
The boy became scared, picked up tn,
stamp. a away and has never returned
He probably has III idea that it is WORT
q fabulous sum.