Wichita eagle., 1889-04-20
COLLECTION OF CURIOS.

The Fascination OF Having Something
Your Neighbor Can Not Get.
According to writer in the Philatelic
Gazette, one Of the reasons, If not the main
one, why philateiy has such a fascination
about 1t, is because the desire to obtain
something which your neighbor lacks is Sc
strong as to keep the collector in what
may be called state Of delightful ex-
pectancy. He IS always looking out for
something rare, and when ne obtains a
stamp which none of his companions
possesses, or, possibly, has ever seen, what
a thrill Of joy radiates throughout his
whole system as he triumphantly exhibits
it! Thanksgiving dinners, the new gun
and such trifes sink into insignifcance
alongside the pleasure experienced in the
possession Of that stamp, and If, in his
transports, he feels momentary superb
ority can we blame him, for have we not
all, at some period in our life as collector,
had taste of the same pleasurel
Taking this, then, as an acknowledged
fact, feel safe in saying that the collection
Of oddities for rarities is by far the most
fascinating branch of the whole pursuit
and for these reasons:
The regular issues of stamps can be OBJ
ing his price, and if your means are IN
limited your album will be graced COR dis
graced) by few blank spaces.
Then these stamps are the same as all COL
lectors get, but where is there dealer who
can supply oddities on demandl True, there
are a few dealers who cater to the wants
of collectors in this line, but they can not
furnish any variety which may be ordered
how OY11rv h hnr =
hand, and when they are gone they must
wait for others to turn up, with no GER
tainty that they will "materialize," while,
with the regular issues, it is somewhat diff
ferent, as there are few stamps which can
not be produced If the price is forthcoming
If you look over two or three collections
of the regular issues you will find that they
comprise pretty much the same speci
mems, allowing, OF course, for the size Of
the collection, but examine the same num-
Der of "odd" collections and you will find
them containing hundreds of different speci-
mems.
A collection which has been obtained
through exchanging or from your own eff
forts in discovery affords much more pleas
ure than one which has been purchased.
This opinion l suppose will sound strange
DIS COlilLS lrOII u USdIcI, put ucNcTIueiSSS
firmly believe IN what l state.
A collection which has been purchased
possesses interest as having cost many dol
lars, but valuable specimens which have
been picked up at various times possesses
a greater interest as having cost nothing
in money, but much in time and patience,
and 1t is this time spent in discovering
which gives oddities interest in the eyes of
the possessor, as time and patience must be
his mainstay in order TO obtain them. and all
who will practice these are sure TO meet
with abundant reward
Here, then. is where oddities possess a
peculiar charm. They can not be had on
demand, SO the collector delves for them,
and while others are striving to obtain the
regular issues, which ali collectors have,
he is unearthing specimens, OF which some
are very hard 10 duplicate, and while ex-
hiblting his collection he can point with
pride 20 certain stamps and say: Il never
saw others ike them" How many collect
ors Of the regular issues can say the same.