Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1890-02-21
POSTAGE STAMPS.
A Few of the Most Famous COL
lections in Existence.
Enormous Prices Paid for the
Rare Specimens.

Six years ago q business man in this
city, says the Philadelphia NeWs, who
had plenty of money, deter mined to
collect magnificent assortment of for
egn postage stamps. For six years he
has done little else than pursue this oc-
cupation. He became connected with
all the leading dealers in the world and
left with them orders to secure rare va
ricties at any price. He has already ex-
pended $25, 900, and has now collec-
tion of about IA, 900 stamps. This may
include all the "adhesives," as there
are but 5000 of them in existence. Oc-
casionally you reai. and SO do l, OF
postage stamp collections con tanning
millions of different stamps. Such
things are myths, unless they consist of
innumerable duplicates.
Perhaps dealers and advanced collect
ors consider the collection of NJ. Fer
rari, son of the Duchess Of Galatea, the
finest collection of postage stamps in
the world 1t is said to outrank even
the famous Rothschild collection. The
Ferrari collection is worth $3.50, 900,
and its happy owner employs we'll
educated secretary who does nothing
whatever but attend to it. This secre-
tary classiies and pastes the stamps,
and corresponds with all the lea1ing
dealers of the world, endeavoring to
obtain what collectors call ''unattaina-
blcs."
The stamp dealers frequently obtain
specimens of rare stamps in queer ways.
Not long ago bookkeoper empl oyei
by Philadelphia merchant entered the
firm of which Mr.. Hanes is member,
and throwing stamp on the counter
asked whether it was worth anything.
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 letter of an old CORE.
spondcnt of the firm for which he
worked. Apparently the man did not
think the stamp would bring more than
30 cents or a dollar. You can judge
of his amazement, therefor, when he
was offered sum very far beyo this,
and which seemed to him fabulous.
He parted with 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
yor $3.50.
One of the most famous collectors of
the world is Mr.. Tapling an English
member of Parliament. He lives at
Dulwich, not far from London. His
collection, which is valued at 5000, 900,
is mounted on card board and includes
a long list of what connoisseurs call tho
''unattainables. Dozens and dozens of
Mr.. Tap'ing's stamps are worth from
500 to $3.50 apiece.
Several weeks ago a very small boy
who has been selling stamps at inter
walls to local dealer called upon him
with a United States stamp-I think it
was one of the old ''eighty cents''-
and asked how much it was worth.
This was stamp which sells readily
for $40. But the lad had never re-
ceived more than five or six cents
apiece for his stamps before, and the
dealer was afraid of frightening him at
first by mentioning high value, so he
told the boy 'ft was mighty good
stamp" Then offering $5 for it, he
asked the lad whether he would sell it
at that figure. The boy became scared.
picked up the stamp, ran away and has
never returned. He probably has an
idea that it is worth fabulous sum.