The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-23
CANCELLED STAMPS.
A Market for Three or Four Millions |
of Them.
From tie NelO YORK. Tribune

from Tue NeW 1OTk LTtOltUe.
Has any one 100000 stamps or 100000
or 100,00Ol The man who has long been
wanted by people who have saved up stamps
and who have jealousy guarded them for
wears has been found. He actually buys
cancelled stamps by the million or the hun
bred thousand. This cheerful news is given
for the benefit of those who have cried out
for Information from time to time. But
the man who buys them does not expect to
see them redee ned, nor is he trying to relieve
the sufferings of those who have carefully
boarded the ''littls green uns," the Scent
stamp, I'd the Scent stamp, and the stamp
of all kinds. But the seekers of wealth by
stamp selling are not likely to acquire great
fortunes in this way. If they have only
collected few thousand, or even 100000,
they would better become discouraged and
give it up, for the wholesale market price
of cancelled postage stamps unless for some
particular reason they are extrinsically
more valuable) is 500 for 100000. And
that is $40 for 100000.
"Whv do buy postage stampS" said G..
B. Calman of No. 299 Pearl street, to a
Tribune reporter. "Why, to sell them, Of
course"
''Who wants themw
eff people did not want them, certainly
should not buy them"
'Give one instance of a reasonable de-
mand for them"
which has a cancelled stamp on q picture
which is given away with every box of
cigarettes. The company uses millions of
them.n
Another"
ga certain publication gives a stamp
book for so many coupons, the coupons
going with the papers"
What kinds of stamps do you buym
"All kinds"
"But who wants common green two-cent
stamps? They are not rare"
"Well, they are less common in Western
Bulgaria than in New York city. l buy
stamps in all parts of Europe and bring
them to America, and I ship American
stamps to all parts of Europe"
'How many stamps do you buy year!"
81 bought over $4,000, 900 last year. For
fifteen years have averaged 20,000,00O a
year"
"What becomes of them7"
"Think of all the shops where stamps are
sold. A great many people make collec-
tons, and the stamps are all gathered for
them in this way"
''What do you pay for stampsw
zone hundred dollars for 1000, 900 of any
kind. l don't care what they are, I will
take them. But pay great deal more for
rare ones, Oh COuTS0. people ma
old stamps which have been lying around
for years. Frequently they are very valua-
ble."
Suppose you were to get an order to-day
for 100000 could you I'LL it?'
"Yes."
''Would you buy as manyF'
yes"
chow do you handle themp
''Those packing cases there are full of
them You see the stamps are assorted and
put in envelopes and boxed for shipment"
st would not pay, would it, to count
1000, 900 two-cent stamps; how do you man
age thatF'
"We can estimate them almost precisely
by weight"
$50 cancelled stamps really have a mar
ket valuem
IF they did not, as 1 said before, should
not buy them. Bring round a million or
two, i'll boxes or bales, and see for your
self. There are few things in these days
that are allowed to go to waste" And he
picked up a package of foreign stamps, and
gave them to the reporter as a nest-egg.