The morning call., 1894-05-20
PHILATELIC FACTS.

/ How very extensive The interests Of
stamp collectors nave become in Londor
is demonstrated by the fact that there are
nearly forty firms engaged as dealers il
the city and West End. Last season two
auctioneers i'll the British metropolis
turned over nearly $4,000 from stamps,
and third firm is reported to have real
Zed from auction sales not less than $780,
| 0OO These figures are significant when II
Is remembered that stamp auction sales
are comparatively Of recent introduction
! and that they are only supplementary 10
the regular methods of distribution.
by far the finest lot of stamps thus far
sold In England at single auction sale
were disposed of by Messrs. Bull Febru-
airy last, There were 937 lots, and the
average price realized was e. 14s Oh, EQUIV
aient 10 about S13 90 of our currency
SlXty-fOur stamps brought an excess of
So ana seven brought 500 or more each
At recent auction sale of amps in
New York 1000 lots brought $500, or an
average OF 81 30. And vet there are
many outside The pale of phiately's en-
hantments who ailege with a confidence
born OF ignorance that stamp collecting is
but passing fad.
Sigmund Fnedl of the worlG-famed
Friedl museum of Vienna, is the proud
owner OF a collection of envelopes taken
Il
siamp-lssuing country on the globe.
According the report OF the Governor
General of the island of 81. Helena the
$1,000 surplus revenue OF that British colony
Included 500 realized from the sales of
stamps to collectors.
The postal surplus of the Hawaiian Gov
eminent Is reported to have been 5000, 0O0
last year. due largely, it is said, to tne fact
that there are some million or more stamp
collectors.
Including the newly issued postal card
of this year the United s. ates has put forth
eleven distinct varieties Of these postal
conveniences. Eight we're of the 1-cent
denomination, one of the 2-cent one was
reply card for domestic use, and one was
a reply caro- for foreign correspondence.
-Four varieties are nov in use-a 1-cent, &
2-cent and both of the reply cards
There are twenty-one firms in New I ork
City that trade only In stamps.
On tie exchange circuit of the American
Philatelic Association there are stamps to
the value OF SO, 500 in circulation.
Among the novel purposes for which Co.
lumbar stamps are being used Is that for
ladies' garters. They are very pretty and
make a fine present TO a stamp-eollector'
best girl. The buckles are made of silver.
in which the Columbian stamp is encased
a certain collector of New York, who Is
in the publishing business, evolved very
successful scheme for securing n large
number Of the 30-cent value Of the Column
bian issue. He sent out over 200 co pies of
a certain book which required that amount
of postage, and sent the bill mail ahead.
incl0sing a printed circular requesting the
return of the stamp. As these stamps in
used condition are now worth more than
their face value his profit from this bit of
clever enterprise is about $3.50.
a London dealer recently purchased a
collection of Afghanistan stamps only val
ued at $4,000.
In 1851 the number of regular postage
stamps listed in he standard American
catalogue was 1916. The latest catalogue,
issued early this year, gives %. no
This country used S75 O00,000 worth Of
postage stamps during 1898 The issue Of
1S47 was in use four years and the total
sales during that period amounted to only
S274, 10. There were So, 500 900 special de-
livery stamps issued last year. Uncle Sam
pays cents per loco for ordinary stamps,
cents per 1000 for postage due and IS
cents for special delivery and periodical
stamps.