Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-09-17
POSTAGE STAMP FAD.
" BEGAN AS A HARMLESS AMuse-
MeNT AND BECAME A MANIA.

lous Prices Are Asked and Given.
The postage stamp mania is one of
The most curious of human fads re-
ilarks a New York writer. A collection
III coins is at the most worth the weight
OF the metal. Not so a collection of
stamps The fashion may 90 ont as IL
came i'll, and then the stamps will be
only so much waste paper.
The fad broke out in 1861 in the form
Of few sporadic cases among school
toys and maiden ladies. 1t was not only
q harmless fad, but in the case of the
schoolboys it was even an educative
one 1t proved the easiest, the pleasant
est and the most eff1cacious way Of
driving knowledge of geography into
the adolescent mind.
But now that these first few sporadic
attacks have developed into something
alarmingly like an epidemic one begins
to speculate whether the craze of the
philatelist is not distinct bar to hu-
man progress, inasmuch as it consumes
a large amount of brain force and vital
energy that might better be turned into
other and more useful channels of ac-
tivity
In the United States alone there is an
organization called the American Phila-
telic association, which numbers l, 900
members. But this represents only a
small fraction of the philatelists actual
ly in the country.
The greatest and most famous of liv-
ing philatelists - considered merely
from the philatelist point Of view--is
M. Philippe de Ferrari, dignified,
courteous and white haired old gentle
man who lives in Paris. He is n son of
the late Duchess de Galliera, who was
also a passionate lover of stamps.
His collection is valued at $500, coo.
He has been known to pay $500 for an
album which contained only a single
stamp that he coveted. For more valu-
able collections he has never limited his
expenditures.
Next to the Ferrari collection comes
that of Baron Arthur de Rothschild,
which is so valuable that its owner, with
the true jealousy of the collector, re-
serves the pages containing his rarest
treasures for the delectation only of
himself and his most intimate friends.
Now, what constitutes tho enormous
value Of these collections? 1t is not the
number of the specimens. There are
more than 5000 different varieties of
stamps now actually in existence. A
certain number can be obtained at COM
paratively light expense.
But the rarer ones command large
prices. Never mind whether the rarity
was created by age or accident
The MacMahon stamp i'll France is
the blue rose, the unattainable ideal of
the collector. When the marshal was
president of France, his wife was anx-
ious to see his image set in stamps.
Designs we're accordingly prepared,
but the postal commissioner rejected
them and adopted another design. New
ertheless there is legend that some of
these MacMahon stamps got into circu-
lation. If single specimen ever turns
up, it will be priceless
Another lost pleiad is postage stamp
issued by the government of British
Guiana in 1855. 1t has disappeared from
the market, and specimens held in the
hands of private collectors are valued
at $3.50.
A set of four 1850 stamps also issued
in British Guiana bring anywhere from
S400 to $500, and set of four 1852
Hawaiian stamps are valued at 81, 500.
The Is and 80 cent reunion stamps
oring $780, The New Brunswick 3 cent
stamp, with the head of O'Connell, is
rarely parted with under $50.
Rare is also the black Canadian IL
penny stamp, valued at $125.
But the collector does not stop at le-
climate issues of stamps. He gives
fancy prices for varieties of shades, for
perforations, errors and watermarks.
At recent stamp exhibition in Vien'
na an enthusiastic collector named Gil
webb displayed with pride the "error"
of France stamp Of 2p centimes
printed in blue instead of black, the
terror of Afghanistan and a stamp
with missing ornament in q corner.
DR.. Mailman of Vienna had even
more wondrous delights to unfold, for
he was the proud possessor OF the two
rare "errors" of the Cape Of Good
Hope, stamps Of 1 penny and pence
which are blue instead OF
red and red instead Of blue.
Such "errors" fetch very high
price, kept down only by the uneasiness
Of creating new values" by wanting
No article ON philately could be com
plcte without some notice Of the 1000.
900 postage stamps myth. This still
survives in vague and uncertain forms
in the rural districts, where IL is beliey-
ed that some vast benefit financial or
other, will accrue 10 any ono who col
lects 1000, 900 stamps and forwards
them 10 the proper addrefs. But tho
Iroper address Is never known.
Inc0ngruOus.