The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-08-24
POSTAGE STAMP FAD.
1T BEGAN AS A HARMLESS AMUSE-
MENT AND BECAME A MANIA.

Millions of Dollars Are Locked Up In Bits
of Paper That Have No Real yalue-Some
of the Rare Specimens For Which Fabu-
lous Prices Are Asked and Given.
The postage stamp mania is one of
the most curious of human fads, re-
marks New York writer. A collection
Of coins is at the most worth the weight
of the metal Not SO collection of
stamps. The fashion may go out as it
came in, 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
boys and maiden ladies. 1t was not only
a 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 efficacious 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 hui
man progress, inasmuch as it consumes
large amount of brain force and vital
energy that might better be turned into
other and more useful channels of &C.
| tivity
| In the United States alone there is an
organization called the American Phila-
| telic association, which numbers 1000
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 VIEWS
M. Philippe de Ferrari, dignified,
courteous and white haired old gentle
man who lives in Paris. He is son of
the late Duchess de Galliera, who was
also a passionate lover of stamps.
His collection is valued at $500, 900.
He has been known to pay $500 for an
album which contained only 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 the enormous
value of these collections? 1t is not the
number of the specimens. There are
more than 6, 600 different varieties of
stamps now actually in existence. A
certain number can be obtained at com
paratively light expense.
But the rarer ones command largo
prices. Never mind whether the rarity
was created by age or accident.
The MacMahon stamp in 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 Were 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 a single specimen ever turns
up, it will be priceless.
Another lost pleiad is pos stamp
issued by the government CT British
Guiana in 1856 1t has disappeared from
the market, and specimens held III the
hands of private collectors are valued
at $3.50.
A set of four 1850 stamps also issued
in British Guiana bring anywhere from
$500 to $500, and a set of four 1852
Hawaiian stamps are valued at 81, 500. I
The Is and 80 cent reunion stamps
bring $500. The New Brunswick 3 cent
stamp, with the head of O'Connell, is
rarely parted with under $3.50.
Rare is also the black Canadian 12
penny stamp, valued at $l25.
But the collector does not stop at le- {
Ultimate issues of stamps. He gives {
fancy prices for varieties of shades, for t
oerforations, errors and watermarks.
At recent stamp exhibition in Wen
Ia an enthusiastic collector named Gil |
webb displayed with pride the error" =
printed in blue instead of black, the
error of Afghanistan and a stamp t.
With missing ornament in a corner. a
DR.. Mailman of Vienna had even O
more wondrous delights to unfold, for .
lie was the proud possessor of the two
are "errors" of the Cape of Good ,
Hope, stamps of penny and 4 pence
which are blue instead of :
ed and red instead of blue.
Such errors" fetch a very high Z
rice, kept down only by the uneaS;-ess il
f creating new values" by waiting .
]
No article ON philately could be COM
lete without some notisc of the l. 000,- a..
90 postage stamps myth. This still
urvives in vague and uncertain forms
d the rural districts, where il is believ- 81
d that some vast benefit, financial or v
Their, will accrue TO any one who col ;,
ects 1000, 600 stamps and forwards y
lem to the proper address. But the :
,Il~o-- l. 1-v,o,