The Yellowstone journal., 1894-10-17
POSTAGE STAMP FAD.
n BEGAN As A HARMLESS AMuSE-
MeNT AND BECAME A MANIA.
N0lioas of Dollars Are Locked Up In Bits
~ Paper That Have No Real yalue-some
- the Rare Specimens For which Fabu-
D,us Prices Are Asked and Given.

- the kare specimens OF "
lsus Prices Are Asked and Given.
The postage stamp mania is one of
Dise 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 ont as it
came in, and then the stamps will be
only so much waste paper.
The fad broke out in / SCI in the form
Of q few sporadic cases among school
bows and maiden ladies. 1t was not only
q harmless fad, but in the case of the
schOolboys il was even an educative
one. 1t proved the easiest, the pleasant
ess and the most efficacious way of
driving knowledge Of geography into
he adoiescent mind.
But now that these first few sporadic
sstacks 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
! large amount of brain force and vital
energy that might better be turned into
6vity
In the United States alone there Is an
examination called the American Phlla-
telic association, which numbers ], 600
members. But this represents only a
small fraction of the philatelists actual
" in the country.
); The greatest and most famous of Er-
ing philatelists considered mercy
from the philatelist point of VIEWS
n. Philippe de Ferrari, dignitied.
: oourteous and white haired old gentle
man who lives in Paris. He is q son OF
= shs late Duchess de Galliera, who was
also a passionate lover of stamps.
's His collection is valued at $500, 600.
He has been known TO pay $500 for an
album which contained only a single
scamp that he coveted. For more valu-
able collections he has never limited his
expenditure.
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? Ii is not the
pumber 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
N1--1. ,,,t,,I ,,-bErfar IN rar1 ~
was created by age or accident.
The MacMahon stamp in France Is
the blue rose, the unattainuble ideal Of
the collector. When the marshal Wa,
president of France his wife was anX
ious to see MS 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 o.
these MacMahon stamps got into oircu
lation. If single specimen ever turn
up, it will be priceless.
Another lost pleiad is postage staml
issued by the government Of British
Guiana in 1886. II has disappeared from
the market, and specimens held in th'
hands of private collectors are valued
at $3.50.
A set of four 1850 stamps also ISSUED
in British Guiana bring anywhere from
&40O TO $500, and "A set of four lS5;
, Hawaiian stamps are valued at 81, 800
''. The 10 and 30 cent reunion stamp
bring $500. The New Brunswick cen
stamp, with the head of O'Connell, Il
rarely parted with under $3.50.
Rare is also the black Canadian /:
penny stamp, valued at $l25.
But the collector does not stop at le
eitimate issues of stamps. He give
fancy prices for varieties Of shades, TO
perforations, errors and watermarks.
At a recent stamp exhibition in Wien
na an enthusiastic collector named Gi
webb displayed with pride the error
q Franco stamp Of 25 oentime
printed in blue instead Of black, tn
''rror' Of Afghanistan and staml
with a missing ornament in corner.
DR.. Mailman Of Vienna had evel
more wondrous delights-.to unfold, TO
- was the proud possessor of the tw
rare ''errors'' of the Cape Of Goo
Hope, stamps OF 1 penny and penc
respectively, which are blue instead
"a and red instead of blue.
Such errors fetch a very hig
price, kept down only by the uneasines
Il creating new values" by wantin
Hisprinting
No article on philately could be com
Dlete without some notice Of the 1000,
., 80 postage stamps myth. This still
mrvives in vague and uncertain form
n the rural districts, where it is belieS
4 u that some vast benefit, financial @
other, will accrue to any one who co
lects 1000, 900 stamps and forward
Ihem TO the proper address. But th
roper address Is never known
The Hooked Umbrella