The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-15
srAMr oo1Lrorons 40 nrEr.
Plans for the Annual Cenventien ut Bosten-
Some Notable Collections.

"U"o NSta'te NohhoNhasA~
BosToN, Aug. l4.-Plans have been completed
Tor tho thirteenth annual convention Of the
American Philatelic Association, which will DO
ncld In this city on Aug. "a, % and 90. Fully
700 delegates arc expected to attend. A large
number OF New Workers intend to ride over on
their wheels. There will be preliminary meet
ings on tuesday for the routine reports of Off
GERS and appointments OF committees. Wednes-
day will BIO devoted to an all-day excursion,
members going to Salem Willows by boat,
doing the Witch City In carriages and
returning to Boston late In the afternoon. A
business meeting will be hold on tho boat during
the trip. but for tho most part the day will be
given over to pleasure. On Thursday the solid
business Of the convention will DO taken up.
President F. NJ. Olney, ex.Mayor OF Providence,
will be reelected, according to present plans, rs
will most OF the other officers. including Vice.
President w. G. Vandcrlip of this city. In its
twelve years of existence the society has had only
two Presidents, the late John X. Tiffany Of st.
Louis serving ten years, and being succeeded by
the incumbent.
The convention will formally pass upon, and
undoubtedly approve, the reincorporation Of tho
society which was authorized last year. 1t was
formerly a West Virginia corporation. but will
hereafter hail from Minnesota. Tho change
was made to do away with the principle Of
'oIihb' "hitu "db dilO"ou III inc
former but is not In the latter State. Another
proposition is to change the name from tho
American Philatolic Association to the Amer
lean Philntelic Society. This was suggested by
n few members who consider that tho initials
at present. "A. 7. A." are sometimes mislcad-
ing. Many of the members, however, consider
thls a Trivial matter, and 1t may not be acted
upon.
The society. organized In 1856 with ll9 MEM
bers. now numbers moro than 100, every State
hRinD rRnFHEnntnI hnttr tha - "a ~. a. ut -.,..-a
in New England and New York. 1t maintains
an exchange and sales department., which has
transacted business to the amount of more than
S25. 900 n year. There was a time when the col
Letting OF stamps, was looked upon as a boyish
amusement anu mied but when the Poys grew up and be,
or interest in the pleasure of collecting, the for
mer conception OF the pastime passed away. and
and even of u serious business. The dealer in
postage stamps is affected but little by ordinary
business depression in other lines of trade. II he
secures II rare or valuable stamp he is never at
a loss for "A purchaser. and in most cases he can
In Is4245 the Postmaster in this Country
were allowed to issue stamps for their local pre-
g gtafcip GaSar mater and IN IN ia the United
of the early issues OF local Post Offices are very
rare, and the famous Brattleboro stamp now
sale.
Probably young, people are in the majority
among the half million stamp collectors in the
United States, but there are many business and
professional men among them. In this, neigh
that Of Fred W. Aver of Bangor. a part Of which
was sold in London a short lime ago for $3.50, 900.
MIR. Aver is one, of the members OF the American
association, and will attend the convention.
What is considered the largest spot cash
transaction in the stamp business was made re-
Gently In Boston, when the magnificent collec-
firm Of dealers. Although the terms are pri.
vate. the price was probably not far from 81 0O,.
900. The collection Included the four Hawaiian
missionary stamps, one OF which was worth
4. Louis Stumna- Including a fyypnty.rant ats n
worth ". 800. There were also Ceylon stamps
Of four and eight pence worth $4O0. The United
states stamps in the collection were valued at
$4,000 one Millbury of 1913 being estimated
at 81 200, and a Baltimore at $3.50.
Among the collectors in this vicinity Willard
G. Vanderlip is one of the best known. He has
been collecting for nearly forty years. and has
tions OF United States envelopes in the world.
lie has made a specially of the stamps of this
country.
Francis C. Foster is another veteran collector
who began IN the tifties. He is thought by many
to have the finest general collection in the
collecting was general. he had opportunities Of
picking up for small sums stamps that are now
Livingston, Ala. stamp. made in war times by
the Postinaster: under the sanction Of the Con;
and Would have no difaeu fuyI now in II selling il
for 81, 200, There were twenty or thirty places
IN the south that issued similar stamps during
the war. but only two or three stamps are
known to exist now, and they are. therefore.
very valuable. Mr.. Foster also has a Brattle'
ooIp Sthlhp, Wortn TOW now, lOT winch he bOulc-
what reluctantly paid 90 cents twenty years
ago. He had IA chance to buy another at that
time for the same price. but refused 1t.
There are at least two stamp dealers in the
city who have been in tho business moro than
thirty years. One of them was the means OF
catching a thief a few months ago who was
badly wanted by the police. The dealer had
sold. perhaps a dozen years before. a fine collec'
ton of stamps to a wealthy resident OF the sub
urbs. During the absence OF the family a year
or SO ago a thief entered the house and ran,
sacked 1t. taking among other things this collec
ton of stamps, which was worth thousands OF
dollars. The thief wanted to turn them into
cash. and going to the store OF the dealer offered
some of them for sale. The dealer knew then
at once. and knowing that they had been stolen
moned. The fellow was arrested and subse
nueDtly convicted