The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-12-23
CHRISTMAS TRADE IN CURIoS.
MANY SACRIFICES MADE FOR
CHRISTMAS MONEY.

Few of the bargains Come From
Collectors. Though n Collection IL
Sometimes Broken into-Heirlooms
and Pocket Pieces. Of Value Tn
suspected h. the owner. Come to
the Mnrket-How Coin Dealer
cot an 1904 Coppcr-W eslthy GiTIs
Who sell Their clothes for Christ
mas Money-The Pawn shop l. the
last Resort.
New York Dec 2i.-In these days Just
before Christmas. when the whole world
has gone u-shopplng. when purchasers arc
reckless aud retail merchants 1ubhant
another class % tudes-peopie are think
ing not 81 pus hing sales but only OF buy
ms These are tho dealers IN rare coins.
stamps aud curics. The habitat OF the
species IL usually on some dull side
street or in dingy rear Offices OF tower
inR business blocks. This is their time
Cor picking up bargains. Cor, 20 the deal
er m rare coins. stamps. books ana an
tiaues generally. does many distracted
Christmas shopper turn Cor funds This
s. how a dealer IN coins and metals ex-
plains the situation;
''You see here Is hardly a family in or
dnariiy good circumstances which does
not posses some old coin. perhaps with
family tradition sttaehed. or perhaps
g. has been handed down merely a.
lucky pocket piece. Now the present
owner may not be over-burdeucd with
family pride or interest in family tradi-
tons. Christmas comes and nuds a team
purse. What o. simpler than - offer the
.lrio Tor sale? Yas there h. a boom in
opportuuities for buying rare bits Just
before Christmas. As a rule the sale ia
affected hy a woman. Men ore more phil
osophical about Christmas giving but
with The women. well. trs money
90 spend on gifts or care
81 hystcria And as rule
woman knows nothing of the
value Of coins. Just 20 the piece r. ola
she thinks 60 should command a big price
4 Christmas surprise.
u remember one young fellow who cot
q genuine Christmas surprise IN this Of.
nte lie threw down coin with a mum
bled apology that he needed Christmas
snoney. Itt strange but no one save the
coin cfank or collector regards this trade
a. legitimate ] picked up the coin care
lessiy ard was amazed a. find 81 a rare
one. listed az So buying price The young
fellow, who hv the way, was wel-iressed
and Wcll-brcd. fairly gasped when 1 paid
him the price. or course. I inquired
whether he had any more stun Of that
sort and he replied that Il was n pocket
piece which the men Of his family had
carried for several generations "A sort OF
ftCk charm lie remarked that the SIS
was more luck than he had ever expect
ed 10 get from n. At another time I got
an lsW cont IA the same way. The man
who brought 90 in threw II down ga a
hay vral nd aftaf oil
thing might be- worth anything" when /
handed him 50 he gave one astonlshed
look seized the bin. and left iu a hurry
From the oppression or his face I Judge
De thought that the shop had been left
in charge Of "a weak-miuded assistant. and
ne wauted 10 get away quick before some
responsible pcrson came 10 revoke the
deal.
As every man knows a numismatist
the real coin crank becomes absolutely
absorbed in hts collection and would
rather Etarve than break a series. But
know one Old chap. musiy as the shelves
IN his library who was guilty OF breaking
into "a complete series in the interests Of
Santa Claus lie had picked up several
hlts in my STORE. and we were fairly well
acquainted Ia a business way. About all
] knew Of him personally was that he
had some sort OF a steady income Tor he
always made his purchases on a certain
day OF the month.
A Hare series broken and Restored.
well. the day before Christmas he
came ~ witch a worried look on his face.
his shabby overcoat unbuttoned and his
nccktie even more awry than usual He
laid on the counter "a certain series Of
English coins. very valuable. His voice
was actually husky when he asked. Are
there any OF those that you would like
10 buy2
Il promptly replied that would take
the lot lie spread his hands over them
and almost sobbcd. No. not all Just
couple. just a couple You see I forgot
all about Christmas. ana I've got % have
q little money. just a few dollars
Il picked out two coins. and wonder
sugiy paid him - for them. Then no
turned back with a yearning look al the
coins. IL hope YOU won't have chance
20 sell them before fhe 10Th. III have more
money by che 10Th hut couldn't let
Christmas go by with nothing for my
little girl
Now. I'm no sentimentalist but kept
those coins out % sight until the 10Th. Il
would have been q pity 20 break HE set
snyway. and he chuokled like a boy when
he found them waiting tor him II ever
the little giri' lives TO inherit that col
Rection Of coins. she'll possess little for
tune. and SIS dollars TO dolshnuts that
unless che b. different from most womtn.
sheu scatter the labor OF years TO the
four Winat.
Deal IA stamps.
one Of the big stamp dealers has had
as a customer for several years lad who
mas spent a good deal OF money making
nm collection His album was rapidly
assuming that delightfully."- huiglng shape
dear 90 voifhfiil collectors. when rnistOr-
tune overlook his fathers business n1airs
He no longer bought stamps, but stood
befors the small window studyins us con-
tents with yenrnlng few days ago no
boldly marched 80. his stamp book under
hfs arm. The dealer nodded TO MS former
customer with cordial greeting. Bu. the
lad had not come 20 buy. Would the deal
az take the collection on his hands, You
ese. things were going sort % hard Cer
nome ond n looked very much as u there
would be no Christmas doings.
.Of course" explained the lad. II don't
care for myself but ifs Kind % rough on
4h~ siynnxer ones. They'll have M n
thev don't get some dolls ana truck"
Ths. stamp-dealer concluded the story