Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-12-25
JUMP IN OLD STAMPS.
Higher Range of Prices Fixed Upon
by the Dealers.

The prices of old postage stamps 1a,o
| advanced greatly during the last two
years, and the stamp catalogues Tor 1906,
advance sheets of which are already in
| ~ per cent. Tor stamps sought by col
| lcctors. while in 81 number of instances
stamps have increased in value 100 per
! cent. or more
The greatest windfall in the history of
| stamp collecting, mention of which will
| maxi the mouths of the lattcr-da:y stamp
| 1854 and 1886 when the government of1i-
Gals at Washington gave away hundreds
| OF complete sets OF department. stamps,
such as those ISSUED for the State, AS-
riculture, Executive, and Justice depart
| mcnts.
The use of these stamps has been
abandoned, and as there We're many sets
| of them left they were given away to any
one who would take the trouble to come
| after them. Not many of these stamps
| command very high premiums. The De
| rlrfmCnt of Agriculture issues given
| AWAY at that time are worth $40. Those
| OF the War and Executive departments
! have steadily advanced until they range
| from $40 to &J while the State Depart
mcnt stamps are the rarcSt of all and at
| the present time bring SIS.
The most notable jump, however, has
taken place in the value Of the stamp is
| sues OF TimOr This is a small island in
| OccHnia but quite large enough to have
| stamps of its own.
One denomination of this country has
advanced from II cents. the price two
Years ago to ST. 80 for the coming year
while another denomination. which was
sold Two years ago for 20 cents is now
| listed in the standard catalogues at 81,
| And it is hard to get at that price. The
| dealers and collectors do not seem TO
| know the reason for its great scarcity,
which was discovered only when an at
| tempt vas recently made to obtain Il
number of the stamps
1t is often the case that a stamp that
| has for years been rated as a common Va
| ricty is catllC gucd at a low figure for the
| reason that there is no demand for it,
when. as 2 matter of fact there are very
| few 10 be had. A good example OF this il
| the Dutch West Indies 13l.-ccnt gray
Queens head stamp, issued by Holland
| The catalogue sets down the value of this
issue al cents. But not only would ii
| collector have Il hard time to get one at
| that price, he would find it very difficult
| to secure one ut any figure.
The largest stamp firm in England, with
| n stamp supply valued at SN,f0oOO0, is
said to have Just three specimens. rh"
| largest dealer in this country with =
| stock of $3,n00.oG0. owns n similar mum
| bcr, while the majority OF tn" small deal
| Cr& have not even one. Yet the stamp is
| still included among the common varie-
| ties.
Ono Of these days a new catalogue will
| come out with this issue named anon.
| the s5reat rdritics, and the price Will be
collector. Ther" are many other stamps,
which have made Il quick and large ad
vance ii price. although, of course, not
always in the same proportion as that
madr by the Timor issues.
1t almost seems as If one can't ray too
much for Il rare stamp. The premium on
| stamps costing SLN0 or more has been
| known to double and treble in two Or
| three yccrS. OF course, the scarcity OF
| the issue is tie real cause of the Jump in
| value. but then this scarcity is due t. tn"
| r2Hidiy increasing number OF collectors,
| "t whom already ther1 are estimated T.
| be more than 10000 in this country alone.
| The probability IS that many su-Cdlled
comr.on stamps which arc now cata-
| lU5ued at 4 low figure will soon take iii
unexpected flight IN pr1c" AMI c:1llS"
stamp collectors much EcNation # their
failure to secure specimens. Will III"
| prices were down. Stamp collectors : Il
| lul" have their eyes fastened on tho pre-
v3iiing rarltics and do not pay mIrh ct
t"ntion TO the common varieties th.nlli!r
| that thcy can easily cO1np'Ct" their collcc-
| ton ut any time they may see fit.
But in tlis they lrr oft.n mistaken.
Lots Of stamps are now rated 1T 2 low
price. say. ~ or Il cents. and Vet many
dealers have not a single one On hand
ard. indeed. n collector would have s1mo
| trouble in securing one from any source
| dhv-ns uron the dealer. the price in
crca*cs. ana before ono realizes it the
| price is soaring to tho Skies.
The tendency O prices seems always to
| he upward, rarely down. Many collectors
| Who nave been buying stamps for wears
| h,ve specilrc MS for which they originally
| rHid a few cents and which arc now val
| ucd ut 500 or more. or course there arc
! some eases where Il certain issue haE
taken a. big drop in value, but these are
exceptions.
The collection Of 4 well known collector
| WIS solJ in New York not long aco and
the high prices brought aStOuishcd even
the dealers themselves. The interesting
feature of the sale was the differences be
| tween the prices originally Paid hy the
owner when he bought the stamps years
ago and the prices paid at the sale. lie
chase figures On the back Of each stamp.
and there were many instances in which
stamps for which he had rald 10 or y
cents brought sums ranging from s. to
$50.