The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-12

dies twelve and half cent Queens head stamp, issued by Holland. The catalogue sets down the value of this issue at 8 cents. But not only would a collector have hard time to get one at that price; he would find it very
 difficult to secure one at any figure.
 The largest stamp firm in England. with stamp supply of ss,oo0.000. Is said to have just three specimens. The
 largest dealer in New York, with e stock of s3.oo0.000. owns similar num-
 Der, while the majority of the small stamp Is still Included among the com mon varieties.
 One of these days a new catalogue will come out with this issue named among the great rarities. and the price will be almost beyond the means of the ordinary collector. There are many other stamps which have made quick and large advance in price. although. of course, not always in the same pros portion as that made by the Timor is- sues.
 It almost seems as if one can't pay too much for a rare stamp. The pre-
 mium on stamps costing a thousand dollars or more has been known to double and treble in two or three years. Of course the scarcity of the issue Is the real cause of the jump in value. but then this scarcity is due to the rapidly increasing number of collectors. of whom already there are estimated to be more than 700.00 in this country alone,
 The probability Is that many so- called common stamps which are now catalogued at a low figure will soon cause stamp collectors much vexation at their failure to secure specimens while the prices were down. Stamp collectors as a rule have their eyes fastened on the prevailing rarities and do not pay much attention to the com mon varieties. thinking that they can easily complete their collection at any time they may see 1t.
 But in this they are often mistaken. Many stamps are now rated at low price, say 10 or Is cents, and yet many dealers have not a single one on hand, and indeed a collector would have some trouble in securing one from any source. The fact of the stamps scar city finally dawns upon the dealer. the price increases, and before one realizes 1t the price is soaring to the skies.
 The tendency of prices seem always to be upward. rarely down. Many coll lectors who have specimens for which they originally paid a few cents and which are now valued at a hundred dollars or more. Of course there are some cases where certain issue has taken big drop in value, but these are exceptions.
 The collection of a well known New Yorker was sold in this city not long ago. and the high prices brought aston ished even the dealers themselves. The interesting feature of the sale was the difference between the prices originally paid by the owner when he bought the stamps yearS ago, and the prices paid at the sale. He had made practice of writing the purchase figures on the back of each stamp. and there were many instances in which stamps for which he had paid 10 to 15 cents brought sums ranging from $5 to s160.
 Still the older collectors enjoyed su- perior advantages. mention of which will make the mouths of the latter day stamp enthusiasts water. The greatest windfall in the history of stamp col- lecting was that of the years 1884 and 1886. when the Government officials at Washington gave away hundreds of complete sets of department stamps. such as those issued for the State, Ag-' ricultural Executive and Justice De- partments,
 The use of these stamps had been abandoned. and as there were many