Evening star., 1951-12-30

oUIIld11 4LIotl0UIlOAAJ "iACAO AoAAA
lin r. Bruins, jr., well-knoWn
philatelic writer, is in charge OF
the Governments official stamp
collection, dating back 100 years.
His phone is MA. 1910, Extension
314. He cheerfully will show you
the dozens of frames of postal
paper which are in his care, and
if Mrs. Catherine L. Manning.
curator emeritus, happens to be
present. he will introduce you to
her. She is "the First Lady Of
American Philately" and a very
famous and much-loved person.
"Of course, I would not try to
make all three of these visits In
any single day. To do them prop
erly they ought not to be hurried.
Meanwhile, I would send so
cents in wrapped coins to the
Superintendent of Documents,
Government Printing Office.
Washington. D. c.. for a copy Of
THE Official List of United States
Postage Stamps" best-seller
among Government publications.
It is a handsome book, carefully
printed. nicely illustrated and
simply crammed with historical
data which any American should
be proud to read-and to re-
member.
while in town, I would stop in
at the stores Of some stamp deal
ers whose advertisements appear
in The Star. I would buy a good
practical worldwide stamp album
and stamp catalogue. Both are
necessary in developing a collec-
ton worthy of the name. You
will find the stamp dealers friend
ly and eager to help. They have
stamps on sale at low as well as
high prices. Both kinds are good
investments-the cheap stamps
because they aid in filling the al
bum and the expensive stamps
because they are like money in
bank, a profitable form Of saving
if you are intelligent about your
buying and are not deceived by
an unwise desire to get rich
quickly.
The stamps you buy from the
dealers generally will be mint
that is, unused. They should be
kept clean and dry-and never
be handled with bare fingers but
only with tongs (Which you may
purchase reasonably. Don't both
er to save torn or otherwise dam
aged specimens.
"Neighbors, friends and rela-
tives sometimes are willing to give
a collector stamps or covers they
have accumulated. If 80. the
best covers which are entire-that
is, not torn or cut to pieces
should be preserved in that con-
dition, preferably in glassine en-
velopes tipped to album pages
with photo-corners obtainable in
any drug or camera store. I sug-
gest saving covers in separate al
buns. The dime stores have good
looseleaf binders and filters at
prices well within the reach Of the
average person.
IF I were you, I would SUBJ
scribe for Stamps Magazine, the
worlds best-known philatelic
weekly. It is edited and published
by Harry L. Lindquist. 153 Wav-
erly place, New York City. at 50 .
year. and it will help you more
than any other facility.
Watch the newspapers, too,
for current news about stamps.
Practically every daily prints re-
ports and comments about phila-
telic matters as promptly as they
become available. The stamp COL
umn of The Sunday Star, by the
way, has appeared every Sunday
since December 4, 1882, and the
same man has been privileged to
write it-with occasional help
from other members Of The Star
staff when he has been in Europe.
"One further piece of advice
namely, join stamp club or. II
none is available, organize one.
The best fun in collecting Is that
of making friends with like-mind-
ed people. Philately would not be
the worlds most popular hobby
if it were not distinctively social
in character.
Keep a philatelic scrap book.
Correspond with collectors IN
other parts of the United States
and in foreign lands. Watch for
philatelic features on the radio
and television. Use your interest
in stamps to enrich your lives in
terms of science and art, religion
and philosophy.
Remember that every stamp
opens a window to an authentic
value of life. In stamps the dead
who cannot die have Immortality
Mrs. Biggers, you and your boy
already have made a start as coll
lectors of stamps. You can learn
together as we'll as collect to-
gether, and there will be lasting
JOY in your home on that account.
Good luck in 1852 and in all the
years to come"