The Timeless Writings of Earl Apfelbaum

During Earl’s many decades in the stamp business, he estimated there were between 50 and 100 thousand stamp collectors he met and invariably liked well enough that, had there been the time, he would have kept in contact. Apfelbaum’s Corner was the nearest thing to letters that he had been able to devise. Earl felt that through the column he was able to reach thousands of collectors, many he may have even met. Earl depicted, with great clarity and humor, the life and times of collectors, their collections and the world around them. Thousands eagerly awaited the weekly perspective brought to them by philately’s leading authority.

Today, you can enjoy the timelessness of these writings as we bring the most popular ones back for your reading pleasure. We hope you enjoy them as much as the tens of thousands of philatelists world wide have.

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 20

In reviewing and examining the many hundreds of stamp collections throughout a year, we are often struck with the high frequency of “sameness” of collections. This is not to find fault with those who like to patronize the Post Office, be it Uncle Sam’s or those of other nations. It …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 19

How far is it from an initial collecting effort to a full experience of the pleasures of stamp collecting? No distance at all. Unlike most other hobbies, a stamp collector experiences all the thrills and pleasures right from the beginning. True, the enjoyment continues for as long as he collects, bu …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 18

Almost every hobby depends for its major support on the middle-income class. Even in the United States, the upper-income level is too small numerically to provide an active market for such lively pursuits as philately, numismatics and other popular avocations. For example, Mexico is a country with a …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 17

Do you have trouble getting the stamps you want? I think it’s good if you do. When stamp collecting becomes too easy it loses its hold on its followers. That is why those who buy only new issues drop by the wayside in such large numbers. There must be some difficulty and a little delay between …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 16

When I asked a fine elderly gentleman in Wisconsin the price he expected for his collection he said $7,861.42. Somewhat surprised at such exact figures, I inquired how he had decided on it. His answer was, “I kept an accurate account of what I spent for them and this is exactly what I want bac …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 15

For the sake of future generations of collectors, let’s take better care of the stamps we have. Let’s avoid those practices which might further diminish our already vanishing supplies of desirable stamps. Let’s think twice before buying cheap album paper that contains strong chemic …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 14

It has always been our opinion that stamp collectors get the most fun out of arranging their own collections. However, some years ago we had a client with a different opinion. He brought his albums into our office one day and said that he had fifty dollars a month to spend on them. Would we take car …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 13

Stamp auctions have been developing as a form of stamp merchandising for close to a century. The catalogs of the first auctions were no more than listings of the stamps to be sold. Condition wasn’t mentioned because it wasn’t of importance. All that the buyer expected was a stamp. Its qu …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 12

The McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, one of the world’s leading publishers of business magazines, recently conducted a survey of philately in the United States. The survey doesn’t present any startling or hitherto unknown information about our hobby, but actually confirms the “off-t …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 11

Rarely will you find perfection in the work of a man. All things we make or do have their faults. Certainly stamps, stamp collecting and stamp dealing are no exceptions. The tolerance that others expect for their less-than-perfect work is sought just as much by stamp dealers. They can only sell the …