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 35

We have all met fanatics; people who only think and talk about one subject. It might be baseball, religion, politics, their ailments or stamp collecting. Sometimes on the first meeting they are interesting. But after awhile we invariably try to avoid them because we know they will be boring. In a st …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 34

A stamp dealer that I know gave up smoking last year. The reason for giving up the habit was due to a costly accident. He had just sold a valuable Airmail stamp to a client and he was holding it in his tweezers preparing to put it into a plastic mount, sparks from his cigarette fell on the stamp. On …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 33

Common sense is all that is required to quash some of the sillyisms of stamp collecting. A case in point is embraced in the collection of the United States Columbian issue of 1893. Of the dollar values, the $1 was issued in the largest quantity (55,050); the $4 in the smallest (26, 350). Many of the …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 32

During the period from 1890-1900, the stamp catalogs of the world dropped the listing of postal stationery. This was not because collectors of the day had lost interest in that segment of the hobby. It was because dealers and cataloguers believed that the requisite number of philatelic varieties req …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 31

I recently visited Arizona and found that the people there are most concerned about their lack of abundant water. Their state is growing fast, but unless their water supply problem is soon solved, it will limit their potential population. What has this to do with philately? Nothing, except that stam …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 30

Many people look forward to retirement as a time when they will be able to collect or deal in stamps. From experience, I must report that the great majority of those who postpone philatelic activity until the sunset of life never get to it. The stamp collecting habit should be enjoyed now, if it app …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 29

There are mathematical systems for determining what stamps will become rare or advance in price each year. There are theories covering the value of all stamps at any future period and there are promoters selling stamps solely on the basis that they are clever enough to pick the good ones for clients …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 28

By now it should be evident that there will never be an end to the special events that cause the issuance of stamps. The New York World’s Fair is the latest of these motivations for special issues and for the information by many collectors of so called “limited” Topical Collections …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 27

Very little has been written on the subject of “The Law and Philately.” One legal guide to buying and selling stamps, however, is well established by court decisions. The courts have ruled that stamp dealers are responsible for what they sell. In other words, stamps must be, in regard to …

Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 26

Has your exhibition committee applied for the “Maurice Apfelbaum Award for Excellence in Stamp Collecting?” The award, an attractive 2-1/2 inch gold medallion, is made available without charge to any stamp show that includes a special category for collections displayed on regular printed …