Apfelbaum’s Corner – Volume 3

With the coming of Spring, we resume our “road work”. No, this isn’t an athletic endeavor. This is travel to view collections that are for sale. Within the next six months we expect to cover 30,000 miles of North American highways, calling on philatelists in their homes or offices to either purchase or arrange for the sale of their collections. In this, we have what is probably the world’s most pleasant occupation.

During the years since 1930, when we first started taking to the highways and byways, we have met and done business with thousands of collectors. With a few exceptions, our services have pleased them. After all, no one can please the fellow who buys second class stamps with the idea that some fool dealer will later on take them off his hands as superb copies.

By far the majority of those selling understand the basic economic fact that they will only receive the wholesale value of their material because the purchasing dealer has expenses and a profit to make. They know that some stamps are more popular than others and have a better market value. They realize that five and ten cent items are available in the trade at per hundred and per thousand prices and so will hardly be figured when the overall estimate of a collection is made. They also appreciate that the care they lavished on their collection adds to its value when selling. Dealers are only able to complete transactions with sellers who understand these economic imperatives.