Some years ago David Giles gave me a pair of books published by Linns, The worlds greatest stamp collectors and More of the worlds greatest stamp collectors. After reading them i feel better about my affair with my stamps. Obviously the people in the book were wealthy to say the least...some were captains of industry, apparently stamps came before their business interests. Some inherited fortunes went to college and then worked on their collections. Some never had time to marry,they were too busy with their stamps. One young man bid 5 thousand dollars on 200 tons of "government scrap" that the Treasury Dept was paying 20 thousand a year on storage fees. So now young Hiram E. Deats had 10 railroad cars full of the stuff to deal with. He hired 8 other youths who spent 2 years assembling. Deats "was able to mine 15 books comprising the complete printers order books ,signed approved die sheets,and proof sheets that covered the period 1862-1865." I guess its true the more you spend the better you get.The two books cover 30 some of the worlds greatest stamp collectors. I enjoy reading about stamps..its easier than doing the actual work.
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"If a man would be anything, he must be himself."
bobgggg President Cortlandt Stamp Club 09 Feb 2017 11:35:48am
Chris the stories are great...how a dealer would purchase a confederate states rarity with 5 of the 2 cent Mobile Alabama for 30 bucks and then soak off the stamps and sell them for 10 bucks apiece...love it !
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy.. 17 Feb 2017 12:36:55pm
re: More of the worlds greatest stamp collectors
That leads to one of Hearst's frequent apothegms " ... You'll never go broke taking a profit. ..."
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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
The truth is within and only you can reveal it 18 Feb 2017 05:13:02pm
re: More of the worlds greatest stamp collectors
Besides my father my biggest mentor was Pat Hearst. Like bobgggg he was a neighbor of ours back in the late 1950's. One of my fondest memories was visiting him with bulging eyes viewing his vast holdings. My U.S. and World Wide collections owe a great deal to his inspiration. I just wish I could visit him again to show him where that inspiration has taken me.
One regret for me: I was not actively collecting during college years and did not realize that Varro Tyler was an expert in forgeries, etc... he was the dean of my college while I was there. What a missed opportunity to meet one of the greats and discuss stamps.
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