N.Z. STAMPS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 October 1930, Page 7

N.Z. STAMPS

MARKET CONDITIONS

LONDON, August 21. “Philatelic” writes as follows in the “inilatelio Magazine” : ‘‘There has been an appreciable rise in the quotations for the New Zealand Ctinrity (Tuberculosis Fund) stamp. ->iost readers will know that this was sold for 2d, one half of which went towards the fund This stamp is now

quoted at (kl, or oven more by Antipodean dealers. I consider it worth picking up at about 4 cl, in the expectancy of seeing it rise to 1« or Is 6d in the catalogues within a year or so. Judging by the,amount the fund is stated to have benefited by the sale of this stamp, I should gather that over 300,000 were sold, which is quite an appreciable number if we compare it with similar starpps from other Colonies, e.g., Trinidad Red Cross and Jamaica Children’s Welfare, which were sold in smaller quantities than this. “There has been a tendency for certain scarce stamps of New Zealand and dependencies to be boosted above their true values. Apparently a strong

local demand has sent the price up high, and then it has not supported the market, and the price has dropped markedly. Two instances of this occur to my mind. The 3d Rarntonga, K.G., engraved, and the Cook Islands 2d pictorial chalky, Prices of these both soared, and then fell sharply, and the market price to-day is less than half what it once was. People ‘down under' who were onee buyers at a good figure are now sellers. Probably the true explanation is that there wore too many local speculators in these and similar stamps, and they have passed under a cloud in consequence. Many of the Samoan and other Pacific War stamps have suffered similarly. The New Zealand and Australian market seems rather a fickle one, and no longer supports these provisional stamps as formerly. The regular issues of New Zealand and Australian Commonwealth are more in demand to-day, and some of the obsolete odd values in the former, and high values in the latter ara very promising stamps. Particularly the current £i and £2 of Australian Commonwealth in fine used condition will'be found very elusive stamps to pick up,. and almost ertain to appreciate in time.”