OLD POSTAGE STAMPS, AND WHAT BECOMES OF THEM.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 37, 15 June 1878, Page 2

OLD POSTAGE STAMPS, AND WHAT BECOMES OF THEM.

Tho sudden disappearance of old postage stamps is particularly noticeable when a new issue is struck. In a month after this event takes place, the old stamps have become thing 3 of the past, that may be sought, indeed, but rarely found. They have gone, never to be seen again, except, perhaps, when one turns up sonic old packet of letters, upon which may be seen stamps )>elongiag to an issue that has long ago been relegated from the position it once occupied to a lasting obli\ ion, as far as most people aro concerned. Obliterated stamps are apparently of no further value or use, since tho inky daub which each bears when it leaves tho postoffice renders it valueless ever afterwards for postage purposes. But that these obliterated stamps do turn up again will be shown from the following. Many people have no doubt, often noticed small boys fossicking in dust-bins, gathering old envelopes out of waste-paper boskets, or raking amongst ottice litter. It is through the agency of these searchers that obliterated stamps are dragged from hidingplaces, often not of the cleanest, to assume a commercial value. Those small boys, whose watchful eyes are not likely to overlook the object of their search, are busily engaged in hunting up old postage stamps of every variety on which they may be lucky enough to lay their hands. Three months of active operations among offices, rubbish-heaps, and other likely neighbourhoods, is gent-rally sufficient time for an ordinarily smart boy to collect 5000 stamps, which have, however, to go through man} - processes before they become marketable. The stamps are first of all placed in a good-sized dish, which iB then filled with boiling water, and allowed to stand for half-an-hour,by which time tho gum that has caused thorn to adhere to the envelopes ha 3 melted, and allowod them to separate from tho paper. A second bath of hot water removes all impurities—dirt and gum. The water is then drained oil' and tho stamp; aro dried on masse, in an oven if convenient. When they aro thoroughly dry, the pieces of waste paper mingled with thorn are picked out, which cau now be done without the least trouble, and those stamps which are found to be torn arc removed and thrown away. The stamps are next counted out in hundreds, and every hundred tied up tightly with thread. This operation requires to be done carefully, or the stamps will slip between the collector's lingers and necessitate anew tho labour of getting them again iuto the bundle, which is most easily effected by taking up (he first stamp between the finger and thumb, and thon piling the others upon it one by one. Each bundle, when properly fastened, is about half-an-iueh thick. After this tho stamps are enclosed in some small receptacle and forwarded by mail to England, addressed to Messrs. Blank and Co., stamp merchants and exporters. In return for these 5000 stamps Messrs. Blank and Co. will send back a packet of foreign stamps, -which, according to their prospectus, " contains 100 varieties, all rare ami genuine —no duplicates, &c, Sic" Those foreign stamps form the nucleus of a collection of no intrinsic value indood, but which, like old coins and other articles of virtu, people possesß merely for possession's sake. The stamp mot-chants lay aside such of tho stamps as they do not require immediately ; and as these, when a new issue has beou struck, inoreaso yearly in value, the 6tainp mcrohants make largo profits, selling tneui to collectors at the rate of ld„ 2d., 3d., and up to la each perhaps, according as they have beoomo scarcer and scarcer with timo. To bliow tho value that is put upon obliterated postage stamps, moro particularly old issues, tho following prices may be quoted, which aro offered for ocrtain Australian stamps by a London stamp firm :—Now South Wales Id., bearing an impress view of Sydney, 245. per dozen ; 2d. mid 3d. do., 12s. iter dozen; New South Wales Bd., laurel coloured, 3s. (!d. each. Victorian 55., yellow, 20s. per dozen; Ud., yellow, with figure (I at each hide, 7s. lid. each. Tasmanian Id., struck on blue paper (not tho ordinary bluish-coloured stamp), Is. !)d. each ; Western Australia, Is., ovalshape, Is. each ; Ud. (map, (id. bronze, 4d. deep blue, and 2d. chocolate, 2». each. These priecu, though they are certainly high, aro not iiuoomtuon ; but, taking theso at the highest, all old btttM cuu be

ispoied of for sums ranging down to Id piece-. Much more might be said of old >ostagc stamps, and the prices paid for hem. For instance one old English stamp (Id. black V.R.)is saleable at 405.; Muheady, 24, at Bs. Cd. each ; while certain issues of Mauritius are valued :it from 2& (id. to 10s. each, and so on. Great numbers of colonial stamps are collected every year, and sent to England ; but there is no fear that they will be put to any improper use, such as removing the postmarks from them, and using them a second time. Thoy are merely used as auxiliaries in stamp collecting. an agreeable and interminable source of recreation to those young people wfco can fir.d leisure hours to devote to t;:' pursuit of the occupation. Ballarai Courier.