A man who fastidiously collects coins and as a side hobby formed a collection of Swiss stamps seemed surprised that we could not pay him top price for the souvenir sheets he had stuck down by their own gum. He protested that we could peel them off the pages if we would take the time.

Another man disregarded the page layout of his albums and without regard for set or chronological arrangement hinged his many thousands of stamps in his album in a hit or miss fashion.

These are just two of the many off-base collectors that I have met lately. Certainly everyone can collect as he or she desires, but as in every other game, there are essential rules to follow in philately. Care of stamps to protect their freshness, neatness or arrangement, proper climate control, careful handling, etc. are basic to every stamp collection. One cannot disregard any of these essential points without paying a high cost when eventually his stamps are sold.

If you ask yourself whether you would pay as much for second quality as you would pay for the very best, you have the answer and also the best reason for taking the best possible care of your stamps.