A stamp dealer that I know gave up smoking last year. The reason for giving up the habit was due to a costly accident. He had just sold a valuable Airmail stamp to a client and he was holding it in his tweezers preparing to put it into a plastic mount, sparks from his cigarette fell on the stamp. One spark burned a tiny hole in it and the stamp’s value was instantly reduced by more than a thousand dollars!

I never cease to be amazed by people who handle their stamp collection while smoking. We find repeated evidence of fine stamps that are either soiled by tobacco ashes or are made almost valueless because of ash burns from cigarettes, cigars or pipes.

This is not a plea to stop smoking. Smoke if you like but please guard your stamps from dangerous, destructive ashes, both hot and cold.