Few, if any, reputable department stores will give you immediate credit for more than a nominal amount of merchandise without first making a thorough investigation. The same holds true in the stamp business.

When you send your first bid sheet or order to a stamp firm and enclose the list of your references, do not expect the dealer to immediately ship your merchandise on an open account. Unless the amount is quite small, the dealer will hold your purchase until his inquiries concerning your credit worthiness have been answered. Only after he has received the replies and found them satisfactory will he ship your material.

Credit investigations normally take from ten days to two weeks depending, of course, on where you live. In a large city like Philadelphia, such an investigation can usually be completed in a few hours or days simply by checking with the central credit bureau. However, if considerable correspondence over some distance is required, then investigation can drag on.

In all fairness to you and your dealer, when ordering from a new source or bidding at an auction where you haven’t previously purchased, submit your references and pay for your first purchase in advance of delivery if there hasn’t been enough time for the proper inquiries to be made.

It is much easier for stamp dealers and auctioneers to ship in advance of payment and they almost always will if they have the proper credit information. But, when for lack of information they bill in advance, cooperate with them and pay promptly. If the merchandise you purchased is not as represented they cheerfully refund your money.