A collector in Savannah, Georgia presented me with his stamp collecting problem. He collects stamps of the British Empire and is willing to spend substantial amounts of money. He wanted to know why he was unable to receive satisfactory approval selections such as he had been able to get years ago when forming previous collections.

There must be many collectors that the stamp trade can no longer cater to as it did in the pre-1940 period. Labor costs, price competition, turn-over requirements and the potential losses of the approval business have relegated it to a sales form only suitable for juveniles and beginners. During the first stages of stamp buying, the matter of price and condition do not take on the importance they later acquire. Standard approval mailings can arouse interest and induce sales that aren’t possible from more sophisticated collectors such as my Savannah friend.