Any intelligent person will investigate the reliability of a lawyer, real estate agent, stock broker, jeweler or banker before dealing with him. It would be considered rash and senseless to spend large sums of money with a person of questionable reputation.

Yet, the same individual who is most careful about his ordinary business dealings will buy, without compunction, from “here today and gone tomorrow” stamp merchants. Without inquiring about the dealer’s knowledge, resources or dependability, he will pay his money and take the dealer’s word for genuineness, condition, quality and the other factors that govern stamp value.

I have seen the result of such dealings many times when discussing the sale or auction of collections. It is most painful to tell a collector that certain of his prized stamps are counterfeit or of very poor quality.

In all business, you will find a small percentage of “shady” characters. Stamp dealing is no exception. My only advice is to use the same caution in buying stamps that you would use in purchasing diamonds, stocks or real estate. You’ll be happier in the long run if you do.