I have concluded that lack of system accounts for many dealers failing in the stamp business. They buy at favorable prices and sell fairly. They do all the right things except keep stock in a methodical and merchandisable manner.

The easy but unsatisfactory method of using glassine envelopes or stock books as a place to hide stamps of all qualities eventually is costly. Used or unused, very fine or just good, blocks and singles, etc., don’t all belong in one envelope or on one stock page. When you are beginning and the stock is small you might remember where everything is, but you soon outgrow such status.

Time spent going through fifty stamps to find one is time lost. Sales lost because you don’t know what you have are not replaceable. Yet, there are far more dealers and accumulators with “shoe box” stocks than dealers with well arranged, ready for sale material.

And then when the “reaper” calls to end it all, appraisers and buyers are expected to take the time needed to burrow through the endless loose and ill-sorted accumulations, looking for the value that might be there. It was too much effort for the owner to keep things straight but the friendly buyer from the big city should do free what the job the owner never did for himself.

If you are carelessly piling up stamps faster than you can arrange them, call a halt until you catch up. Sort by quality, sort by used and unused. Keep things in order and you will be one of those who succeed. Otherwise, the chance of failure is high.