VALUABLE TRIFLES

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4328, 24 August 1937, Page 7

VALUABLE TRIFLES

DIAMONDS IN DUST-TIN L brought home a box of chocolates. The wrapper bore a photograph of King George VI. neatly pasted over a picture of Edward VIII. I realised that the wrapper, saved, would be worth more than the chocolates (says a writer in the ‘Daily’ Express '). it was an interesting relic of an historic occasion. 10-day Coronation souvenirs of Edward \ 111. are ticketed “ cut price” in the windows of shopkeepers anxious to cut their Josses To-morrow they may be ticketed “ rare specimens ” in the windows of antique” dealers. It has happened so often before. It happened at the Jubilee of King George a London nurse. Pursuing her hobby of stamp collecting, she wrote to a friend in the Falkland Islands and asked foi a set of Jubilee stamps issued there. The friend sent not one, but 20 sets. She sold the surplus ones—and found they made a handsome profit. Miss Yeomans scraped together £SOO and bought all the Jubilee sets slie could. That was 18 months ago To-day those sets are worth five times their face value. It is not easy to say just which things are worth saving, but here are the rules of an experienced collector; They should be closely associated with a famous name oi an historic occasion. A letter from Rudyard Kipling describing his early difficulties would be worth as much as £200; one merely thanking somebody for something would be worth £lO. An autographed letter from ex-King Edward- signed “ Edward P.” (when he was Prince of Wales) is worth £5. One signed “ Edward R I.” is worth at least £SO. When Napoleon died at St. Helena every boarding and tavern in Britain was plastered with posters announcing the news To-day there is just one. Museums in two continents would dig deep into their funds if another came to light Have you an old map of your own city or country? A really old map, made before the days of' the motor car and building estate? The face of the country is changing rapidly and such relics are increasing rapidly in value too. How many people have copies of the first railway time-table ever issued? There were plenty—once. How many people have bothered to save a copy of the first airways time-table? (t is al ready worth more than its cost. Autograph letters and postage stamps find the readiest market among collectors, though even door-knockers, old waistcoats, and beer mugs have an antique value. But the surest way of turning trifles into treasures is to collect complete sets. An acquaintance of mine kept for many years a cycle shop and then a garage. He received hundreds of motor car catalogues, and put them away, each firm having its own little pile. Recently he retired and had to clear the catalogues out. He asked the various firms if they would like complete sets of their own catologues. He intended to give them away, but one firm wrote back offering 25 guineas. In the end his pile of “ junk ” brought him £9B. It’s too late for us to start saving old motor car catalogues. But there are other things. Television, for instance. A collection of advertisements, books, caltalognes and announcements relating to television will provide a treasure for museums and libraries of the future. During the general strike of 1926 a workman in th* offices of the Government’s daily • paper, the ‘ British Gazette,” took* home a bundle of the papers each night. he felt that they might be worth something later on. He sold confplete sets for £2 per set. Had he waited until now he would have got 10 times as much.