SALE OF STAMPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22543, 7 October 1936, Page 18

SALE OF STAMPS

THE COMMERCE ISSUE SOME VALUES SOLD OUT OPERATIONS OF DEALERS Apparently due largely to the purchases of dealers, several of the higher issues of Commerce stamps, issued to commemorate the conference of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire, were yesterday unprocurable in Auckland post offices. Dealers were offering the 2jd, 4d and 6d issues at higher figures than their face values. An extraordinary rush to purchase the issues far in excess of the Jubilee stamp issue experience was not anticipated, though provision was made tor ii large demand. On Saturday the 4d issue had been sold out in Auckland post offices. Fresh supplies of the 4d and 2Jd issue were obtained on Monday; within half an hour the 2jd issue was sold out at the chief post office, and by mid-da.v the 4d issue also had been disposed of. Officials did not know yesterday whether fresh supplies would be available. Doubtless there had been a big demand over the whole of the Dominion, it was pointed out, although there were some large stamp dealers in Auckland, so that the heaviest sales were likely to be recorded here. There is a special post office in the Wellington Town Hall, where the conference is being held, and it was presumed that it would have supplies of all denominations.

A man familiar with tho stamp business pointed out that there is a tendency among collectors to-day toward specialisation and British Empire issues are especially popular. At one j time there was little specialisation, I but the action of South American countries in repeatedly chancing their issues in order to gain revenue from stamp collectors helped tho trend toward specialisation. The stamps issued to commemorate tlje late King's .Jubilee wore responsible for large proJits by dealers. Some persons even took supplies to England when vjsiting that country and made good sums. There was little run on the (3d Jubilee issue, and so no large supplies were generally held, and ho had heard that it had been selling at 15s. Chances of such profits had excited speculators to buy the present commerce issues heavily. DEMAND IN WELLINGTON LIMITED NUMBER PRINTED [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION'] WELLINGTON, Tuesday Inquiries at the post office show that the demand for the new commerce j stamps has been so great that supplies of some denominations are already sold out, and tho remaining ones will not last long. Only a limited number were printed, and when stocks are exhausted there .will be no replacements. The figures are not available at present as | to the number of each denomination ! printed.