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Placing blame.

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

U-S stamp collectors were stunned recently by the business failure of a major auction
house. The owner has cancer, the business can't pay its bills and its assets are being
seized. But in a letter in a hobby newspaper, the owner says it's because stamp
collecting is dying out — just look at how stamp societies are losing members.

But Scott English, executive director of the biggest, the American Philatelic Society,
says that's just an excuse — the trend isn't new.

"You adapt to the world that you live in, you don't expect the world that you live in
to adapt to you." RUNS :05

And, in fact, when stamp society membership first began going down, this company was
doing quite well, even expanding. Other stamp auction houses still are.

"If you talk to any other auction business out there, they're very excited about the
prospects of how things are going. It seems to be the observation or reflection of one
business that just so happens to be failing." RUNS :10

English says there are many stamps and collections on auction now, and most are doing
well.

"We're seeing certain collections that are doing very well in auction prices. Now,
there are also a lot of stamps that are going down in value because they are    more
readily available and more common, but over all, there is no less passion about the
hobby than there has been in times before."   RUNS :14

As for complaints that stamp collecting is dying out… those started in the 1890s!

I’m Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting,
visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.

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