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Getting Approvals.

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

Stamp collectors in the U-S used to buy stamps using the honor system: They'd receive
selections of stamps in the mail from dealers, choose the ones they wanted to buy, and
return the rest, along with payment for the stamps purchased.

The stamps were offered "on approval," and the system was known as "approvals." It was
a great way to building a collection, particularly for collectors outside big cities.
Millions of stamp collectors built their collections this way.

There were ads everywhere — in the Sunday newspapers, Boy's Life magazine. Most of the
dealers were part-timers or retirees.

A savvy approvals dealer would start a new customer off with a small group of
low-priced stamps, in case things didn't work out. As the relationship grew, the stamps
might become more expensive and the shipment larger.

There was often an option to keep the entire selection, and get a discount.

Today, we have the Internet, and we don't have as much trust. Postage costs have gone
up, too. But there are still a few companies offering approvals: Do an online search
for "stamps on approval."

The American Philatelic Society — the biggest stamp collecting organization in the
U-S — also offers "circuits" to its members, which are very similar to approvals.

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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