Publications Can Point the Way to Untold Riches by Peter Rexford on Creators.com

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Publications Can Point the Way to Untold Riches

It's happened again last week. Someone won the lottery. Actually, three people did — all Wall Street money managers. They're supposed to be giving most of the money to charity. That's a refreshing change for the holidays.

That same week, another person found a small fortune. This time, it was both a matter of a little luck and an eagle eye. The latter was a stamp collector skimming through an old collection. In the Japanese stamps section, he noticed one that appeared fairly common. It was even used. Most of those types are worth only a few bucks. Few would have taken the time to look closer. But it paid off. On the stamp one tiny inclusion of a syllabic "15" was present. "So what?" you say. Here's what.

Only six other such stamps are known to exist. Instead of being worth just 5 or 10 dollars, the stamp has a U.S. catalog value of $150,000 and upwards of $350,000 in Europe, perhaps far more in Japan or China. Now it's even classified as the nicest known specimen, which increases its worth.

I suppose luck finds some people, and other people make their own luck or are wise enough to seek out what others might ignore. Either way, riches seem to come to those that seek them.

My column is named Treasure Hunt because of all that's out there still waiting to be found. But to uncover it, you have to have a clue as to what might have value. That's where some references are invaluable and could make for ideal gifts for a collector you may know.

Far and away, the most comprehensive catalog of the rarest and most valuable postage stamps from around the world is the "2012 Scott Classic Specialized Catalog of Stamps and Covers." The 1,260-page volume contains descriptions, pictures and values for stamps produced between 1840 and 1940 — this 100-year period contains the most valuable and rare stamps. Every country is represented, totaling literally hundreds of thousands of stamp issues.

The cost for the catalog is $149.99.

It's not inexpensive, but it will prove to be an essential reference for years to come. For more information contact Scott Publishing toll free at: 800-572-6885 or go online at AmosAdvantage.com.

For weekly news, information, price swings and updates, stamp and coin collectors have long turned to Linn's Stamp News and Coin World. These newspapers are essentially the "bible" of the two hobbies. Each respectively showcases both "Buy" and "Sell" prices for collectible stamps and postal history items as well as copper, silver and gold coins, in addition to currency.

For both casual and serious collectors, information about upcoming shows throughout the country is especially valuable for those seeking to buy or sell material they may have.

Subscriptions for either publication are fairly comparable — around $50 or so for 52 weekly issues. Of course, for survival sake, as goes technology, so must go traditional publications. In addition to the tangible paper versions, both periodicals are available in digital versions. From what I could see, the subscribers may save quite a bit by going with the digital edition, which I assume can be viewed on computers, iPads or other similar devices.

For information about subscriptions for yourself or a collector you may know, you can log onto Linns.com or call toll free: 800-448-7293. For Coin World, you can contact them by phone toll free at: 800-253-4555 or visit their website at CoinWorld.com. The site has direct links to the iPad application they have available.

Naturally, I can't guarantee that any of the aforementioned publications will assure the finding of untold riches. And, they certainly have nothing to do with winning the lottery. But, there's no questioning the adage, "Knowledge is power." In fact, in many cases, knowledge translates to money. That's a holiday gift anyone will appreciate.

Editor's Note: A JPEG visual of the cover of the "2012 Scott Classic Specialized Catalog of Stamps and Covers" has been sent with this column.

To find out more about Peter Rexford and features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.