Quote:
Most of us
newbies don't think about handling the stamps with our fingers,
and it is a serious issue to collectors.
Yesterday I went to another one of those local auctions held
in a neighbouring small town Community Hall but this one didn't just have the usual old furniture,
plates, prints, porcelain ware, Elvis memorabilia etc,etc but also stamps & coins.
There was a large table with about 25 WW albums, stock books and
a couple of country albums (France & Germany) nothing
spectacular for sure.
Four of the stock books had Russian/Soviet stamps and one had
a good selection of early Russian which was the only item
that had any interest for me.
Well to get to the point.
There where at least a dozen people (collectors ?) milling around the table checking things out including a woman who spent quite some time going over the Russian stuff and kept on pulling out stamp after stamp with her
FINGERS.
OK she had long nails but really ???
Every time she pulled out another one I started to cringe and a few
times I was really tempted to tell her "Hey you're ruining the stamps
which someone else (me maybe) wants " but I said nothing.
Anyway I needn't have worried. SHE won all four Russian ones and
a couple of others too.