Railroad Stamps And Other Strange Back Of The Book Stamps

Hello,

A new catalog is now available that describes, illustrates, and values hundreds of unusual stamps, including what is perhaps the most comprehensive listing of railroad and bus company stamps ever produced. It is the third and final part of a catalog series called Drummond's Catalog of Philatelic Miscellany. Part one and part two were previously announced on this forum, earlier this year.

Here is a link to the catalog:
http://www.ericjackson.com/rDetails...3558&this=it

Shown below are the table of contents along with random examples of some of what is covered in the 616 page catalog.

If there are any questions about the book, I'd be glad to assist.

Thanks,

Jim

Well done. Opens up a whole wonderful world of collecting. Appreciated.

I like the Boston and Maine baggage ticket the best. That's my railroad and one of my three hobbies.

Jack Kelley

Nice stamps. I have always like train stuff. What do something like those go cor?

Ireland2018,

Well, it depends. Some large railroad companies were around for over a century, and they used hundreds (if not thousands) of stamps every day. As new baggage claim agents or presidents were elected, new stamps were issued. Rates changed over time, and the older, lower value stamps were deemed to be obsolete. In both cases, complete booklets are known, with 10 fresh, mint panes of 10 stamps each. Individual stamps usually sell for a few dollars each, maybe $10 or so for a pane, and maybe $15 for an example still attached to a baggage ticket.

On the other hand, there are some short-lived, relatively obscure companies that only issued a handful of stamps. These are much harder to find, as you can imagine. A registered package form from the 1890s for a tiny railroad typically carries a value of $50 or so in my catalog, though you may find them for $5 at an antique store or with an estimated bid of $500 in some stamp auctions.

As the collectors of these types of things have a great interest in obtaining an example that they don't currently have, they will bid aggressively when an example appears. But once all of the collectors have a copy, there is usually no interest in the next copy, and it can sit in a dealer's inventory for years, almost regardless of the asking price.

Pretty much the same scenario as all of the other philatelic areas: regular postage stamps, revenues, first day covers, etc.

Jim