Why On Earth Did I Buy This Badly Damaged Business College Stamp?

A few days ago, I was browsing the newly-added lots in a particular section of the ol' 'bay.

I came across a very small collection of some "Cinderella" stamps, along with two partial panes of some Easter and Christmas seals.

The seller included a "Best Offer" option, probably figuring, that if he was lucky, someone might offer an amount a bit less than what he was asking.

And oh yeah, shipping was free!

Once I identified one of the shown (but not described in any way) stamps, I offered an amount nearly double what he was asking. But the amount was far, far less that what I was actually willing to pay.

It took about fifteen minutes for him to accept my offer.

Why did I buy this lot? For just this one stamp. But why?

This is the 'bay image:



This is the stamp:



Way back in 2007, I released a little booklet that dealt entirely with college and school stamps. It's still available and can be found here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Drummond-J...352513538432

In the process of researching my book, I was able to make contact with a number of dealers and fellow collectors that were also interested in this niche area. Many of the items that were included in my book came from these sources.

At no point did any of them have any knowledge of the item shown here.

I was also able to get a photocopy of George B. Sloane's personal notes and collection of these business college stamps.

He described, but did not illustrate this school, as follows:




I repeated his description in my book, but unfortunately without any illustrations of the stamps.

I did note in my book that his description closely matched another school's stamps, one of which is here:



These Spalding stamps are also quite rare.

So, even though the stamp that I bought is clearly quite damaged, it remains to be the only copy that I've ever seen in the last half-century of collecting these odd stamps.

You could say that this purchase not only made my day, but probably my decade!

Jim

Now you have reason for a 2nd edition.

Ideal example of why, when a stamp is ripped and torn,
it is not "worthless" as often stated in posts.
"worth" is the terrain of the individual.

Kudos goes to the hundreds? of hands and minds, that dealt with that piece, and did not "trash" the young lady.
They are the true "Philatelists"

It really makes one wonder where people pull such things out of. Did you ask the seller where they got it? I make it a habit to ask "And may I ask where you came about this?" after I've made a purchase

While I don't disagree with you oldboldandbrash, my most important question has been, "Do you have any more?" A "yes" answer to that can be interesting.

Great little story - congrats on your find!

Guess what I've been working on recently?

Lol.

Jim

Nice discovery ... another area of collecting

James - I believe those handwritten notes by George Sloane you mention are from Heydiger de Windt's article "Notes on College Stamps" that was published in July 1951.

Glad those notes made it to a good home.

I decided to upload to my website a PDF file of Sloane's notes on US and BNA College Stamps (37 pages).

File is here:

https://www.rfrajola.com/2k21/Sloan...geStamps.pdf

(one of these days I will get around to uploading all 1000+ pages of his notes on US Local Posts, etc.)

While those who have posted here likely know George B. Sloan was a prolific philatelic columnist so this information is for future readers of this thread. While his personal notes are a challenge to find and read, his columns were collected and offered in a book, Sloane's Column, Second Printing, Turner 1980 (1961).

If you think you want a new copy of the Sloan Book, see here: http://goscf.com/t/86326 . For the cost of Media Mail postage and perhaps a small voluntary donation it can be yours.

On a personal note, I miss James Drummond.