Wedgwood Half Pence Side Bar

Someone once told me "You stamp collectors are a funny breed" He added " You go into raptures just because a new stamp has been introduced and go all out just to obtain it. "

      SG X842 SIDE BAR LEFT

This was just over thirty eight years ago . I was bragging to my peers that dealers and collectors were clambering over each other to get good copies of the Wedgwood Prestige Booklet. This was issued on 24th May 1972 and was a must have for every serious Machin collector at that time.

By the way this conversation above took place in my local pub where the normal run of the mill patter usualy revolved around, darts, football, snooker, women or whos round it was to get the beer in. Stamp collecting was for nerds and no one in my company had any idea what a Machin was. A stamp was a stamp according to the majority of the boozing set.

I stuck it out and tried my best to explain to these philistines that a half pence stamp with good perforations was changing hands for stupid money, up to £20 a pop in some cases. Twenty quid was a lot of money in those days. Ears started to prick up but they all still thought I was raving mad. I remember comments like "get away with ya you prat."

The truth of the matter is at this time all Machin collectors wanted this single stamp for their albums, this is why this same stamp today is still catalogued at £55.00 and a nicely centered copy mint with full gum and good perforations can still fetch a tidy sum. Well a lot more than the face value of half pence that I was paying for them at the time.

The same half pence stamp used on first day cover were a little easier to obtain with good perfs as the panes were not made up into booklets and were not machine trimmed at the printers. There was also a market for them too.

                                         
                                       FIRST DAY COVER

I keep saying it. I love the good old days. Machin collecting was a pleasure and a challenge. It still is to a degree and will continue to be, I still buy and sell and I am always on the look out for elusive items that fit within my budget.