Ron Stiles inherited a few stamps from his grandfather, collected with his father a bit when he was a kid, and reentered his hobby in earnest some 20 years ago when he was about sixty. He was never a passionate philatelist. He collected in fits and starts, buying heavily during some periods and neglecting his collection entirely at others. His was the prototypical philatelic life but when he decided to sell his stamps he made the best decision of his collecting life. He called Apfelbaum. As we always do, we looked over his stamps carefully and, as we often do, we found something. In the spot of US #7 (Type 2-about $75) was a stamp that looked a bit different to us. The external margins were cut away so it was impossible for anyone but an expert to determine its true type. Fortunately Mr Stiles had come to the experts. We recognized the distinctive double transfer that made this stamp plate out as a #5 and the stamp was just granted Philatelic Foundation Certificate #490309. The stamp catalogs $85,000 . And it will be sold in our Public Auction #1089 on November 9th. Apfelbaum doesn’t work like doctors and lawyers and bankers. We don’t bill by the hour or charge account fees. When we perform, when we add value to your stamps by finding things or by expert lotting and presentation we receive through our seller’s commission a portion of what we’ve obtained for you. It’s an old fashioned concept, but then ours is an old fashioned business in an old fashioned hobby. Its a business model that suits Mr Stiles perfectly.