Éirinn go brách

Some time ago I was talking to a collector who was enthusing to me about the scarcity of an item that he wished to sell. 

"It's really very, very scarce," he declared.

"Is it unique ?" I asked.

"No," he replied, "it's much rarer than that."

He was Irish. No, he really was, and he left me pondering both the concept of uniqueness and how we should use the term, one that often appears in auction descriptions but not always carrying the true weight of the word.

Even "rare" is a term that can be over-used. My early mentor at Harmers, Fred Twining who sadly passed away a few months ago, would tell me that it should not be casually inserted but only employed in extreme circumstances as a stand alone comment at the end of a description – "Rare".  Of course in those "good old days" a misjudged description that led to a returned lot would cause great shame to the describer who would have to sign the Harmers "returns book" to acknowledge his error. Too many returns and your desk would be moved into the toilet.

Technically speaking, a great many items of postal history have some unique quality or element of rarity but it would devalue the vocabulary to declare each one "rare" or "unique" on every occasion.

Three important items that were consigned this week for the specialised Falkland Islands section that will feature strongly in our November 17th auction, however, do merit these terms and more. We will publish more information about this section shortly and are delighted to be offering at the same time not only the earliest known letter addressed to the islands, but also the earliest known item of local mail and the earliest known cover bearing Falkland Islands stamps. The superlatives used for these items will be truly deserved.

We should not let this week pass without mentioning our attendance at another of the successful Stampex shows in London, which provide an excellent opportunity to renew acquaintances and make new contacts. Our first picture shows my colleague Andrew Williams considering his attack. Andy is an accomplished fencer but was not permitted to bring his sabre to the show. Fortunately his equally advanced rugby skills can be brought into play should matters become more physical.

On the Saturday many at the show seemed to rediscover their lost Irish heritage and, after the Rugby World Cup match in New Zealand, went looking for disconsolate Australians with whom they could "commiserate". We encountered this cheerful character whose accent may or may not have been genuine. 

JG