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<vault opening sound RUNS :02 and under>

Opening the Vault.

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

Stamp collectors have known for decades that the Postal Service had many rare items 
stashed away, but this week's major stamp show in New York will be the first chance 
the public will have to see some of them. Even the Postal Service didn't know what 
it had.

<"I come across wonderful surprises every week, sometimes daily." RUNS :06>

Joe Brockert is acting curator of what's being called the Postmaster General's 
collection 

<"Every time I'm sure I have one group of material that's going to work, something 
will be missing, and in the process of looking for that, I will find something even 
MORE interesting." RUNS :10>

Some of the items are priceless, like a mail pouch that was taken to the moon.

<"I've been told it's worth millions and just being down in the vault handling 
something worth that amount of money is an unimaginable thrill." RUNS :09>

Brockert, a stamp collector himself, is having the time of his life.

<"Oh, it's wonderful. I'm like a kid in a candy shop." RUNS :02>

And that's stamp collecting this week. I'm Lloyd de Vries, CBS News. 
*******************************************************************

SPECIAL EXTENDED VERSION:

Download this report as an MP3 sound file.

Stamp collectors have known for decades that the Postal Service had many rare 
items stashed away, but the public only now is getting to see some of them. 
Even the Postal Service didn't know what it had.

<"I come across wonderful surprises every week, sometimes daily." RUNS :06>

Joe Brockert is acting curator of what's being called the Postmaster General's 
collection 

<"If we were to try to exhibit everything that's down there, in terms of valuable 
die-proofs and press proofs and models and essays and what we have down there, 
we could fill a museum." RUNS :11>

His job is to organize it.

<"Every time I'm sure I have one group of material that's going to work, 
something will be missing, and in the process of looking for that, I will find 
something even MORE interesting." RUNS :10>

Some of the items are priceless, like a mail pouch taken to the moon.

<"I've been told it's worth millions and just being down in the vault handling 
something worth that amount of money is an unimaginable thrill." RUNS :09>

Brockert, a stamp collector himself, is having the time of his life.

<"Oh, it's wonderful. I'm like a kid in a candy shop." RUNS :02>

And I'm Lloyd de Vries

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