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For broadcast on CBS Radio Network stations July 31-August 1, 2004:

Letting In The Tradesmen

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

Britain's Royal Philatelic Society of London, its most prestigious stamp collecting group, 
recently voted to allow dealers to be members. A major reason was that it's often hard to 
tell the difference between dealers and collectors. Is the person selling off a few 
duplicates a dealer? What if you buy six copies of a stamp, sell five of them but keep one 
for yourself -- Are you a collector or a dealer? 

Is handling money still a taint?

In this country, dealers have always been full members of the American Philatelic Society, 
although they also have their own organization. They're often valued members of specialist 
societies, because they know their fields really well.

In Britain, the Royal's narrow decision is being hailed as progress and likely to 
re-invigorate the society. 

But only those physically present for the meeting were allowed to vote, and half its members 
live outside the United Kingdom. Now if only the Royal can acknowledge the Internet....

And that's Stamp Collecting this week. 

I'm Lloyd de Vries, CBS News. 

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