"The Specialist"

In the spirit of that great hit tune, "Macarthurs Park" where a bet was
laid on that a tune would be a "hit" that had lyrics that were absolute nonsense
then read on.........

In memory of of all the gaffes, cock-ups, blunders and boo boos
made by people of good intent and high social standing,
with the revelation, that no matter how high and mighty we may be
or think we are, we are all subject to fickle finger of fate. (hehhehehehe)

THE SPECIALIST
The well known American dealer Mr Herman
("Pat") Herst of Boca Raton, Florida, tells the
following story in a recent issue of his publication
"Herst's Outbursts".
It seems a dealer member of a certain stamp club
was challenged to show an exhibit that represented a
considerable .amount of philatelic study for what the
club termed "Specialists' Night'. He picked up the challenge
and entered six album pages of an exhibit he chose to call
"Study of the One Penny George V of Australia"

From a wholesaler he purchased a thousand copies of the
stamp, one of the most common in philately, at a cost of less
than $2. From the thousand he selected the one hundred best
centred and least heavily cancelled. On each of the six album
pages he mounted sixteen stamps, arranged four by four, with
the final page having twenty stamps.

Fortunately he was possessed of the ability to write neatly
and to arrange an album page artfully. Under each stamp
he described some imaginary aspect about it that he
hoped, would impress the judges. Double transfers of
course abounded, here and there a 'shift," a weak impression,
a doubled line, or a misplaced whisker.

The judges did the expected and showed their respect
by giving it a first prize. The exhibitor, more than a little
embarrassed by having had his joke taken so seriously,
has not been able to share the story with his fellow club
members lest it embarrass the judges, whose own
ignorance was pointed out by the results.

News that a dedicated, devoted, and accomplished
phiiatelist had. apparently done a job long thought-
impossible, namely plating the King George V
One Penny of Australia, brought another hign honor.
the dealer was invited to show his collection in a
regional stamp exhibition, an offer which he felt
was best declined.