Life is interesting, isn't it?
I (RJ = Richard Johnson) have been in stamps fulltime since 1980. Over the years I have always had an alert eye out for a "personalised" RJ Penny Black. It's kind of a must have for a philatelist, or is it only me who likes the idea? Anyway, to no avail, the years went on, "Penniless". Sad Richard.
Corona Madness and our first Lockdown... Client comes around with superfluous stamps... them being "ordinary" stamps - not for me. Suggest he takes to colleague Francois. Client persists, please just buy them. I don't want them, not my "thing", go to Francois. Please. Back n forth.
Eventually client wears me down to an offer based upon SWA high values in the lot. Not a pretty number as I don’t want it, but a number nonetheless! Client elicits a round-up to a higher thousand and we do the trade.
Everyone happy except me (another box of unwanted stamps) and the office Cat (capital C) now displaced from his chair where the new purchase (box) gets dumped.
Corona drags on, office more of a man-cave than ever. Uninhabitable/unworkable. Tidy-up must happen.
The cat-displacing box is looked-into. Couple stockcards with GB dreck on... usual parcel-used KEVII hi values... and a 1d black. Unremarkable excepting four full margins and nicely cancelled, hey... quite an attractive one... and... Lettered "RJ"!
Serendipity? Good Karma? Here it came to me after 4 decades of searching even after my efforts to chase it away! And a great example I'm proud to own!
Life is interesting, isn't it?
Sorry, not for sale...
