John Hotchner, U.S. Notes Column

In the Aug. 2 issue of Linn's Stamp News, Mr. Hotchner opines about the discourse concerning the National Postal Museum's plan to destroy stamps being destructive to the hobby. But he misses the point. It is the destruction of stamps by the museum that is destructive to the hobby. Without the planned destruction, we would not be having this conversation. Discourse never hurt anything, but destruction of stamps is final.

He also states that the museum has, at every step, explained its rationale. But they have not done so with regard to the destruction except to say that it prevents disruption of the market. Selling over six million stamps from the museum hoard is going to disrupt the market, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Destroying stamps also disrupts the market because it denies collectors from buying those stamps at a reasonable price because destruction manipulates the quantity available and the sales price.

Mr. Hotchner is a member of the National Postal Museum's Council of Philatelists.