A few collectible 'predictions' for 2008

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I'm not sure what the new year has in store. Who does? OK, there are some who religiously adhere to soothsayers such as Nostradamus. I don't. His predictions tend to lean toward the bleak with prophesies of plagues, eruptions and Armageddon. Plus, Nostradamus's writings are so cryptic that any of them could be interpreted to mean either the onset of the war in Iraq or the making of the film "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" - whichever disaster you consider worse.
For now, let's stick to what's probable for 2008. For instance, we know by the end of the year, we'll have chosen a new president. All the current candidates espouse is that it's now time for change. That's a given. Over the next 12 months, some of our change will change - with the issuance of four new presidential golden dollars. Issued in 2008 will be dollar coins featuring William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk and Zachary Taylor.
Initially, 2008 was slated to be the 10th and final year for the immensely popular 50 State Quarters series. This year, rounding out the original 50 state quarters will be coins saluting Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii. But, wait. There's been another change.
A few years back, some folks in the District of Columbia got bent out of shape that a quarter for Washington, D.C., wasn't on the docket. Plans are now to extend the series another year to include the District of Columbia as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories. So, collectors of the most popular coin series in history will have even more to look forward to in 2009. I'd wager even Nostradamus didn't see that coming.
Getting in on the popularity of the 50-states theme is the U.S. Postal Service. A new series of stamps will debut this year with the introduction of the "Flags of Our Nation" issue.
Scheduled to be printed and released over three years, the stamps will feature the 50 state flags along with a scene representative of the region. The Postal Service is avoiding the controversy of the state quarters by planning to include five territorial flags as well as the District of Columbia flag. Each year, 20 stamps will be issued, with 60 stamps released in total, including several appearances of the Stars and Stripes.
An even greater variety of notable stamp designs and subjects that will adorn our mail in 2008 include The Chinese Lunar "Year of The Rat," two sheets honoring American scientists and journalists, "Ol' Blue Eyes" Frank Sinatra, screen legend Bette Davis, vintage black cinema, the 2008 Olympic Games, artist Albert Bierstadt, Latin jazz and many more.
Finally, what are the predictions for the economy - specifically on Wall Street? The first trading day of the year wasn't promising, with the market dropping more than 100 points. Yet, there may be another economic indicator worth noting.
A few weeks ago, just in time for Christmas, Heritage Auction Galleries of Dallas brokered a transaction between two individuals in which one of the treasured "Inverted Jenny" 24-cent airmail stamps of 1918 traded hands. The stamp has a catalog value of $400,000. It's worth more than doubles if the gum on the reverse is undisturbed.
The brokered price for the stamp in December was a whopping $850,000 - not the most ever paid for a U.S. stamp but still a remarkable amount of money for a small sliver of paper. But, here's the catch. While the purchaser's name was not released, it was disclosed that the anonymous buyer is a Wall Street executive.
So, what does that say about the upcoming year in stocks vs. other investments? Probably nothing. I do, however, predict it will be a very interesting year for collectors.
Peter Rexford can be reached at P.O. Box 50377, St. Louis, MO 63124.



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