大学英语四级阅读的200篇: Unit 40 passage 3_大学英语阅读

大学英语四级阅读的200篇: Unit 40 passage 3

　　Stamp-collecting, once exclusively the hobby of small boys and an all-consuming passion

　　Stamp-collecting, once exclusively the hobby of small boys and an all-consuming passion for the older enthusiast, has now become the target of financial speculators. Stamps are both portable and negotiable anywhere and have thus attracted investors with no knowledge of the subject. However , many of these people have burned their fingers as all forms of investment require specialized knowledge.

　　There are many cautionary tales. The Post Office issued three stamps to commemorate the 1966 World Cup held in England. When England won the Cup, the four-penny value was overprinted with the words England Winners. The speculators moved in, the stamp being sold out on the day of issue and soon changing hands at up to sixty times its face value. When profit-taking started, the price dropped sharply and now the stamps are easily obtainable at a price which will not make a hole in any schoolboys pocket.

　　However, interesting stamps particularly stamps from the nineteenth century in good condition will always be a sound investment. The condition of most childhood collections means that they will seldom fetch very much. Rare stamp can only increase in value over the years. Surprisingly the first stamp ever issued, the British 1840 Penny Black, is not that much of a rarity and will never have the value of, say, the Mauritius One Penny of 1859.