Stamp Dealers Business – Emil Tamsen Wholesale Price Lists

The other two lists are printed on foolscap paper. The first of which is two printed pages on pink laid paper printed by Buchdruckerei H. J. Dauth, Frankfurt a. M. The second is two and a half printed pages on a cream wove paper of which one page will be illustrated below once I have permission from The British Library. Perhaps Tamsen used different coloured papers in order that he and his customers were describing the same lists when corresponding. Some of these price lists are annotated to reflect the changing stock and prices.

The British Library records that the possible dates for these price lists are c. 1910 for three of them and for one of the manuscript copies on azure laid paper 1912. However, these dates may be when they received them.

The following extract is taken from the price list printed on pink laid paper [sic.]:

I only deal in Stamps etc. of South Africa, wich I buy for cash in large quantities, this enables me to sell cheaper and to give better value in this, my speciality, than any other dealer in the Trade.
On this account I can fullfill orders only when cash is sent with order.
Remittance to be made in Bank Notes of any country or in drafts on Banks in Pretoria Transvaal. Postage to countries in the Postal Union is 7½ p. per ½ oz on letters and 1 p. per 1 oz Book Post. Registration 6 p. extra. All letters will contain return postage are answered by outgoing mail certain. No less quantities supplied than quoted at Prices in List. All Stamps warranted genuine; Unused originals. Correspondence : English, German, Dutch.
This List cancels all other and is only for Dealers.
Yours truly
EMIL TAMSEN.
Waterberg, Transvaal, (South Africa).

Postscript
Emil Tamsen became well known as the “Grand Old Man” of Transvaal philately and there have been many articles published about him, including those noted below². As I had not read anything referring to his Wholesale Price Lists I found these items of great interest, as they help to understand how a southern Africa stamp dealer did business in the years after the South African War.

Acknowledgments
I was hoping to be able to illustrate one of Tamsen’s manuscript price lists. Unfortunately, I found it impossible to photocopy from the microfilm. I have therefore selected a page from the price list printed on cream laid paper, which will be illustrated here, thanks to the generosity of: © The British Library Board: Crawford 1069(20)

Emil Tamsen Wholesale Price List on cream-wove paper. Illustration © 2024 The British Library Board: Crawford 1069(20)
(Waiting for permission to illustrate from The British library

References
1 Emil Tamsen, (undated) Wholesale Price List Postage Stamps, Postcards, Newsbands and Envelopes of South Africa: The British Library Shelfmark: Crawford 1069(17) and for Microfilm: Mic.C.13667. All four of these price lists (including some duplicates) are bound in a single library-bound volume and each has its own Shelfmark from Crawford 1069(17) to Crawford 1069(20). It should perhaps be noted that these are incorrectly recorded on the on-line and printed published systems of both of The British Library and COPAC (academic and specialist libraries catalogue for the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland), as they have been catalogued using English spellings “Tamson” and “Waterburg” instead of the correct spelling “Tamsen” and “Waterberg” (I have repeatedly reported these errors to The British Library since 2014). Therefore when ordering use the ‘Shelfmark’ Crawford 1069(17) for all four price lists. They are held in London at The British Library and can be viewed in the Rare Books and Music Room. (A pass can be obtained from the Registration Office on the upper-ground floor, although it would be prudent to inquire as to which documents showing your name and address etc. were acceptable by telephoning first.)

2 These include The Transvaal Philatelist whole number/page numbers, 2/13-16, 53/7, 65/4, 113/45-49, 124/83-84, 183/95-97. The first article with information of all 'Wholesale Price Lists' was published in November 2014, 189/66-69.