Earl P.L. Apfelbaum, Inc.

Based in Pennsylvania, Earl P. L. Apfelbaum, Inc., serves stamp collectors from around the world with offerings for those just getting into the hobby as well as those amassing an investment collection. The family business took its first steps in 1910, when Maurice Apfelbaum began trading stamps part time. He quickly inculcated an interest in stamp collecting in his young son, Earl P. L. Apfelbaum, who launched a full-time stamp dealership in 1930. Postage stamps captured the attention of collectors in the mid-1800s after Great Britain issued the first postage stamp ever, the so-called Penny Black. By the time Earl P. L. Apfelbaum, Inc. opened for business, collecting stamps enjoyed tremendous popularity. Most stamp trading occurred in cities because dealers were located in urban areas; as such, many collectors made pilgrimages to major cities to furnish their stamp albums. Apfelbaum Stamps began as a small, part-time business that involved trading and dealing to offset the cost of the family’s own stamp collecting hobbies. After his graduation from Temple University, Earl P. L. Apfelbaum returned to his family’s tailor shop to make his career. By the 1930s, however, the Great Depression made it unfeasible to carry on in the tailoring business. He decided to build on his part-time stamp trade because he knew stamp collecting could be an inexpensive hobby that would provide diversion and entertainment for Americans. Over the years of the Depression, Earl P.L. Apfelbaum, Inc. maintained a series of stores in downtown Philadelphia. Understanding that the cost of travel might prevent some collectors from pursuing their hobby, he implemented mail sales of stamps as well as public auctions of fine or rare items. Using the Internet as its platform, Apfelbaum Stamps today offers for sale more than $20 million worth of stamps and other collectibles. To learn more, visit the company’s full-service website at www.apfelbauminc.com.