About a year ago I posted some war books for sale in Sulit, now OLX, and two or three pickers came to look at the books, and other stuffs as well. In fact one thing they see as they come in is the dining table.
"Is that narra? How much?"
"Di kasali yan; wala pa kaming dahong saging para kumain sa sahig."
One bought five Time-Life World War II books, and two Beatles LP stashed on a shelf. What I have learned is not to sell Beatles stuff for less than thousands because money can be recovered, even if slowly, but Beatles LPs are getting expensive, even (or especially) those Philippine-made.
Another, a woman whose amiability can easily land her in any political office of her choice, said came looking for old/antique stamps.
"Anong rare stamps mo?" she asked, looking disappointed when I showed her folders of recent Republic stamps.
"Sabi mo sa text stamps lang. Meron akong Japanese Occupation."
"Mas matanda pa sa iyo ang hanap ko." She smiled, indicating that I may be younger than the late MacArthur.
Then she saw a frame on top of a shelf. Turned out to be a full sheet of 100 Spanish-Philippine stamps, issued in 1894. The stamps were framed by the original owner; the wires at the back of the frame were twisted and rusty. The owner, whoever he was, even typed on a piece of paper, pasted below the big sheet of stamps, a caption saying the stamps were issued by the Spanish authority in 1890, featuring the young King Alfonso XXIII.
"Sabi dito 1890; sabi mo 1894."
"Sabi ng Scott's catalogue. Di pa kasi uso ang catalogue nung ginawa yang stamps." I said. "Pero buhay pa si Rizal nung 1894 ha, nasa Dapitan exile pa siya noon."
"Kilala mo siya?"
"Oo naman, nangongopya yan sa akin nung nasa UST pa kami."
"Siguro mahal itong frame na ito, ano?"
"Free yan. Yung stamps ang mahal."
:May konting
(Itutuloy)