Brian Grant Duff is celebrating his 40th anniversary of serving the collecting community in Vancouver and around the world.
(Part 3) 1986 Toronto and Chicago
Fred Eaton and I run monthly auctions in our Queen Street East location. John Beddows is among the attendees. Duran Duran visit Much Music a few doors down and the street is filled like Beatlemania.
Sometimes business is so hard, we sell discount postage to pay the rent.
We live close to` Toronto’s First Post Office and become friends with postmaster Jack Lukasik. Sunday visits to Allan Steinhart’s St. Lawrence Hall show become part of our routine. A rare treat is lunch with Dick Lamb at Simpson’s Arcadian Court.
Stanley Gibbons sends Dan Eaton Canada’s rarest stamp, #32, the 2c laid paper Large Queen used. We begin to take it to shows and stamp clubs.
Dan, Fred, and I attend Ameripex in Chicago, my first International Stamp Show. On a rare break, I make sure I stop and look at the unique British Guiana Magenta on display in the Court of Honour. It doesn’t look like much, and makes me think of a piece of firecracker wrapping paper, but I will never forget seeing it for the first time.
Part 1 can be found here
