Blue nerogramme forms, on which the prepaid postage is usually printed, leaving no scope for adhesive stamps until the rate is
hereased while stocks of the old forms still exist, are among the Tesser items collected by philatelists.
A part of the form may be used to print a series of pictures (of touristic interest) of the country, while still leaving adequate space for letter writing and this inexpensive method of advertising brings the country's image not only to philatelists but to all recipients of such mail from correspondents in the issuing country. Use of Agents
Because a considerable amount of organisation is implicit in making successful and timeous stamp issues, some small countries leave a good deal of the work to professional agents such as the British Crown Agents who act for a number of small Commonwealth countries in respect of stamp and coin issues. The country concerned remains responsible for proposing themes and designs (except when joining omnibus schemes, centrally planned, which involve several countries), although the final design work and
Other printing etc will usually be ordered by the Crown Agents. firms which have entered this field of activity include Urch, Harris and Franklin Mint, bath of whom have also been employed as selling agents by the Crown Agents themselves.
The commercial success of an issue depends very largely on successful marketing and some commercial firms claim that they can
It do a better job in this respect than an individual country. is difficult to advise in depth on the matter, but a country should not sign up" with an agent without first obtaining from other countries which have had experience with the particular agent some word as to their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the services provided. At one time it was customary to advise against the employment of agents who might oversell an individual country's stamps for immediate profit, but in the course of doing so might ruin the country's "image"for the future. This is still good advice, but it has become evident that heavy advertising expendit- ure can widen the market for stamps considerably and increase sales beyond what would once have seemed possible.
If an agent is employed it is important to retain as much freedom as possible to decide on what issues and designs should be formulated and there should be break clauses in the contract with an agent operative on reasonable notice.
Where an agent is employed, a country receives a smaller proportion of the profit of an issue than if the country handled the issue itself. The total profit should, however, be greater and the net profit to the country greater if the issue is handled efficiently by an agent. Such at any rate is the argument for employing an agent. Probably the best course is to continue with an agent (where one has already been employed) but to build up gradually the country's own"knowhow in philately, until it is ready to take over itself (which is one of the objects of these notes. Even after take-over, it may still make very good sense to join in omnibus issues arranged by agents so as to obtain economies of scale not otherwise feasible. (see above "Omnibus Issues") -see also below "Local Labour Content".
Local labour Content
There are a number of tasks to perform in connection with philatelic issues, which .could be performed within a country to
The work give both employment and a little profit to Government. tends to be intermittent and so for the most part does not justify
The work has also engaging full-time staff, at least initially. to be efficiently organised so as not to hold up a proposed stamp issue, the success of which invariably depends on the synchronisation of several steps, usually taken in different countries.
In the early stages of taking on work concerning philately it may be possible to employ part-time workers, and to second staff from other post office duties to help out. The following para- graphs indicate the various fielus in which there is scope for local employment.
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