Valleroy. Multi-collection fair: “Ah finally! I found the missing piece”

"Coins, stamps, postcards, capsules, and beans—these are the most common collections." Serge Dabrowski, president of the Valleroy Collections Circle, is one of the placomusophiles, those who collect champagne or crémant wire cages. And on Saturday, June 14, during the multi-collection fair, he hopes to make a few exchanges or perhaps find that rare gem. "Sometimes, all you need is one piece to complete a series. So we search for it, relentlessly, everywhere. Until the day... Ah, finally, it's there!" The collector's supreme pleasure: the series is complete.

Among the club's volunteers, two philatelists are carefully preparing the exchange. Alain Lenardon, the association's treasurer, has spent hours every day sorting his stamps since he was a kid! "I've been collecting for 45 years. My fifth-grade teacher inspired me to take an interest in stamps. Today, a room in my house is dedicated to them; I have 300 albums," smiles the enthusiast. "Stamps are fantastic; they don't expire. Stamps in francs can always be used. You just have to convert their value to the current cost of a letter. Only Pétain's stamps are banned. Just like Hitler's. But they're easy to get; they're not that rare." Alongside him, Patrick Spadoni has given up his philatelic collection, which he started at the same age as his friend. "What will my children do with my collection? Probably nothing." So I went to see other collectors. We agreed on a price and I sold everything. Obviously, I miss my collection a little, but at least it's in the hands of someone who will take care of it.

The stock exchange is also an ideal place to have collections appraised . "People often think they have a fortune in their hands. When you tell them what their collection is really worth, they're disappointed. Sometimes they even think you're ripping them off!" smiles Serge Dabrowski. "You don't collect to get rich. I can estimate my stamp collection by looking at the rating of each one. But in reality, if I can get 10% of that value, that would be great! The greatest value is sentimental," adds Alain Lenardon. Conversely, among numismatists, some coins far exceed their market value, depending on their rarity. Enough to make you want to take a closer look at your wallet!

Multi-collection fair on Saturday, June 14, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Valleroy community center. €3 per table. Reservations: 06 71 55 67 50 or [email protected]