I share your gratitude for the opportunity to purchase hardbound editions of the Stack's John J. Ford, Jr. auction catalogs when they started to become available. At 21 volumes they'll stand as classic reference volumes on a variety of subjects infrequently researched in such detail and with such scholarship.

R.M. Smythe will reach catalog 15, and still counting, for the Schingoethe collection next month in July. Many of us continue to hope that we may be favored with the availability of hardbound editions of these auction catalogs at some point, commensurate with their landmark status and research value. It would be a lasting and meaningful tribute to the Schingoethes, who did not live to see the disposition of their exceptional efforts and achievement.

The sale of these two collections together may exceed forty separate auction catalogs. We're fortunate in our time to benefit from and to share in such depth, quality and graphic presentation of historically important fiscal documents and numismatic material.

Just a comment on what David Gladfelter wrote about the 1990-91 ABN sales by Christie's. Most of the world notes were cataloged by me, with some assistance from my son Joel. Walter Allan did the Canadian material and Russell Kaye the U.S. obsoletes. I do not believe James Lamb himself did much if any of the actual catalog work. It is certainly possible that Gene Hessler was called for help with some things, though I have no specific remembrance of that occurring.

At the time I had several discussions with Lamb about how complete the material was that we were to catalog. He insisted that as far as he knew it was the complete archive, but I strongly believed that it had been gathered in far too much haste to be anywhere near complete. Because I had such a negative attitude he was "only 70% sure" I was going to be able to work on the cataloging - but it worked out that I was there for quite a while.

It was the kind of work that you could do day in and day out, from early morning to late evening, all day every day... and never once get tired of it! Marvelous pieces kept pouring out of every envelope and file, each one better than the next, in a steady stream of delight. It was an experience I will never forget.

The New York Times recently explored the human obsession with lists - how apropos considering the discussion among E-Sylumites about the Top 100 numismatic literature items."