The Max Factor: My Life as a Stamp Dealer

Max Stern AM is a household name in stamp-dealing worldwide. He was forced into the profession by his Jewish family’s circumstances in Bratislava at the beginning of WWII, abandoning his engineering studies. This book represents the first history of philately in Australia, from 1948 to today. Max expounds on the fascinating requirements of a wide range of customers and the deviousness of master forgers. The Ampol Petroleum promotion of 1964, for which Max provided stamps, was the world’s largest giveaway scheme. His imaginative solution to the financing of Australia’s most successful stamp exhibition, AUSIPEX 84, astounded his peers and impressed his competitors.