Ferris Stamp and Coin Collects History: Central shop sells rare coins and stamps for 75 years

Jackson Taylor isn't going to try to convert you. In this stamp collector's mind, the world is divided into two camps--those who collect things, and those who don't. If you are a collector, you will see past the chaos of his office in Ferris Stamp and Coin Co. on Central Avenue, and you will see a space crammed with treasures and wisdom. If you are not a collector, you will probably only see piles of books and papers, tipping stacks of binders, and display cases crowded with leather pouches and waxpaper envelopes.

Ferris Stamp and Coin has been operating out of the shop on Central Avenue for more than 30 years. The building is owned by Wendell Williams, who runs the coin side. Taylor, Williams's business partner for the last 22 years, runs the stamp side. They also do a brisk business in jewelry and gold bouillon.

The store has a lot of walk-in traffic, with people from all over the county coming in to try to sell stamps or coins they've found or acquired, Taylor said. But the majority of their business is done through the mail, a rarity in today's internet marketplace. Every month, Taylor assembles lists of stamps he has acquired and has them published in stamp collecting publications where prospective buyers can see them. Taylor publishes 28 different price lists a year.

Like most collectors, Taylor began collecting stamps as a child. His first collection of stamps, given to him by his parents, inspired him to dream of "faraway places" he said, and launched him into the world of collecting. Over the years, he has seen thousands of stamps from around the world.

The surprises and excitement are what keep the business interesting for Taylor and Williams. "You just never know what's going to walk in, whether it's going to be a coin worth two cents or $50,000," Williams said.

Ferris first opened in 1933 on Broadway. It moved to Central Avenue in 1976, when the area was "the place to shop," Taylor said. Over the years, the neighborhood around the little shop constantly changes, but inside things remain the same, and within the binders and envelopes, one finds the customs and standards of days gone by. Taylor doesn't just collect stamps, he collects history.

Taylor pulls out a number of letters, and lays them carefully on the glass counter. One, a business letter, dates back to 1860. There's no envelope for this letter, instead the stationary is simply folded several times, and addressed and stamped on the outside. This was the custom in those days, Taylor said. The stationary is thing, like tissue paper, because the sender was charged according to weight, Taylor explains.

According to the ink stamps, the delicate letter traveled from New Orleans to New York, and then on to France. It cost 15 cents to make this cross-continental journey, Taylor said, "but back then, 15 cents was a lot of money."

Another letter that Taylor has laid out is addressed in a spidery script. The outside is decorated with numerous stamps, and Taylor points out the postal stamps, its inky directions worn by time. This letter is from the US Naval Observatory, Taylor said, and it was sent to an astronomer in Padua Italy in 1868.

Taylor has another collection that he can't find, so he tells me about it instead. It's a series of letters written in the 1880s, a man to his girlfriend, and he's trying to convince her to marry him, "And he's not doing that well, apparently, from the tenor of his letters," Taylor said.

Written correspondence is a record of history that disappears as people rely more heavily on phone and email for communication. With the advent of cell phones and blackberries, communication has become instant, and entirely transitory, he explains. And because of that, something is gained, and something is lost. "This is what we're not going to have. And the same is true for coins," Taylor said. "They reflect a different age. And I'm afraid a lot of this is just going to be lost," he said.

In a day and age when even yard sales are advertised on Craigslist, Ferris Coin and Stamp has remained relatively low-tech. The partners don't sell on e-Bay or other sites; they don't even have a store website. A website could help business, Taylor admits. "It takes one's potential market from local to global," he said. More than that, it could ensure their future in a changing landscape, after all, a virtual business isn't affected by its surroundings. At the same time, there's something very appealing about the fact that this stamp and coin business has held on to the old ways of doing business, keeping a stamp business running by mail order makes a certain kind of sense.

Besides, they would have to get organized before they could get a website launched, Taylor said. He looks around the office at the jam-packed cases, and stacks of binders, at the history that is both his livelihood and his burden, and says that they are just too busy to build a website right now. As if on cue, the phone rings, and Taylor answers it. "What's gold running?" he shouts to the other two men behind the counter.

So for now, Ferris seem content to do business the old-fashioned way.

Will the shop get a website some day?

"It's a goal," Taylor said.

Azteca's Takes Us to Mexico

Can't take a trip to Mexico this year? An enchilada and a frozen margarita at Azteca's Mexican Restaurant is an hour's sojourn in this beautiful country--and you don't even need a passport.

This colorful cantina is located at 4 Central Avenue, near the corner of Lark Street. Windows draped in gauzy curtains overlook the avenue, but inside you're a world away. My dining companion and I both had lunch specials, which arrived at our table in about seven minutes. I had the #9, and for $5.50 I got a platter consisting of chile relleno, beans, salad, and a taco, while my husband ordered the enchilada rancheros $5.75, a tasty rolled enchilada with beans. The chile relleno was an open pepper, heaped with seasoned ground beef and cheese. The enchilada was a standout--a fragrant and flavorful corn tortilla wrapped around beans and smothered in a smoky sauce. The meal was accompanied by a basket of chips and mild, but tasty salsa.

The mariachi music and the conversation at the next table, conducted all in Spanish, only added to Azteca's far-off feeling. At the end of our big meal, we rolled home for a little siesta.

Azteca's is located at 4 Central Avenue. (518) 436-4795. http://www.my-azteca.com/

Energy costs up, NYSERDA and BID help Central businesses save big money

If you have a leaky windows, old insulation, or dated refrigeration equipment, you might as well throw money out the window this summer. Energy costs are up, and you can't afford to waste money on inefficient equipment.

The Central BID has teamed up with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to cut your energy usage this year. NYSERDA is a public benefit corporation that assists utility customers through a number of different programs, including the Energy Audit Program for small commercial properties, said Ed Smyth, office manager for RLW Analytics, the office charged with administering the audit program in Upstate New York.

The audit program is for commercial properties that pay $75,000 or less in annual electric bills. One of NYSERDA’s Energy Audit consultants will walk through the property, testing the building's heating and cooling systems, motors, refrigeration, and other energy consuming equipment to make sure everything is energy efficient. The auditor then makes a full report, compiles a list of recommendations, and meets with the business owner one-on-one to discuss the assessment. The report includes a breakdown of energy use, so owners can see how much each area consumes, and also includes a list of upgrades that would save them money. The auditors can recommend anything from weather proofing the building to replacing old refrigeration units, he said.

The program also directs customers to additional NYSERDA programs that could help offset the cost of the investment, he said. NYSERDA will refund the cost of the audit if the business owner installs some or all of the recommendations.

The benefits of the program are two-fold, said Mark DeChiro. First, owners can get recommendations on better equipment and payback estimates, and they also potentially get incentives to purchase this equipment. "It's a double-whammy," DeChiro said.

Right now, the Central BID is fully covering the small audit cost to participate in this NYSERDA program. The BID employed the program last year, and had their windows upgraded and had all their fluorescent lighting replaced.

Business owners are saving big. In the five years since implementing the program, NYSERDA has found that owners who participate are saving 8%-20% on energy bills, Smyth said.

NYSERDA also offers a number of other programs for businesses and residences.

Ambulance garage emerges from ashes

The Mohawk Ambulance Company has begun construction on its new garage near the corner of North Main and Central Avenue, a property that was the site of an enormous fire in 2004 that destroyed several buildings.

The new facility will be the company's second location in Albany; there is also a garage on Quail Street. The garage will better serve the people of Albany, and "take some of the to take some load off the other building," said Rich Brandt, Vice President of Operations. The building will serve as a garage and a training facility, training high school graduates and seniors in emergency medicine and paving the way to careers in the health care and emergency services, Brandt said.

Mohawk is very excited about this new training program, and hopes it will serve as a career pathway for young people, he said. "We think it's a good thing. A good thing for the community and a good thing for health care," Brandt said.

Mohawk Ambulance was established in 1964, and is the Capital Region's largest provider of emergency services. They have 29 ambulances, 220 employees and facilities in Albany, Schenectady, Troy and Brunswick. Mohawk is under contract with Albany Memorial Hospital and Albany Medical Center.

Mohawk purchased the property last Spring, and began construction in February. The project is expected to be completed by Labor Day, if everything stays on track, Brandt said.