Armand Rousso in the American Statesman

Rousso, who lives in Palm Beach, Fla., is hoping to get even more people interested in the $470 million-a-year business, but not through trades in small shops, auction houses or other traditional means. He wants to bring stamp collecting into the computer age with his International Stock Exchange.

The company, which is modeled after the stock market, will allow collectors worldwide to buy and sell stamps through personal computers using a special password. The service also will be available via MCI Internationals Inc.’s “Insight,” a 24-hour news and information computer service.

Rousso’s concept is to provide through the Stamp Exchange an elaborate database that stamp aficionados can tap into-a computerized ticker tape of minute-by-minute prices for thousands of stamps.
“We’re still entering the stamps in the computer,” he said. “We have compete sets of stamps from Europe, South America, English colonies, Canada and the United States.”

Rousso estimates that after the system is complete, the Stamp Exchange will ultimately link about 500 dealers with more than 20 million collectors worldwide.

Rousso said he will charge a commission of 3 percent to buyers and 6 percent to sellers for each stamp sold. For the most part, dealers say, both rates are cheaper than standard commissions at auction houses.