Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
My mother started collecting stamps 50 years ago. She introduced me and my siblings to the hobby, and bought albums for all of us. I was the only one of the kids who stuck with it. Meanwhile, she kept filling my brother's and sister's albums with her duplicates, "just in case" they ever changed their minds. They didn't.
This means that in addition to my own, I have inherited my mother's collection, my siblings' abandoned collections, and to top it off, what was left of my father-in-law's collection after he sold most of it off before I knew him.
So, now what to do. There are boxes and cartons and bags and drawers full of so much stuff (I know, nothing to complain about, right?) But I am feeling overwhelmed and don't know where to begin.
I have so many questions for you guys as to how things are in this modern philatelic world. Please forgive my extra long post; I know I'm asking a lot.
1) Hinges - oh my - apparently Dennison's disappeared from the face of the earth during my absence. I did find quite a stash of those which I will hoard greedily. And from what I am reading, there is only one manufacturer of hinges left on the planet, so it doesn't really matter what brand to buy at this point?
2) WHAT do we do with all these blasted self-adhesives? I've searched the internet for how to remove them from paper, and I'm not liking what I'm seeing. Any good advice for me there?
3) In my day there were no internet or databases. Now I feel compelled to catalogue into some sort of database. But I don't want to spend all my time doing data entry instead of collecting. Any suggestions on a good cataloguing program? I thought of learning to make my own in Microsoft Access, but that's another time consuming venture....
4) Supplements for albums - don't even seem to be any longer available for some of the older years (decades) I am missing, and the cost would add up quickly if they were. Steiner's pages are looking pretty good to me, as well as Stamp Smarter for the U.S., which I like because they have the stamp images. But it looks like we pretty much have to insert Scott numbers by hand on everything due to licensing issues. I looked a bit at AlbumEasy but I have to admit I am having trouble understanding it.
5) I am going to have a lot of excess and duplicates. Most of it is older - I am going to say pre-1960? Not really sure yet what all is there. What's the trading scene out there these days? Want-lists? Batches of 100 swaps? Where to trade?
6) I also have a ton of covers and -- referring to GregAlex, who posted looking for other "oddballs" -- yes I am one -- I've got some fun oddball stuff here too that I'll try to scan and post to share.
7) Speaking of which - how to scan to upload. I'll have to figure that out too.
I've tried interesting my kids in the hobby, when they were younger, and again when they were older - to no avail. Is anyone having any success with interesting the next generation? And are there many lady collectors out there? No, I'm not trolling, just wondered if I am an anomaly, haha.
Again - feeling overwhelmed here, and my OCD is going into overdrive. All advice is much appreciated. Sorry again for the long post, but looking forward to talking with you all.
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A few quick responses
I use mounts (some call split back) like Scott/Prinz/Showgard so mount self-adhesives the same way. The challenge is often separating them from the sheet since no always die cut through liner.
For inventorying, you can start with a spreadsheet app like Microsoft excel or Libre Office Calc if you are of that mindset.
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Good Morning StampWrangler!
After 60+ years of collecting/accumulation, perhaps I can offer a few comments. I, also, have boxes and cartons and bags and drawers of "stuff". I find that if I have a PILE of "stuff" to wade through, my mind wanders, and it's far better to pick one item to concentrate on to completion.
1) Hinges - I am currently using G&K and have a couple of unopened packets of SUPERSAFE hinges in a drawer. A Dealer in India told me that he can't buy hinges in India and asked me to buy them in the USA and Ship them to him. ??
2) self-adhesives - I use 100% natural, non-aerosol Pure Citrus Orange Air Freshener, which I purchase at Home Depot. I am mailing you a photocopy of Dr. Joanne Berkowitz' original article on this subject. About twice per year I remove a thousand or so self-adhesive stamps from paper, cardboard, packing tape, and cellophane for a major stamp company.
3) Catalogs - I have found that I can purchase complete sets of Scott Catalogs (a couple of years old) from stamp Dealers in my part of the country at very attractive prices. I don't think you want to get involved with Shipping 6 Scott Catalogs. They are heavy!!
4) Albums - I have, also, found that you can purchase Scott International Albums in my part of the country at Stamp Club Auctions at VERY ATTRACTIVE PRICES. This is because an aged person may purchase, or be given, and then discovers that they really
have interest in stamp collecting - or they pass on. I know one stamp Dealer that purchased almost all of the Scott International Albums and sold the Album Covers for more than the pages! He had trouble fitting all of the Albums into his small car.
5) The StampoRama Approvals, and Auctions, are an excellent way to get rid of duplicates. I have listed several Packets of 100 stamps that have Sold. It goes without saying, restrict the Packets to a single country. If a USA Packet, restrict it to an era.
6) Covers - I don't find much interest in them, unless they are something you might receive from the London Cover Club, or similar organization. I have started cutting the stamps from less attractive Covers and selling them for $35.00 8 oz. packages. This i working just fine, and my latest concern is that I may run out of these stamps. But, alas, I can always dig into my boxes and cartons and bages and drawers of "stuff".
Hope this helps a little.
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Thank you Angore and Bob for the info. I am most grateful for all input.
Bob, I am sending you a PM with more info.
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I personally use Stamp Manage for inventorying my worldwide collection. I had just used Excel when I was doing US and a few countries.
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Thanks Angore, I'll have to check it out!
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Hi Olive,
and welcome back.
I'll dive into the cover part of the discussion, because, well, that's where I live.
If you decide you want to start collecting covers, let me know and we talk about different approaches you could take.
I'll PM you about my collecting interests.
David
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StampWrangler asked,
"2) WHAT do we do with all these blasted self-adhesives? I've searched the internet for how to remove them from paper, and I'm not liking what I'm seeing. Any good advice for me there?"
Yes, I have good advice! Don't collect them!
Sorry, couldn't help myself
To explain, I stopped collecting "modern" stamps several years ago. I was finding that new issues and new album supplements were too expensive and troublesome to keep up with. In addition, only rarely did I like the new stamps I was buying. When self-adhesive stamps started coming out, I knew I'd made the right choice.I do buy SA stamps now and then, but only if the topics suit my various collections and the scanned images of the stamps will provide illustrations for my web site, Ephemeral Treasures.
My collections (stamps, covers, postcards and ephemera) are roughly limited to the years between the 1930s and the 1970s. Believe me, there's no shortage of material for me to collect! My biggest problem is my frequent failure to resist the temptation to buy the juicy morsels I find!
StampWrangler also said,
"6) I also have a ton of covers and -- referring to GregAlex, who posted looking for other "oddballs" -- yes I am one -- I've got some fun oddball stuff here too that I'll try to scan and post to share."
To which 1938324 responded,
"6) Covers - I don't find much interest in them, unless they are something you might receive from the London Cover Club, or similar organization. I have started cutting the stamps from less attractive Covers and selling them for $35.00 8 oz. packages. This is working just fine, and my latest concern is that I may run out of these stamps."
1938324 may not find "much interest" in covers, but I can assure you that many of us do. I don't have any problem with removing stamps from modern official and unofficial first day covers (FDCs), but removing stamps from "less attractive" covers could be the equivalent of shooting oneself in one's philatelic foot. "Unattractive covers" my not satisfy one's visual appetite, but they can provide historical nuggets equal to several gourmet meals.
A few years ago I spent almost US $1,000 on a stamped envelope posted by a U.S. Army officer from Columbus, New Mexico, which was the headquarters of the Pershing Punitive Expedition. The expedition was mounted to capture or kill the Mexican revolutionary and bandito Pancho Villa, whose small "army" had attacked Columbus and killed a few soldiers and civilians. My paternal grandfather's New York State National Guard unit spent six months on the Texas/Mexico border to repel more attacks (which never came). Here's the cover:
More recently, I bought a first flight cover for US $900; the four stamps franking it have a 2014 catalogue value of US $2.30. The value comes largely from the signature, that of Jean Mermoz, the French pilot who carried the cover in the first airmail flight between Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile. Mermoz was among the first pilots to pioneer airmail routes between France and South America, and is known as France's Lindbergh. His plane disappeared over the Atlantic on a flight from Buenos Aires to Dakar, Senegal. Here is that cover:
The commercial value of any cover, like any other commodity, depends on its rarity and what collectors are willing to pay for it. And the stamps it is franked with rarely have any significant value, especially if the cover's historical provenance is significant. Cancellations that are unusual, unusually placed or rare generally increase a cover's value. The identity of the sender and the recipient may be significant. An autograph dealer told me that a cover I had paid 69 cents for was worth about about US $50 because the sender, American author and playwright William Saroyan, had posted it with his name written in cursive handwriting in the return address. A wide variety of postmarks, handwritten notations, etiquettes, and dates can add significantly to a cover's value. Here's a cover that many collectors might throw into the paper recycling bin, although that would be like throwing money away:
The only attributes that make this Second World War German military cover not just collectible but worth more than many cups of latté are the date of posting — January 31, 1942 — and Feldpost number noted on the back — 09095 — the number of German Artillery Regiment 384. The cover was posted by a German soldier fighting at Stalingrad, and flown out in one of the last flights. A week before, Hitler had made the decision not to send any more supplies to the army at Stalingrad, and ordered the soldiers to fight to the death. The Battle of Stalingrad was the turning point in war. German forces were never again able to advance against the Russians. It's pretty safe to assume that the soldier who sent the cover died of starvation, was killed in combat, or died in captivity after the battle.
At the end of the day, you should collect what you want to collect, keeping in mind that the commercial value of philatelic items bears no relationship to their desirability for individual collectors.
Bob
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"At the end of the day, you should collect what you want to collect, keeping in mind that the commercial value of philatelic items bears no relationship to their desirability for individual collectors."
Good advice, Bob, and fascinating covers and history. I've never collected for monetary value - that would just become a job, not a hobby! It's worth whatever it's worth, but the fun is in the collecting, not the value.
I enjoyed your covers, thanks for sharing!
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I'd like to emphasize that my philatelic goals have never been about the acquisition of expensive items. Instead, I have purchased items that "speak to me" regardless of the cost (assuming that I can afford them). In terms of income, I am very much middle class, fortunate enough to have sufficient retirement and disability income to live (modestly) in an expensive city. I have stamp collecting friends who would never spend what I spend on stamps and covers, but take expensive trips every couple of years. About the last thing I want to do is spend even one night in a hotel several time zones away from home. Different strokes, eh?
Bob
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I'm very excited to find all you wonderful enthusiasts here. I am returning to the hobby after a several-decades hiatus, otherwise known as working full time and raising kids.
My mother started collecting stamps 50 years ago. She introduced me and my siblings to the hobby, and bought albums for all of us. I was the only one of the kids who stuck with it. Meanwhile, she kept filling my brother's and sister's albums with her duplicates, "just in case" they ever changed their minds. They didn't.
This means that in addition to my own, I have inherited my mother's collection, my siblings' abandoned collections, and to top it off, what was left of my father-in-law's collection after he sold most of it off before I knew him.
So, now what to do. There are boxes and cartons and bags and drawers full of so much stuff (I know, nothing to complain about, right?) But I am feeling overwhelmed and don't know where to begin.
I have so many questions for you guys as to how things are in this modern philatelic world. Please forgive my extra long post; I know I'm asking a lot.
1) Hinges - oh my - apparently Dennison's disappeared from the face of the earth during my absence. I did find quite a stash of those which I will hoard greedily. And from what I am reading, there is only one manufacturer of hinges left on the planet, so it doesn't really matter what brand to buy at this point?
2) WHAT do we do with all these blasted self-adhesives? I've searched the internet for how to remove them from paper, and I'm not liking what I'm seeing. Any good advice for me there?
3) In my day there were no internet or databases. Now I feel compelled to catalogue into some sort of database. But I don't want to spend all my time doing data entry instead of collecting. Any suggestions on a good cataloguing program? I thought of learning to make my own in Microsoft Access, but that's another time consuming venture....
4) Supplements for albums - don't even seem to be any longer available for some of the older years (decades) I am missing, and the cost would add up quickly if they were. Steiner's pages are looking pretty good to me, as well as Stamp Smarter for the U.S., which I like because they have the stamp images. But it looks like we pretty much have to insert Scott numbers by hand on everything due to licensing issues. I looked a bit at AlbumEasy but I have to admit I am having trouble understanding it.
5) I am going to have a lot of excess and duplicates. Most of it is older - I am going to say pre-1960? Not really sure yet what all is there. What's the trading scene out there these days? Want-lists? Batches of 100 swaps? Where to trade?
6) I also have a ton of covers and -- referring to GregAlex, who posted looking for other "oddballs" -- yes I am one -- I've got some fun oddball stuff here too that I'll try to scan and post to share.
7) Speaking of which - how to scan to upload. I'll have to figure that out too.
I've tried interesting my kids in the hobby, when they were younger, and again when they were older - to no avail. Is anyone having any success with interesting the next generation? And are there many lady collectors out there? No, I'm not trolling, just wondered if I am an anomaly, haha.
Again - feeling overwhelmed here, and my OCD is going into overdrive. All advice is much appreciated. Sorry again for the long post, but looking forward to talking with you all.
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re: Back to Collecting
A few quick responses
I use mounts (some call split back) like Scott/Prinz/Showgard so mount self-adhesives the same way. The challenge is often separating them from the sheet since no always die cut through liner.
For inventorying, you can start with a spreadsheet app like Microsoft excel or Libre Office Calc if you are of that mindset.
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Auctions - Approvals
re: Back to Collecting
Good Morning StampWrangler!
After 60+ years of collecting/accumulation, perhaps I can offer a few comments. I, also, have boxes and cartons and bags and drawers of "stuff". I find that if I have a PILE of "stuff" to wade through, my mind wanders, and it's far better to pick one item to concentrate on to completion.
1) Hinges - I am currently using G&K and have a couple of unopened packets of SUPERSAFE hinges in a drawer. A Dealer in India told me that he can't buy hinges in India and asked me to buy them in the USA and Ship them to him. ??
2) self-adhesives - I use 100% natural, non-aerosol Pure Citrus Orange Air Freshener, which I purchase at Home Depot. I am mailing you a photocopy of Dr. Joanne Berkowitz' original article on this subject. About twice per year I remove a thousand or so self-adhesive stamps from paper, cardboard, packing tape, and cellophane for a major stamp company.
3) Catalogs - I have found that I can purchase complete sets of Scott Catalogs (a couple of years old) from stamp Dealers in my part of the country at very attractive prices. I don't think you want to get involved with Shipping 6 Scott Catalogs. They are heavy!!
4) Albums - I have, also, found that you can purchase Scott International Albums in my part of the country at Stamp Club Auctions at VERY ATTRACTIVE PRICES. This is because an aged person may purchase, or be given, and then discovers that they really
have interest in stamp collecting - or they pass on. I know one stamp Dealer that purchased almost all of the Scott International Albums and sold the Album Covers for more than the pages! He had trouble fitting all of the Albums into his small car.
5) The StampoRama Approvals, and Auctions, are an excellent way to get rid of duplicates. I have listed several Packets of 100 stamps that have Sold. It goes without saying, restrict the Packets to a single country. If a USA Packet, restrict it to an era.
6) Covers - I don't find much interest in them, unless they are something you might receive from the London Cover Club, or similar organization. I have started cutting the stamps from less attractive Covers and selling them for $35.00 8 oz. packages. This i working just fine, and my latest concern is that I may run out of these stamps. But, alas, I can always dig into my boxes and cartons and bages and drawers of "stuff".
Hope this helps a little.
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re: Back to Collecting
Thank you Angore and Bob for the info. I am most grateful for all input.
Bob, I am sending you a PM with more info.
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this post
re: Back to Collecting
I personally use Stamp Manage for inventorying my worldwide collection. I had just used Excel when I was doing US and a few countries.
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re: Back to Collecting
Thanks Angore, I'll have to check it out!
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Auctions
re: Back to Collecting
Hi Olive,
and welcome back.
I'll dive into the cover part of the discussion, because, well, that's where I live.
If you decide you want to start collecting covers, let me know and we talk about different approaches you could take.
I'll PM you about my collecting interests.
David
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re: Back to Collecting
StampWrangler asked,
"2) WHAT do we do with all these blasted self-adhesives? I've searched the internet for how to remove them from paper, and I'm not liking what I'm seeing. Any good advice for me there?"
Yes, I have good advice! Don't collect them!
Sorry, couldn't help myself
To explain, I stopped collecting "modern" stamps several years ago. I was finding that new issues and new album supplements were too expensive and troublesome to keep up with. In addition, only rarely did I like the new stamps I was buying. When self-adhesive stamps started coming out, I knew I'd made the right choice.I do buy SA stamps now and then, but only if the topics suit my various collections and the scanned images of the stamps will provide illustrations for my web site, Ephemeral Treasures.
My collections (stamps, covers, postcards and ephemera) are roughly limited to the years between the 1930s and the 1970s. Believe me, there's no shortage of material for me to collect! My biggest problem is my frequent failure to resist the temptation to buy the juicy morsels I find!
StampWrangler also said,
"6) I also have a ton of covers and -- referring to GregAlex, who posted looking for other "oddballs" -- yes I am one -- I've got some fun oddball stuff here too that I'll try to scan and post to share."
To which 1938324 responded,
"6) Covers - I don't find much interest in them, unless they are something you might receive from the London Cover Club, or similar organization. I have started cutting the stamps from less attractive Covers and selling them for $35.00 8 oz. packages. This is working just fine, and my latest concern is that I may run out of these stamps."
1938324 may not find "much interest" in covers, but I can assure you that many of us do. I don't have any problem with removing stamps from modern official and unofficial first day covers (FDCs), but removing stamps from "less attractive" covers could be the equivalent of shooting oneself in one's philatelic foot. "Unattractive covers" my not satisfy one's visual appetite, but they can provide historical nuggets equal to several gourmet meals.
A few years ago I spent almost US $1,000 on a stamped envelope posted by a U.S. Army officer from Columbus, New Mexico, which was the headquarters of the Pershing Punitive Expedition. The expedition was mounted to capture or kill the Mexican revolutionary and bandito Pancho Villa, whose small "army" had attacked Columbus and killed a few soldiers and civilians. My paternal grandfather's New York State National Guard unit spent six months on the Texas/Mexico border to repel more attacks (which never came). Here's the cover:
More recently, I bought a first flight cover for US $900; the four stamps franking it have a 2014 catalogue value of US $2.30. The value comes largely from the signature, that of Jean Mermoz, the French pilot who carried the cover in the first airmail flight between Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile. Mermoz was among the first pilots to pioneer airmail routes between France and South America, and is known as France's Lindbergh. His plane disappeared over the Atlantic on a flight from Buenos Aires to Dakar, Senegal. Here is that cover:
The commercial value of any cover, like any other commodity, depends on its rarity and what collectors are willing to pay for it. And the stamps it is franked with rarely have any significant value, especially if the cover's historical provenance is significant. Cancellations that are unusual, unusually placed or rare generally increase a cover's value. The identity of the sender and the recipient may be significant. An autograph dealer told me that a cover I had paid 69 cents for was worth about about US $50 because the sender, American author and playwright William Saroyan, had posted it with his name written in cursive handwriting in the return address. A wide variety of postmarks, handwritten notations, etiquettes, and dates can add significantly to a cover's value. Here's a cover that many collectors might throw into the paper recycling bin, although that would be like throwing money away:
The only attributes that make this Second World War German military cover not just collectible but worth more than many cups of latté are the date of posting — January 31, 1942 — and Feldpost number noted on the back — 09095 — the number of German Artillery Regiment 384. The cover was posted by a German soldier fighting at Stalingrad, and flown out in one of the last flights. A week before, Hitler had made the decision not to send any more supplies to the army at Stalingrad, and ordered the soldiers to fight to the death. The Battle of Stalingrad was the turning point in war. German forces were never again able to advance against the Russians. It's pretty safe to assume that the soldier who sent the cover died of starvation, was killed in combat, or died in captivity after the battle.
At the end of the day, you should collect what you want to collect, keeping in mind that the commercial value of philatelic items bears no relationship to their desirability for individual collectors.
Bob
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re: Back to Collecting
"At the end of the day, you should collect what you want to collect, keeping in mind that the commercial value of philatelic items bears no relationship to their desirability for individual collectors."
Good advice, Bob, and fascinating covers and history. I've never collected for monetary value - that would just become a job, not a hobby! It's worth whatever it's worth, but the fun is in the collecting, not the value.
I enjoyed your covers, thanks for sharing!
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re: Back to Collecting
I'd like to emphasize that my philatelic goals have never been about the acquisition of expensive items. Instead, I have purchased items that "speak to me" regardless of the cost (assuming that I can afford them). In terms of income, I am very much middle class, fortunate enough to have sufficient retirement and disability income to live (modestly) in an expensive city. I have stamp collecting friends who would never spend what I spend on stamps and covers, but take expensive trips every couple of years. About the last thing I want to do is spend even one night in a hotel several time zones away from home. Different strokes, eh?
Bob
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