Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
09:10:45am
My name is Greg. I live in Middletown, OH (just north of Cincinnati). I'm a data analyst by trade. I like scary movies. I love music of all kinds...blues to bluegrass and everything in between.
Several years ago, I fancied myself as a stamp collector. I believe I was more of a hoarder than a collector. I "collected" several drawers, boxes, bags and binders full of stamps (see the photo below). I recently decided I wanted to become more of a collector than a hoarder.
I have no idea as of yet what I'd like to collect. I suspect I'll get a better idea of where my interests lie as I sort through the pile I've accumulated and as I talk with you good folks and find out what everyone else collects.
My first task, I think, is to sort through the pile and see just what I have. Sorting through all the material seems daunting and overwhelming. I have a lot of material to work with. Sadly, I have very little knowledge. But I don't mind asking the noob questions.
I'm hoping you folks can help me with best practices and ideas for identification, storage, inventory and collection management, selling and trading of duplicates, etc. I also want to display my collection online.
Throughout this process, I hope to forge some new friendships. I look forward to learning alot from you all and about you as well!
Greg
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Cool, you do have a lot to work with! Just remember to enjoy the time you spend doing it. Don't treat it as a chore and it will stay fun. I too am fairly new at actually collecting. I would say I started collecting this past November. Before then I stashed used stamps in envelopes and kept them. Start with what interests you the most and you'll refine your collecting interest from there.
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Welcome Welcome Welcome! There are lots of super savvy philatelists here that are very generous with their time answering any questions, so ask away!
I hope you're able to read this after seeing your other message. I'll repost there and see if that works.
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My best advice is to look for a local stamp club and attend a meeting or two. When I got back into collecting I was kind of lost and continued to collect like I did when I was a kid. I was just accumulating a bunch of crap. I lost interest pretty quickly. When I attended a meeting it opened my eyes to the many different ways people collect and the knowledge of the collectors was amazing. The internet and places like this came along for me about 10 years later and added to the resources available to me. I now belong to several clubs and I never thought I was the "club member " type.
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12:40:19pm
Welcome, buckster! Have fun with your "stuff."
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Buckster422 wrote:
"I have no idea as of yet what I'd like to collect. I suspect I'll get a better idea of where my interests lie as I sort through the pile I've accumulated and as I talk with you good folks and find out what everyone else collects."
I think this is the 'hinge-pin' of your future collecting habits. Take things steady before making decisions that will cost you money.
These decisions will dictate which catalogues (catalogs) to acquire. If you decide to focus, for example on USA, then Scott's will serve you better. If British Commonwealth, then Stanley Gibbons is better suited. If Germany, then Michel is the bible.
Catalogues are expensive and take up a lot of room. Choose wisely.
The same applies to albums. Don't shoot from the hip and buy a bunch, even if you see a good deal on the likes of eBay. I would suggest you choose a storage system that is adaptable to changes you might make; such as stock books or Hagner leaves.
This allows you to move things around until you have a better idea of what you want to collect.
As for what to collect: you'l need to decide whether to collect world wide, single country, one country and colonies, thematics, by continent, everything. Will you collect just stamps, first day covers, postal history, signed covers, first flight covers?
If stamps, do you prefer mounted mint (MM), mint un-hinged (MUH), used, cancelled to order (CTO)? Singles, blocks, multiples, panes, all of these?
Basic equipment will serve you well: tweezers (foreceps?), magnifying glass (or lupe), perforation gauge and some method to detect watermarks.
As for your desire to sell: walk before you can run. You need to know what you've got before you do this, otherwise you might make costly mistakes.
After this post you may want to lie down in a darkened room.
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07:04:39am
"After this post you may want to lie down in a darkened room."
Actually, I appreciate all the good advice. I don't plan to buy or sell anything until I've completely inventoried what I have and determine where my interests lie. Excellent counsel!"My best advice is to look for a local stamp club and attend a meeting or two. "
More excellent advice! I thought about looking for clubs and other collectors in my area. I thought it might be a good way to learn more about the hobby.
Thanks to all for the warm welcome!
Greg
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07:05:53am
"If stamps, do you prefer mounted mint (MM), mint un-hinged (MUH)..."
If you frequent SOR for advice (which we hope you do), you might also need an American/British translator (Google translate will not help here). In 'Merican, MM=MH (mint hinged), MUH=MNH (mint never hinged). Gotta watch these sneaky Brits, they still do not acknowledge we are no longer "colonials." Â Â
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Bobby1948 wrote:
"In 'Merican, MM=MH (mint hinged), MUH=MNH (mint never hinged)"
Awflee sowwy old chap! I do get confused with these. Actually here in the UK, the term 'un-mounted mint' (U/M) is preferred..... "it wolls orf the tongue naicely"
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Most libraries have a set of Scott's catalogs you can check out. Reading the first section is a great introduction to collecting. And you can use those instead of purchasing for the time being.
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Dear Buster,
Welcome and get ready for a lifetime of ups & downs stampwise. First off, you sir are not a hoarder-you are way too organized for that label. As an accumulator-frgetaboutit!-way too neat. I'm sorry to inform you that you are a stampcollector-a beginner sure-but not a hoarder/accumulator.
Now I am an accumulator-sadly not a postal historian, not a worldwider, not even a real true blue specialist- but I do have fun. Oh boy do I have fun.You know how to tell if you're an accumulator? you build a shed in your backyard, and move into it-keep the house for the stamps. Just saying!!!
Anyway, you're home laddie, sit back and enjoy.
Best,
Dan C.
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I wrote:
"I would suggest you choose a storage system that is adaptable to changes you might make; such as stock books or Hagner leaves.
This allows you to move things around until you have a better idea of what you want to collect."
I just reviewed what I wrote above and realised that after about 25 years, I still haven't put my stuff in an album yet.
I keep tinkering and upgrading and changing the layout in my Hagner system (contained in A4 size artist portfolios). Of course each time I add another shade, or can't bear to substitute a new one for old, my pages keep expanding.
Not only that, I don't document the stamp part of my collection (black Hagners don't lend themselves too well to neat notations). So I wouldn't win any prizes for presentation. Heaven forfend I should get a thwack on the head and lose my memory.
Am I alone?
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Greetings Buckster!
SOR is a welcoming group, very generous with their stories and knowledge, with more information to share than you'd think ever existed!
If you ever get "back East" to Massachusetts, check out the Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History in the town of Weston, MA, at the edge of the Regis College campus.
It's not far from Boston and, if I understand correctly, is the only other philatelic museum of its type outside the National Museum in Washington, DC. They have a fantastic resource library, interesting items for sale, their own real post-office for cancellations, monthly exhibits, and special/ongoing programs.
The curator and educational director are very well-informed and helpful regarding all inquiries.
You won't be sorry you made the trip!
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Welcome aboard to the roller coaster of stamps! I started out as worldwide, then to US, GB and Canada, to the US postal history with several areas of interest. My problem is that waaaay too many things interest me. My stamps a (mostly) separated by country but not in stockbooks or albums. Same with the postal history. If I ever get organized....
Roger
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We, you and I are for certain *Doppleclangers* and I can tell you it aint easy because its taken me over seventy years to even begin seeking a cure. Good luck!
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Collector versus hoarder. I have two rooms completely full on all walls and just told my wife I needed to put a set of shelves in a third room. I do have 175,000 mounted but three or four times that to go through. I think I qualify as a hoarder and I just bought more last Thursday at club including 700 covers for neat postmarks and just acquired some stuff here on SOR. I collect almost everything and can't seem to stop but I love it.
Jack
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you have yet to begin to hoard my friend… just as stampmanjack… multiple rooms full and spreading to many other areas.. books, catalogs, albums, boxes and folders full of yet to be gone through, covers and, topical projects, exhibits and future exhibit story boards… welcome to the madness !!! You will find just what makes you happy and the folks here and at a local club.. make sure you get to a stamp show in your area asap too.. will make your journey fun !!
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What you decide to collect is a personal decision that lies in your head and heart. You will need to decide if you want to collect topical, specific regions or countries, or a specialty within a country.
After years of hoarding as you call it, I found one stamp that I thought was just classic beautiful, as seen on my avatar here. Soon into my investigation I found that it was a very interesting period of postal development. The USPO had just approved the penny postcard, the one cent rate was also the junk mail rate, which opened up a whole area of collecting pretty commercial covers, perfins and precancels. The post office issued the first booklet panes and companies were racing to perfect stamp vending and affixing equipment, producing a variety of private perforations. So I found my home with one stamp!
I did collect world wide, US and US FDCs for a while, so one day I will put together an album of USA, that will include anything I have on those issues. I probably have everything from 1900 through 1980 if I ever got it sorted.
I also have an album of what I call "cool covers", in which I have a couple of Zep covers, a cover addressed to Dwight Eisenhower, one signed by Charles Lindberg and others signed by folks as varied as Charles M Schultz (he replied to my request!) and singer Harry Chapin. That's the album I show non-collectors. They just go blind when I show them my albums full of the same green stamp!
Good luck in your quest. You cannot force it, but as you ramble through your hoard, you will eventually find a corner of the philatelic world that makes you feel good. Then go for it!
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Baptism by fire!!! Excellent!!!
You have to love a man that grabs all he can before he knows what he's going to do with it. Welcome to the world of insanity trying to get it all sorted out.
My two cents.... Make very broad catagories first, don't try to micro manage or pigeon hole everything..... then define smaller catagories. Easy right? 
When breaking down the catagories try to label as much info on a box as possible, put away the items that don't catch your fancy right away. Pick a small area of interest, what really catches your attention first, then gradually radiate out from that point.
Good luck.... take your time and welcome aboard the crazy train.
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Hahahaha! Do the Brits really call US stamps colonials????? I love it
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US...Colonials? Not as far as I'm aware. Brits refer to colonies, as those in the British Commonwealth. Any reference to (US) colonies as far as I'm concerned, is in the historical context of the 13 colonies founded from 1607.
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Greg:
Welcome! Enjoy the greatest hobby in the world!
Phil B.:
You may be a rebel, but I am a LOBSTERBACK!
God Save The Queen!
David
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We cannot solve our problems with the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.---- Albert Einstein
02 Jul 2014
09:10:45am
Howdy!
My name is Greg. I live in Middletown, OH (just north of Cincinnati). I'm a data analyst by trade. I like scary movies. I love music of all kinds...blues to bluegrass and everything in between.
Several years ago, I fancied myself as a stamp collector. I believe I was more of a hoarder than a collector. I "collected" several drawers, boxes, bags and binders full of stamps (see the photo below). I recently decided I wanted to become more of a collector than a hoarder.
I have no idea as of yet what I'd like to collect. I suspect I'll get a better idea of where my interests lie as I sort through the pile I've accumulated and as I talk with you good folks and find out what everyone else collects.
My first task, I think, is to sort through the pile and see just what I have. Sorting through all the material seems daunting and overwhelming. I have a lot of material to work with. Sadly, I have very little knowledge. But I don't mind asking the noob questions.
I'm hoping you folks can help me with best practices and ideas for identification, storage, inventory and collection management, selling and trading of duplicates, etc. I also want to display my collection online.
Throughout this process, I hope to forge some new friendships. I look forward to learning alot from you all and about you as well!
Greg
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re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
Cool, you do have a lot to work with! Just remember to enjoy the time you spend doing it. Don't treat it as a chore and it will stay fun. I too am fairly new at actually collecting. I would say I started collecting this past November. Before then I stashed used stamps in envelopes and kept them. Start with what interests you the most and you'll refine your collecting interest from there.
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re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
Welcome Welcome Welcome! There are lots of super savvy philatelists here that are very generous with their time answering any questions, so ask away!
I hope you're able to read this after seeing your other message. I'll repost there and see if that works.
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re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
My best advice is to look for a local stamp club and attend a meeting or two. When I got back into collecting I was kind of lost and continued to collect like I did when I was a kid. I was just accumulating a bunch of crap. I lost interest pretty quickly. When I attended a meeting it opened my eyes to the many different ways people collect and the knowledge of the collectors was amazing. The internet and places like this came along for me about 10 years later and added to the resources available to me. I now belong to several clubs and I never thought I was the "club member " type.
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
02 Jul 2014
12:40:19pm
re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
Welcome, buckster! Have fun with your "stuff."
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re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
Buckster422 wrote:
"I have no idea as of yet what I'd like to collect. I suspect I'll get a better idea of where my interests lie as I sort through the pile I've accumulated and as I talk with you good folks and find out what everyone else collects."
I think this is the 'hinge-pin' of your future collecting habits. Take things steady before making decisions that will cost you money.
These decisions will dictate which catalogues (catalogs) to acquire. If you decide to focus, for example on USA, then Scott's will serve you better. If British Commonwealth, then Stanley Gibbons is better suited. If Germany, then Michel is the bible.
Catalogues are expensive and take up a lot of room. Choose wisely.
The same applies to albums. Don't shoot from the hip and buy a bunch, even if you see a good deal on the likes of eBay. I would suggest you choose a storage system that is adaptable to changes you might make; such as stock books or Hagner leaves.
This allows you to move things around until you have a better idea of what you want to collect.
As for what to collect: you'l need to decide whether to collect world wide, single country, one country and colonies, thematics, by continent, everything. Will you collect just stamps, first day covers, postal history, signed covers, first flight covers?
If stamps, do you prefer mounted mint (MM), mint un-hinged (MUH), used, cancelled to order (CTO)? Singles, blocks, multiples, panes, all of these?
Basic equipment will serve you well: tweezers (foreceps?), magnifying glass (or lupe), perforation gauge and some method to detect watermarks.
As for your desire to sell: walk before you can run. You need to know what you've got before you do this, otherwise you might make costly mistakes.
After this post you may want to lie down in a darkened room.
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We cannot solve our problems with the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.---- Albert Einstein
03 Jul 2014
07:04:39am
re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
"After this post you may want to lie down in a darkened room."
Actually, I appreciate all the good advice. I don't plan to buy or sell anything until I've completely inventoried what I have and determine where my interests lie. Excellent counsel!"My best advice is to look for a local stamp club and attend a meeting or two. "
More excellent advice! I thought about looking for clubs and other collectors in my area. I thought it might be a good way to learn more about the hobby.
Thanks to all for the warm welcome!
Greg
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
03 Jul 2014
07:05:53am
re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
"If stamps, do you prefer mounted mint (MM), mint un-hinged (MUH)..."
If you frequent SOR for advice (which we hope you do), you might also need an American/British translator (Google translate will not help here). In 'Merican, MM=MH (mint hinged), MUH=MNH (mint never hinged). Gotta watch these sneaky Brits, they still do not acknowledge we are no longer "colonials." Â Â
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re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
Bobby1948 wrote:
"In 'Merican, MM=MH (mint hinged), MUH=MNH (mint never hinged)"
Awflee sowwy old chap! I do get confused with these. Actually here in the UK, the term 'un-mounted mint' (U/M) is preferred..... "it wolls orf the tongue naicely"
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re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
Most libraries have a set of Scott's catalogs you can check out. Reading the first section is a great introduction to collecting. And you can use those instead of purchasing for the time being.
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re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
Dear Buster,
Welcome and get ready for a lifetime of ups & downs stampwise. First off, you sir are not a hoarder-you are way too organized for that label. As an accumulator-frgetaboutit!-way too neat. I'm sorry to inform you that you are a stampcollector-a beginner sure-but not a hoarder/accumulator.
Now I am an accumulator-sadly not a postal historian, not a worldwider, not even a real true blue specialist- but I do have fun. Oh boy do I have fun.You know how to tell if you're an accumulator? you build a shed in your backyard, and move into it-keep the house for the stamps. Just saying!!!
Anyway, you're home laddie, sit back and enjoy.
Best,
Dan C.
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re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
I wrote:
"I would suggest you choose a storage system that is adaptable to changes you might make; such as stock books or Hagner leaves.
This allows you to move things around until you have a better idea of what you want to collect."
I just reviewed what I wrote above and realised that after about 25 years, I still haven't put my stuff in an album yet.
I keep tinkering and upgrading and changing the layout in my Hagner system (contained in A4 size artist portfolios). Of course each time I add another shade, or can't bear to substitute a new one for old, my pages keep expanding.
Not only that, I don't document the stamp part of my collection (black Hagners don't lend themselves too well to neat notations). So I wouldn't win any prizes for presentation. Heaven forfend I should get a thwack on the head and lose my memory.
Am I alone?
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re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
Greetings Buckster!
SOR is a welcoming group, very generous with their stories and knowledge, with more information to share than you'd think ever existed!
If you ever get "back East" to Massachusetts, check out the Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History in the town of Weston, MA, at the edge of the Regis College campus.
It's not far from Boston and, if I understand correctly, is the only other philatelic museum of its type outside the National Museum in Washington, DC. They have a fantastic resource library, interesting items for sale, their own real post-office for cancellations, monthly exhibits, and special/ongoing programs.
The curator and educational director are very well-informed and helpful regarding all inquiries.
You won't be sorry you made the trip!
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re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
Welcome aboard to the roller coaster of stamps! I started out as worldwide, then to US, GB and Canada, to the US postal history with several areas of interest. My problem is that waaaay too many things interest me. My stamps a (mostly) separated by country but not in stockbooks or albums. Same with the postal history. If I ever get organized....
Roger
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09:20:32pm
re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
We, you and I are for certain *Doppleclangers* and I can tell you it aint easy because its taken me over seventy years to even begin seeking a cure. Good luck!
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11:21:47pm
re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
Collector versus hoarder. I have two rooms completely full on all walls and just told my wife I needed to put a set of shelves in a third room. I do have 175,000 mounted but three or four times that to go through. I think I qualify as a hoarder and I just bought more last Thursday at club including 700 covers for neat postmarks and just acquired some stuff here on SOR. I collect almost everything and can't seem to stop but I love it.
Jack
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11:30:47pm
re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
you have yet to begin to hoard my friend… just as stampmanjack… multiple rooms full and spreading to many other areas.. books, catalogs, albums, boxes and folders full of yet to be gone through, covers and, topical projects, exhibits and future exhibit story boards… welcome to the madness !!! You will find just what makes you happy and the folks here and at a local club.. make sure you get to a stamp show in your area asap too.. will make your journey fun !!
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re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
What you decide to collect is a personal decision that lies in your head and heart. You will need to decide if you want to collect topical, specific regions or countries, or a specialty within a country.
After years of hoarding as you call it, I found one stamp that I thought was just classic beautiful, as seen on my avatar here. Soon into my investigation I found that it was a very interesting period of postal development. The USPO had just approved the penny postcard, the one cent rate was also the junk mail rate, which opened up a whole area of collecting pretty commercial covers, perfins and precancels. The post office issued the first booklet panes and companies were racing to perfect stamp vending and affixing equipment, producing a variety of private perforations. So I found my home with one stamp!
I did collect world wide, US and US FDCs for a while, so one day I will put together an album of USA, that will include anything I have on those issues. I probably have everything from 1900 through 1980 if I ever got it sorted.
I also have an album of what I call "cool covers", in which I have a couple of Zep covers, a cover addressed to Dwight Eisenhower, one signed by Charles Lindberg and others signed by folks as varied as Charles M Schultz (he replied to my request!) and singer Harry Chapin. That's the album I show non-collectors. They just go blind when I show them my albums full of the same green stamp!
Good luck in your quest. You cannot force it, but as you ramble through your hoard, you will eventually find a corner of the philatelic world that makes you feel good. Then go for it!
Login to Like
this post
re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
Baptism by fire!!! Excellent!!!
You have to love a man that grabs all he can before he knows what he's going to do with it. Welcome to the world of insanity trying to get it all sorted out.
My two cents.... Make very broad catagories first, don't try to micro manage or pigeon hole everything..... then define smaller catagories. Easy right?
When breaking down the catagories try to label as much info on a box as possible, put away the items that don't catch your fancy right away. Pick a small area of interest, what really catches your attention first, then gradually radiate out from that point.
Good luck.... take your time and welcome aboard the crazy train.
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re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
Hahahaha! Do the Brits really call US stamps colonials????? I love it
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re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
US...Colonials? Not as far as I'm aware. Brits refer to colonies, as those in the British Commonwealth. Any reference to (US) colonies as far as I'm concerned, is in the historical context of the 13 colonies founded from 1607.
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re: Hoarder That Wants To Be A Collector
Greg:
Welcome! Enjoy the greatest hobby in the world!
Phil B.:
You may be a rebel, but I am a LOBSTERBACK!
God Save The Queen!
David
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