Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
My daughter and I were talking about when she was little, about 6 or 7 years old, and when we went to the stamp shows. That was 30 years ago.
Anyhow there were several stamp shows a year at that time, but we used to go to our own local show every year of course, and others on and off.
There were usually 20 dealers at the show and club members sales books.
I gave my daughter $40.00 for the show. Right away I suggested that she buy one or two stamps that were more expensive. She didn't have to if she didn't want to. She was a kid, quantity is better then quality at that age. She was free to buy whatever she liked, but I explained to her that the prices do go up, and eventually she would wish she had bought some of the more expensive stamps sooner.
She listened and would go though the dealers items. She had a couple of favourite dealers who treated kids like collectors and not like "kids". Some of the dealers didn't even want kids at their tables, so I avoided them as well.
Anyhow, she would take time and look though the stamps first. At that time she was only buying Canadian and topicals. She would take her first $20.00 and buy just one or two stamps. Maybe three if she could. Then take another $10.00 ( her choice to do so ) and buy some $1.00 stamps, or there about. Then with her last $10.00 she would have fun buying 5 and 10 cent stuff.
One dealer even gave good discounts. She would buy $5.00 worth and he would give it to her for $4.00, but then she would spend the other $1.00 at his table anyhow. So she had a blast.
This way she still came home with a lot of stamps that she had fun buying, but she also built a good collection of Canadian to have as she got older. Which now she really enjoys and has been adding to over the last 14 years or so since she got back into collecting again.
I try to do the same thing with my own collections as well. But I still go for a lot of the 10 cent stuff. It is fun.
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What's a budget?
vic
only kidding, as wisely as possible but with the occasional looney purchase thrown in.
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01:02:50pm
Fast ,,,,
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03:49:34pm
Budget? I don't need no stinkin' budget!
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Hi Everyone;
When I lived in Illinois, my first wife and I would buy the nicer stuff at stamp club auctions. Then on Saturday afternoons, we would go to a store called "Cal's" or something like that. They had stock books of stamps, that were penny approvals. Some were 3¢ ea., some 5¢ etc. We spent hours there and went home with 500-1,000 stamps each. So much fun we both had.
Where ever she is I hope she still collects and is enjoying the hobby I turned her onto.
What's a budget?
TuskenRaider
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10:40:00pm
Sadly - While I budget everything else to a "T", when it comes to stamps - oy!
I buy a lot online just because of my location. I try to do it in two ways - I know the high values I want and I look for them carefully. But I also take a good look at ebay dealers to decide who has good ratings and do "comparison shopping" when it comes to my high values. I have a few favourites here in Canada, an occasional one in the US but the others I like to buy from are in Europe.
BUT - my greatest love is boxlots. I've had great fun over the years with the boxlots although most of the stuff goes into Approval books (when I'm well enough to do them).
I have a fella I deal with out in BC and he sends out his Fall and Spring Listings and guaranteed there is always something that catches my eye.
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I try - often unsuccessfully - to limit spending to about what I sell. And I prefer to take the money from my Stamporama sales and buy from other Stamporama sellers.
No one here sells kiloware and I am a kiloware ADDICT, so I must buy that from dealers all around the globe. The challenge is trying to find true unpicked mixes. I've had to cut way back as kiloware has become crazy expensive.
I am squirreling away a portion of my SOR sales to save up to buy the one Seahorse I'm missing from my used Ireland collection. I suppose that is a budget of sorts?
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I love buying kiloware too, but just can't find anything any good.
I hope you get your Seahorse. And yes, saving for something special that you want is certainly budgeting I would say.
My budget gets blown constantly now. A few years ago my mom and I really blew our budget on postcards.
We went to a postcard show with about $100.00 to spend. When we were done with that, we found a couple more. Gee, only 50 cents each. That's not too bad. Then, "Oh, I like this one. It's only $1.00". Then another and another and another total of $67.00 over what we had planned on spending. hehehe! We finally had to leave, but it was fun. We didn't mind living on pork and beans for the week. hehehehe! It was worth it. We could look at our cards by candle light. 
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...on model trains. OOPS! Guess I need to make a new budget!
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My stamp budget is pretty small right now but I like to buy stamps to fill the holes in my albums. Being a new collector I have a lot of holes
Most times I just go for as many inexpensive ones as I can find, you know the feeling you get more for your money. Then on rare occasion I can only afford 1 or 2 stamps.
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For the most part I stick to a budget. I only go with $20 to the stamp club meetings. That's to cover the 2 auctions and as many single stamps as I can get within the time frame I have to work with. I'll also buy a few things throughout the month off stamporama and ebay but only a couple of dollars here and there.
Shannon
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For me it's an overall hobby budget, not restricted to stamps. I don't really define it. There are months I spend nothing, but if I see a unique item within my specialty I don't hesitate to buy it. Of course I don't spend money I don't have.
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I have a rather strict budget, but every dollar I don't spend goes into an envelope for future purchases. When I make a purchase, I take that amount from the envelope and make a deposit to offset the purchase. If I don't buy anything, more and more accumulates. If I have $300 saved up for a $400 stamp, but a $150 stamp might be had for $125, I have a decision to make. (I'm not talking about CV prices, but anticipated purchase prices). This works well for me and no arguments about how much I spend because it all comes out of my discretionary money. I might be tempted to go on a SCUBA diving trip but realize I can buy a plum stamp instead. As long as I have the money saved up, it's up to me to decide. (By the way, SCUBA often trumps stamps)!
My back was sore last week after shoveling so much snow, and I was tempted to visit the massage therapist, but then I remembered a stamp I really would rather have for that $50 and took a pass on the massage.
Lars
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The last few months have been more supplies than stamps - Paper, toner and mounts. I too have a discretionary budgeted amount that has no guilt attached to it. In the past few years that budget has gone to vinyl records and music studio related items. This year it will be stamps.
Now that things are coming into focus, I will spend more on stamps the next few months. I cannot define it any better. I do keep a record of my expenditures.
Don
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I just started an approval service with a dealer I've known for the past couple of years. Since I collect WW classics, there are still many stamps I need so thought doing approvals might be a fun and entertaining way to aquire some new stamps. So, my "official" monthly stamp budget (the one my wife knows about
) will go towards the approvals for a while. I also stach away some cash that I take with me when I go to stamp shows a few times a year.
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My wife laughs that my budget is always spent down at the end of the month. Her blow money is hoarded like a squirrel saving acorns...seriously. My wife would be a minimalist and live in a tiny house. Of course, it would need floor to ceiling bookcases for my stamp collection!
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""My wife would be a minimalist and live in a tiny house." "
My wife and I were watching a show on tiny houses. She said she thought she could live like that, of course I would not be allowed to join her.
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I'm just wondering how everyone spends their money on stamps. I'm not asking how much you spend, just how.
My daughter and I were talking about when she was little, about 6 or 7 years old, and when we went to the stamp shows. That was 30 years ago.
Anyhow there were several stamp shows a year at that time, but we used to go to our own local show every year of course, and others on and off.
There were usually 20 dealers at the show and club members sales books.
I gave my daughter $40.00 for the show. Right away I suggested that she buy one or two stamps that were more expensive. She didn't have to if she didn't want to. She was a kid, quantity is better then quality at that age. She was free to buy whatever she liked, but I explained to her that the prices do go up, and eventually she would wish she had bought some of the more expensive stamps sooner.
She listened and would go though the dealers items. She had a couple of favourite dealers who treated kids like collectors and not like "kids". Some of the dealers didn't even want kids at their tables, so I avoided them as well.
Anyhow, she would take time and look though the stamps first. At that time she was only buying Canadian and topicals. She would take her first $20.00 and buy just one or two stamps. Maybe three if she could. Then take another $10.00 ( her choice to do so ) and buy some $1.00 stamps, or there about. Then with her last $10.00 she would have fun buying 5 and 10 cent stuff.
One dealer even gave good discounts. She would buy $5.00 worth and he would give it to her for $4.00, but then she would spend the other $1.00 at his table anyhow. So she had a blast.
This way she still came home with a lot of stamps that she had fun buying, but she also built a good collection of Canadian to have as she got older. Which now she really enjoys and has been adding to over the last 14 years or so since she got back into collecting again.
I try to do the same thing with my own collections as well. But I still go for a lot of the 10 cent stuff. It is fun.
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re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
What's a budget?
vic
only kidding, as wisely as possible but with the occasional looney purchase thrown in.
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28 Nov 2014
01:02:50pm
re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
Fast ,,,,
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28 Nov 2014
03:49:34pm
re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
Budget? I don't need no stinkin' budget!
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re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
Hi Everyone;
When I lived in Illinois, my first wife and I would buy the nicer stuff at stamp club auctions. Then on Saturday afternoons, we would go to a store called "Cal's" or something like that. They had stock books of stamps, that were penny approvals. Some were 3¢ ea., some 5¢ etc. We spent hours there and went home with 500-1,000 stamps each. So much fun we both had.
Where ever she is I hope she still collects and is enjoying the hobby I turned her onto.
What's a budget?
TuskenRaider
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A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
28 Nov 2014
10:40:00pm
re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
Sadly - While I budget everything else to a "T", when it comes to stamps - oy!
I buy a lot online just because of my location. I try to do it in two ways - I know the high values I want and I look for them carefully. But I also take a good look at ebay dealers to decide who has good ratings and do "comparison shopping" when it comes to my high values. I have a few favourites here in Canada, an occasional one in the US but the others I like to buy from are in Europe.
BUT - my greatest love is boxlots. I've had great fun over the years with the boxlots although most of the stuff goes into Approval books (when I'm well enough to do them).
I have a fella I deal with out in BC and he sends out his Fall and Spring Listings and guaranteed there is always something that catches my eye.
Login to Like
this post
re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
I try - often unsuccessfully - to limit spending to about what I sell. And I prefer to take the money from my Stamporama sales and buy from other Stamporama sellers.
No one here sells kiloware and I am a kiloware ADDICT, so I must buy that from dealers all around the globe. The challenge is trying to find true unpicked mixes. I've had to cut way back as kiloware has become crazy expensive.
I am squirreling away a portion of my SOR sales to save up to buy the one Seahorse I'm missing from my used Ireland collection. I suppose that is a budget of sorts?
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Login to Like.
re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
I love buying kiloware too, but just can't find anything any good.
I hope you get your Seahorse. And yes, saving for something special that you want is certainly budgeting I would say.
My budget gets blown constantly now. A few years ago my mom and I really blew our budget on postcards.
We went to a postcard show with about $100.00 to spend. When we were done with that, we found a couple more. Gee, only 50 cents each. That's not too bad. Then, "Oh, I like this one. It's only $1.00". Then another and another and another total of $67.00 over what we had planned on spending. hehehe! We finally had to leave, but it was fun. We didn't mind living on pork and beans for the week. hehehehe! It was worth it. We could look at our cards by candle light.
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this post
re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
...on model trains. OOPS! Guess I need to make a new budget!
Login to Like
this post
02:03:44am
re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
My stamp budget is pretty small right now but I like to buy stamps to fill the holes in my albums. Being a new collector I have a lot of holes
Most times I just go for as many inexpensive ones as I can find, you know the feeling you get more for your money. Then on rare occasion I can only afford 1 or 2 stamps.
Login to Like
this post
re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
For the most part I stick to a budget. I only go with $20 to the stamp club meetings. That's to cover the 2 auctions and as many single stamps as I can get within the time frame I have to work with. I'll also buy a few things throughout the month off stamporama and ebay but only a couple of dollars here and there.
Shannon
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this post
Approvals
re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
For me it's an overall hobby budget, not restricted to stamps. I don't really define it. There are months I spend nothing, but if I see a unique item within my specialty I don't hesitate to buy it. Of course I don't spend money I don't have.
Login to Like
this post
re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
I have a rather strict budget, but every dollar I don't spend goes into an envelope for future purchases. When I make a purchase, I take that amount from the envelope and make a deposit to offset the purchase. If I don't buy anything, more and more accumulates. If I have $300 saved up for a $400 stamp, but a $150 stamp might be had for $125, I have a decision to make. (I'm not talking about CV prices, but anticipated purchase prices). This works well for me and no arguments about how much I spend because it all comes out of my discretionary money. I might be tempted to go on a SCUBA diving trip but realize I can buy a plum stamp instead. As long as I have the money saved up, it's up to me to decide. (By the way, SCUBA often trumps stamps)!
My back was sore last week after shoveling so much snow, and I was tempted to visit the massage therapist, but then I remembered a stamp I really would rather have for that $50 and took a pass on the massage.
Lars
Login to Like
this post
re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
The last few months have been more supplies than stamps - Paper, toner and mounts. I too have a discretionary budgeted amount that has no guilt attached to it. In the past few years that budget has gone to vinyl records and music studio related items. This year it will be stamps.
Now that things are coming into focus, I will spend more on stamps the next few months. I cannot define it any better. I do keep a record of my expenditures.
Don
Login to Like
this post
re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
I just started an approval service with a dealer I've known for the past couple of years. Since I collect WW classics, there are still many stamps I need so thought doing approvals might be a fun and entertaining way to aquire some new stamps. So, my "official" monthly stamp budget (the one my wife knows about) will go towards the approvals for a while. I also stach away some cash that I take with me when I go to stamp shows a few times a year.
Login to Like
this post
re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
My wife laughs that my budget is always spent down at the end of the month. Her blow money is hoarded like a squirrel saving acorns...seriously. My wife would be a minimalist and live in a tiny house. Of course, it would need floor to ceiling bookcases for my stamp collection!
Login to Like
this post
re: How do you spend your stamp budget?
""My wife would be a minimalist and live in a tiny house." "
My wife and I were watching a show on tiny houses. She said she thought she could live like that, of course I would not be allowed to join her.
Login to Like
this post