"... i would like to hear what you folks think about our "unique" situation. Perhaps its not so unique.. ..."
Unique, not so much as far as a long time collector seeing the light coming through the tunnel. But a unique disposal situation, Phil, quite so, in that t seems like a lot of work for a small club to manage. Good luck with the project.
About a year ago I was able acquire, what was the remainders of a bulk lot of stamps that a club had been selling off, the ones that, I guess were too common for their local auctions. I am still, at odd moments, working my way through the zip-lock bags and while not having found the priceless gem that would deserve being bragged about on SoR, there have sure been lots of things to add to my collection.
I think that is a great way to put stamps, long loved and admired, into the hands of equally disturbed affectionados.
I might move back to the Hudson Valley myself.
Sadly, many members of our club area in their waning years and we have lost a few members over the last couple years. We still have an active member base of 20-30 persons + a few visitors or more at every meeting. The last member we lost donated his collection to the club and we had a special auction that funded our club meeting location fees for this entire year.
Thanks for the feedback, Charlie it will take us a year or more..but as you understand, some of the folks just love sort and catalog stamps. Best of the collection is in the International albums , there is a lot of material that will have little or any demand, United Nations program cards and first day covers...souvineer sheets from the tiny Caribbean islands with very few letter writers but lots of stamps...the main thing is to be fair to all parties concerned.
I agree, we have two meetings a month...my wife keeps track of the auction so if we had two auctions a month all she would do is work. There is work involved..but its all on a voluntary basis. If a dealer had purchased her collection there would be a minimum of labor involved...the albums would go into sturdy boxes marked lot #1404 one of 5 and so on.
Here's my thoughts.
I see this both in stamps and in my model car hobby. Someone is retiring, buying a smaller house, and has sold off their collection. Um, you are retiring so you will have time to pursue hobbies! I don't understand it at all. I'm looking forward to my retirement, some 7-8 years from now so I can do just that!
I do understand that people don't wish to bother their heirs with disposing of their collection. There can be a best of both worlds, enjoy your stamps now, and have a plan for your heirs. It may be to donate everything to the club in your memory. It may be a dealer you trust to buy everything.
I do commend your club on offering the lots to your members. That way everyone can buy things, and it adds to the club's treasury. That probably is a draw that gets more people to attend the meetings.
The club Vince and I belong to has had several donations from the public in the year I've been a member. I've seen the box as it was delivered to the club. It never was opened at the meeting, one member takes it home to catalog and the lot goes to an auction company. Last month we got a big box of old postcards. This time the box was opened and went around the room. Many of us bought a few cards for 50 cents each. I like that a lot better. Hoping we do that more in the future.
Is there any reason why a member here should not use the auction and or approvals here to sell on, on behalf of a non-Stamporama member of their stamp club?
If this is allowed then you can sell on any remainders not sold to your club members. I am not suggesting that you sell the entire collection via Stamporama - there are not enough hours in a year let alone a day !
i see no reason why you couldn't auction material on behalf of others. I've done it on occasion and believe everyone wins.
can't wait to see what you got
Very good thread liked it..
I hate to admit this, but I have been a member of the Greater Cincinnati Philatelic Society for years and pay the due's. Have not been to a meeting since the mid 1990's! I think I will start going this fall.
"Have not been to a meeting since the mid 1990's! I think I will start going this fall."
One of our oldest members (in years for sure) Sophie had come to the point of "what will i do with my stamps?" She was thinking of calling in a dealer and then her daughter e mailed me that Sophie decided to donate her stamps to her club. First we made it perfectly clear that we could not accept the stamps outright....as far as we are concerned Sophie is a member of the club and able to participate in th club auctions...we will auction off her stamps and take the customary 10 percent commission and send Sophie a check after each monthly auction. we are talking a pickup truck and a half of albums and stamps including 30 well filled scott international albums in alphabetical order. Its a terrific amount of work to break this collection down into lots of one hundred dollars catalog or less. Everyone in the club will benefit...we have 17 dues paying members of our club..3 of whom are active here on stamporama...of the 17 5 or 6 are my stalwarts who will rise to the occasion and dig in when there is work to be done..i guess thats a pretty good average in any club. So, i have said my piece...i would like to hear what you folks think about our "unique" situation. Perhaps its not so unique..perhaps other collectors do what Sophie did. Cheers and God Bless ! phil
re: The benefits of belonging to a stamp club ?
"... i would like to hear what you folks think about our "unique" situation. Perhaps its not so unique.. ..."
Unique, not so much as far as a long time collector seeing the light coming through the tunnel. But a unique disposal situation, Phil, quite so, in that t seems like a lot of work for a small club to manage. Good luck with the project.
About a year ago I was able acquire, what was the remainders of a bulk lot of stamps that a club had been selling off, the ones that, I guess were too common for their local auctions. I am still, at odd moments, working my way through the zip-lock bags and while not having found the priceless gem that would deserve being bragged about on SoR, there have sure been lots of things to add to my collection.
I think that is a great way to put stamps, long loved and admired, into the hands of equally disturbed affectionados.
I might move back to the Hudson Valley myself.
re: The benefits of belonging to a stamp club ?
Sadly, many members of our club area in their waning years and we have lost a few members over the last couple years. We still have an active member base of 20-30 persons + a few visitors or more at every meeting. The last member we lost donated his collection to the club and we had a special auction that funded our club meeting location fees for this entire year.
re: The benefits of belonging to a stamp club ?
Thanks for the feedback, Charlie it will take us a year or more..but as you understand, some of the folks just love sort and catalog stamps. Best of the collection is in the International albums , there is a lot of material that will have little or any demand, United Nations program cards and first day covers...souvineer sheets from the tiny Caribbean islands with very few letter writers but lots of stamps...the main thing is to be fair to all parties concerned.
re: The benefits of belonging to a stamp club ?
I agree, we have two meetings a month...my wife keeps track of the auction so if we had two auctions a month all she would do is work. There is work involved..but its all on a voluntary basis. If a dealer had purchased her collection there would be a minimum of labor involved...the albums would go into sturdy boxes marked lot #1404 one of 5 and so on.
re: The benefits of belonging to a stamp club ?
Here's my thoughts.
I see this both in stamps and in my model car hobby. Someone is retiring, buying a smaller house, and has sold off their collection. Um, you are retiring so you will have time to pursue hobbies! I don't understand it at all. I'm looking forward to my retirement, some 7-8 years from now so I can do just that!
I do understand that people don't wish to bother their heirs with disposing of their collection. There can be a best of both worlds, enjoy your stamps now, and have a plan for your heirs. It may be to donate everything to the club in your memory. It may be a dealer you trust to buy everything.
I do commend your club on offering the lots to your members. That way everyone can buy things, and it adds to the club's treasury. That probably is a draw that gets more people to attend the meetings.
The club Vince and I belong to has had several donations from the public in the year I've been a member. I've seen the box as it was delivered to the club. It never was opened at the meeting, one member takes it home to catalog and the lot goes to an auction company. Last month we got a big box of old postcards. This time the box was opened and went around the room. Many of us bought a few cards for 50 cents each. I like that a lot better. Hoping we do that more in the future.
re: The benefits of belonging to a stamp club ?
Is there any reason why a member here should not use the auction and or approvals here to sell on, on behalf of a non-Stamporama member of their stamp club?
If this is allowed then you can sell on any remainders not sold to your club members. I am not suggesting that you sell the entire collection via Stamporama - there are not enough hours in a year let alone a day !
re: The benefits of belonging to a stamp club ?
i see no reason why you couldn't auction material on behalf of others. I've done it on occasion and believe everyone wins.
can't wait to see what you got
re: The benefits of belonging to a stamp club ?
Very good thread liked it..
re: The benefits of belonging to a stamp club ?
I hate to admit this, but I have been a member of the Greater Cincinnati Philatelic Society for years and pay the due's. Have not been to a meeting since the mid 1990's! I think I will start going this fall.
re: The benefits of belonging to a stamp club ?
"Have not been to a meeting since the mid 1990's! I think I will start going this fall."