Excellent progress. Given the number of issues released by Russia that is quite amazing. Makes me wonder what the total number of stamp issues for Russia and the former Russia states would be for the last few years!
The number of stamps being released by some of these countries is phenomenal - that's why all my areas have cutoffs. I bet there are some issues where none of them see an envelope except for first day covers. I read of someone who collects World to the current date and needs a new Scott's album every year. Imagine the number of stamps he would have at the end of every year when the year sets start to arrive!! I still get the Canada sets even though my cut off is 1988. Even poor old Canada issues a lot of Stamps.
I just checked my latest Scott's and Russia issued less than 100 regular stamps in 2013. I'm very surprised, maybe they are cutting back.
I decided to revitalize this posting to give my progress with Russia. I treated myself today when I found the Russia series 1518 - 1525 for a very reasonable price on E-Bay and decided "what the heck?". That makes me complete to the beginning of 1950 with the last Scott #'d stamp I don't have as #1346. That doesn't sound like much of an accomplishment since I have a 1985 cutoff but Russia issued one heck of a lot of stamps. Of the 66+ (+ because some series have varieties I want to find but they are not numbered in my album) stamps I am missing many of them are very expensive and this means I will never finish the collection. It also doesn't include all of that weird, but wonderful, BOB material - the military issues and early protectorates and "offices in" from the early 1900's. But I'm getting there and I should eventually be able to get the 66 down to about 40 before I run out of money and/or time. It's the only country I collect where there are so many stamps I needed a second album for 1970 to 1985 and the BOB. I really like the way the Minkus albums mix the normal BOB in with the regular stamps by year. Anyway thanks to the sellers here who have helped me along the way especially those who regularly offer Russia BOB!!
I collect Russia to 1985 and since there are so many stamps I bought a new Minkus album for 1972 - 1985. I finally found the last stamp I needed to finish this part of my collection. I actually am almost complete back to 1960, I just have a couple souvenir sheets to reach this date. The reason I say "sort of" is because I put my Russia BOB at the end of that album and that will probably never be finished!! Anyway, going back to the beginning of Russia, excluding a few weird varieties, I am only missing 141 stamps and some of those are unaffordable. Actually after 1930 there are only a couple unaffordable items, one of them is the first souvenir sheet which lists for about $25 000 - way out of my league!
re: Finally finished an album, sort of!
Excellent progress. Given the number of issues released by Russia that is quite amazing. Makes me wonder what the total number of stamp issues for Russia and the former Russia states would be for the last few years!
re: Finally finished an album, sort of!
The number of stamps being released by some of these countries is phenomenal - that's why all my areas have cutoffs. I bet there are some issues where none of them see an envelope except for first day covers. I read of someone who collects World to the current date and needs a new Scott's album every year. Imagine the number of stamps he would have at the end of every year when the year sets start to arrive!! I still get the Canada sets even though my cut off is 1988. Even poor old Canada issues a lot of Stamps.
I just checked my latest Scott's and Russia issued less than 100 regular stamps in 2013. I'm very surprised, maybe they are cutting back.
re: Finally finished an album, sort of!
I decided to revitalize this posting to give my progress with Russia. I treated myself today when I found the Russia series 1518 - 1525 for a very reasonable price on E-Bay and decided "what the heck?". That makes me complete to the beginning of 1950 with the last Scott #'d stamp I don't have as #1346. That doesn't sound like much of an accomplishment since I have a 1985 cutoff but Russia issued one heck of a lot of stamps. Of the 66+ (+ because some series have varieties I want to find but they are not numbered in my album) stamps I am missing many of them are very expensive and this means I will never finish the collection. It also doesn't include all of that weird, but wonderful, BOB material - the military issues and early protectorates and "offices in" from the early 1900's. But I'm getting there and I should eventually be able to get the 66 down to about 40 before I run out of money and/or time. It's the only country I collect where there are so many stamps I needed a second album for 1970 to 1985 and the BOB. I really like the way the Minkus albums mix the normal BOB in with the regular stamps by year. Anyway thanks to the sellers here who have helped me along the way especially those who regularly offer Russia BOB!!