Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
"why not better pre 1970 stamps ?"
It all depends on what duplicates we have, most of my pre 1970 are in my own collection.
What I find is that a lot of pre 1970 items in mixed boxes are of poor quality or very, very, common stamps. Items that have been stuck in albums or stockbooks for up to 50+ years may not be pristine. They may have creases, thins, foxing, really brown and crackled gum. You can take items out of albums or stockbooks and they curl up at the edges! Therefore they are unsaleable.
If a nice quality collection comes on the market the price is quite prohibitive because everyone wants it!!
I know that folkies are looking for that sort of stuff but are they willing to pay the price?
How long would it take to sell ALL the stamps from a $500 - $1000 - $2000 collection of pre 1970 stamps here on Stamporama to warrant that sort of expenditure?
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09:23:33pm
"why not better pre 1970 stamps ?"
"I know that folkies are looking for that sort of stuff but are they willing to pay the price?"
I'm totally with Phil, I don't collect much new stuff!! I also want to see more of the vintage material. If it happens to be stuff I want and if you post it at a fair price, I'm sure I'm not the only one who will buy it. Give us a chance to buy some of your "good stuff"!
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How about a key mint airmail set from 1949, catalog $180 for $57? I have an entire book of better pre-1970 Vatican many priced at below 15%. Also listed classic New Zealand mini collections at similar low prices. And recently listed penny packets with predecimal GB.
https://stamporama.com/approvals/approvals_main.php?action=30&id=RAOEUVaRFrEvo&pg=22
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For what it's worth, I have a store on Hipstamps (Troutbum Stamps) that consists of mainly pre 1950, with a fair amount of that pre 1900. Majority of them are Canada and Newfoundland. I hesitated to post this, but there are plenty of sellers like me on Hipstamp. I hope I haven't crossed the line here.
BTW.....I look, and sometimes buy, on Ebay. Selection of stuff I'm looking to add to my store is limited, often misidentified, and way overpriced.
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08:01:50am
"And what is a good % of Cat.?"
I don't really think there is a hard and fast rule for that. I've even paid over CV for an exceptional copy of a stamp. Don't forget there are often premiums listed if the stamp is unhinged. I have a perfectly centered MNH copy of both the Canada Bluenose and Parliament Buildings stamps from the 1928 - 29 series that many years ago I paid at least CV for. It's whatever you think is fair for you taking into account what you paid and what you think the condition of the stamp is. Anyone who says he will not pay more than X% of CV is probably missing some awful "good stuff". Of course the less you charge the better chance to get rid of it! Also some countries are more popular than others. Maybe even do a search to see how many people collect that particular country. For example 8 people collect The Vatican and 3 people collect Peru so a good Vatican stamp has a better chance of selling, unless all 8 of the buyers have it!! Then you have US and Canada that it seems everyone collects! I'm not advising a seller to be mercenary and try to get every last cent they can for a stamp, but take other things into account. I've got some awfully good stuff from some of the sellers here but I don't look every stamp up to see what it lists for in whichever year of whichever catalog I am using. It's more "how much do I want the stamp and what condition is it in", then I might look it up!!
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As a percentage of stamps issued, post war material far far outnumbers classics. The listed auction and approval material tracks rather closely to the issued numbers with stamps from 1950 - 2000 seeming to be most common. Classics and very recent are less common with postally used from the last ten years being really elusive.
So really, the material listed doesn’t actually favor one era or another it’s just a matter of numbers and percentages.
And as Ian noted, we’re collectors selling our duplicates, not dealers. I don’t know about you, but if I’m ending up with a bunch of high value duplicates or stuff I no longer collect to sell, I’m either breaking down a collection or I goofed and bought something I already have.
On the bright side, you’re obviously collecting “The Good Stuff” and “The Good Stuff” is harder to find. That also means that you’ve found all the common stuff so your collection is advanced. Well done, you!
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Dear All,
Would it make any sense to launch an effort to try to bring our member collectors who collect particular countries or particular types of stamps together as a sub-group? I know one can always reach out as an individual to do so, but would it help newcomers to know that established collectors are already in a group that they could contact?
I know we have broad categories (U.S., Canada,Latin America & Caribbean,Europe,Asia,Middle East,Africa,Oceania,Worldwide,Topical) but it doesn't seem to be as friendly as knowing a name/person is there to chat with.
Perhaps it's just a matter of personal taste-but I wonder if having such a group wouldn't add to the interclub friendliness that is the hallmark of SOR?
If this musing strikes any kind of bell, I'd be happy to assist. If it is off the mark, then I apologize for the waste of your time and appreciate your looking at it.
Best,
Dan C.
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When one considers that there are only 26 to 29 active sellers in the auctions here with offerings of 5000+ per day.
One or two sellers account for at least 33% to 50% of these listings. The choice is limited.
The number of buyers is also limited. The last time I calculated the number of buyers in a month was 101 and that included the Approvals as well as the Auction.
Despite these figures it always amazes me how many items are sold each month from such an infinitesimal amount.
Of course the set up of our system limits the number of items that sellers may list due to the amount of time it takes to list or relist items in the Auction here. (This could be alleviated if it was possible to have a check box next to an item in the Unsold/Relist section.)
It would be interesting to know how many members list on other platforms and the number of listings they represent. (It is a project that I may do when I have several days free)
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Dan - it WOULD be nice to have an open chat thread for collectors who share interests that could meander off topic and just flow with the conversation.
The way the board is set up, collectors with similar geographic interests already just monitor and join in on threads posted under their interests. However, we don’t have boards for classics collectors, perfins, airmails - you know what I mean - topics that aren’t country/region/ geography specific.
Maybe this discussion should be in a separate thread?
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The site I list on, and the store name, is a few threads above. My goal is to list around 1000 stamps, and I'm getting close (800+). I will stop then, unless I find something pre 1940 from Canada or Newf that I don't have. I have duplicates of many of my listing in the wings.
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Thanks for the input everyone...i have long time trades with a couple of members...i have had a handful of longtime trades over the last 40 years or so but its very difficult to get the right chemistry between two collectors. Trust is a must...if you have that with another collector the rest is easy.
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"Trust is a must...if you have that with another collector the rest is easy." Philb
"..it WOULD be nice to have an open chat thread for collectors who share interests that could meander off topic and just flow with the conversation."Philatelia
Is this addressing a need that we at SOR ought to be looking at? Agreed that both do exist currently, but to what extent? Ought we focus to increase those points, or are we good just as is?
Is this just idle chit chat, or a real point?
Thoughts?
Dan C.
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12:40:16pm
If I want to comment about a certain area I just go in and do it! I've been a member for a few years now and I have a small group of people that I just individually message if I have a very specific question about a certain stamp or area. Maybe this should be done in the regular discussion area, unless it's concerning a specific purchase from a specific person. For example, and hopefully he won't mind me mentioning his name, if I have a question about a specific Canada variety or error I send a message to Cathotel since this is an area where he is very "useful". Maybe this should be done in the open area so others can learn from his answer. I wonder how many of us do this sort of thing. Most of us have an area of expertise that others could easily learn from. I'm really not sure if I have a specific area in stamps since I'm collecting many different areas. I know, in antiques, my wife and I were the resident experts in various types of glass and porcelain. In stamps, I'm not so sure!!
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"It would be interesting to know how many members list on other platforms and the number of listings they represent. (It is a project that I may do when I have several days free)
"
I spent a half hour looking at the above and an incomplete random study of the membership revealed that 8 members between them have 100,000 items listed on various platforms!!
I am not being critical of any member selling on other platforms. I just find it interesting.
We have a saying in Old Caledonia :- "All's fair in Love, War and Business!"
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Harvey, Like many folks here i sell stamps i do not need for 20% 25% of Scott. If i saw an item i NEEDED on StampoRama i would say i would easily go 65 percent of scott in a bidding war.
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04:37:38pm
I know most of us are collectors and most of the sellers are just selling off their spares. But I've picked up some great stuff here since I joined! I'm not going to mention names but I think I've bought from almost everyone and never have been disappointing and like any good Canadian I always try to remember to say "thank you". I have bought from Phil occasionally and always been pleased, even peoples cast offs (spares) can be useful to some of us! So again, a huge thank you to all the sellers here, you've really helped me build my collection!!
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Actually Harvey, I no longer collect....just sell. Started with my own (including my dad's) collection after I retired for the first time. Went back to work for 10 years, then retired for good, and started selling again. Finally got to the point I needed inventory (seemingly a crass term for collectible stamps). Went first to Ebay, but I could quickly see that might be good for an occasional item, but that's it. Visited a stamp store (likely the only one within a 2 hour drive) and bought a few albums (mostly Commonwealth) and broke the content into singles for sale. But, that became limited. Through some advice from other sellers ( while there might be some competitors, all good folks), I was advised to go the auction route. I was low bidder on half a dozen in last six months, and have my store going strong (at least on the listing side). Sales have been on and off, but starting to get some repeat buyers. I'm in no hurry.
I honestly love the selling as much as I did collecting. And, as a retiree, adding a few sheckles to the canteen doesn't hurt. I am learning and enjoying this immensely. Probably learning at a much greater pace than I did as a collector. Really opened the door to much deeper learning, which is critical to making sure my stamp ID is spot on. In my case, I decided to focus on a few countries/regions. Way too much to know to try to sell worldwide stamps.
I don't sell here. Not a conscious decision. Where I first used to sell (Stampwants) had gone through a couple iterations, so I went back to that platform. I still visit this site almost daily. Why?....good members who are helpful to other members.
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I have collected stamps for about 65 years. When I retired 26 years ago I became quite active in "filling the holes". As most of you have probably experienced sometimes you have to buy a group or set of stamps just to get the one you are missing. Last month I purchased 12 large boxes of stamps at an estate sale just to get a couple of Penny Blacks - the lot was all or nothing. Add this to the thousands of duplicates that I already had.....and I will be building approval books for quite a while.
I only sell on Stamporama. I tried eBay earlier this year.....listed 6 very nice classics - sold 4 right away and had 2 buyers claim that they never received the stamps - had to give refunds and ended up losing money on the 4 transactions - one buyer even denied that the tracking number had confirmed receipt. I have been fortunate to have sold thousands of items on Stamporama and have never had an order go missing. To me that speaks volumes about the integrity of the members of this site.
I seem to have better response to the approval books than the auction items. Regarding the older issues, it can be quite challenging to make up a book that way without having a bunch of countries represented. Take Br. Commonwealth for example - a good many of those countries never had 100 pre 1950 issues let alone finding enough to make up a book. I usually base my prices on 20% of Scott Catalog to 25% for very nice items. I currently have 7 or 8 Br. Com. albums to break down (looks like a fair amount of older stamps) and books to build
The hobby is still fun and I still keep my eyes open for stamps that are still "missing".
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Very interesting Gramps! I've never (knock on wood) had a sale not delivered. However, I'm dealing with some Large Queens I purchased on Ebay that have not arrived yet.....my first. I have chosen to stay away from Ebay on the selling side, and am close to only buying from a few select vendors on the buying side. Ebay will make you whole in some cases, but the hassle is not worth taking a chance.
Tell me about your approval business. I remember my dad getting them in the mail. Seems like he could pick what he wanted, pay for those, and send the rest back. So, how do you do it? Maybe, I could start doing this on this site. Buying collections has left me with many multiples, and tons of post 1940 stuff that I won't be listing individually.
John O'Neil
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02:35:29pm
A stunning revelation, ....NOT:
SoR needs more members. Buyers and congenial friends most of all. I think Covid accelerated the demise of the small active person to person clubs.
Friendly buyers will lead to casual sellers. Overly specialized groups will often lead to cliques that can become daunting to newbies.
Ask yourself, what makes SoR more interesting and friendly than other similar online stamp groups.
I recall the days when I was a reasonably active member of three local clubs, each meeting once or twice a month. Of course, in those days there were as many brick and mortar clubs and Stamp Stores as McDonalds and that will never happen again. But then those stamp shops were almost a club of their own. And we, or at least I, knew which days certain friends could likely be found chatting with the owner/dealer.
I have no good answer, myself. But members become buyers who become sellers and quite often, friends.
-------------
"... it doesn't seem to be as friendly as knowing a name/person is there to chat with...."
Personally, I have always felt that "handles" or "screen names," if you must, are silly. Cute but a somewhat silly left over from the CB radio days. Every good buddy had to have a "CB" and that meant a cute creative handle.
From my first comments in SoR I've made my name known and felt better for it. I had to fill in the sign in blank space so I used my initials and birth date. But just about everyone I correspond with, by SoR message, e-mail or PM, knows my name, and I know theirs.
In days gone by, I never thought of introducing myself to someone as "Hinkydinkydoo -007" and I live somewhere over the hill near the Shire.
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cdj, I think you are onto something that could be of value to us all when you pointed out:
"But members become buyers who become sellers and quite often, friends."
" But just about everyone I correspond with, by SoR message, e-mail or PM, knows my name, and I know theirs."
Both phil and philatelia seem to suggesting something of the same thing when they observe: ""Trust is a must...if you have that with another collector the rest is easy." Philb
"..it WOULD be nice to have an open chat thread for collectors who share interests that could meander off topic and just flow with the conversation."Philatelia
Ought we to consider a subgroup to accomplish these desires? If so, I'd be happy to assist.
Thoughts?
Dan C.
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Wait a minute CDJ....I honestly don't know your name. As for our tag names....doesn't bother me at all. Actually, I might change mine to HinkyDinkyDoo007.....kinda catchy. Might have to get permission for the 007 from a Sir Miles Messervy.
About the time the internet and email first got going strong, we had bought a place on a small northern Michigan trout stream called Big Creek. WhenI started emailing I created AOL accounts for our family....Bigcreekdad, Bigcreekmom, Bigcreek Chris etc........you get the picture. They all laughed at me and said it was stupid and never used them. It has kinda stuck with me.
Cheers/John O'Neil ( A/k/a Bigcreekdad on the net, to the FBI, and local law enforcement.
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If you want to see a true classic....I just posted Scott# 15 - 5 cent Canadian Beaver on a cover posted in Montreal, Quebec to the Auction site. This stamp was issued in July of 1859 - 8 years prior to Confederation.
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08:33:22pm
Auctions - Approvals
re: Am i in the wrong place ?
"why not better pre 1970 stamps ?"
It all depends on what duplicates we have, most of my pre 1970 are in my own collection.
What I find is that a lot of pre 1970 items in mixed boxes are of poor quality or very, very, common stamps. Items that have been stuck in albums or stockbooks for up to 50+ years may not be pristine. They may have creases, thins, foxing, really brown and crackled gum. You can take items out of albums or stockbooks and they curl up at the edges! Therefore they are unsaleable.
If a nice quality collection comes on the market the price is quite prohibitive because everyone wants it!!
I know that folkies are looking for that sort of stuff but are they willing to pay the price?
How long would it take to sell ALL the stamps from a $500 - $1000 - $2000 collection of pre 1970 stamps here on Stamporama to warrant that sort of expenditure?
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
14 Dec 2022
09:23:33pm
re: Am i in the wrong place ?
"why not better pre 1970 stamps ?"
"I know that folkies are looking for that sort of stuff but are they willing to pay the price?"
I'm totally with Phil, I don't collect much new stuff!! I also want to see more of the vintage material. If it happens to be stuff I want and if you post it at a fair price, I'm sure I'm not the only one who will buy it. Give us a chance to buy some of your "good stuff"!
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re: Am i in the wrong place ?
How about a key mint airmail set from 1949, catalog $180 for $57? I have an entire book of better pre-1970 Vatican many priced at below 15%. Also listed classic New Zealand mini collections at similar low prices. And recently listed penny packets with predecimal GB.
https://stamporama.com/approvals/approvals_main.php?action=30&id=RAOEUVaRFrEvo&pg=22
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re: Am i in the wrong place ?
For what it's worth, I have a store on Hipstamps (Troutbum Stamps) that consists of mainly pre 1950, with a fair amount of that pre 1900. Majority of them are Canada and Newfoundland. I hesitated to post this, but there are plenty of sellers like me on Hipstamp. I hope I haven't crossed the line here.
BTW.....I look, and sometimes buy, on Ebay. Selection of stuff I'm looking to add to my store is limited, often misidentified, and way overpriced.
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
15 Dec 2022
08:01:50am
re: Am i in the wrong place ?
"And what is a good % of Cat.?"
I don't really think there is a hard and fast rule for that. I've even paid over CV for an exceptional copy of a stamp. Don't forget there are often premiums listed if the stamp is unhinged. I have a perfectly centered MNH copy of both the Canada Bluenose and Parliament Buildings stamps from the 1928 - 29 series that many years ago I paid at least CV for. It's whatever you think is fair for you taking into account what you paid and what you think the condition of the stamp is. Anyone who says he will not pay more than X% of CV is probably missing some awful "good stuff". Of course the less you charge the better chance to get rid of it! Also some countries are more popular than others. Maybe even do a search to see how many people collect that particular country. For example 8 people collect The Vatican and 3 people collect Peru so a good Vatican stamp has a better chance of selling, unless all 8 of the buyers have it!! Then you have US and Canada that it seems everyone collects! I'm not advising a seller to be mercenary and try to get every last cent they can for a stamp, but take other things into account. I've got some awfully good stuff from some of the sellers here but I don't look every stamp up to see what it lists for in whichever year of whichever catalog I am using. It's more "how much do I want the stamp and what condition is it in", then I might look it up!!
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re: Am i in the wrong place ?
As a percentage of stamps issued, post war material far far outnumbers classics. The listed auction and approval material tracks rather closely to the issued numbers with stamps from 1950 - 2000 seeming to be most common. Classics and very recent are less common with postally used from the last ten years being really elusive.
So really, the material listed doesn’t actually favor one era or another it’s just a matter of numbers and percentages.
And as Ian noted, we’re collectors selling our duplicates, not dealers. I don’t know about you, but if I’m ending up with a bunch of high value duplicates or stuff I no longer collect to sell, I’m either breaking down a collection or I goofed and bought something I already have.
On the bright side, you’re obviously collecting “The Good Stuff” and “The Good Stuff” is harder to find. That also means that you’ve found all the common stuff so your collection is advanced. Well done, you!
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re: Am i in the wrong place ?
Dear All,
Would it make any sense to launch an effort to try to bring our member collectors who collect particular countries or particular types of stamps together as a sub-group? I know one can always reach out as an individual to do so, but would it help newcomers to know that established collectors are already in a group that they could contact?
I know we have broad categories (U.S., Canada,Latin America & Caribbean,Europe,Asia,Middle East,Africa,Oceania,Worldwide,Topical) but it doesn't seem to be as friendly as knowing a name/person is there to chat with.
Perhaps it's just a matter of personal taste-but I wonder if having such a group wouldn't add to the interclub friendliness that is the hallmark of SOR?
If this musing strikes any kind of bell, I'd be happy to assist. If it is off the mark, then I apologize for the waste of your time and appreciate your looking at it.
Best,
Dan C.
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09:18:36am
Auctions - Approvals
re: Am i in the wrong place ?
When one considers that there are only 26 to 29 active sellers in the auctions here with offerings of 5000+ per day.
One or two sellers account for at least 33% to 50% of these listings. The choice is limited.
The number of buyers is also limited. The last time I calculated the number of buyers in a month was 101 and that included the Approvals as well as the Auction.
Despite these figures it always amazes me how many items are sold each month from such an infinitesimal amount.
Of course the set up of our system limits the number of items that sellers may list due to the amount of time it takes to list or relist items in the Auction here. (This could be alleviated if it was possible to have a check box next to an item in the Unsold/Relist section.)
It would be interesting to know how many members list on other platforms and the number of listings they represent. (It is a project that I may do when I have several days free)
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re: Am i in the wrong place ?
Dan - it WOULD be nice to have an open chat thread for collectors who share interests that could meander off topic and just flow with the conversation.
The way the board is set up, collectors with similar geographic interests already just monitor and join in on threads posted under their interests. However, we don’t have boards for classics collectors, perfins, airmails - you know what I mean - topics that aren’t country/region/ geography specific.
Maybe this discussion should be in a separate thread?
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re: Am i in the wrong place ?
The site I list on, and the store name, is a few threads above. My goal is to list around 1000 stamps, and I'm getting close (800+). I will stop then, unless I find something pre 1940 from Canada or Newf that I don't have. I have duplicates of many of my listing in the wings.
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Auctions
re: Am i in the wrong place ?
Thanks for the input everyone...i have long time trades with a couple of members...i have had a handful of longtime trades over the last 40 years or so but its very difficult to get the right chemistry between two collectors. Trust is a must...if you have that with another collector the rest is easy.
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re: Am i in the wrong place ?
"Trust is a must...if you have that with another collector the rest is easy." Philb
"..it WOULD be nice to have an open chat thread for collectors who share interests that could meander off topic and just flow with the conversation."Philatelia
Is this addressing a need that we at SOR ought to be looking at? Agreed that both do exist currently, but to what extent? Ought we focus to increase those points, or are we good just as is?
Is this just idle chit chat, or a real point?
Thoughts?
Dan C.
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
15 Dec 2022
12:40:16pm
re: Am i in the wrong place ?
If I want to comment about a certain area I just go in and do it! I've been a member for a few years now and I have a small group of people that I just individually message if I have a very specific question about a certain stamp or area. Maybe this should be done in the regular discussion area, unless it's concerning a specific purchase from a specific person. For example, and hopefully he won't mind me mentioning his name, if I have a question about a specific Canada variety or error I send a message to Cathotel since this is an area where he is very "useful". Maybe this should be done in the open area so others can learn from his answer. I wonder how many of us do this sort of thing. Most of us have an area of expertise that others could easily learn from. I'm really not sure if I have a specific area in stamps since I'm collecting many different areas. I know, in antiques, my wife and I were the resident experts in various types of glass and porcelain. In stamps, I'm not so sure!!
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02:08:19pm
Auctions - Approvals
re: Am i in the wrong place ?
"It would be interesting to know how many members list on other platforms and the number of listings they represent. (It is a project that I may do when I have several days free)
"
I spent a half hour looking at the above and an incomplete random study of the membership revealed that 8 members between them have 100,000 items listed on various platforms!!
I am not being critical of any member selling on other platforms. I just find it interesting.
We have a saying in Old Caledonia :- "All's fair in Love, War and Business!"
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Auctions
re: Am i in the wrong place ?
Harvey, Like many folks here i sell stamps i do not need for 20% 25% of Scott. If i saw an item i NEEDED on StampoRama i would say i would easily go 65 percent of scott in a bidding war.
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
15 Dec 2022
04:37:38pm
re: Am i in the wrong place ?
I know most of us are collectors and most of the sellers are just selling off their spares. But I've picked up some great stuff here since I joined! I'm not going to mention names but I think I've bought from almost everyone and never have been disappointing and like any good Canadian I always try to remember to say "thank you". I have bought from Phil occasionally and always been pleased, even peoples cast offs (spares) can be useful to some of us! So again, a huge thank you to all the sellers here, you've really helped me build my collection!!
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re: Am i in the wrong place ?
Actually Harvey, I no longer collect....just sell. Started with my own (including my dad's) collection after I retired for the first time. Went back to work for 10 years, then retired for good, and started selling again. Finally got to the point I needed inventory (seemingly a crass term for collectible stamps). Went first to Ebay, but I could quickly see that might be good for an occasional item, but that's it. Visited a stamp store (likely the only one within a 2 hour drive) and bought a few albums (mostly Commonwealth) and broke the content into singles for sale. But, that became limited. Through some advice from other sellers ( while there might be some competitors, all good folks), I was advised to go the auction route. I was low bidder on half a dozen in last six months, and have my store going strong (at least on the listing side). Sales have been on and off, but starting to get some repeat buyers. I'm in no hurry.
I honestly love the selling as much as I did collecting. And, as a retiree, adding a few sheckles to the canteen doesn't hurt. I am learning and enjoying this immensely. Probably learning at a much greater pace than I did as a collector. Really opened the door to much deeper learning, which is critical to making sure my stamp ID is spot on. In my case, I decided to focus on a few countries/regions. Way too much to know to try to sell worldwide stamps.
I don't sell here. Not a conscious decision. Where I first used to sell (Stampwants) had gone through a couple iterations, so I went back to that platform. I still visit this site almost daily. Why?....good members who are helpful to other members.
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Approvals
re: Am i in the wrong place ?
I have collected stamps for about 65 years. When I retired 26 years ago I became quite active in "filling the holes". As most of you have probably experienced sometimes you have to buy a group or set of stamps just to get the one you are missing. Last month I purchased 12 large boxes of stamps at an estate sale just to get a couple of Penny Blacks - the lot was all or nothing. Add this to the thousands of duplicates that I already had.....and I will be building approval books for quite a while.
I only sell on Stamporama. I tried eBay earlier this year.....listed 6 very nice classics - sold 4 right away and had 2 buyers claim that they never received the stamps - had to give refunds and ended up losing money on the 4 transactions - one buyer even denied that the tracking number had confirmed receipt. I have been fortunate to have sold thousands of items on Stamporama and have never had an order go missing. To me that speaks volumes about the integrity of the members of this site.
I seem to have better response to the approval books than the auction items. Regarding the older issues, it can be quite challenging to make up a book that way without having a bunch of countries represented. Take Br. Commonwealth for example - a good many of those countries never had 100 pre 1950 issues let alone finding enough to make up a book. I usually base my prices on 20% of Scott Catalog to 25% for very nice items. I currently have 7 or 8 Br. Com. albums to break down (looks like a fair amount of older stamps) and books to build
The hobby is still fun and I still keep my eyes open for stamps that are still "missing".
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re: Am i in the wrong place ?
Very interesting Gramps! I've never (knock on wood) had a sale not delivered. However, I'm dealing with some Large Queens I purchased on Ebay that have not arrived yet.....my first. I have chosen to stay away from Ebay on the selling side, and am close to only buying from a few select vendors on the buying side. Ebay will make you whole in some cases, but the hassle is not worth taking a chance.
Tell me about your approval business. I remember my dad getting them in the mail. Seems like he could pick what he wanted, pay for those, and send the rest back. So, how do you do it? Maybe, I could start doing this on this site. Buying collections has left me with many multiples, and tons of post 1940 stuff that I won't be listing individually.
John O'Neil
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
17 Dec 2022
02:35:29pm
re: Am i in the wrong place ?
A stunning revelation, ....NOT:
SoR needs more members. Buyers and congenial friends most of all. I think Covid accelerated the demise of the small active person to person clubs.
Friendly buyers will lead to casual sellers. Overly specialized groups will often lead to cliques that can become daunting to newbies.
Ask yourself, what makes SoR more interesting and friendly than other similar online stamp groups.
I recall the days when I was a reasonably active member of three local clubs, each meeting once or twice a month. Of course, in those days there were as many brick and mortar clubs and Stamp Stores as McDonalds and that will never happen again. But then those stamp shops were almost a club of their own. And we, or at least I, knew which days certain friends could likely be found chatting with the owner/dealer.
I have no good answer, myself. But members become buyers who become sellers and quite often, friends.
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"... it doesn't seem to be as friendly as knowing a name/person is there to chat with...."
Personally, I have always felt that "handles" or "screen names," if you must, are silly. Cute but a somewhat silly left over from the CB radio days. Every good buddy had to have a "CB" and that meant a cute creative handle.
From my first comments in SoR I've made my name known and felt better for it. I had to fill in the sign in blank space so I used my initials and birth date. But just about everyone I correspond with, by SoR message, e-mail or PM, knows my name, and I know theirs.
In days gone by, I never thought of introducing myself to someone as "Hinkydinkydoo -007" and I live somewhere over the hill near the Shire.
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re: Am i in the wrong place ?
cdj, I think you are onto something that could be of value to us all when you pointed out:
"But members become buyers who become sellers and quite often, friends."
" But just about everyone I correspond with, by SoR message, e-mail or PM, knows my name, and I know theirs."
Both phil and philatelia seem to suggesting something of the same thing when they observe: ""Trust is a must...if you have that with another collector the rest is easy." Philb
"..it WOULD be nice to have an open chat thread for collectors who share interests that could meander off topic and just flow with the conversation."Philatelia
Ought we to consider a subgroup to accomplish these desires? If so, I'd be happy to assist.
Thoughts?
Dan C.
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re: Am i in the wrong place ?
Wait a minute CDJ....I honestly don't know your name. As for our tag names....doesn't bother me at all. Actually, I might change mine to HinkyDinkyDoo007.....kinda catchy. Might have to get permission for the 007 from a Sir Miles Messervy.
About the time the internet and email first got going strong, we had bought a place on a small northern Michigan trout stream called Big Creek. WhenI started emailing I created AOL accounts for our family....Bigcreekdad, Bigcreekmom, Bigcreek Chris etc........you get the picture. They all laughed at me and said it was stupid and never used them. It has kinda stuck with me.
Cheers/John O'Neil ( A/k/a Bigcreekdad on the net, to the FBI, and local law enforcement.
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Approvals
re: Am i in the wrong place ?
If you want to see a true classic....I just posted Scott# 15 - 5 cent Canadian Beaver on a cover posted in Montreal, Quebec to the Auction site. This stamp was issued in July of 1859 - 8 years prior to Confederation.
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