Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Login to Like
this post
Phil, most folks don't collect Oman, so you should be safe.
sorry i missed the meeting, although i wouldn't have fit in on the younger side.
I think the hobby is healthy, although clearly the numbers are diminishing as the world expands. All vectors point to diminishing number of collectors participating in organized way, but the internet seems to have supplied a vehicle for our collective exchange of ideas, funds, and stamps.
Frankly, because Phil and I live in a fairly rural community, I'm gratified at the number of dedicated collectors we attract to our bi-monthly meetings. There's usually around a dozen or so, mostly coming from towns of 2,000 to 10,000 people.
Incidentally, Maggie is likely to attend the next meeting, greatly reducing the average age, at least for that meeting. Bring your horse stamps.
David
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
First meeting of the month??? How many meetings do you have each month?
Login to Like
this post
two
Login to Like
this post
I should have known to watch my spelling..George Cole has "stamps" advertised for his auction tomorrow..a consortium of Brad,Craig and Mike ONeill are going to check things out and see if they can bring something back for our club auction !!! I don't go because its too painful when that guy with the deep pockets is there and bids 3 times what something is worth !!!
Login to Like
this post
i saw the lots via the web. There are beautiful old B/6 PBs; but most of the rest is indiscernible. MA was thinking of going to look at a bedroom set; i mentioned the stamps; she's no longer interested in the bed. Funny that, eh?
Login to Like
this post
I don't go because its too painful when that guy with the deep pockets is there and bids 3 times what something is worth !!!
Phil - I don't think it is deep pockets, it is someone who knows what they want and willing to pay the price for it. It is a hobby and the values are determined by what people value it at. You obviously value those items at less value, and that is all right, but you might kick yourself for not participating at some point because Mr. Deep Pockets
did not show up and the buy of a lifetime passed you by. The value is in the hunt !!! You win some, lose some, but never give up the hunt.
Login to Like
this post
Philb The hobby is alive and well.
I am young buck 42, I got back into stamps a few years ago.
I don't have the need to join a brick and mortar club.
People of my age are use to and only really know modern technology.
I do all my buying online sitting at my computer or on my iPhone while in the crapper.
Why would I want to get all dressed up and drive across the city to sit in a room with other collectors, when I can join a online forum and do the same.
Maybe one day I will have a need to join a club. But Our society has changed and stamp collecting has changed with the times.
If it weren't for eBay and online forums I think many collectors would not have gotten back into the hobby.
We live in a age of the world wide web. I can look up a stamp and purchases it at the comfort of my homed, I can also talk in real time with anyone in the world about stamps.
The times have changed that's all Philb
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
thanks Jack, i like your picture !
Login to Like
this post
Oops i always post too soon...Jack, i know stamp clubs are not for every collector...i enjoy socializing with my own kind at stamp meetings...i mean i have to relate to someone !!
Login to Like
this post
Two meetings a month, how great! We only manage one. You say it's a rural area - How far do people travel to attend your meetings?
Login to Like
this post
Hi, Our president comes from LaGrange which is a good 25 miles...i travel .9 of a mile...we have one fellow from Albany thats over 60 miles..but he joinned when he lived in Woodstock and just enjoys attending...Most live in a 15 to 20 mile radius..on the second Thursday of the month we have a "social meeting" people can lay out items they want to sell and if we are lucky we have a program speaker..on the 4th Thursday its strictly auction night.
Login to Like
this post
Thanks for the info - your meetings sound organized and fun. That's what makes face to face club meetings worthwhile and enjoyable. But it also sounds like someone goes to some effort to keep the club going. The internet makes it easier to connect with people all over the world, and we are blessed with several volunteers at Stamporama who keep things on track here. I see benefits to both kinds of clubs - one can complement the other. I know people in our club have learned from some of the info I have picked up here. Sally
Login to Like
this post
Hello Sally, my wife is the treasurer..she keeps track of the auction and does the collecting and paying out after the auction..we also have another worker..he gets money from my wife to buy box lots and he breaks them down into lots for the auction..we start bids at 20 percent of catalog...its amazing the classic stuff that goes for 1/5th of catalog. I think the members are spoiled
Login to Like
this post
I think the members are spoiled
Phil...and so are the non-members, whenever I visit your clubs meetings I always bring at least 100 bucks...Some great deals
Login to Like
this post
10:32:40pm
Our club here in Citrus County, about 160 km north of downtown Tampa meets twice a month, on the first and third Tuesdays.
The official meeting starts about 1PM and runs on for about 15 to 30 minutes. Most of the members start arriving at 10 or 11 AM and many are still there at 2:30 or 3:00PM.
WE sometimes have an auction and occasionally, very occasionally, have someone make a presentation, if they insist, but the majority simply enjoy sitting around socializing, trading stamps, buying or selling stamps and purchasing supplies from the dealer who lugs a roller full of the things you would find in an old fashioned stamp store.
At least one member travels from Port Richey, about 90 km as the crow with a GPS flies. Not being a crow I believe it is a little further in a car.
Login to Like
this post
" Our president comes from LaGrange"
That's where I grew up! Lived just a mile from the high school.
Login to Like
this post
Before I state this, let me say that I have been involved in Boy Scouting for over 15 years; have worked the Youth Booth at ORAPEX for four years; and have been on the front counter of Ian Kimmerly Stamps for about the past two years.
The hobby is alive and well. The 10-15 year old folks are far more knowledgeable than many of us were at that age. Granted, the internet provides them with a research tool we could have only dreamed of! Most have specialised into roughly four countries and two topicals.
... and here's the kicker...
approximately 70% of the 20- to 30-year old collectors, who come into the store are women!
The future of the hobby is with the gals, gents!
It is certainly strong from my perspective. I do have a number of children coming into the store to buy stamps and supplies for their hobby.
David
Login to Like
this post
David,i was going mention the difference in the number of children that attend shows in the USA and Canada. When we come up to visit you guys at Orapex in May every year..i am impressed by the number of children at your shows. Your youth booth is great..but the fact is that parents bring their kids to the stamp show in Ottawa...i do not see that here in New York ! Cheers, phil
Login to Like
this post
Philb, is your wife a stamp collector too or is she involved in the club because you are? We don't have any couples left in our club anymore. The purchase of box lots to auction is a good idea - we haven't done that in a very long time. We are trying to get more presentations and auctions going again by trying to alternate months. Hard to get anyone to do a talk though. Lots of ideas as long as someone else is doing the work. Sally
Login to Like
this post
Heres the story...after years of me attending stamp club meetings and stamp shows by myself,my wife became curious..at the first stamp meeting she attended being a woman and i guess they figured smart..they put her on the front table tallying the auction lots...she did not have a clue then but she is still doing it about 15 years later..she is much more logical in her approach to collecting and has past me by long ago with her specialized collections like Europa forerunners..the stamps issued before the actual Europa series started around 1956.
Login to Like
this post
Sally,your club is not unique..we have 5 or 6 people who never miss a meeting and carry the load..the rest show up to be entertained(and with some of them its cheap entertainment!)
Login to Like
this post
12:16:39pm
" .... approximately 70% of the 20- to 30-year old collectors, who come into the store are women!
The future of the hobby is with the gals, gents! .... "
Well that is good news.
I am tired of looking at grungy, bearded, old men at club meetings.
Login to Like
this post
So am i,deep down i would like to grab the old geezers by the belt and out the door..but i am not allowed to touch them !
Login to Like
this post
i am really hurt, as, besides Frederick, i am the only bearded guy in our club, and, without peers, the grungiest. all these years, and your feelings emerge, Phil. Hmmmmmm.
Phil and Jopie aren't the only collecting couple: we also have Janet and Bill. Luckily, neither are old, grungy, or bearded.
David hiding in his corner and might not come out for a really long time
Login to Like
this post
I also am aware, that there are more female collectors,than ever.That is the good news. The bad news is: Collectors of all sorts are dying & going to nursing homes, at a faster pace, than are new collectors coming to replace them.
This is evidenced by the fact that while the really valuble & desirable stamps are doing very well, everything else, is going for less & less.The reason being is that there are still many collectors ,in their 50's to 80's, who have some $ and are buying items to complete their collections.There are not enough beginner & intermediate collectors left to absorb the large quantity of inexpensive & less desirable items. This has resulted in a glut of cheap to moderate & faulty items in the marketplace.
Collecting ( not just stamps ) is in decline in most places. China is an exception.These hobbies, are NOT going to die, they are just going to retract.Ted.
Login to Like
this post
toughen up ! i doubt if you are the grungiest one !
Login to Like
this post
Hi all
My wife is a part-time collector, she only collects a theme and that is music, any thing to do with it,musicians,instruments composers anything musically related.
Only thing is my pocket her collection 
Login to Like
this post
Why can i relate to that ? I guess i am free to spend as much as l like also..if i have the nerve .
Login to Like
this post
Most of our members fall into the older male category although only two have beards. Our newest member is a female in her late 20s or so. Haven't seen her at a meeting since she joined. At our last show, we had a young man in his 20s join and then a 14 year old boy joined with his grandparents 3 months later. Unfortunately, our membership number stays about constant as new members are offset by the loss of older members (relocation, death, illness). We do have a great time at our monthly meetings though and travel to area shows in a pack. Lots of fun.
Still, I cannot imagine stamp collecting without computers and the internet anymore. From making album pages, doing research, and connecting with people all over the world, it seems to me that computers have enhanced our hobby. Guess it's all in how you use it, but I think it will help philately survive.
Are there any members of other clubs who don't even have a computer? We had 2 older men but are down to just one holdout now.....
Login to Like
this post
I predate Jack by 2 years. And I am getting a 22-yr old into the hobby. I think being a stamp collector gives you many valuable life skills such as an understanding of:
Geography
Economy
Culture
History
Art
Culture
Philosophy
You can also learn to:
Study
Research
Organize
Write
Appraise
Bargain
Socialize
I think you will agree that there may be additional benefits I have not thought of off the top of my head. I think bringing stamp collecting into someone's life is a real gift to help them grow and develop personally.
Login to Like
this post
I like smauggie's list- I agree that stamp collectors are much more knowledgable about history,and geography, and are just more interesting people in general. ;-)
As far as popularity, there is not too much to worry about for the next 10-15 years as baby boomers retire and get back into the hobby they remember as kids. After that? .....?
Login to Like
this post
Smauggie is a great guy but too deep for me....but i remember in history and geography class the guys were always peering at my desk when we had a test..as far as i know all the households of our members have computers..but i know several do not have stamp catalogs..thats probably for another thread...but how do they navigate ???
Login to Like
this post
"too deep for me"
I get that a lot.
Login to Like
this post
Stamp collecting made me an obvious choice for a games night team when faced with Trivial Pursuit Geography and History categories. 
Login to Like
this post
I have to agree with Ted. Collectors are dying off faster than they are being replaced so the price of plentiful mid-range stuff, like a set of Zeppelins with hinges, maybe a thin, and centering a little off, will just get cheaper and cheaper. Sad but true.
One of my sons is getting into collecting coins (starting with Memorial Lincoln pennies). He really enjoys the hunt and we work on our collections together (I collect coins, too). Neither of my sons have the slightest interest in stamps, but why should they? Other than older relatives sending a birthday card, they never receive mail. Our family mail is nothing more than notices sent via bulk mail that our utility payment will automatically be made, and even that will become an email notice some day. Seriously, the only time (other than Christmas) that I receive a letter with a Commemorative stamp is when receiving an order for stamps I purchased. I use Commemoratives on all outbound mailing through my business and personally, but it is likely noticed very little. On ONE occasion in over 10 years I had a client make a remark on a decorated cover and ask if I was a stamp collector.
We aren't dying as fast as the relevance of collecting stamps is dying. More than one acquaintance has drawn a line in the sand and refused to collect ANY more current issues. That is looking more and more attractive in light of the imperf press sheets. If I didn't have to buy any more pages, binders, mounts, or modern stamps then I could afford those missing 19th and 20th Century goodies a lot faster. It's tempting to be sure.
Login to Like
this post
Last night we had our first stamp club meeting of the month..and afterwards people gather to chat...the subject of how to grow the club membership comes up...i mentioned that the only new folks we see are those middle aged or better getting back into the hobby..probably our youngest members are early fifties..there are no youngsters joinning. We talked about the future of stamp collecting in general...if its an indicator i find great stamps available on the internet at bargain prices...they must be stamp collectors selling..i doubt if a stamp dealer could make much of a profit on what i pay..i hope its not an oman !!
Login to Like
this post
Auctions
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Phil, most folks don't collect Oman, so you should be safe.
sorry i missed the meeting, although i wouldn't have fit in on the younger side.
I think the hobby is healthy, although clearly the numbers are diminishing as the world expands. All vectors point to diminishing number of collectors participating in organized way, but the internet seems to have supplied a vehicle for our collective exchange of ideas, funds, and stamps.
Frankly, because Phil and I live in a fairly rural community, I'm gratified at the number of dedicated collectors we attract to our bi-monthly meetings. There's usually around a dozen or so, mostly coming from towns of 2,000 to 10,000 people.
Incidentally, Maggie is likely to attend the next meeting, greatly reducing the average age, at least for that meeting. Bring your horse stamps.
David
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
First meeting of the month??? How many meetings do you have each month?
Login to Like
this post
Auctions
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
two
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
I should have known to watch my spelling..George Cole has "stamps" advertised for his auction tomorrow..a consortium of Brad,Craig and Mike ONeill are going to check things out and see if they can bring something back for our club auction !!! I don't go because its too painful when that guy with the deep pockets is there and bids 3 times what something is worth !!!
Login to Like
this post
Auctions
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
i saw the lots via the web. There are beautiful old B/6 PBs; but most of the rest is indiscernible. MA was thinking of going to look at a bedroom set; i mentioned the stamps; she's no longer interested in the bed. Funny that, eh?
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
I don't go because its too painful when that guy with the deep pockets is there and bids 3 times what something is worth !!!
Phil - I don't think it is deep pockets, it is someone who knows what they want and willing to pay the price for it. It is a hobby and the values are determined by what people value it at. You obviously value those items at less value, and that is all right, but you might kick yourself for not participating at some point because Mr. Deep Pockets
did not show up and the buy of a lifetime passed you by. The value is in the hunt !!! You win some, lose some, but never give up the hunt.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Philb The hobby is alive and well.
I am young buck 42, I got back into stamps a few years ago.
I don't have the need to join a brick and mortar club.
People of my age are use to and only really know modern technology.
I do all my buying online sitting at my computer or on my iPhone while in the crapper.
Why would I want to get all dressed up and drive across the city to sit in a room with other collectors, when I can join a online forum and do the same.
Maybe one day I will have a need to join a club. But Our society has changed and stamp collecting has changed with the times.
If it weren't for eBay and online forums I think many collectors would not have gotten back into the hobby.
We live in a age of the world wide web. I can look up a stamp and purchases it at the comfort of my homed, I can also talk in real time with anyone in the world about stamps.
The times have changed that's all Philb
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
thanks Jack, i like your picture !
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Oops i always post too soon...Jack, i know stamp clubs are not for every collector...i enjoy socializing with my own kind at stamp meetings...i mean i have to relate to someone !!
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Two meetings a month, how great! We only manage one. You say it's a rural area - How far do people travel to attend your meetings?
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Hi, Our president comes from LaGrange which is a good 25 miles...i travel .9 of a mile...we have one fellow from Albany thats over 60 miles..but he joinned when he lived in Woodstock and just enjoys attending...Most live in a 15 to 20 mile radius..on the second Thursday of the month we have a "social meeting" people can lay out items they want to sell and if we are lucky we have a program speaker..on the 4th Thursday its strictly auction night.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Thanks for the info - your meetings sound organized and fun. That's what makes face to face club meetings worthwhile and enjoyable. But it also sounds like someone goes to some effort to keep the club going. The internet makes it easier to connect with people all over the world, and we are blessed with several volunteers at Stamporama who keep things on track here. I see benefits to both kinds of clubs - one can complement the other. I know people in our club have learned from some of the info I have picked up here. Sally
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Hello Sally, my wife is the treasurer..she keeps track of the auction and does the collecting and paying out after the auction..we also have another worker..he gets money from my wife to buy box lots and he breaks them down into lots for the auction..we start bids at 20 percent of catalog...its amazing the classic stuff that goes for 1/5th of catalog. I think the members are spoiled
Login to Like
this post
10:02:35pm
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
I think the members are spoiled
Phil...and so are the non-members, whenever I visit your clubs meetings I always bring at least 100 bucks...Some great deals
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
13 Jul 2013
10:32:40pm
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Our club here in Citrus County, about 160 km north of downtown Tampa meets twice a month, on the first and third Tuesdays.
The official meeting starts about 1PM and runs on for about 15 to 30 minutes. Most of the members start arriving at 10 or 11 AM and many are still there at 2:30 or 3:00PM.
WE sometimes have an auction and occasionally, very occasionally, have someone make a presentation, if they insist, but the majority simply enjoy sitting around socializing, trading stamps, buying or selling stamps and purchasing supplies from the dealer who lugs a roller full of the things you would find in an old fashioned stamp store.
At least one member travels from Port Richey, about 90 km as the crow with a GPS flies. Not being a crow I believe it is a little further in a car.
Login to Like
this post
03:41:19am
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
" Our president comes from LaGrange"
That's where I grew up! Lived just a mile from the high school.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Before I state this, let me say that I have been involved in Boy Scouting for over 15 years; have worked the Youth Booth at ORAPEX for four years; and have been on the front counter of Ian Kimmerly Stamps for about the past two years.
The hobby is alive and well. The 10-15 year old folks are far more knowledgeable than many of us were at that age. Granted, the internet provides them with a research tool we could have only dreamed of! Most have specialised into roughly four countries and two topicals.
... and here's the kicker...
approximately 70% of the 20- to 30-year old collectors, who come into the store are women!
The future of the hobby is with the gals, gents!
It is certainly strong from my perspective. I do have a number of children coming into the store to buy stamps and supplies for their hobby.
David
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
David,i was going mention the difference in the number of children that attend shows in the USA and Canada. When we come up to visit you guys at Orapex in May every year..i am impressed by the number of children at your shows. Your youth booth is great..but the fact is that parents bring their kids to the stamp show in Ottawa...i do not see that here in New York ! Cheers, phil
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Philb, is your wife a stamp collector too or is she involved in the club because you are? We don't have any couples left in our club anymore. The purchase of box lots to auction is a good idea - we haven't done that in a very long time. We are trying to get more presentations and auctions going again by trying to alternate months. Hard to get anyone to do a talk though. Lots of ideas as long as someone else is doing the work. Sally
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Heres the story...after years of me attending stamp club meetings and stamp shows by myself,my wife became curious..at the first stamp meeting she attended being a woman and i guess they figured smart..they put her on the front table tallying the auction lots...she did not have a clue then but she is still doing it about 15 years later..she is much more logical in her approach to collecting and has past me by long ago with her specialized collections like Europa forerunners..the stamps issued before the actual Europa series started around 1956.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Sally,your club is not unique..we have 5 or 6 people who never miss a meeting and carry the load..the rest show up to be entertained(and with some of them its cheap entertainment!)
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
14 Jul 2013
12:16:39pm
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
" .... approximately 70% of the 20- to 30-year old collectors, who come into the store are women!
The future of the hobby is with the gals, gents! .... "
Well that is good news.
I am tired of looking at grungy, bearded, old men at club meetings.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
So am i,deep down i would like to grab the old geezers by the belt and out the door..but i am not allowed to touch them !
Login to Like
this post
Auctions
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
i am really hurt, as, besides Frederick, i am the only bearded guy in our club, and, without peers, the grungiest. all these years, and your feelings emerge, Phil. Hmmmmmm.
Phil and Jopie aren't the only collecting couple: we also have Janet and Bill. Luckily, neither are old, grungy, or bearded.
David hiding in his corner and might not come out for a really long time
Login to Like
this post
02:53:41pm
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
I also am aware, that there are more female collectors,than ever.That is the good news. The bad news is: Collectors of all sorts are dying & going to nursing homes, at a faster pace, than are new collectors coming to replace them.
This is evidenced by the fact that while the really valuble & desirable stamps are doing very well, everything else, is going for less & less.The reason being is that there are still many collectors ,in their 50's to 80's, who have some $ and are buying items to complete their collections.There are not enough beginner & intermediate collectors left to absorb the large quantity of inexpensive & less desirable items. This has resulted in a glut of cheap to moderate & faulty items in the marketplace.
Collecting ( not just stamps ) is in decline in most places. China is an exception.These hobbies, are NOT going to die, they are just going to retract.Ted.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
toughen up ! i doubt if you are the grungiest one !
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Why can i relate to that ? I guess i am free to spend as much as l like also..if i have the nerve .
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Most of our members fall into the older male category although only two have beards. Our newest member is a female in her late 20s or so. Haven't seen her at a meeting since she joined. At our last show, we had a young man in his 20s join and then a 14 year old boy joined with his grandparents 3 months later. Unfortunately, our membership number stays about constant as new members are offset by the loss of older members (relocation, death, illness). We do have a great time at our monthly meetings though and travel to area shows in a pack. Lots of fun.
Still, I cannot imagine stamp collecting without computers and the internet anymore. From making album pages, doing research, and connecting with people all over the world, it seems to me that computers have enhanced our hobby. Guess it's all in how you use it, but I think it will help philately survive.
Are there any members of other clubs who don't even have a computer? We had 2 older men but are down to just one holdout now.....
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
I predate Jack by 2 years. And I am getting a 22-yr old into the hobby. I think being a stamp collector gives you many valuable life skills such as an understanding of:
Geography
Economy
Culture
History
Art
Culture
Philosophy
You can also learn to:
Study
Research
Organize
Write
Appraise
Bargain
Socialize
I think you will agree that there may be additional benefits I have not thought of off the top of my head. I think bringing stamp collecting into someone's life is a real gift to help them grow and develop personally.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
I like smauggie's list- I agree that stamp collectors are much more knowledgable about history,and geography, and are just more interesting people in general. ;-)
As far as popularity, there is not too much to worry about for the next 10-15 years as baby boomers retire and get back into the hobby they remember as kids. After that? .....?
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Smauggie is a great guy but too deep for me....but i remember in history and geography class the guys were always peering at my desk when we had a test..as far as i know all the households of our members have computers..but i know several do not have stamp catalogs..thats probably for another thread...but how do they navigate ???
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
"too deep for me"
I get that a lot.
Login to Like
this post
02:12:39pm
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
Stamp collecting made me an obvious choice for a games night team when faced with Trivial Pursuit Geography and History categories.
Login to Like
this post
re: Stamp collecters...what is the future ?
I have to agree with Ted. Collectors are dying off faster than they are being replaced so the price of plentiful mid-range stuff, like a set of Zeppelins with hinges, maybe a thin, and centering a little off, will just get cheaper and cheaper. Sad but true.
One of my sons is getting into collecting coins (starting with Memorial Lincoln pennies). He really enjoys the hunt and we work on our collections together (I collect coins, too). Neither of my sons have the slightest interest in stamps, but why should they? Other than older relatives sending a birthday card, they never receive mail. Our family mail is nothing more than notices sent via bulk mail that our utility payment will automatically be made, and even that will become an email notice some day. Seriously, the only time (other than Christmas) that I receive a letter with a Commemorative stamp is when receiving an order for stamps I purchased. I use Commemoratives on all outbound mailing through my business and personally, but it is likely noticed very little. On ONE occasion in over 10 years I had a client make a remark on a decorated cover and ask if I was a stamp collector.
We aren't dying as fast as the relevance of collecting stamps is dying. More than one acquaintance has drawn a line in the sand and refused to collect ANY more current issues. That is looking more and more attractive in light of the imperf press sheets. If I didn't have to buy any more pages, binders, mounts, or modern stamps then I could afford those missing 19th and 20th Century goodies a lot faster. It's tempting to be sure.
Login to Like
this post