Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
I got some stamps I've been really wanting for a great price from a table that was raising money for a local organization.
I got some awesome advice from other collectors.
I lost out on a bid during an auction but was given all the stamps afterward because it turns out the person who won just wanted the tin they were in!
And I got my hands on some really cool sets that I have been wanting (Canadian Butterflies! Yay!)
Everyone was so nice and welcoming to me it was great. I was by far the youngest person there and definitely felt like the spoiled baby in the family!
What a great community stamp collectors make.
P.S. I also got a bunch of extras in some of the lots I bought that I'll be putting up in the Approval books.
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So glad to hear that you had a wonderful time. Some of the best parts of going to shows is simply talking to other collectors. You can learn so much.
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It is great that your first show experience was such a great success.
Here's something to consider to increase the fun even more. I go to many model railroad shows each year, and I used to go to stamp shows (they have dried up in my area). I normally rent a table at the shows for two reasons: sell items that I don't want or no longer need and to hob-knob with the other vendors/people in attendance. I'm not there to turn a profit and I sometimes don't get back my expenses (table cost, travel, etc.), however the time spent talking with others in either of my hobbies has helped to greatly increase my knowledge. You'll also get to learn and make friends with many of these people. When you learn what they like to collect, they learn what you like as well. That means trading with each other or simply just giving a gift to someone who has been very helpful in the past.
Such relationships will also get you in the door to other shows and events later on as well when you get to be well known among the people who organize such events.
Exploit it (in a good way) and share. You will love it all the more.
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I went to the ASDA Mega-Event Stamp Show in New York City in 2007. Bob Gioia, Phil & Jopie Bruno, King Tott, Mike Owsian, John Goyette, and the rest of the gang.
Going to a stamp show with your stamp buddies is a lot of fun.
Bobgggg found a member of the Guatemala Society that Phil is a member of; and he found an 11-cent Americana Series plate block on an FDC for me.
Wow!
David
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"Some of the best parts of going to shows is simply talking to other collectors. You can learn so much.
"
You are so right!
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Michael, that is a good idea, maybe I will do that some time.
David, that does sound fun. People there kept asking me which club I was a part of. For now the only answer is SOR because my work schedule doesn't permit otherwise (part of what made me so happy to find SOR). I know at least one other SOR member was there today but we were not able to be there at the same time.
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Meghan, Glad you made your first show...We are going up to Orapex in Ottawa next week..have a great bunch of friends there,,,and we never would have met if not for the INTERNET !
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Meghan,
Glad your first show experience was so positive. Meeting fellow collectors and dealers is truly what makes it so much fun. Someday if you can, join a local club. We go as a group to local shows (and host our own yearly). Sometimes I have more fun shopping for other people than for myself.
Sally
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I think lots of other people share your sentiment on that one Sally. I didn't know anyone there prior to the event but by the end of it I had people reporting back to me whenever they found stamps with butterflies on them. It was so kind of them.
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I too was at the show but had to leave without meeting you...maybe next time....So glad you enjoyed your first show...Everyone is most helpful and the displays were awesome!!!!Cheryl
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I couldn't get over how fast time flew. When I got there at 12:30 I started looking at stamps from various vendors. Before I knew it I was still not done and the auction was starting. (Started at 2). I really think I will take the whole day off next year because I didn't have time to look at the collection exhibits at all.
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This would have been 1946/7 in London. Two vivid memories.
1. Seeing a demo of a yellowish fluid called Zof that was dabbed onto the back of paper a stamp was stuck onto. Stamp peeled off immediately.
2. Clearly recall seeing a large diagram a dealer had made of the coil of rope at the centre/foot of the NZ 5d 1946 Peace issue. He had evidently found an anomaly but I was unable to afford to buy the stamp. I can find nobody who knows anything about this.
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heading to the dallas fort worth show this April, it will be my first 
your experiences make me all the more eager
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You should have a great time..look around..do not feel obligated that you have to purchase anything if you do not want to, the dealers are usually pretty understanding.
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are you kidding? im going to need a front loader and dump truck to get to the car afterwords, oh im spending alright heh. *grins* although truth be told I suspect the lions share is going to be on mounts, glassines, pages, and boxes if any suppliers show. Im swamped in unsorted and need that stuff badly, although there are a couple of essays.......
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I haven't been to a show since the late 1970s! I cannot wait to try one again. My passion was sorting through cover and postcard boxes for odd stuff.
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I am glad that you enjoyed your first stamp show. I remember when I went to my very first show and was amazed with what went on.
There is a lot to be learned at these shows and everything about them is well worth attending.
Chimo
Bujutsu
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One thing that has helped me enjoy myself more at shows is getting to know the dealers and fellow collectors. It is SO much better when you can share with others and talk the same language together. ;-)
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I am on the other side of this. I have been to more stamp shows then I can count or even remember and everyone of them has something worth while to see or do.
But for the last few years, I have been a dealer at a lot of local stamp shows. It's so much fun to be a dealer as well. I do hope to cover my expenses, but I don't really care if I make a bundle like some of the dealers. I just love talking to everyone.
I like watching the expressions on the faces of people who walk in the door and you know right away it's their first show. They sort of stand there and look all around. Their eyes get bigger. You can just see the excitement.
I have talked to children as young as 3 or 4 years old who are just starting their collections of kitties or airplanes on stamps, and a few people who are pushing 100 who are still at it and find the same joy and excitement when they find a stamp they need as they probably did 50, 60 or 80 years ago or more.
One show that I have a table at in Toronto is held 4 times a year. In fact I just came from it yesterday. Three shows back a very sweet older man came and sat down at the table. I had seen him before, but he had never bought anything from me. His hands were shaking, so I helped him take every stamp that he bought off the sales pages. He sat with me for over an hour. He had just turned 96, and had been collecting since he was about 10 years old. He had sold his first collection when he was in his 30's but then started over again a few years later. I saw him again today, and we chatted for a few minutes. I didn't have anything that he needed, but he said he would come look for me at the next show in June.
Kids always get a few free stamps from me. I love it when it makes them happy. And adults too. I have a bunch of 10 cent stuff, and if someone only finds one or two stamps that they need from it, or if they have already paid for something and then find a couple more, I give them to them.
Also my daughter Shelley and I run the silent auctions for the day at another local show. We aren't members of that club, but for the day we are, so that we can also put lots into the auction.
That show was last Sat. and we had a great turn out. One of the other members had met a new collector at another club meeting the previous Thurs, and told her about the upcoming show and auction. She came to the show and was thrilled.
At the end of each of the auctions that we have, ( 3 for the day ) it's agreed to by all the members who have put items into the auction to just sell off any leftover items for the reserve bids. And members then can also reduce the reserves at the time as well if they want, so there are plenty of good bargains. The new collector came in and went wild. She started picking up lots by the handfuls. With most of the lots being $10.00 or less she bought enough stuff, ( about $165.00 ) to keep her busy for weeks. She was laughing and smiling and commenting with every lot that she bid on or bought outright.
So it's not just the first time show goers and collectors who enjoy the shows, it's also the dealers who enjoy watching and interacting with the first time show goers. And of course regular customers are always a joy to talk with as well.
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A man 96 still buying..then theres hope for me.sorry kids i may have to spend a bit more ! Seriously, i envy your courage to get a table at a show.i wonder how many weeks it would take me to organize my stuff..i see the dealers at the small show we attend in Troy..working like horses setting up and taking down..i am sure they do not always have a good show money wise..but they must enjoy it ..at least one of them is a Doctor and i am sure he could find something else to do with his Sunday . Good Post !
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Today I went to my first stamp show ever and I had such a blast! I had to work in the morning but got to go for the afternoon.
I got some stamps I've been really wanting for a great price from a table that was raising money for a local organization.
I got some awesome advice from other collectors.
I lost out on a bid during an auction but was given all the stamps afterward because it turns out the person who won just wanted the tin they were in!
And I got my hands on some really cool sets that I have been wanting (Canadian Butterflies! Yay!)
Everyone was so nice and welcoming to me it was great. I was by far the youngest person there and definitely felt like the spoiled baby in the family!
What a great community stamp collectors make.
P.S. I also got a bunch of extras in some of the lots I bought that I'll be putting up in the Approval books.
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06:52:44pm
re: My First Stamp Show
So glad to hear that you had a wonderful time. Some of the best parts of going to shows is simply talking to other collectors. You can learn so much.
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07:43:55pm
re: My First Stamp Show
It is great that your first show experience was such a great success.
Here's something to consider to increase the fun even more. I go to many model railroad shows each year, and I used to go to stamp shows (they have dried up in my area). I normally rent a table at the shows for two reasons: sell items that I don't want or no longer need and to hob-knob with the other vendors/people in attendance. I'm not there to turn a profit and I sometimes don't get back my expenses (table cost, travel, etc.), however the time spent talking with others in either of my hobbies has helped to greatly increase my knowledge. You'll also get to learn and make friends with many of these people. When you learn what they like to collect, they learn what you like as well. That means trading with each other or simply just giving a gift to someone who has been very helpful in the past.
Such relationships will also get you in the door to other shows and events later on as well when you get to be well known among the people who organize such events.
Exploit it (in a good way) and share. You will love it all the more.
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this post
re: My First Stamp Show
I went to the ASDA Mega-Event Stamp Show in New York City in 2007. Bob Gioia, Phil & Jopie Bruno, King Tott, Mike Owsian, John Goyette, and the rest of the gang.
Going to a stamp show with your stamp buddies is a lot of fun.
Bobgggg found a member of the Guatemala Society that Phil is a member of; and he found an 11-cent Americana Series plate block on an FDC for me.
Wow!
David
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re: My First Stamp Show
"Some of the best parts of going to shows is simply talking to other collectors. You can learn so much.
"
You are so right!
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re: My First Stamp Show
Michael, that is a good idea, maybe I will do that some time.
David, that does sound fun. People there kept asking me which club I was a part of. For now the only answer is SOR because my work schedule doesn't permit otherwise (part of what made me so happy to find SOR). I know at least one other SOR member was there today but we were not able to be there at the same time.
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re: My First Stamp Show
Meghan, Glad you made your first show...We are going up to Orapex in Ottawa next week..have a great bunch of friends there,,,and we never would have met if not for the INTERNET !
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re: My First Stamp Show
Meghan,
Glad your first show experience was so positive. Meeting fellow collectors and dealers is truly what makes it so much fun. Someday if you can, join a local club. We go as a group to local shows (and host our own yearly). Sometimes I have more fun shopping for other people than for myself.
Sally
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re: My First Stamp Show
I think lots of other people share your sentiment on that one Sally. I didn't know anyone there prior to the event but by the end of it I had people reporting back to me whenever they found stamps with butterflies on them. It was so kind of them.
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09:27:02pm
re: My First Stamp Show
I too was at the show but had to leave without meeting you...maybe next time....So glad you enjoyed your first show...Everyone is most helpful and the displays were awesome!!!!Cheryl
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re: My First Stamp Show
I couldn't get over how fast time flew. When I got there at 12:30 I started looking at stamps from various vendors. Before I knew it I was still not done and the auction was starting. (Started at 2). I really think I will take the whole day off next year because I didn't have time to look at the collection exhibits at all.
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06:37:47pm
re: My First Stamp Show
This would have been 1946/7 in London. Two vivid memories.
1. Seeing a demo of a yellowish fluid called Zof that was dabbed onto the back of paper a stamp was stuck onto. Stamp peeled off immediately.
2. Clearly recall seeing a large diagram a dealer had made of the coil of rope at the centre/foot of the NZ 5d 1946 Peace issue. He had evidently found an anomaly but I was unable to afford to buy the stamp. I can find nobody who knows anything about this.
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02:20:17am
re: My First Stamp Show
heading to the dallas fort worth show this April, it will be my first your experiences make me all the more eager
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Auctions
re: My First Stamp Show
You should have a great time..look around..do not feel obligated that you have to purchase anything if you do not want to, the dealers are usually pretty understanding.
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09:22:32am
re: My First Stamp Show
are you kidding? im going to need a front loader and dump truck to get to the car afterwords, oh im spending alright heh. *grins* although truth be told I suspect the lions share is going to be on mounts, glassines, pages, and boxes if any suppliers show. Im swamped in unsorted and need that stuff badly, although there are a couple of essays.......
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re: My First Stamp Show
I haven't been to a show since the late 1970s! I cannot wait to try one again. My passion was sorting through cover and postcard boxes for odd stuff.
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re: My First Stamp Show
I am glad that you enjoyed your first stamp show. I remember when I went to my very first show and was amazed with what went on.
There is a lot to be learned at these shows and everything about them is well worth attending.
Chimo
Bujutsu
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re: My First Stamp Show
One thing that has helped me enjoy myself more at shows is getting to know the dealers and fellow collectors. It is SO much better when you can share with others and talk the same language together. ;-)
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re: My First Stamp Show
I am on the other side of this. I have been to more stamp shows then I can count or even remember and everyone of them has something worth while to see or do.
But for the last few years, I have been a dealer at a lot of local stamp shows. It's so much fun to be a dealer as well. I do hope to cover my expenses, but I don't really care if I make a bundle like some of the dealers. I just love talking to everyone.
I like watching the expressions on the faces of people who walk in the door and you know right away it's their first show. They sort of stand there and look all around. Their eyes get bigger. You can just see the excitement.
I have talked to children as young as 3 or 4 years old who are just starting their collections of kitties or airplanes on stamps, and a few people who are pushing 100 who are still at it and find the same joy and excitement when they find a stamp they need as they probably did 50, 60 or 80 years ago or more.
One show that I have a table at in Toronto is held 4 times a year. In fact I just came from it yesterday. Three shows back a very sweet older man came and sat down at the table. I had seen him before, but he had never bought anything from me. His hands were shaking, so I helped him take every stamp that he bought off the sales pages. He sat with me for over an hour. He had just turned 96, and had been collecting since he was about 10 years old. He had sold his first collection when he was in his 30's but then started over again a few years later. I saw him again today, and we chatted for a few minutes. I didn't have anything that he needed, but he said he would come look for me at the next show in June.
Kids always get a few free stamps from me. I love it when it makes them happy. And adults too. I have a bunch of 10 cent stuff, and if someone only finds one or two stamps that they need from it, or if they have already paid for something and then find a couple more, I give them to them.
Also my daughter Shelley and I run the silent auctions for the day at another local show. We aren't members of that club, but for the day we are, so that we can also put lots into the auction.
That show was last Sat. and we had a great turn out. One of the other members had met a new collector at another club meeting the previous Thurs, and told her about the upcoming show and auction. She came to the show and was thrilled.
At the end of each of the auctions that we have, ( 3 for the day ) it's agreed to by all the members who have put items into the auction to just sell off any leftover items for the reserve bids. And members then can also reduce the reserves at the time as well if they want, so there are plenty of good bargains. The new collector came in and went wild. She started picking up lots by the handfuls. With most of the lots being $10.00 or less she bought enough stuff, ( about $165.00 ) to keep her busy for weeks. She was laughing and smiling and commenting with every lot that she bid on or bought outright.
So it's not just the first time show goers and collectors who enjoy the shows, it's also the dealers who enjoy watching and interacting with the first time show goers. And of course regular customers are always a joy to talk with as well.
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re: My First Stamp Show
A man 96 still buying..then theres hope for me.sorry kids i may have to spend a bit more ! Seriously, i envy your courage to get a table at a show.i wonder how many weeks it would take me to organize my stuff..i see the dealers at the small show we attend in Troy..working like horses setting up and taking down..i am sure they do not always have a good show money wise..but they must enjoy it ..at least one of them is a Doctor and i am sure he could find something else to do with his Sunday . Good Post !
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