The Stamp Hobby Is Rigged !

Everytime I start reading about the worlds greatest stamp collectors I get frustrated ! Its hard to compete with people like Sir Nicholas Price of Price Waterhouse or one of the owners of Texaco that could buy postmaster provisionals like I buy apples..they should level the playing field and give us all an equal amount for stamp purchases !!

Phil, have you called Nicky to see if he will share?

Be careful what you wish for, phil...to millions of collectors around the globe, you are one of the fat cats.

Great idea Philby! Perhaps Stamp Stamps should be issued for us poorer collectors, kind of like Food Stamps.

Phil, you got to stop and think for a moment. We collect within our budget and most of us have tubs or bins to search through. This in turn gives us hours of entertainment.

Most of these big boys either have buyers for them or just a slim album with probably the very best but nothing else.I doubt any off them sat for hours searching for that hidden treasure.

But yeah I could burn through that mega millions lottery in a good auction weekend.

Are they collectors

Londonbus1.....or something more sinister?

Tom what you say is true...we do have TUBS of stamps..Phil the Stamp Socialist !!

Londonbus1.....or something more sinister?

Maybe they - <gasp> - buy stamps to send letters!

I think I would still have more fun going through random $1 boxes looking for that chance than having oodles of cash and plunking it down a grand or ten grand on a single stamp. Now, I'll take a grand or ten grand..gotta eat and pay bills.

Yes. It is unfortunate that money=access to stamps. And there is nothing like the feeling of owning something of your own.

Well it sounds like I have lots of company....you wonder who had the fun..the rich industralist or the agent that found the item for him...Sir Nicholas built 4 fantastic U. S. collections (one at a time) when the last one went to auction..dealers from the U.S. sailed to England to pick for their customers...they were surprised at the resistance they received from the English bidders !!

I bet some of those "Fat Cats" are considered stamp investors not collectors. As much as I would like to have those high priced stamps, I bet us regular collectors have more fun and interesting collections.

Stamperdude..so far the ones I have read about did not do it for the money..most had more than enough money...Price would enjoy building a collection..after that he lost interest..sold it off and started another one..he was different than I am..i have a hard time letting go !

I have been dealing in some higher end items lately and keep thinking about what a funny bunch we really are. Such as a perfectly centered stamp fetches far less hinged than one never hinged yet we never even see the gum after it is placed in a album.
Or how about beautiful essays with brilliant colors but we would rather purchase a faded one at three times the cost.
And as we just saw with that one at auction because it had a full frame lines it was tens of thousands of dollars instead of a few hundred.

I really think if it is a muddy or off centered filler stamp and you could only afford that copy, hey great at least you have one. Maybe not the best copy but if it makes you happy that is all that matters.

I can add nothing to this, well stated.

A lot of good PHILosophy in this thread.

I know they say money can't buy happiness, but I'm not so sure. If one had enough money to never have to worry about basic needs and financial security, wouldn't it allow him/her to be happier in the pursuit of other interests? Maslow's Hierarchy, you know -- until those bottom levels are met, not much happens.

Alas and alack,
Kirk