My First Visit To A Stamp Store.

So, I'm peacefully sorting out some New Zealand stamps this morning, when the phone rings. It's Bandicoot and he wants to know if I would like to go with him to a stamp store near Perth. I know it's hard to believe, but I have never been to a stamp (or coin) store in my life. So I agree to go with him.

It turns out to be very small and crammed full of stamps and other collectables. Bandicoot bought Emma a large bag of assorted stamps. I couldn't resist filling a few holes in my Australian Antarctic Territory collection.

Anyway, this is what I bought...



I saw some nice early Australian stamps there too, so I might be heading back sometime. Thanks Bandicoot, I'm probably going to be even more broke now.

Steve

Steve:

You are lucky to have a local stamp store, The rents
in New York, have driven all the small stamp shops
out of business.

A very few exist, I guess all the dealers, who closed their
stores, are all selling on ebay.

Bob,

I guess that would be a problem over there.
This guy's rent wouldn't be much. The shop was just wider than the door and about 10m long.

Steve

Actual store front operations are going the way of the dinosaurs. We do have two or three in the state, but the closest is an hour and a half drive for me. That's probably $30 or $40 in gas with my truck. The guy must be in his 80's by now and he's only open three days a week - if at all.

It just so happens that I'm going this weekend for the first time in six or seven years. . . . . That is if he's going to be open.

Looks like internet did to the Stamp Shop owner, what video did to the Radio Star. Bugge Buggles.

Steve

It's about the same here in Nebraska.....there is a shop in Lincoln and one in Omaha......both several hours drive by hi-way.....I'd rather spend the gas money for stamps from an on-line shop. I have double tanks in my pick-up, a little over $150.00 to fill it up last week. Saw a station in Kansas just a little south of here charging $4.27 for regular, hi-test was $4.42 !!

Holy Pocketbook, Batman!

I thought we were bad at $3.64 here! I agree about spending the gas money on stamps, but I just have a need to dig around in someone's stock since I missed the stamp show.

Greg, wait till the heating season starts here in the NorthEast..everyone will feel the pinch..but I dont know how working people with kids will be able to pay mortgage payment and oil fuel..a lot of my friends burn wood..i do not have a woodlot and our cape cod is really not set up for another chimney and wood stove..dont have much alternative but to wear layers of clothes..but when the temperature hits a certain level the furnace is going to come booming on anyway !!

Stopped by our area's remaining stamp shop yesterday while I was in town.
It happened to be closed but was a far cry from what it 35 years ago, the
last time I stopped by. It was off the main street in town where it once
was, in a fast-becoming shabby area in a building I believe was once an
automotive garage. Looking through the window, it looked more like a junk
shop than the clean and orderly shop of old. I wonder if it's owned by
someone else, now, and is the same operation in name only.

I stopped by what was supposed to be a stamp shop 40 min away from us. When I went inside the owner and his wife were doing inventory--they had just bought the store 3 days earlier. They had tons of stuff for ball card collecting, small amount for coin collecting, and nothing for stamps--the guy said "no body collects stamps anymore." I kindly debated with him and he said he would consider carrying a small amount of stamp items, but if it didn't sell in 6 months he wouldn't carry stamp supplies again--the big sign outside says stamp collecting supplies--guess that will have to come down,too! ha. He told me to call him in a few weeks to see what his decision was--I know what his decision is without even calling.

Gussyboy1

The only place I can buy stamps here is at the post office.

Good thing I have many freids here to share with and receive stamps from.

Dianne

The nearest one to me is over one hour away.
The selection of stamps is almost null, its
also a coin dealer with little or no stamps.

OK, I have been collecting for a very short time and I have been in 2 different stamp stores and I know of a 3rd so is this contagious and should I get the divorce papers ready?

Bandicoot - If you have access to three stores with decent stock and philatelic supplies, you are incredibly lucky. The only way to ensure they stay open is to spend your money there. I'm not saying you have to necessarily pay more for your material, but on occasion paying a buck or two over what you would spend on the Internet is worth keeping them in business.

Bandicoot...As long as you DO NOT say something like "Sorry dear, I need to work on my stamps first before I take out the garbage", you should be OK. HEHE. A couple of times when I went to a big stamp show in NYC, I took the wife along with me. She enjoyed meeting people like Phil, Jopie & Bob. After the show, we did some other shopping and she was fine with that.

OK, I'm going to get off my duff and head out to visit L&M Rare Stamps in Shreveport. I'll try to show some restraint!