The Plan

so today I get some pages printed (i love having my own office LOL) and get things in order to begin mounting.... I am considering some free form pages for those stamps I have that dont really fit else where for example I have a set of three given to me a long time ago and I do not want to split them up.. also found a set of 3 in the bag from this week end that are all the same stamp but they go well together even if the person separated them I rather leave them on the paper....

next question I am fairly certain of the answer of but need to ask.. where does one find a fairly newer copy of a catalog at a good price? I got this wonderful 1982 version by Harris and its great but I find that a great deal of the stamps I have (not all that I want mind you) are later stamps. I have a pair of beautiful tugboats 1900s that were issues in 1988 for example and I found them on line but again back to wanting real print in my hand when working with the stamps...

so looking for pages and such I "coincidently" fell across a sale on ebay "honestly dont know how I got on there" J/K LOL... so I got a few more stamps coming in soon LOL waiting for the seller to email me when they will be shipped ... man this is quickly becoming an addiction .. I love it....

The Scott Catalog is the generally accepted best source for stamp information and valuations. The Scott Specialized Catalog of US Stamps is the most comprehensive catalog for US issues, but it can be VERY expensive (i.e. $60 or $80). You can often find older editions at considerable discounts through on-line sources such as E-Bay.

You can also check at your Public Library, as oftentimes they have the entire set of Scott Catalogs (but typically they are restricted to the reference section of the library and therefore cannot be checked out.)

If you want something for use at home, I suggest buying "The Postal Service to US Stamps". It comes out annually. Currently, the 37th edition is available at this link (or many post offices carry it as well, and you'll save the shipping fee). While it's not nearly as detailed as the Scott Catalog, it gives color representations of each stamp, along with Scott catalog numbers and valuations and dates of issue. While not nearly as detailed, it's usually more than adequate for a beginner:

https://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/st....ac=10007044

Great link than kyou wt1!! I just may order one if I cannot find one locally.... my library sells books all the time I can even request a hold if one is due for replacement....

Catalogues
Search on here for Scott catalogues topics as there are some, just when they started printing them in colour, that have lots of errors in them. 2004 or 5 I am guessing, different years for general Scott catalogues (6 volumes, just to warn you) or US specialized.

ebay, other stamp sites like Bidstart or Wensy or , hmmm, stamps2go , is that still here? Old library copies get sold for cheap. Amazon where people are selling the library copies they got for cheap, ha.

You need 50 posts and 14 days to buy or sell on here but people do get rid of their old ones here also.

Search the ebay but ask here first (start a new topic) if it is OK or a good deal or other questions.

well I got the 50 now and the 14 soon but I am just really grateful for all the info here more than worrying about by/trade/selling just yet LOL.... I keep Hemorrhaging money and the wife will make that happen in other places LOL

so I got messing with my stamps last night and a friend dropped buy and 15 minutes of organizing turned into 2.5 hours of talking and going through in detail and learning a few new things along the way! LOL now if I had known about this hobby a few years ago I would have saved a lot of time and money waisted in other areas .... so I got the first Album assembled and one stamp in (its a Lincon collection) I got the 2 womens albums printed and put in the binders... and decided on a few new avenues to keep things with in reach for me... 1) will be 2 stock book type of collection with US flags and the other for Statue of Liberty ... and instead of over reaching and trying to gain all the US stamps ever made I will do a live book first and any others that coe my way great but not the focus... my main US book will start in 1975 and go through current... this plan has evolved and evolved but this looks to be the most obtainable path extras and incidentals are great but a clear focus is what I need to not get overwhelmed...

taking the advice of a number of resources on the web I started asking around to family and family friends to optain any old stamps covers etc they may have and well it works! I am sitting in my office and a freind of my wife who works here comes in and says "hey I collected post cards for girls scouts and I really dont want them any more so here you go" I sorted them out and wow the find!!

13 Lincon stamps (for one of my books I may get 3 out of these as the rest are Dups but great trade fodder LOL)
7 US flags (3 different the rest fodder)
and about 60 mixed ones (they include washington's FDR, Eisenhower and others for US and a few from around the world, Canada, Eangland, France, Jamaca)

and the best part is they are all in great shape and Pre-1980 most carrying cancelations from the 60's and 70's......

hmmm now to try soaking post cards LOL.....

Before you soak off the stamps ... check the postmarks! Some may be more desirable to keep on cover. Likewise, check the pictures on the postcards ... you may not want to ruin the postcard just to soak off a common stamp if the postcard depicts an interesting, unusual or popular subject, in which case you may want to save the entire card or cover.

There are all kinds of collecting disciplines. No right or wrong ways to collect, either. Just a whole host of options open to you.

understood.. I may go through them and see if there are any other want after I get the stamps I desire.... not to be difficult but I personally have little desire to collect covers or post cards.... if you are interested let me know VIA email and I will send you a few good clear ones... no I am not asking for a trade or a payment (not permitted yet. but as I have seen here in recent days it is always good to pay it forward...

I urge caution, "Bearwithstamps"!
I have only been collecting about a year, and in the early days I did a lot of enthusiastic soaking. Now I've caught the covers bug and try not to think about what I threw out.
Remember, postcards can be "trade fodder" too. Or - imagine in a few weeks time you complete a trade with an SCF member, and can include a postcard from their home town, or on their favorite topic, in the envelope - cool, eh?
If they are common stamps, another will come along in some kiloware or whatever.
Of course I am a hoarder, which brings its own problems... so feel free to ignore any advice I may offer

but all advice is good advice.. its the choices we live with that vary... LOL ... I do see your point .... you must move in the direction I have set forth however.... I pulled about 6 very clear post marked ones and will send the pix to my email in a bit and get them posted here in a few hours (if time permits I am at work LOL).....

bearwithfish: Thanks for the kind offer, but I don't generally collect postcards, either. However, as they come to me I do file them away for future use. As stampgal suggests, the postcards can be used in future trades, etc., so some may be worth holding onto as they may provide you some future trade material for items that may be more desirable to you.

Also, there is a "postcard" section in SCF and if you scan some of your postcards there, I'm sure there will be members interesting in looking at what you may have uncovered.

i will scan the fronts at home .. but will put up the post marks in a few.... than kyou all I have much to think about

lets see if I got this right