I Wish My Worldwide Cutoff Had Been Earlier

A friend sent me a set of 1968 stamps yesterday...so I got out my 1967-69 Scott International album...of course Scott had no room for that set in the album..but I had a blank sided page..i could not help but notice the page after page of junk in that era..really, did Haiti and Togo need all those gaudy stamps for their citizens ???

In a similar vein, each month Linn's/Scott publishes the Scott Catalog new issue updates.
Who is buying all those new issues?
Many of the same countries that were pumping out the gaudy issues in the 1960's are still at it!
If these issues are selling, why worry about the decline of collecting?

Hi



I think the answer may lie in the topical collecting community. As long as we have topical collectors we will have this type of material being produced and on the market.

Jerry B

Philb, did you have to go up to 1968-69 ? You can cut off whenever and wherever you want surely ?

That's the beauty of the hobby...isn't it ?

Londonbus1.....Now send that set to me immediately !

responding the Philb: I would think that the vast majority of all stamp issues of all countries in the past 50 years or more have never been seen or used by any of the citizens, and that includes the US as well. Certainly, the vast number of all Russian stamps issued prior to the collapse of the USSR have never been seen by Russian citizens. But, unless you get a lot of mail, consider how many of the commemorative issues from the US you have seen on your mail since 1970?

I am looking at a 1969 Haiti page..they made images of famous worldwide stamps like our #327 Louisiana purchase stamp and overprinted them...i have never seen any of these stamps except on my album page...Londonbus..sorry the album is now incorporated into my collection...But there will be a lot of pages with no stamps mounted !

philb
I know one worldwide collector and I will explain to you why she's a worldwide collector. It's because she like buying and selling in stamp club. She buys everything that catch her eyes and look like a deal. She buys nice collections and low price lots. She tour all the stamp clubs selling cheap at 5 cents and 10 cents single stamp. On occasion she sells a collection. And believe me compare to a SCF member she doesn't no as much about stamps. But years ago she got to know that there is a market for cheap stamps specially in stamp club. There is allot of collectors here in stampclub that can afford only cheap stamps in quantity. And they all starve for recent issue because their collection consist of pre-1990 stamps. They don't mind CTO'S. It's these collector that will eventually buy these multiple issues of third world countries. They want allot of stamps at a low cost. And don't worry allot that it won't worth much in the future. The lady I know said they just don't spend more than $0.50 for a single stamp. Myself I would stop collecting if I get restricted by such a limited budget. It wouldn't be fun anymore compare to what I have now. In my stampclub there are collectors with great collection who sells very interesting items. I'm not a stamp aristocrat. It is the beauty of this hobby that many can afford it. There is stamps in the market for all budgets. Daniel

Interesting topic... I prefer to spend more per item on a smaller focused collection than the same amount on a larger collection of lower value material.
Just the way I think I guess. Quality over quantity.
That's why my collection focus is so narrow and moved from "motorcycle stamps" to what I now collect "Any philatelic material that depicts a motorcycle, or part thereof, or name of manufacturer, recognizable as being of ITALIAN ORIGIN."

I ended up the same way with cars and motorcycles (the real ones not one stamps!) and 4 years ago I sold off a bunch of what I then considered lesser machines to buy one better machine. Same money spent over all but I was happier with the quality of what I had.

Imagine if you reorganised a collection and was able to sell off half the collection of say "post 1970 material" and re invested that money in better items that were pre 1970.... might make for a happier collector?

Rambling now...
Gavin

Dan, tonight at our club auction...we had $350 dollars in lots that never sold..ever... so one bright guy said..how many would be interested in taking a 5 dollar chance on winning the combined lots...9 of us put in 5 bucks ...the club gainned 45 dollars in the kitty and one lucky guy went home happy...thats one way to get rid of them..i wonder if your lady worldwide collector would have gotten in ???

I like what Agustanz is saying.

philb
Oh yes she would! At the stamp club she found a way to raise money for the the stampclub. We just make a lottery. 1$ per ticket. The winner gets half the pot and the other half goes to the club. You can buy as many tickets as you want. The club own stamps and covers. It can buy collection and catalogue too. On occasion there is a draw for members attending the meeting and you can win a small price. The club is in good financial health and it is expanding. We may have a larger room in fall.