Getting Back Into Stamp Collecting

Just a question I would like to ask.
Most of us use to collect stamps as a kid and in latter life go back into the hobby.
What made you get back into the hobby?
Do you still have the old album you had as a kid?
Most of all what does you significant other think of your hobby and what do they think about the money you spend on stamps?

I just got back into collecting last year been lay ed up with a shoulder injury and the wife said I needed a hobby one day I was going through old boxes and stumble across my old album and bingo I decided to try my hand at stamps. What a difference having the Internet and online auctions, when I was a kid growing up in Ireland I use to get the Stanley and Gibbons approval books and going to the department store and buying those old packets of mixed world stamps.
Now its ebay and other online sites.
As for the amount I spend she doesn't mind as she is a big reader probably reads 4 to 6 books a week which is expensive these days. Bought her a e-reader last X-mas and already has over 200 books down loaded. So when the cost of a stamp is brought up I just tell her go download another book lol.
She does realise its a hobby I really enjoy and also the fact I am trying to build a collection at 10% catalogue value so if the time comes that its has to be sold she will get some money for it.
She does like it when I show her a stamp I only paid a few dollars for is worth over $30 or more.
I have a album that I place stamps of cats into she calls it her album so anytime I see a stamp that looks like one of our cats I will try to pick it up which she likes to look at every now and again, petty she didn't like zeppelins BUT she said she like to buy me a bluenose for Xmas

To be honest, I'm not sure why I got back into it after 30 years. I've always been a bit of a collector whether it be books, heavy metal cd's..I collect WW2 British Army cap badges, but one of those can cost on average £10...I can get a boatload of stamps for that amount. I also wanted a hobby the was more time consuming than simply buying something to add to a collection.

I'd love to know what happened to the albums I had as a kid..I also used to get the SG approvals. I can actually remember how I started as a kid..it was an Uncle Remus Playkit bought at the M4 service station by the Severn bridge..how's that for memory :p

As for what I spend on stamps..I'm single at the moment so noone to moan at me about spending money on my hobby :)

Cool heavy metal and stamps go hand in hand, I like the soft sounds of motor head myself while sorting stamps,,,

Hello! irishjack.

The why for me to come back to stamping is a big one for me.
Work was taking all my time even from my family.
Then an accident, many operations and one to put a poor person thigh bone to replace bones in my spine.
Stamping gave me a life back again and it helps me to fight off the pain that is over the top.

But I am not a true stamp collector as I do not eat TV dinners and cry a lot.
Need to finish today's stamping, lots of images still to do and a lot of description to write.
Now I just love handling heaps of stamps even if they belong to somebody else.
That is why I say!
Always Happy Stamping. KGV

I started collecting when I was 6. I got out of it when I was a teenager. Shortly after that, I joined the Air Force. Spent almost 5 years. After I got out and was going to college, my mother was having a garage sale and wanted to sell my stamps. I realized then, after a year of trolling the college bar scene that I definitely needed another hobby. That's when I started again. I continued up until this day. Sometimes full up every week working on the collection, sometimes, I let it slide for months. Now that I'm in the desert, I have alot more time free time on my hands. I still get thrilled going through kiloware and boxlots!

I have a friend I camp with who lives in another town about 150 miles away that collects stamps and she was telling me about her hobby last year so I told her I would bring my old albums this spring to the Lake. She talked me into starting back up. Yes I have my old albums. My newest album ended in 1963 so rather than buy all the pages to catch it up. My wife bought me in August for my Birthday the Heritage three album starter package from Majestic Stamp Co. I have forgotten everything I ever knew so I plan to take my time transferring my stamps from the old albums into my New Albums. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Also I also am wondering what does everybody do with their duplicate stamps. Put them in an older album? What's the best way to organize? I have several hundred stamp hinges or should I buy the little envelopes? Should I keep the old albums or give them away to someone else to help them get started. I think my Wife is excited I am getting back into collecting since she was eager to buy me the new Albums.

Chuck

Interesting question. I started again last year after being away from stamp collecting for over 30 years. I've always been a 'collector' of things. My home studio is crammed with my 'artifacts' Most of these things my wife would rather see the back of. I'm much more sentimental about things than she is, and she's always looking for a reason to have a clear out. Often of my stuff.
One of the things she kept on to me about was my binders of stamps, which I'd held on to. So last year, when I turned 50 I figured I do something about it. I compromised with her and got rid (sold at a pretty good loss - hadn't discovered ebay yet) most of my old accumulation and focused my collection on specific areas. We both love to go to auctions (which is contrary to her down sizing tendencies), and that has been a great place to find 'new' stamps and feed the collection. Sometimes she says she's glad I have a hobby and other times she shakes her head and just, as she says, 'Doesn't get it' (I've stopped showing her my new acquisitions, somehow they don't thrill her as much)
I will admit the collecting has been great this past year. My job situation hasn't been the greatest, and the collecting has been a great way to keep my mind occupied when things are slow. We actually had a great discussion with our daughter last night at dinner about collecting and how much fun and interesting it can be. Not sure she's really convinced yet, but we're close.

Like most of you, I started collecting many years ago, but during my hectic working years (up to 80 hours a week - egad!), I seemed to have little time to let my mind get lost in something enjoyable. I started back because I can organize things the way I want to - well except the garage. My wife says if I organized the garage the way I do my stamps, she would be very pleased. I can be creative such as by designing my own album pages, it is educational - I can ask questions as to why a stamp was issued and research the subject of the stamp. I also am deeply into genealogy, so I love the challenge of researching a cover. But foremost, I can share my collection with others (you all), participate in discussions on a daily basis, and get to see what you all have collected.

This is EXACTLY why I started again. I stopped collecting throughout much of the 90s until ebay came along. 12.5 years later, I haven't slowed down!




Plenty of good deals out there. I sold one of my used copies of the 158 Bluenose this past weekend at my stamp club. The gentleman who bought it couldn't get out the door fast enough!




I didn't associate your name with Iron Maiden until I saw this line in your post. Welcome to SCF, Maiden, from a casual metal fan :)

Good Day Irishjack

I collected when I was young just like you, but then joined the Forces and the collection took a back burner.

A couple of years later I met my Boss's son who was housebound because of illness. I offered him my collection and he loved it.

About 10 or 12 years ago I was helping one of my young neighbors with her collection and decided to take it up again. The rest is history.

Here I am 40 albums, 12 stockbooks and a closetfull of loose stamps later.

I haven't spent tons of money yet but I'm to the point where I have to stop buying lot's and start looking for individual sets or stamps.

Dianne

Collecting as a teenager, I quit for more than 25 years. For me also it's when I stop going out in all kind of bars (at the end I was told to leave my regular bar by an angry barmaid) and had money for a hobby that I decide to start collecting again and also write poetry Saturday morning. Going to bed early on Friday night was a big change in my life and it got me in better shape. I soon became a regular on ebay and many more auction website, dealers, auction house.

I collected as a child in the 1970s. I remember my parents, family and neighbours saved used stamps which my brother and I soaked and stuck into our worldwide albums. I seem to remember we would sometimes get a mint set of a new issue if it appealed to us. In 1977 we were given Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee stamps and FDC.
I always kept my albums and always saved used stamps, for years and years. Every now and again I would come across my album and have a look. I suppose I always considered myself a collector, even though I didn't really do any collecting for 20 years or more.
Then abpout 6 years ago my Grandmother died, and I inherited an older album. My Mother in Law saw my renewed interest and gave me a collection of albums, loose stamps (mostly aussie) and British and Australian FDCs.
I spent some time online looking up some of the stamps. I had no idea about stamp catalogues or anything else when I started back into it! Then the kids came along and everything went on hold. However, last summer when my son was about 5 months and my husband was away a lot, I got back into it seriously. Discovered SCF and have never looked back!
EDIT forgot to answer the questsion about Spousal Attitude! My husband is supportive of my hobby. He doesn't know exactly what I spend on stamps, but I am sure it is well matched by his woodworking and VW magazines..

I decided to get back into stamp collecting only a week or two ago. Like most of you I started as a kid and kept it going through my early teens. Then again like a lot of kids I was seduced by more 'exciting' past times during my late teens. I joined the Navy(RN), traveled the world for 23 years. Retired from the Navy, immigrated from the UK to the US. Been here 11 years, getting to be an old couch potato watching any old junk on the TV. Decided a week or so ago to make better use of my spare time. Got my self a US album and will starting from scratch with a new collection.

Amazing how so many of these stories are similar. Started out as a childhood hobby, interrupted by teen years and other interests, followed by marriage and raising children, and finally the overpowering pressures of a job. Exactly the same as mine! I'd also kept my old album during thirty years of traveling the globe. It wasn't necessarily retirement that steered me back to stamp collecting; I think collecting was always in my blood - just in a forty year hibernation. Now about my wife. I have the sweetest gal and deal going on! After my first retirement, I started another career spending nine years at it. Left with a small pittance of a retirement check - about $250 a month. Well, my darling wife - with absolutely no encouragement or unmanly begging on my part - one day just up-and-says that I could have the entire $250 each month to support my addiction! That $250 a month plus the occasional ebay gift cards from the grandchildren makes me a very happy "timbremaniac". Eat your hearts out!

Lucky guy
Some times my wife will say don't you have stamp auctions to bid on. In other words please leave the room and go to my man cave. Some times I think stamps are good for a relation ship .
Should have a survey seeing just how many stamp collectors are in life long marriages probably a lot higher than the national average.

OK irishjack, I'll go first in the marraige survey!
Like most others, got back into collecting a few years back after a very long break, my wife takes an interest in the collection (especially when I find something good!), and we are approaching our 33rd anniversary this June!
Not sure where all that time went....