Addiicted To Ebay....

stampvirgin... no problemo. I'm just starting up again, so looking at all sources and options. I took this lot specifically for the #328, #329, #231, and #648. These guys, although far from perfect stamps do have a higher CV. I realize the stamps in the first four rows have no real monetary value.

Well its a start, wait until you get addicted to stamp shows and drive 900 miles to attend one !!

Funny you should say that philb. I'm a long distance motorcycle rider and during the summer months I ride thousands of miles. A typical days mileage would be about 650 miles. I will definitely be coordinating my ride schedule with possible stamp shows.

i think you will enjoy them if only for the atmosphere...every once in a while I enjoy a place full of dealers and fellow collectors..it proves we are not unique..leave some room in saddlebag for a few stamps and covers...and you mentioned getting your 50 posts...there are guys here with a lot of duplicates..they wont rob you on shipping fees etc !

The local club here is the Sno-King Stamp Club. They have a stamp show next month. I think I will make that my first.

Looking forward to trading, bidding and buying on SCF. At this rate I will have my 50 posts in a few more days.

Before I say this I must admit that I have, and probably will again, bought stamps through ebay. BUT, for me it seems like cheating. I suppose the same goes for buying from internet dealers. If you have enough money it is possible to buy all the stamps you could ever want without moving from the desk.

My problem is where is the fun in that? As a kid back in the '60s I have fantastic memories of traipsing round the stamp shops of South East London and the West End buying stamps from dealers - most of which are no longer there. Later Sue and I spent many a day rooting through the stocks of dealers at fairs and shows. I think what I am trying to say is that the fun for me (and I think Sue) is in the hunt for that special stamp in perfect condition and lightly cancelled after being Genuinely Used.

...or am I just being a sentimentalist longing for a time gone by?

Ralph (sorry, stupid smiley made me chuckle)

I would prefer to see a stamp or cover before I purchase it..but stamp shops and shows are few and far between...internet bidding keeps it "alive" for me !

Genuinely used... Yeah me to. When I was a kid I used to get the train from Lancing to Brighton (Sussex). I can remember that there were several small stamp shops in town. I bet their all gone now to.

i worked in Manhatten in 1963...in Midtown it seemed like there was a stamp shop with 10 cent covers on almost every block...well my apartment was 94 dollars a month..so there you go !!