Recent Experiences

hey folks
this is a rather long posting but one I had to tell

I've had a couple interesting stamp experiences this week. First event was I joined the local stamp club last Wednesday. At the age of 46 I truely the "fresh meat", there were 2 others near my age but the rest were 65 or older with most being 80 and up. The bulk of the meeting was a stamp auction of items the members brought in. The prices stay so low that I can see the "junk" section of my collection building rapidly.

The second event is that I attended my first show, the stamp show in Dedham, Ma. that was advertised in the calander section here. I brought with me my 3 chindren, Christopher,10, Kerin, 7, and Shania,6, with me as well as my wife, Maura. The initial experience was spoiled by a rather pushy dealer that thought that I was the type dad that couldn't say no to his children. My kids quickly got sick of him and walked away from the "pushy man".

We then found the "treasure table", a table that works on the honor system where there are books and boxs of stamps that you pick through and pay 10 cents each or 15 for $1. we found some seats and dug in. After trying to strike up conversation, my wife soon pointed out that collectors were a bunch of grumpy old men. One even gently pushed my two girls aside because the chairs were for collector that were searching. I didn't see this which is good because my wife handled it much more subtle than me. She asked the man to please pass down the box they were searching. When he realised what he had done he was very apologetic.

Over the course of the next hour I watched some "grumpy old men" go from mumbling hellos to asking things like "I've got some butterflies, which of you girls collect butterflies?". We had fun digging through the boxs of stamps and spent a fair ammount of money at that table, but the real fun was watching 3 children bring some old men back to life if only for and hour or two.

The topper was that the man that had my kids move is a member of the stamp club I just joined.

My family has decided that we will make this show a regular event but that it will be a one on one Father/Son and Daddy/Daughter day.

Richard

Strange, I don't recall Phil and myself attending that show

Ziggy...Glad you and the family enjoyed the day out together. I am
56 years old, grey hair, and all the members of my stamp club call
me junior..

Thanks for sharing! I think we all have had some sort of similar experience where the
more experienced collectors(and that could be a younger or older individual) don't realize we're serious about collecting--maybe we don't
have the kind of money that some of them do for collecting--but we count,too!

Gussyboy1

Ziggy:

I will echo your post. it's the same at our local stamp club. At 43, I'm "Junior. I'll call the rest what they really are: Cranky Old Buggers.

I'm the V-P at the club this year. Will probably be my last... I've had enough of these guys. I saw the same thing working the Youth Booth at ORAPEX 2008, last year.

If I get to be like these guys, I hope soebody takes a shotgun and shoots me.

David

I call them retired grump old men with nothing to do. However I find that there really is just a few who are really that bad. I have learn to tolerate and avoid them at the same time. I just don't let them ruin my day.

I'm sure they look at me as the young guy full of new ideas and wanting to change their comfort zone. In addition I have more questions because I don't have their years of knowledge.

Some of these people learn to accept the youth while a few will never. I just try to avoid those and work hard to let them know I don't want to change their world but to bring a fresh new look at the hobby.

If you think the stamp world is hard you should try the model train world.

So to all the grumpy retired old people smile in about 30 years I might be one too. I'm sure you don't want me to become another grumpy old retired person.

Overall, it seems like you had an interesting day.

Glad your day turned out OK Ziggy.

Bob I'm pretty certain no one here thinks of you and Phil as Grumpy old men. A little eccentric at times maybee but not grumpy

David I can't picture you ever being "one of those"


Dianne

Great story! Glad you and your family had a good time!

Thanks, Dianne.

Actually, I could see myself as Phil B., though less philosophical, when I'm 69. I've a few years to go, eh?

David

Diane, you Cant picture David 25 years or so from now?..i can ! I have had experiences with obnoxious people at stamp shows..i dont like to step back..but if I overeact I feel like a jerk afterwards..believe me...been there !

Ziggy,
I can understand about being "junior" at the stamp club. Most of the members have been in the club for years/decades. I'm 32 and joined when I was 28. As you can imagine, I stick out like a sore thumb. I have been collecting for around 24 years, since I was 8. I also enjoy taking my wife & 2 year old with me to stamp shows, usually smaller ones with more aisle room. I couldn't even consider taking Charlie with me to the Regency show in St Louis in Feb/Mar - there is no room for a stroller & diaper bag. Heck there is barely room for people, it is a tightly packed room.

Last week when I attended the First Day of Sale ceremony for the Illinois flag stamp, I made 2 different cachet covers. There were about 6 other members from the club they were all very impressed with my covers. Some attendees/press thought they may have been an official cover. It is nice to get acknowledged by the old timers.

Boy, are there a lot of comments I'd like to make about this thread!

Well that is why the stamp club literally DIED in my county. They didn't seek out new members and the last died at 84

Jim

Our club was in a bad way 6 or 7 years ago..sometimes only 4 people at a meeting...and then..who knows why..people just started to literally drift in...we AVERAGE 13 people at a meeting and the cast of characters is always different so we must have 21 or 22 active members...our average age is not as ancient as the club Bobgggg belongs to..as can be expected 4 people do all the work..mostly two, the guy who buys the material and sorts the club auction lots and my wife who is treasurer and tallies the auction buy/sells !

Old youngsters should be nice to older stamp club cranks. Who knows, you could be remembered in a will a receive a stamp inheritance!

On the other hand, is placing yourself in the good favor of some obnoxious old coot stooping a bit too low to kiss butt?

This could be a possible poll question.

Old Coots forget by tomorrow if you did something good for them. The chickadee at the senior center will get the stamps!

Here is an actual Craiglist ad from my local area 7/9/08

Title :"Will exchange my stamp collection for a date with a beautiful blonde"

MESSAGE:

"No kidding. I have a stamp collection I have collected over the years. If you are a beautiful blonde chick that wants to see them, we can do so over dinner or a night on the town."

And it wasn't me!

Jim