Did You Ever Think Your Collection Is Just Junk?

ILS, Nice collection. Stamps that I don't have and would like to. Put the collection away for awhile, go back when ready and rediscover the fun you had in gathering up and putting together your collection. Just think of all the knowledge you gained from the years of collecting. That's what happens over time but you had to start somewhere and what a nice start it was. Dan

You know, Jeff. I seem to recall the many posts you shared this past year or so, and the joy and excitement you seemed to have over your new acquisitions as you were focusing/collecting the US Bureau stamps. That in itself tells me they are not junk. Listen to Master Po. Enjoy the journey.

Wow - so many beautiful stamps; this "junk????" hardly would be my treasure!

OOPS - sorry - I meant to say

Wow - so many beautiful stamps; this "junk????" (hardly) would be my treasure!

I really like the scans you put up. Like you, I have these periods where I am burned out with stamps or on the country/material I collect. For this reason, I have to move on to another country or just put the stamps away for awhile. My last hiatus was about 5 months. I just had to get away. After I came back, I regained the appreciation I had earlier.

A good feeling comes from viewing your stamps, gathered together like they are now.

You can see that care was taken in the selection and display and thought given to the cancels and stamps' general feeling being next to others of the same heritage and hoistory in a collection.

There is always available the enjoyment of appreciating a beautiful thing.

To follow in the Master Po thought. A collection is neither complete or incomplete. It is what you have been able to do with your resources. Even faulty copies are nice to have when that is all you have. Finding better to replace them is somewhere down the road.

A while ago I changed my collecting "emphasis" to watermarks, plate variations etc. I got bummed out when I hit a point where I just couldnt afford to fill the blanks that I had left.

I still cruise ebay and put nutty low-ball bids on nice examples of the expensive stamps that I need, but

whoops wrong button...

looking for watermarks and plate variations has really rekindled my enthusiasm.

-p

For me every stamp and collection has a story and a journey, a small piece of history with value that goes beyond the price.

That first scan shows junk??

When I got back into collecting, I found myself with almost zero tolerance for CTO's, which I didn't mind when I started out. Now, though, they have (almost) no place in my collection.

When looking at my stamps with fresh eyes, I was actually suprised to find some of the nicer bits that I bought while gainfully employed. Back then, I could find modestly priced stuff that was nice, at least to me. Now, I can't find anything for a bargin. And looking at some of the stamps forum folks have... well... unless I hit the lottery, my albums won't be looking like theirs any time soon.

But I wouldn't call what I have "junk"... just not the high-buck stuff other folks have.

hmm, maybe I shouldn't have posted the pictures with my question? It may be that I am just a little burned out on singles. I have worked long and hard to put that early stuff together but I guess it just crossed my mind that a lot of this is junk by comparison was really my point.
I think I am refocusing on advert covers and Pennsylvanian covers. Thank you for the replies.

OK OK I feel a bit better about things now. lets put this thread to bed eh?

ILS, I for one would be ecstatic to have your stamps. They are beautiful. So what if a stamp here or there is not "perfect" I dare say that one of us has a perfect collection. Someone above said they were not that picky concerning condition. I too am not that picky. The stamp is what it is and if the price was right, I wouldn't think twice about getting it.

Hang in there. Do what another said and put it aside for a while. When you come back, you will be greeting old friends.

Yes rohumpy that's pretty much what I'm doing. I'm starting to focus more on a specialized cover collection compiled of advertising covers, especially Tobacco related, and picture postcards, stampless covers, folded letters and cancels from my hometown and it's surrounding areas. Like I said I do enjoy my collection but perhaps my post would have been better conveyed if I hadn't posted the images. It almost made it seem like I was fishing for compliments or something but that couldn't be further from my point! I just figured that most have felt that way at one time or another and wondered how others dealt with it. Reading over my original post is sort of embarrassing to me because it came across wrong I think? Thank you for the replies however I do feel better about things now so maybe a "blessing in disguise" or something?

I think Master Po was looking at some stamps on the wall