Did You Ever Think Your Collection Is Just Junk?

I totally agree with you Cephus. I love my collection because it is fun and chock-full of good memories. Cash value really means absolutely nothing to me in that respect. It's fun to chase them down and fun to see it grow and if I get bored with one aspect then I can switch to another area of interest for me. Especially now with this cancer ordeal, it's been a very good friend to me and keeps me occupied. -Jeff

Seems to me you've put your finger on one of the keys for longtime collectors - - diversity. Diversity of material, diversity of approach, diversity of purpose.

Sorry this got so long winded, but I would like to amplify that.

Those of us who have collected over a long period of time have inevitably gone through many motivational phases in how we pursue collecting. For each of us, as we reflect on our changing interests, there is usually a lot of joy in recalling "how it used to be" and comparing that to "how it is now." But do we stop to consider the question, "WHY is it heartwarming to recall how I used to collect, and if that is so, then why do I not collect that way now?"

Because our changes in focus and interest occur in tandem with out own progress from younger to older, I think there is a tendency to associate them with the process of maturation. A lot of emotionally unsatisfying junk comes out of that including a tendency to dismiss some of our former modes of collecting as "kids stuff." When we do that in our dealings with other philatelists, who may have followed different paths to arrive at where they are today, then it really hits the fan.

I think it is very important for us to disconnect modes of collecting from levels of maturity so that we can appreciate the efforts of others without reservation, and also keep ourselves open for re-exploring avenues we once trod. That is the healthy thing you allude to in your most recent post on this thread, Jeff, and I applaud that. But in your first post you debated the merits of what your earlier approaches had produced. To do that without self condemnation is also healthy, for not all forms of collecting are equally functional, and some lead to mistakes that will not bring satisfaction later. Some forms are destructive, and some will push us into failure. Often we can't see it coming ourselves, which is why it is so good to have a place to compare notes with other collectors looking for the same satisfactions. The virtual stamp club that is SCF is such a place, if we keep ourselves open to that, and I am very happy to have found it.

Final note and then I will be quiet. None of us collects stamps by accident. We each have an agenda, and it is not up to any of us to judge the merits of someone else's agenda. But mistakes, even mistakes in intent, can be made and are made. When the experience of one person allows them to see the error of another's assumptions, presuppositions, or methods, then no one here should condemn them for speaking up if that has been done in a respectful way. If we can maintain an environment where give and take can happen with a minimum of disruption, then a proper appreciation for a liberating diversity will benefit us all.

shoot....I have more space fillers then spaces.....but they're mine lol

Very well stated.

The danger, of course, is when we try to compare our collection to others, and by extension, our lives as a whole. It's easy, if not unhealthy, to become dissatisfied with our own when we covet what others have.

A healthier approach is to not only look for beauty and contentment with what we have collected, but to look for the same in our everyday lives. Experiencing the latter will make the former much easier ...

Brian

PS - Great collection, Jeff!

I look and admire at many collections but my collection is mine. I do it because it is fun and something that I can do in my post stroke life.
Tom

Jeff your Vario pages of stamps alone make my collection look like Junk. But the the junk I have is mine. Jeff I've been thinking about you too and hope you are feeling better. You are on my Prayer list.
Chuck

Some times I feel my United Nations stamp collection is junk when I see most stamps sell for 35-50% of face but I continue to collect.
Never could figure out why the collection of UN stamps never really has taken off considering all the nations involved. Would seem natural to collect your own nation and the United Nations but that does not seem to be the case. It cost $227.77 to get all the stamps issued last year. Can't even use them as postage as you can with US stamps.

When your no longer operating at 100% it is a wonderful hobby to be involved in. As I've said before I know who will take care of my collection and enjoy it. She could careless about the value of anything.
Tom

This is a very old post and I've since re-fallen for my collection. I couldn't have predicted that day, when I posted this, how my life was about to change and what a benefit it would turn out to be in my recovery. If not the stamps and covers themselves then the people involved with this hobby. Thank you profusely for the kind words and encouragement. It means the world to me! Very sincerely -Jeff

acanalizo, Greetings:

"... United Nations ... Can't even use them as postage as you can with US stamps."

The UN is rather like a foreign country; if you are there, you can use their postage to send mail ... anywhere.

When I was a lad, I would sometimes drop by the UN, buy some stamps, and send off my everyday mail.

Later, I came to have issues with the UN, and stopped collecting the stamps ... or using them as postage.

I think that the Great UN Postal Archive Scandal (see FoxNews.com, 2006.04.26, for an enthusiastic re-telling) did not help.

(BTW, that is the *only* time in my life I have ever recommended anyone read anything at FoxNews.com, ever.)

When I last checked, the UN philatelic counter was open by appointment only.

If you like, I will be happy to act as your UN re-mailing agent. You can send me whatever you want posted from there, subject to a few rules, and I will see to it.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

No. However, I have been made to feel that my collection is junk when I have wanted to sell a collection to a dealer. Maybe it's a tactic that some dealers use to pay as least as possible when buying a collection.

A tactic indeed! And it is junk- until he buys it (and you leave) then it magically turns into the find of the month/ best collection in the world! lol He just wants to pay you as least as humanly possible and you wish the most. He makes it his duty to discredit every stamp so you don't expect the moon. That's just how it is. Know what you have and be real about your prices and then you'll be better prepared to deal with these types. Best wishes! -Jeffrey

I totally agree with so many posts in this thread...Very good observations/opinions!
I wish more philatelists were as open-minded.

No, I never felt that my stamps/collections are junk, in any way.
I collect (and design) whatever makes me happy, and whatever I know that could make happy some of my fellow philatelists from around the world.

I'm both a little embarrassed by this post and oddly comforted. I been feeling this way again and it's nice to read all the positive feedback! For that I thank you deeply! Those pages are much more "filled out" now so I feel a bit better about things. -Jeff

PS
Thanks again! You're a great bunch!

Ikey -

could you please expand on this?




some time ago I heard second- or third-hand that the UN would only allow first class single-weight items mail, effectively demonetizing their postage for uses like priority mail and larger pieces.
Fill me in, please
thanks
Bill