Survey: Stamp Collections/ Experience With Stamps

Greetings! I am a high school student. For an economics course, I was assigned to research a collectible. I was assigned stamps. I am supposed to survey 25 people about their collections/ experience with stamps. I really don't know much about stamps and figured that I would be able to get some quality results here since quality stamp collectors are sometimes hard to find. Some of the statements may sound silly, but they will produce the results I need.


The Survey
Please respond to the following questions/statements with Yes or No.

1. I collect stamps out of enjoyment.
2. Stamp collecting is becoming more popular as time goes on.
3. I collect stamps because they are valuable.
4. Some of my collections are worth more than $1000
5. I have been collecting stamps for 10 years or less.
6. I have been collecting stamps for more that 25 years.
7. I have invested a significant amount of money in stamps.
8. I have invested a significant amount of time in stamps.
9. Stamps are the most fascinating hobby that I have.
10. I generally buy most of my stamps over the internet.

Thank you for taking a minute to fill out my survey.

n00b 001

Welcome to the forum, n00b 001!

1. Yes
2. Yes, most definitely, it is currently making a comeback!
3. No
4. Yes
5. No
6. Yes
7. No, but "significant amount" means something different to each person.
8. Yes
9. Yes, but tied with coin collecting.
10. No.

Please take some time to read through the different topics, and hopefully we can get you hooked on collecting stamps and covers!

I don't know if I qualify as a "quality stamp collector" since I'm new to collecting stamps. But I'll answer anyway:

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. No
4. No - still learning values of stamps
5. Yes
6. No
7. No
8. No
9. Toss up- stamps/coins, both fascinating
10. No

Hope this will help.
LeAnn

Im also a new collector of stamps again ,,I collected for a short time in my early teens ,,but coins took the lead role as my hobby of choice .

But picking up stamps again has been fun and I'm sure that I will stay with it to some degree this time .

so my answers are as follows .

1. Yes ,,I enjoy the stamps I have chosen to collect ,,US stamps ,,with either famous political figures or historically significant depictions.

2.I believe stamp collecting is experiencing some growth at present .

3.No ,,value although at some point may become an equal reason to interest ,,at this time it is not a factor .

4.No ,,My collection has minimal value .

5.Yes ,,less than ten years ,,in fact less than a few months .

6. No ,see my answer to question 5 .

7.Not really budget wise I have only allotted a few dollars a month at this point . more than $25.00 but less than $50.00 per month.

8.I have also limited the time ,,since my main interest is coins to the study of stamps. a few hours a week .

9. while stamps are fascinating ,,coins remain the most fascinating and consuming hobby that I'am involved in.

10.Yes,, most of my purchases are over the Internet ,, but that is due to my geographic location ,,and not so much because it would be my venue of choice .


In what state does the school that you are affiliated with reside ?

are you a senior ? and is this project a thesis or just an exercise ?






Metalman

Sounds like a great project! Maybe you'll get interested enough to check out the fun of collecting.
1. Yes
2. Yes
3. No - A hobby like stamp collecting should be fun. It's just a nice bonus if your collection goes up in value.
4. Yes
5. No
6. Yes - since I was 10 yo or so.
7. Yes - several to a dozen hours each week
8. Double Yes
9. Yes
10. Yes

Good luck with your class project.

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. No
4. No
5. No
6. Yes
7. No
8. Yes
9. Yes
10. No

Good luck with your Economics course.

Steve

Thank you for your kindness. I appreciate the help with my project. I've recieved the best response to my survey on this forum. I've posted it on two other forums. Just for the record, it isn't a thesis, but it is an important project.

Hi there

Sounds like a great project here goes;

1. Yes I collect stamps strictly for enjoyment

2. Yes it has.

3. No I have no interest in the values.

4. No I don't beleive I have any stamps that valuable.

5. Yes I have been collecting for 6 years.

6. No.

7. No I haven't.

8. Yes I do spend a lot of time.

9. Yes it is.

10. Yes I do.

Good Luck Dianne

Hello n00b....

I hope some of my answers help with your project. If you'd like more info, just ask.


1. I collect stamps out of enjoyment.
Ans...Yes, I enjoy what I learn, the peace & quiet, and the fact that with careful purchasing a profit can be earned.

2. Stamp collecting is becoming more popular as time goes on.
Ans...Stamp collecting ebbs and flows in and out of popularity. I think it's on an upswing now with the influence the internet has had.

3. I collect stamps because they are valuable.
Ans...Yes, all stamps have value to me. Some have an increasing monetary value. Determining which will provide the best increase in value takes a keen eye, an education and a crystal ball.

4. Some of my collections are worth more than $1000
Ans...Yes, It takes time, effort, determination and a real desire to create a unique collection.

5. I have been collecting stamps for 10 years or less.
Ans...No.
6. I have been collecting stamps for more that 25 years.
Ans...Yes, I've been collecting a little more than 50 years.

7. I have invested a significant amount of money in stamps.
Ans...Yes, but the rewards have been well worth the investment.

8. I have invested a significant amount of time in stamps.
Ans...Yes, I've spent time with my collection almost every day for about 50 years.
9. Stamps are the most fascinating hobby that I have.
Ans...Yes, although astronomy and photography are very close.

10. I generally buy most of my stamps over the internet.
Ans...Almost all recent purchases have been from the internet. I personally believe that the internet has given the hobby a real "shot-in-the-arm" at a time when it was really needed. No catalog ever looked as good or showed as much as the incredible variety on the web. Also, viewing a great deal of material is a fantastic teaching/learning aid.

1. I collect stamps out of enjoyment. YES

2. Stamp collecting is becoming more popular as time goes on.
NO

3. I collect stamps because they are valuable. NO
Because I like the way they look
4. Some of my collections are worth more than $1000
YES
5. I have been collecting stamps for 10 years or less.
NO
6. I have been collecting stamps for more that 25 years.
NO
I fit in the middle 15 years
7. I have invested a significant amount of money in stamps.
Yes depends on what you mean by significant

8. I have invested a significant amount of time in stamps.
Yes

9. Stamps are the most fascinating hobby that I have.
No Coins are better and easier to sell if you need to.
10. I generally buy most of my stamps over the internet.
No I have specific locations I trust.

1. I collect stamps out of enjoyment.
Yes
2. Stamp collecting is becoming more popular as time goes on.
Yes
3. I collect stamps because they are valuable.
No
4. Some of my collections are worth more than $1000
Yes
5. I have been collecting stamps for 10 years or less.
Yes
6. I have been collecting stamps for more that 25 years.
No
7. I have invested a significant amount of money in stamps.
No
8. I have invested a significant amount of time in stamps.
Yes
9. Stamps are the most fascinating hobby that I have.
Yes
10. I generally buy most of my stamps over the internet.
Yes

1. Yes
2. Yes, but by existing collectors. There do not appear to be many new ones.
3. No
4. Yes
5. No
6. Yes, 53 years so far.
7. No, at least not significant in my case or opinion. Maybe yes to others.
8. Yes
9. Yes
10 No, although I may at some point.

1. I collect stamps out of enjoyment.

Yes, but I sell them to pay for the expensive medications I need to take!

2. Stamp collecting is becoming more popular as time goes on.

I think it's revived in popularity a little with the Internet because it's so much easier to get the stamps you want nowadays.

3. I collect stamps because they are valuable.

I sell the ones that are valuable!

4. Some of my collections are worth more than $1000.

Yes, in CV terms. In real money, who knows?

5. I have been collecting stamps for 10 years or less.

I've returned to it in the last year.

6. I have been collecting stamps for more that 25 years.

Well, I did for a few years as a child.

7. I have invested a significant amount of money in stamps.

I've invested more than I can really afford!

8. I have invested a significant amount of time in stamps.

Goodness, yes.

9. Stamps are the most fascinating hobby that I have.

Second-most.

10. I generally buy most of my stamps over the internet.

Yes. Where else can you get them, really? Ideally, I'd like to buy from a same-day delivery house!

1. I collect stamps out of enjoyment.- Yes
2. Stamp collecting is becoming more popular as time goes on.- Yes, consider the new collectors in India and China.
3. I collect stamps because they are valuable.- No
4. Some of my collections are worth more than $1000- Yes
5. I have been collecting stamps for 10 years or less.- Yes
6. I have been collecting stamps for more that 25 years.- No
7. I have invested a significant amount of money in stamps.- Not really, way less than I used to spend on Beer.
8. I have invested a significant amount of time in stamps.- Yes
9. Stamps are the most fascinating hobby that I have.- No, because I can't choose one.
10. I generally buy most of my stamps over the internet.- Yes: 70% Internet, 30% Local Auctions, Stamp Club Circuit Books, Local Stamp Shows

Good Luck with your assignment!

Have a Good One,

Skilo54

Thank you for taking a minute to fill out my survey.

Thanks for digging this one up, ramanandn. N00b has long since completed and forgotten about this survey, so I'll expand the answers beyond yes and no with a smidgin of snark. In the spirit of Facebook, it's a fun exercise.

1. I collect stamps out of enjoyment.

It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, certainly.

2. Stamp collecting is becoming more popular as time goes on.

It had better be if I'm going to be able sell my collection at a profit.

3. I collect stamps because they are valuable.

It's like gambling, if there were no money involved, it's kind of silly and boring.

4. Some of my collections are worth more than $1000

Are we talking Catalogue Value or likely sale value? Yes and No.

5. I have been collecting stamps for 10 years or less.

Yep. Since Thanksgiving 2010, in fact. I've been giving thanks ever since.

6. I have been collecting stamps for more that 25 years.

Nope. 25 years ago I was collecting speeding tickets and women. Okay, maybe just the tickets.

7. I have invested a significant amount of money in stamps.

Define significant. Haven't missed the mortgage payment yet.

8. I have invested a significant amount of time in stamps.

Yep, it's about time I got myself a hobby.

9. Stamps are the most fascinating hobby that I have.

Let's try only.

10. I generally buy most of my stamps over the internet.

Well, I'm not buying them from the post office, am I? I'll assert the internet in general, and ebay, warts and all and in particular, enables the average and beginning collector to buy stamps for the 10-20% of catalogue value that they used to only be able to sell them for. This can only help build and sustain the hobby.

edit: clean up some fragements

Welcome! My only gripe is that I didn't have the internet to do my research when I was in HS. I am truly, jealous :)

1 yes
2 yes. Internet auction sites like ebay have had a huge impact on the revival and popularity of collectibles. ebay is the reason I started collecting again.
3 no. I do not collect for investment purposes.
4 yes
5 no
6 yes. I have been collecting off and on for 31 years.
7 no. I don't feel that I have, but some might disagree. I spend what I can afford.
8 yes. More hours than I can count!
9 yes. I also drag race, but stamp collecting is intellectually stimulating.
10 yes. If I were to choose a random number, I would say 95% or more of my purchases over the past 10 years have been over the internet and at least 75% of my total collection from the past 31 years has come from the internet.

Brian