Hello All Newbe From Edmonton, Canada

Hi I am new to stamp collecting and stumbled on this site while researching. I do not know why I have suddenly become interested in stamps as I have always been a coin guy. There is actually a lot of similarity between these two hobbies.
Forums like this are a great way to learn for newbes like me.

Here are the first two and only additions to my collection.

Hello from Halifax, NS, Coinwatcher, welcome to Stamp Community!

Beautiful scans or photos of the stamps.

I particullarily like the colour on the 3c Red it looks like.

Best ro post these pics under a new topic that you start up under Canadian Stamps section, and call it Small Queens something or other to attract the people who know can comment on these for you, and not everyone looks here all the time.

I know just a little myself but love he designs of them.
Cancel looks like an Railway Post Office (EPO) cancels, a 'OSO STATION' type. These have a catalogue all of their own but hopefully someone could help here also.

Coinwatcher to SCF. You will learn a lot from all the knowledgeable members here.

Thank-you both for the welcome and I will take your advice puzzler.

Greetings and welcome

i am newer to stamps or I feel that these days. 35 years old. And about 10 years into it. But wow the knowledge of some people. But many have over 40+ years of collecting.

Here is my question? Why do so many stamp collector act like jerks? Not trying to be rude. But I find that many are just plain rude. Thinking of many of the names listed in Unitrade right now. But then a couple of them are just great. The hobby is in real trouble. I got into buying large collections after cashing out when gold hit $1700. Got rid of my 1967 Coin sets. But at the clubs very unfriendly group. But online super nice. Just worried about if time to cash out. I am very involved in stamp charities. Which have super people. My thought is that there will be no more retail stamp stores in Canada in 5 years. I was just at the one in Ottawa. Very nice one. They are closing. Sad since he has such nice items. How are we going to attact new collectors?

Hello 210Frankie, welcome to Stamp Community.

I think there are friendly and not so friendly speople everywhere.

All have skills at being friendly, it is just that some have more polished skills at this and also anger and time and money and other ideas of managing.

Collectors collect, no matter what time or what era or what thing. Stamps are attractive to many around the world because they are cheap or expensive and the hunt is in finding the knowledge, the good friends and the good stamps.

I am very much looking forward to speaking with everyone on here. Stamps for me have been a up and down process over the last 3 years as I have been reselling a lot of my items. Also I am lucky in the fact that there are so many great collections in my area and no one to purchase them. But I felt bad for the prices I gave people until I went to sell to 2 of the auction houses in outright sales. Here is the offer I got. Just for fun I will tell you. Canadian stamps, 20c and 50c VFNH with certs Jubilee's, #4 VF-F-VG x 3, #9 VF-F used, 5 penny blacks 4 margins, 20 covers F1 with small queens, 4 with large queens, mint with cert OG #25, and mint LH with cert #27, $2 F-NH Jubilee with cert Greene cert. And more offer 10 hingless Linder albums Canada and US, they offered me only $300. I won't say there name because they are listed in Unitrade for pricing. I auctioned thru another house for over take home $9000. After commission. How much do you offer people. I offered no less then 10%. Just curious. I have been offered Face lots as low as 10% of the face value. Plate blocks and sheets. But here is the scary part. After speaking with another well known in Canadian store they are closing to only continue to offer online and auctions. This is happening everywhere. Comics etc. I remember when hockey card prices dropped hard and fast. I had just sold off my collection about 1 year before. So I could use for University. But after reading Jarret BNA book on stamps and the pricing. Wow how the prices gone up. Its a great read. So if you bought a used CDS bluenose you could have paid 6 cents or 60% of the catalogue value. Does anyone else ever feel bad when they spot a gem for much lower then its worth?

Hi coinwatcher, Welcome to the community!

Hi Coinwatcher!

Frankie I have similar concerns about the hobby's long term survivability, especially as postage stamps are used less and less in everyday life.

However, I should point out that people are very interested in stamps. When I tell friends, family, colleagues that I am back into stamp collecting, they perk up and say "Really? Wow, that's great!" When I show them my collection they are astonished, they have no idea.

So if we want to get people interested in the hobby, I believe we simply have to share it with them.

As for the friendliness/unfriendliness, like Puzzler said you will find that anywhere. My own experience is that stamp collectors tend to be more of a reclusive lot, perhaps more on the introverted side (I am). You have to be in order to enjoy hours poring over bits of paper. Sometimes that can mean some people aren't great "people-people." The extroverts are all out at parties. IRL that can mean people come off as rude or uninterested in you. Online such people can be much more relaxed and friendly, because they feel "safer" thanks to the anonymity the online world provides.

Welcome coinwatcher

Beautiful stamps you have there. You will learn lots here.

Dianne