Local Stamp Shops

When I lived near Walnut Creek California about 30 years ago there were six or seven local stamp shops in the area. I bought a lot off ebay from the last dealer left open there the other day. We emailed a bit and he told me they all closed down over the years due to competition from the Internet.

The questions are: 1) How many of you still have an old fashioned stamp or stamp & coin shop near you. 2) How many of you actually go there to buy stamps?

I reckon that if stamp dealers still want to survive, they have to sell some stuff on ebay as well as having a store....

Interesting question.

I really don't know what was here before, but now there is just one shop. The guy's main business is coins and comic books. He used to do sports cards too, but recently got rid of all those. There is only one multi-page album on the counter, but if you ask, he'll pull boxes of stuff out.

Let's face it, they gotta go with the money and coins are just silly ridiculous right now. Of course, that'll cool off at some point too.

I don't know of any left in the Boston area. Back in the eighties I used to go to Battle Green Stamp in Lexington, MA and Barret & Worthen, also located at Lexington Center. Long gone now. There was a store in Auburndale, MA too, which had a real grouch running it. I guess I looked like a student without much money to spend, which was true enough. There is still a "store" and post office station at the Cardinal Spellman Stamp Museum in Weston, MA. I'm not sure that counts, though, since it is part of the museum. I was there a few weeks ago and it was fully stocked and busy.

Surprised to see one long-time area dealer still listed in the phone book. Hadn't been by there since 1972. Looks like a different address than I remember. He seemed more coin oriented. Always bought by mail in the past. Now mostly on ebay.

There is a collectibles guy in Mishawaka, IN (about an hour away) who has a small corner of his store devoted to stamp supplies. His prices are reasonable, but the selection is limited. He has several plastic drawers with loose stamps in them both US and foreign; you look through and pick what you want. I think he charges 2 cents apiece.

I bought most of a 2003 edition of Scotts Catalog there, plus basic supplies and three stock-books and put a significant dent in his display.

Charles.

You guys are lucky if if you have any kind of shop there.

I can't even get a stamp hinge here***

The main Post office sells stock books and Some canadian Albums but they are geared towards children.

I buy all my stuff on line.

Dianne

My husband, who collects coins, buys all of his supplies at this little shop about 2 and a half hours away. Last time I was there, I hadn't started stamp collecting yet. So I'm not sure what kind of philatelic supplies they might have. I'm almost certain they have at least "something" cause they had all sorts of collectibles there. If they have good priced supplies, I might buy some there as well. I've always enjoyed supporting "the little guys".

Hello everyone.....

About two hours north in Lincoln, Ne. there is still a shop but the guy thinks everything he has is worth many multiples of book value. I haven't been there in several years. I think there are still a few left in Omaha but it's almost 4 hrs away.

I've been buying & selling on line for over four years and I've had decent success selling and I've found some great material from all over the world from great sellers just trying to get a fair price for their material. Personally I think the net has given collecting a real shot-in-the-arm when it was badly needed. No catalog ever looked as good or showed as much.

2 in my little town--one is only open on Saturdays, I spend a fair amount of money in both, I want to keep them open.

I have one open on Thursdays, Fridays, and half a day Saturdays about an hour and a half from here but I can't ever seem to get there when he's there.

I love looking through his stock. It's nice being able to see what I'm buying, to take my time picking, etc. It's also why I like going to stamp shows.

As much as I like the Internet and places like ebay I miss the local shops!

All I can say is ---> TRY to support them, if they exist. If nothing else, buy hinges or other stamp supplies from them. If you look hard enough, you can find SOMETHING to buy!!

Greg, theres a place called Colonial Stamp and Coin in Kingston New York just accross the river from me...10 miles..15 minutes...Neil the owner is in our stamp club..he says only 8 percent of his sales are philatelic..he Used to be big in Sports cards...now most of his business is buying and selling scrap gold and silver on the spot market..every time I go in there..i buy the see through 2 pocket cover pages from him..hes on the phone getting the quote on gold or silver...in other words...he could not keep the door open if he depended on stamp collectors 1