What Will Become Of Your Stamps?

What will become of your stamps?

Will they, to borrow from Charlton Heston, have to "pry [them] from your cold, dead hands?"

It has only been a few years (2004) since I've gotten back into stamp collecting, but at my age, I should probably consider what will become of them, and there are a lot of them.

My plan, if I live that long, is to reach a point at which I've had enough and sell them off myself. And with the way I feel about the governments that issue them, right now, that might be soon. It would parallel my getting out of stamps after getting back from Vietnam, having had a very close and personal look at governments.

However, the other day a letter looking to buy stamps came from Mystic Stamp Company, in nearby Camden. They got my name from APS, and said as much. They claim to pay the best prices, and that's believable because they seem to charge the highest prices, as well. Also, a couple of members, here, have reported selling to Mystic and seemed satisfied.

So I will be leaving that letter from Mystic with my stamps with instructions for my kids to contact them. It wouldn't hurt, and if you've received such a letter from Mystic, you might consider doing the same.

The first thing I did was to get my two daughters interested in stamp collecting themselves, by taking them to meetings of the local Junior Stamp Club. When they were into it, I taught them how to use a catalogue and got them each a Harris Statesman album. I answered any questions they had and basically "taught" them how to collect stamps, keeping it interesting by showing them things as errors on stamps (the post-war Austrian issue with the man with the upside down ears comes to mind), differences in shades (the 3c Small Queen of Canada), and encouraged them to read Linn's and Canadian Stamp News.

They now have an appreciation both for the hobby, and for my collection, which I have promised they could have some day, as long as I saw they were still interested in the hobby. Such a clause has gone into my Will.

They realize that they can do anything they want with it when they inherit it, including selling it, if that is their choice, but at least they are "smart" enough to know what to do.

I've also told them that the same procedures are true of any collectables I have (coins, beer cans, Hardy Boys books), and I have shown them how these things are bought and sold/auctioned online.

Sounds like you have it well covered, WpgLwr. My son and daughter never knew me as a collector. They had been out on their own for a few years, or more, before I got back into stamps. People who know nothing about stamps seem to have two reactions to a collection: they either think it's garage sale junk, or they overvalue it by several times its real worth.

i doubt I will sell ...large dealers would not travel for a collection of my size...stamp dealer Gitner in Middletown New York about 70 miles from my place..everything is 70 miles from my place..anyway Henry Gitner buys everything in stamps..and he can get rid of it...i will tell the kids to see him...

I have already made a deal with your wife phil...not to worry

Bob, just back the you haul right into the driveway..i will be watching and waving from somewhere !!

A wise person once told me and I have not forgotten...we are only stewards of the stamps in our possession..they will very likely be passed on to another collector...i would like that to be true !!

This is the answer.


Whether they want them or not.
David(DJD)

My daughter is a collector and will get my collection when the time comes.



Butch

My Son and Daughter show no interest at all. I will have to wait until Grandkids come along (if ever) and see if I can influence them.
I think I read somewhere that stamp collections are broken down or re-circulated about every 40 years. It would be such a pity for all the hard work that we put into our collections, to have someone come along and just rip it to pieces and sell it off. Makes you wonder if it's all worth while. I suppose it brings us joy at the time.

Steve

My son is 4 months old and he enjoys watching me sometimes while I sort and soak stamps. Of course, he's probably more interested in me than the stamps. But then, I'm a bit young in both years and collecting to really be thinking about where my stamps end up .

Sorry, I just had an image of a bunch of old men in rocking chairs on a porch during a sunset discussing this matter rather slowly with many long pauses. I just had to liven it up a bit!

Clark

Hey, you know stamps are my relaxation..how do you put a price tag on that ??? Like Triggersmob..my kids are not interested in the pursuit of stamp collecting..so let them deal with my stamps the way I am trying to execute my Fathers trust....its a pain !!

Collecting stamps is one form of relaxation where you can actually hope to get something back from it after you've spent your money. You can't do that smoking a pipe or a cigar, drinking beer or cocktails, bowling or playing golf, watching cable TV or going to the movies. What a bargain!

Bob, from Phil's house to your wife's dumpster. Not to worry, Phil.