Why Do You Collect Stamps

I collect them because I love the history behind them!

First time around, when I was young: It was a family activity. My dad had a large collection, and my brother and I had our own little collections. I loved the artwork on stamps, and it was fun learning about countries that I probably wouldn't have known were real otherwise. Later on I narrowed my focus to Canada and other countries from which we received mail (USA, England and Yugoslavia). But once adolescence set in, I lost interest.

I recently found myself browsing sites about Canadian stamps and found myself wanting to collect again. One thing I always enjoyed is sorting stamps and putting them in order (it pleases my atypical brain). I'm focusing on Canada right now and there's a satisfaction in completing years and trying to find those elusive missing stamps (though I'm watching my budget so some of those spaces will remain empty for a LONG time - 1897 Diamond Jubilee dollar values, par exemple). It also helps that my partner, although not a collector, is not totally disinterested, lol.

1. For learning—historical, geographical, cultural information and knowledge about philately as a field of study
2. For aesthetic pleasure—I think of stamps as little works of art, miniature paintings, if you will. I enjoy their beauty.
3. For relaxation—working with and viewing my stamps is calming and cheaper than therapy
4. For the adventure of the hunt—tracking down items to fill gaps in my album is psychologically gratifying
5. For satisfying my need to arrange and organize—I'm mildly compulsive (I suspect most "collectors" are)
6. For engaging with people—I enjoy interacting with other philatelists and discussing stamps
At one point in my youth, I saw stamps as an investment. I have long since abandoned that idea/motive and now have little interest in what my stamps might be worth in monetary terms.

Great thread. Like many, I collected as a youngster, then lost interest from about 15 or so. Rediscovered stamps via a very old (1955) Stanley Gibbons catalogue found in an antique shop. From that curiosity (about fifteen years back) to find out values, I have developed a lasting joy in stamps for themselves rather than monetary value. Sometimes I spend a little too much but that doesn't matter, it's the feeling of calm and the learning that I am investing in.
Regards
DavidR

I am a space filler, although I don't use printed albums. I prefer to use the catalogue (SG Stamps of the World) to determine what is possible, then work from there. I enjoy sorting, cataloguing, and recording what I have, but within boundaries I define. What I don't really enjoy is the tedious process of checking perfs, watermarks, papers, etc.

I like the idea of working toward a "representative" collection. In my case, this means building the biggest collection of face-different stamps that my available time and budget will allow.

Dale

When I was 10 I saw an add in a comic book that advertised a bag of stamps for $1.00. This is where my journey began. I continued on until my late teens. I always loved geography and history and collection stamps fit right in :)
I joined the air for and for many years put asside the collection. I picked it up again in the early 2000's and never looked back.
I print my own pages and collect strictly for enjoyment. With every country I pick up I learn new things.

Dianne

I like to learn about - EVERYTHING - and collecting is a good way to do that. It also keeps me quiet and out of trouble - I'm 72 and I need that . . .

Aquinas - I see how you came up with your "name" - and your reasons fit mine to a "T" . . .

I have collected many things in my life, but I always return to, and am most satisfied by my stamp collection. I think my primary reason to collect is that is therapeutic to me. Mounting, organizing, cataloging quiets my overactive brain.

I collect stamps because I'm a glutton for punishment, lol.... seriously tho the research that is needed to identify each and every one of these little pieces of paper is astonishing and overwhelming sometimes.....however, in all honesty every time I open up just one my albums and look at my collection I fall in love over and over again.

My dad passed down his junior collection and I worked a Harris Citation as a kid plus Liberty. That left impressions that restarted interest decades later.

I look at my collection and ask why am I doing this? What do I hope to achieve?

For sure I like the calm activity of adding stamps to my albums while listening to music. Sometimes it gets too tedious with mounting and hard identifications

I then realize this is time sink so I put it away for periods of time

At first I liked printing albums and finally having spaces for all my stamps. I especially enjoyed the organization by colonial empire and geo and printing maps and short histories. I then realized my hobby was creating albums and I had way too many blank pages

I then trimmed back setting time boundaries using only international pages for geos like Middle East and independent Asia.

I liked buying collections and transferring them to my albums. I liked seeing how they mapped to Steiner pages and thus Scott catalog which highlighted a lot of holes and spaces I probably won't fill without spending more money


I then realized the need for focus especially as I found more interest in pre1940. That led to realization this would have to be a well funded hobby vs the volume accumulation at cents per stamp I was on. That led to another pause.

At the moment I just want to get all my purchased out into albums and duplicates sold.

Stamp collecting at age 9
Ham radio at age 13. (1955) Stamp collecting I find keeps me busy in the mind and brushes away some of the madness of the world today, at least for little while.
Have communicated with the ham radio ops that also enjoy collecting, makes for
interesting conversations and some trading over the years.
Both hobbies certainly have their challenges, hunting the new country on the radio or that elusive stamp(s).

73, Chuck W9NWR.

My collecting interests started many, many years ago. The "Soliloquy of a Postage Stamp", describes the many facets of why I like collecting. (Attributed to Ernest Brady, 1978, and my copy is probably from a Traveler Stamp Album, though the album is long gone.)

Good Question!
I seem to collect for the shear joy of collecting. I have about 7 broad "topics" I collect. ( Christmas Stamps, Actors and Entertainers etc.) Got a nice little collection going after a long time away. I like sorting them, and storing in a very nice stockbook from Lighthouse. As someone put earlier its a way of putting a little order in my corner of a seemingly chaotic time in the world. I find it relaxing and fulfilling.

Because between my wife's ever-expanding fabric collection (she's a quilter) and my stamps, we are well on our way to spending the kids' inheritance before we die. That will make our passing a sad day for everybody.