Too Many Stamps - What To Do?

After spending a few more sessions with my stamps and also, after receiving a huge package of worldwide approvals and examining them, I am OVERWHELMED! There are so many stamps in the world! Just how many are there? Does anyone have that figure handy? So, the idea of specializing seems attractive, however, I agree that there are so many beautiful stamps and I want them all! What to do? Where to begin?

I have decided to stop buying new stamps (unless I find something really special) and just focus on arranging the ones I now have and selling off or trading some of my duplicates. I also have a bunch of cinderellas that I'm not interested in keeping.

Very roughly 500,000 face different stamps. That is only considering stamps that were valid for postage. Does not include revenues, cinderellas...

Yeah, my minuscule worldwide collection still has a ways to go...

k

Yirmeyahu, don't say that too too loud. The Rod222 will hear you and he is King Cinderella (can you really say that, I thought she was a princess). So when you get 50 posts and get ready to give away or sell them Rod, might be interested.

he he, I was trolling on the Cinderella bit - busted!

I've got the same problem. I have quite alot of early Ottoman stamps accumulated and it finally dawned on me do a study of cancellations. Some of the ones which were cancelled from places outside of Turkey (Jerusalem, Aleppo, etc.) have a higher catalog value.

Yep, I am the Cinderella policeman,
all Cinderellas must go through me (not literally)


Stamps?

Example How many stamps in 1931 worldwide ?

Answer 1,782

Postage stamps 1,424
Service stamps 191
postage dues 120
parcel post 28
Franchise 7
express letter stamps 6
newspaper stamps 3
fiscally postal stamps 2
Telegraph stamps 2

I just recently organized and placed them all in a binder and I noticed I have quite a few duplicates and am sorting through them in an attempt to put together a few little glassines full of nice selections to either trade with people or to just help out a fellow hobbyist.

OH YEAH! ~also I don't collect non USA stamps and have quite a few if anyone might want to trade or something? let me know if any interest sorry if this is sort of off topic?
I was told that some are pretty common but if your just starting out they might be nice to have. a lot from India, Africa, Germany, turkey, japan...etc...

@ I_Love_Stamps.. I'm just starting my collection (after a gap of nearly 10 yrs, a wife and newborn:)) Would love to trade or buy (if I don't have anything worth your while) your extra older USA, Turkey and old Africa ones.

Cheers

Very interesting post !

Many of us with decades collecting have the same problem, accumulation.

Sometimes I ve bought a full collection because of some dozen of stamps.Then we get those tons of binders and even boxes we promise to arrange someday... you know the history, don t you?

Great "StampVirgin" suggestions. I believe the solution is FOCUS. Just stopped all my collections in year 2000 issues, and know only buy trade my wants.

Have tons of stamps to trade for my interests and even country collections I don t want to keep.
Already donate and exchanged some boxes of that old issues with lots of varieties with friends with more patience or interest on that.

And Jeff, now you have somebody to talk to in Brazil, but I don t want those multiple, thanks : )

Al