The 100,000 Stamp Club

Kehess -


Karen,
I know many serious seasoned collectors choose not to canvas what they have or it's possible value while understanding why/that other collectors appreciate some form of collecting recognition, things like the 100,000 stamp club etc.

Looking on the bright side, members can express different opinions and collect what they prefer.

I've been collecting for over 40 years and don't have the slightest idea of how many stamps I own, nor any intention of wasting a single second on counting them. I'm too busy studying my few stamps and getting to know as much as possible on them.
I look for quality, not quantity. I don't know any serious stamp collector who's not willing to swap a lot of average stamps for a missing one.
I respect people interested on stamp-counting, but simply believe that "I play on another league".
Anyway, I'm not willing to offend anyone, and I apologize in advance if I've done it.

APOLOGIZE-------apologize, for what?????........Because I enjoy the mental challenge for spending my eveings working on my stamps .That needs to be hidden or covered up -------sheees!
I went a different path of trying to see,what are the limits to building a worldwide collection and how many different stamps can be mounted into one decent collection and organized the same A-Z and not go out and purchase someone elses albums as some people did country by country and then claim a bunch of purchased country collections as their worldwide collection .
I like most collectors like show off my stuff ,no reason to apologize for that,isn't that what a stamp exhibtion is all about,show what you got.You don't win medals at stamp shows for research or education you win them for what stamps and covers you have and describe. Thats the same with me ,material layed out in order and different types identified and explained,but on a worldwide scale.
APOLOGIZE -----for what,to say I got more stamps from more countries than any of the famous collectors in history ,thats not hard to do ,matter of fact it can be done for less than $200.00 ,and some how your not suppose to make such a bold claim.........lets get to the point its a hobby and we like to talk to others who enjoy the same thing .......because my wife and daugthers just roll their eyes when I discuss anything about stamps.So I enjoy talking here about what I enjoy and thats worldwide stamp collecting......apologize for my goal of collecting all different worldwide stamps ---NEVER .

I'm not a very "serious" collector, but the 100k club sounds like a fun idea - though I probably have less than 10,000 (at least if you count the ones organized in albums). I'm proud to be part of the bottom of the pyramid that collects whatever comes my way.

It seems like some are miffed that they consider themselves serious collectors but would never qualify, due to differing areas of specialization. I suggest they make their own badges for X,000 of whatever they happen to collect. It could be fun! I'd love to show up at a stamp show and see folks wearing badges that say "4,000 Train Stamps!" or "3,000 Yugoslavian Stamps!" or "100 Really Nice Stamps" or whatever you collect and are most proud of.

This has been a very interesting discussion. I'm still planning on going to go through with the idea, I'm not exactly sure how to proceed. It may be something more on the line as "collectors inspiring to collect 100K and beyond." I would love to do a survey of general worldwide collectors to make this a learning experience. There are so many ways to collect the world, I have not found anyone yet who does it the same way!

I find it strange that people would be offended by this idea. It is just one idea among many in the great ocean of the Internet.

I'm no where near that number, so I won't even try. I'll just stand back, watch, and envy (no, envy is such an ugly word) ADMIRE all of you and your vast and varied collections. And quite frankly from what I've seen here this past year, there's already plenty for me to adenvymire.
Good luck with that.

If somebody managed to put together a complete world-wide collection, how many exhibition frames would that fill? And where could they be displayed?

How many postage stamps have been issued since the Penny Black?

How many stamps? It depends on what you call a stamp, I am using 620,767 up to 2010 as the number. Keijo's blog has great deatils. I suppose with 10 stamps a frame... maybe 62,000 frames. One frame per seat in the Vikings Metrodome would cover it.

I finally figured out that some are thinking my topic is being eletist. I must be a little slow. Anyone can collect 100K stamps if they wanted to. I'm not saying they should. It wouldn't even cost that much I have a very limited budget myself.

Oh, I just found a stamp in the shower... that's where that one went!

Floortrader


Respectfully;
Exactly, no big loss if 'removed', but there are OTHERS who outlay 100 - 1000 times+ in comparison for a fraction of the total stamps you may have, so understandably, controlled discreteness is preferred and exercised by that serious life-time group of collectors.

How many of the second/other group of collectors would wear something with '100,000 CLUB' - none.

I am still baffled by some of the reposnes here. It's like this old Lisa Simpson comment from The Simpsons: "Why would they come to our concert just to boo us?"

I'm adding a stamp pic to enliven the conversation a little.



Guatemala 1911 Scott 142a 5p red & black "Pres. Manuel Eatrada Cabrera"
Center Inverted

I would never qualify for the 100,000 club as I generally cut off my world wide collection at 1940. There are reported to be ~90,000 stamps issued prior to 1940.

But a large collection of classic era stamps is not that common. The well known 35,000 space Scott International Part 1 1840-1940 album that has been around for many years is rarely filled with more than 5-10,000 stamps.

My personal goal is 20,000+ stamps, with an outside chance at 30,000.
I think I would be satisfied with that.

JKJBLUE-------You bring up a serious issue and identify the problem of what happens ?---------there are many people who start a worldwide collection ,even if its Part 1 of the Scott International but over time they give up .
Is it the person finds different interest or is it because of what they heard from both other collectors and dealers .Do these collectors start out excited and start purchasing stamps but all they hear is negative remarks from dealers and collectors that their chosen hobby subject is for kids ,its for beginners or they are not serious collectors ,what is it that all these attempts to save the worlds stamps end by most people . I have to believe its a combination of all three and the lack of other collectors to encourage them that others are doing the same .Yes a club or a badge would be a good thing to have .

Danish West Indies 1874-79 3c blue & carmine "Inverted Frame"

I have not had the same experience with folks giving signs of non verbal disapproval when I "announce" that I am a WW classic era collector.

Perhaps because the local club has 4-5 very strong classic WW collectors, including the President of the club?

There are at least three of us that use the Steiner classic albums, and another with the Scott "Browns".

Other collectors have a main specialty interest, but also maintain a more casual worldwide collection-usually with a date limit.

Then there are the "serial" WW classical collectors. One fellow was collecting Haiti, then North Borneo, now Liberia.

None of these collector "types" have been hostile, just the opposite.

Even the Specialists don't mind, as they can sell their duplicates.

Jkjblue, I really like your Big Blue Blog (Bob's blog "filling spaces" too... I've posted as Maplewoodhistory there). You have really done a wonderful job analyzing "the blue" I use the big blue too. I'm up to 14,500 something in it and I have a goal of reaching 25,000 someday there but getting over 20,000 I think is really hard to do.

My local stamp meeting is tomorrow night and I plan on surveying the WW collectors there, if anyone has any suggestions on what questions to ask please feel free to post.

I might have to make another button that is blue and says "Big Blue 1840-1940"... although I fear I would offend the Minkus crowd :)

Thanks Landoquakes.

14,000+ in a Big Blue is impressive. I agree that the incline gets steeper as one approaches 20,000.

Actually the Minkus collectors participate actively too. We try to be one happy world wide classical era family.