How Long Have You Collected Stamps And How Many Do You Have?

At the moment, no idea. I am in the process of cataloging my collection, to make it easier to keep track. But I have only cataloged something like 4000 objects (including stamps, covers etc.) so far. Some are in stockbooks without being in the count, and a lot are still more an accumulation than a collection.

So the short answer, no idea.

The easy answer is that I have collected for 47 years. I started when I was seven. I don't have the slightest idea how many stamps or covers I have. I think if I did know the answer it may make me sick. I would say it is 98% used. Anything I have mint is just temporary.

Hi

Until this thread I did not even think about how long I have been collecting stamps.

My aunt was in the millinery business and had correspondence from all over the world. She gave me a shopping bag, literally, of World Wide stamps on paper. She then took me to Minkus at Gimbels and bought me a Minkus WW album, a Scott Modern Album and my first purchased stamp, a used Israel 9. I remember that the stamp had been issued the previous month so I have been collecting since then: June 1948. By my calculations that is 65 years.

So far that makes Philb and myself the oldest (depends what month Philb started if he can remember).

As to the number of stamps I have I have no clue. I still have my "starter" stamps and almost complete Colombia and Ecuador (what I can now afford being retired) and about 20% complete Venezuela.

Jerry B

June, mid year that sounds about right...i was at my friends house and saw his light blue Scott Junior International album with the red binding and I was fascinated...i am not sure if it was the leopard in the French Congo or the camel jockey in the Sudan..but I was hooked !

Collected for about 7 years as a kid, then life got in the way for another 30, then got back into it 2.5 years ago.
How many? Hmmmm. Probably not enough.

Hi

Well philb I guess we are the elder "statesmen".

Jerry B

I started when I was about 13 and stopped when about 18. Started back up when I was 65 and I'm now 68 so a total of about 7 years. I collect U.S. only. Singles and Plate Blocks. I quit collecting plate blocks last year and when they went from four to make a block to 12 or 20. I do have my old album from when I was a teenager. That I don't use but admire. My wife bought me the American Heirloom Collection albums for my 65th birthday. I love that album. I bought a bunch of stamps from an estate sale. Stamps that were thrown in boxes and a big rubber maid tub. So I have spent three years placing,
organizing, and learning about stamps and now have a few thousand.

My collecting habits are pretty varied but for the last year I have been very interested in the informational side of philately. I love to learn about how, the production procedures and every facet of how stamps are made. then comes the variants and if one should strike my fancy, then I'll pick one up; and if it's an expensive one I'll just get a used copy, or whatever it takes to see it in hand. If after that I completely enamored by it I'll go after one on cover or piece, as it were or maybe try to find an illegal or obscure usage of it. so as you can imagine I end up with some neat stuff and that adds up very quickly..VERY quickly!

45 years 40-50K I guess. Mostly buy in small numbers now, except for precancels!

In excess of one million, collected over 46 years.

I can only remember the last week! Can not remember the week before!

This week I got 5 x different = 300 stamps with tabs!

And lost about! Let me have a look! Lost 316 stamps this week!

Looks like I am 16 stamps behind!

With no foreseeable stamp incoming next week.

But hopefully loosing another 400 stamps next week!

So that is 416 stamps behind by the end of next week!

Maybe I licked one too many stamps this week!

Close to 40 years, in the 40k range, I'd say. 95% mint.

Let's see, 1950- 57 or 58, stamps, then girls had my attention for quite a while, coins around 1975 - 1980, stamps and paper currency until around 1990. coins and paper currency until around 1999, then mostly stamps since then. I really am only guessing, around 4 - 5 thousand stamps these days.

I have been collecting since 2008. So far I have two (64 pages stockbook) MNH stamps, I am limited since I am still a student and I need to compensate my money with other expenses. Hopefully when I start working, I will boost my collection.

I have been collecting stamps for 51 years. No idea how many stamps I have. I do have 5 6" Harris Citation Albums mounted with used stamps and a few dozens stock books. I am a worldwide collector.