The Changing Trend In Stamp Collecting

The smaller business is having a harder time of making it. Many years ago I thought about opening up a one person operation to do repair work on smaller appliances etc. You can't compete because it is cheaper to buy a new one from China than to have the switch repaired/replaced in the coffeemaker. In other words you throw it away to get a working switch on a new unit. I could see the same thing happening with stamps. Why would customers pay more to shop in a small retail store when they can do it on e-bay for less with a person that doesn't have to pay retail rent, insurance etc. It's sad for me to go into Walmart for a pen refill only to find it cost more than the pen!

This is a good thread, thought provoking.

I used to manage a central city business association. Their raison d'etre was knowledge and personal service. Something you will never get in Big Box. But sadly, consumers are fickle and are easily swayed. That's why downtowns die.

There is a great shop in Asheville, NC. Very clean, spacious and well lit and the owner has a decent stock of US and plenty of other stuff as well. I always make it a point to stop in and spend a few bucks when I'm in that part of the country. There's also one in Pensacola. The guy is friendly and I try to go there when I'm in town, but honestly, the stamp side of the shop (he sells coins too) looks like it was organized by a hoarder.

Sometimes I see similar discrepancies at stamp shows.

It boils down to at the fact that a friendly, organized, well-stocked shop (or show dealer) has a much better chance of survival than some of the others out there who do themselves in.

Hi,
I'm a retired business analyst (petroleum industry) and many times when I go into a store I find myself trying to put together a mental picture of its profitability. I have to say its a rarity when I come to the conclusion (right or wrong) that a business is really profitable. Just considering the store rent (I have often asked), its amazing many of them even keep their doors open.

To make a long story short, online sales (no matter what the product) - even discounted - is about the only way to stay afloat.

Price drops can be a good thing if you are trying to build or rebuild a collection.

The stamp shop owner is not a business person and this is another strike against him unfortunately.
Tom

Hi once again,
There is a "rule" for folks looking to go into business for themselves. You need - in order to survive - three specialists running the business. They are: a technical person (knows the product inside and out), a people person (to deal with suppliers, customers, and employees, and a money person (to analyze the financial plans and activities and keep them "real world".

Often an individual can handle two of these specialties, but it is extremely rare that one person can "be all three". The success or failure of a new or ongoing enterprise is dependent on this.

Of course that may sound like common sense, but common sense is just not all that common.

well mobilman the world is filled with very successful one person operations. I'm one of them. been on ebay over a decade and sold a ton of stuff.

CanadaStamp,
Your success is a wonderful thing and I sure would be proud of it. But the statistics indicate "one man success" stories are definitely in the minority - at least as far as the US is concerned. Getting away from faceless statistics, making a successful business using only ones own talents ( without the regular use of financial or other expertise) is pretty darn rare.

I'm not trying to shoot down anyone here, but would like folks to realize that "most all" need help in making their endeavor a success.