This Hobby Is So Addictive, Pondering A New Country.

Well it has been some time since posting and half of my collection is still unpacked, another story. But, after being a avid US only collector and swearing off anything else. I have found that because of cost the last few US classics may be out of reach so I wandered into Latin America's thanks to this forum. Also, stamp show Cinderella's peaked my interest and for pure enjoyment odd shaped stamps. Then ended up with a killer deal for world airmail stock that sent me on the way to collecting world airmails from start to 1960.
Well, after transferring some air stock to albums I was working on Newfoundland and the country just has me mesmerized with their issues. So once again I may have another country to add to my collecting interests. Just wanted to drop a note and see if this hobby has taken anyone else over like me thru the years.

Hi, That is an understatement. After being away for a few years it has taken me away from alot of things I used to do with my spare time. Since I joined the Community it has pushed me over the edge,so to speak. This is like a stamp collectors meeting that never adjourns. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining I just can't stop reading forums and then pulling out stamps to see what is being described. It's so bad I have lost sleep. But,I'm loving it.. Thanks for the topic, it really makes the experience enhanced. Respectfully, Gary

When I resumed stamps ten years ago, I was determined to stick to New Zealand and sell the rest of my youthful collection. Then Newfoundland piqued my interest; then Bahamas and so on. Now up to about 30 countries and have a huge backlog of material to work through. It's an addictive hobby but it sure can take your mind off other problems.

I started collecting so long ago I can not remember, but in 1981 I decided to add the Transportation Coils to my line-up. I collect these now specialized, and it takes most of my time and energy. They still give me, after 30 some years new area's of interest!
I did also start a used Switzerland collection, just to get into something different and not quite as ridiculous issue-wise as most other countries!

Peter

I gave up entirely trying to narrow the scope of my interests, and am happy collecting the WW classical era 1840-1940.

So many cheap fascinating classical issues, so little time....

Yes, nbstamper, backlogged is the perfect term for this hobby. Acquiring is the first step, sorting the second, etc, etc. Never ends. Love it.

Jkblue said "So many cheap fascinating classical issues"....... Have to agree there, most collectors never realize how many cheap stamps are missing in almost all pre-1940 worldwide collections that I seen for the past 50 years . A lot of those stamps never show up in mixture lots .

I was US too at first, then Canada, then World through 1940, then through today. Jkblue is right, there are lots of great cheap stamps out there to keep one busy for a lifetime. My son has about 50 stamps in his collection and he has about 5 I don't have!

One of the ways I have kept my 46+ years in philately fresh is collecting new countries and then more new countries. If I get bored with one country's issues, I change to another and so forth. In this way, I have amassed a very large collection and have diversified my interests in over 120 countries. Lots and lots of fun. Only problem is, I am running out of room to store and maintain my collection.

MarginBlocks
What a great problem to have! I'm working hard to get to the same place; only 90 countries to go!

it is very interesting to read everyones comments - I have only started being an active collector again a few years ago - I think everyone has to have at least one core area (mine is postally used covers from Equatorial Guinea) - but as to other areas I collect what ever takes my fancy without restrictions and I quite frequently go off on tangents thanks to posts from fellow SCFers - the vast and endless array of topics is what I like about stamp collecting - no matter what you do you can never have a complete collection

I see a few others have a problem like myself when buying stamps. I also have a few cartons that would fill albums but have not made it to the sorting phase. Part of the addiction is the buying phase. It is hard to pass on some deals thinking that soon they would grace a album. But soon sometimes ends with more buying and the others still still awaiting sorting. I am pretty sure I might have enough to last a lifetime to go thru but I still buy more.

I have said it before and I will say it again I simply just love stamps. I also have many boxes of unsorted stamps but at least I am never bored

Dianne

I've literally taken a stick and tried shaking it at all my stamps and I've confirmed that I've got more stamps than you can shake a stick at. I've got a much better "check in" and "check out" process than I did a year ago for receiving new stamps in and weeding out the duplicates, but there's always a huge backlog, which is the way I like it. I acquire at least a good 2000 stamps a month (sometimes several times that many), so they can pile up in a hurry. My duplicate pile is measured in the pounds, as is my sorted-but-unmounted pile.

I have album pages printed for about 30 countries right now, but I'm probably only "actively" collecting a half dozen countries right now. I buy 90% or more of my stamps through mixtures and lots, and I still save and mount stamps from all those 30 or so countries, but I don't purposely order stamps from most of them. For countries I'm "actively" collecting, I will order mixtures, lots and collections specifically for those countries, or order by individual Scott numbers. It's pretty amazing how many different stamps of a country one can acquire without even meaning to.

When I receive stamps, I sort them out by country, and I have a large boot box with each country's stamps in its own 7"x4" glassine envelope, organized alphabetically. For countries I have pages printed for, I keep the backlog somewhat under control, and rarely are there more than a few dozen stamps that build up. For countries I don't have pages for, those stamps don't get mounted, and when that glassine starts bulging (a good ounce or two, off paper), I figure it's time to print pages for that country, or get rid of them. I use Steiner pages, so I'm not all that concerned with the cost of the pages, it comes down to how much I like that country and if it's worth taking up shelf space. I'm at the point now where shelf space is more of an issue and I want to make sure I really want to collect that country's stamps before printing pages for it.

Love your comment about the stick TheArtfulHinger.

I have no problem with my interest in stamps because I have so many countries accumulated right now that I could work a a different Country every day for a month if I wished. I just spent 1 week on Germany(including occupation and states). I almost finished but decided to put them away for a few days and found a lot that I had purchased on pages. Lucky me they all had Scott's numbers so I have been carefully been taking them off the pages and placing them in glassines to be hinged later. These will provide me with another week's worth of entertainment.

Dianne

I used to think I had enough for a lifetime, but I think I have enough for two lifetimes. It's a shame I'm not a cat ...