New Senior Citizens Here. Would Like Some Advice.

I'm overwhelmed by the response I've received so far. Thank you all for making a newcomer feel welcome to the forum.
I've jumped in, as is my wont, and bought some stamps from Bay----- really inexpensive ones---- just so I could have some stamps! Maybe those will satisfy me until I get more organized. Or maybe not! (grin)

I started collecting at 6 years old. Mom and dad got me one of those Minkus paperback albums and a packet of stamps. I collected and exchanged with the kids in my neighborhood regularly until I was 14 or so. Then, came women and then military. I re-started collecting again at the age of 23. My mother was having a yard sale and I came across my Sears cataloge ordered WW album bulging with the notebook pags I had used for blanks and all the stamps and covers I could find. I had previously realized that having a night life in my college town wasn't
an option..re-started. I have been doing it ever since. Even when I've been working abroad or in circumstances I've been able to at least send stamps home to be set aside for my collection. I've met so many cool people through this hobby.

What ajnabii just wrote makes me wonder if the advent of email has lessened the ability to collect stamps, except from ebay, other collectors etc.

I know I'm guilty of rarely using a stamp when an email will do.

The USPS introduced a series of stamps with saying "Letters Mingle Souls," something that is going away as I type. As texting and email become more and more a part of our society we will become less personal.
Tom

@sdtom----- I'm glad Elizabeth Barrett Browning didn't use email!

I suspect somehow, post usage is decreasing as are the numbers of elementary school students being taught cursive writing.

All about texting now. At least there better at typing.
Tom

I haven't forgotten this forum---- but other life stuff keeps getting in the way. But I DID get my first stamps today in the mail (the one's I probably paid about $2.00 for, just because I could!. Now I'll have to rate the seller with 5 stars for prompt delivery.

Talk to you later.

Welcome Cave76 This is the nicest Forum AMO. at 76 I have other
Issues than starting. I ot lot of help since I joined this
forum. Collecting for enjoyment is worth.
Enjoy hobby what ever way you decide and like.

tikithindi

Cave 76,

A belated to the forum! You have joined the best 24/7 stamp club on the internet! *LOL*




I've been collecting that way for over 50 years! I will find an area that interests me, muck around in it for a while, make a few false starts and then "Aha" I know what I am going to do! Full steam ahead. That is, until I learn something new and, um, well maybe I should try it that way.... It's fun. No rules.

You already have received a lot of good advice. You will find a number of quality websites that will be of help too. Once you have settled on a plan (subject to change of course ) we can point you in the right direction. Of course ask questions here too! There are a lot of high-powered stamp collectors here. (Unfortunately, I am not one of them )The group doesn't always agree but the information is top flight.

When you get to 50 posts you can use the email system. I have a lot of orphans that are looking for a good home. Maybe I can fill some empty spaces.

Dan

Welcome,Cave76.I suggest you start by reading a few articles
The American Philatelic Association (APA) has a nice intro to collecting stamps at
http://stamps.org/Starting-a-Collection
Also Wikihow.com at
http://www.wikihow.com/Collect-Stamps
And of course Linn's at
http://www.linns.com/howto/wheretos...tostart.aspx

Another question---- trying to decide on mint or used. What are the pros and cons of each one, such as pricing, availability etc. (Some of the links in the Linn's site didn't work.)

It is really a matter of personal preference. Mint stamps, post office fresh, (MNH) are generally more expensive, mint with previous hinge marks (MH) next and used the least expensive. Of course there are exceptions!

Personally I collect US back to 1940 in mint condition. The "classic era" 1847 to 1940 is mixed. Mint copies can get expensive and are subject to "regumming" (Someone reapplies gum to make a stamp look mint)

My foreign collections are a mixed bag except for an area I concentrate in, Soviet Occupied Germany. Here some variations are determined by gum type so I collect all of those MNH.

Dan