How Many Duplicates Do You Keep Of One Number?

Since it was suggested that we were going off topic I posed the question that wasn't answered in the thread.
Tom

That depends on the Scott number or if doing a study on a particular stamp. I may have a dozen of the 73 but a couple hundred of the 24. The more modern say 1930 and up, with several exceptions, I only keep a dozen or so and I don't know why I have kept so many duplicates. I'll give I them to the scouts when my grandson starts his collection. One answer does not fit all stamps.

Art

A while back, I bought a load of revenues from a flea market dealer. There were 555 copies of R135 and 423 copies of R15c and several copies of other asst. revenues. I've still got all of them. Why? well, on cold winter days/nights its fun to do some fly-specking, after that I guess I'm just hoarding them. I've multiples of many other stamps but this is the most extreme example for me

Years ago I was given a "hoard" of US/UN stamps that I still keep to this day. The person giving them to me inherited them from a relative, sold off the valuable pieces, and was tossing the remainders from the trunk of his car into a dumpster where I worked. I asked him if I could put them in the trunk of my car instead. So from that point forward I had an instant collection of duplicates.

Although I've given some away to friends through the years, I just can't bear to throw stamps out -- no matter how common -- unless, of course, they are damaged to the point where they are no longer collectible.

As years have gone by the "hoard" of stamps has made me gain an appreciation for collecting things I never was previously interested in such as postmarks, meters, precancels, identifying varieties of the Washington/Franklin series, among other specialties. It opened many new avenues of collecting that I might have otherwise overlooked.

It depends on the stamps. I'm an avid follower of the 1914-30 Ceres issues of Portugal and colonies. To the un-initiated, one stamp may look the same. But an average stamp; say from Angola; may come in two different perforations; up to 4 different papers; and then there are the shades. What appears to be one stamp, with duplicates, become separate & individual stamps.

Over the past 61 years of collecting I very rarely have any dulpicates - most of the time only by accident.I just try to purchase one of what I need or can afford, except in very rare cases.

I have purchased many large lots over the last 10 years so I have lot's of duplicates at at the moment. I slowly use them to trade with or share with other collectors but they are going out slower than they are coming in soooo I have anywhere from 1 spare to a hundred spares

Dianne

Too many! I really need to work on getting rid of some. I have collected for almost 50 years. For example I have 6 shoe boxes of washington frankins, primarily 2 cents that someday I am going to sort and identify. Every once in a while I think someday has come and I identify about 100 stamps that are mainly the common types and I put them away for another "some day". The worst part is I put the identified ones in glassines with their Scott number and file them away to do something with someday.
My focus for the last 15 years has really been on covers and postal history, so the stamps just kind of accumulate, semi-sorted and identified. I thinki I'm ready for an intervention.

I don't shy away from duplicates, but in only a few instances do I actively collect duplicates. In the case of the 1869 Pictorials, I collect anything and everything. I currently have more than 400 US #114 (3c train stamp).

Rileysan, any of those 400 #114s on gray paper? I've Been looking for one for a long time.

I can't imagine having 400 of one stamp.
Tom

1600 Franklin 1 cent
800 washington 2cent
and still counting all the others.

I also have , so far, 4 11 x 101/2 mint franklin 1cent stamps

Re Dianne Earl "I have purchased many large lots over the last 10 years ..."

I've never bought kiloware precisely because I know I would be stuck with every stamp in that pile, forever.

OTOH, I just bought an auction lot of >1000 postcards as a test of whether/not I can ever be rid of the culls.

The plan was to just pull-out the stuff I 'really' need, and immediately re-auction the bulk of the lot, and then work-out what I was paying (on average) per piece, all costs considered.

That might give me an economical alternative to paying by the piece, at least for a time.

Instead, more likely, I am so gonna be dusting that whole pile for the rest of my life, duplicates & all ...

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

It depends...

I had, before Hurricane Sandy, hundreds of 24c 1861s, but mostly copies I bought for plating so I had lots of piggy pairs, etc.

I've still got a few nice ones that weren't down the shore, but I did lose a super super nice Steel Blue.

If I can I would like to filter the question even a bit more. How many duplicates do you keep and you're not a seller on e-bay or other venues. I can see having extra material if this is a business full or part time but if you collect for yourself how much do you keep?
Tom