Why Collect What You Collect

Basically I collect what I collect for the following reasons:

1) US - live here and ease of access
2) Canada - I like their stamps, especially classic ones
3) Poland - my heritage
4) Germany, Austria, Italy, UK - countries I've visited

I collect because I enjoy collecting, nothing more, nothing less. As for my specific areas of interest, I collect U.S. because that's where I started when I was younger. I collect China and Australia because their stamps appeal to me and I needed something to do after I got to a certain point in my U.S. collection.

I strictly enjoy the collecting process. Since my stroke I found it something I can easily do as it took away many physical tasks that I could no longer do.
Tom

Really, all of the reasons above appeal to me, except probably the investment one. While I expect my collection to be worth *something* when it's sold, I don't expect it to bring more than I paid for it, which is why I wouldn't use the term "investment". There are definitely investment-grade stamps out there, but I don't collect them.

Anyway, I think the biggest thing for me is the challenge of filling up the spaces in the albums, plus the history as reflected in the stamps themselves. But I think all of those apply to me in some respect.

Really, all of them but I chose "challenge of the hunt"

At this point, pretty much anything not in my album right now is a challenge for me :)

In 1952, as a 9 yr. old, an older kind lady would see me walking home each day and one day invited me in to view her Unites States mint stamp collection in Scott's The National Postage Stamp Album. She spent lots of time explaining the hobby, gave me many mint stamps to start me off, and I became a US mint stamp & postal stationery collector ever since. As I got a little older I also added United Nations stamps & postal stationery thinking collectors in each country around the world also be collecting these but alas it does not seem to ever catch on even though I still maintain the collection. I added Kosovo mint stamps after the UN left Kosovo and it became its own independent nation. Just after the 1967 6-day war in Israel I began collecting Israel Tabs, FDCs, postal stationery. I lost a great amount of my collections as well as my home and most everything else I had due to Katrina flooding in New Orleans but several of my albums were saved. After meeting the engraver Piotr Naszarkowski while visiting my brother in Washington, DC. (he was there because he engraved the beautiful Greta Garbo stamp and the 2005 and 2006 Federal duck stamps)I began collecting his engraved mint stamps- most are from Sweden, some Poland, Japan, and 3 United States, etc. At present I am trying to rebuild parts of my collection but I know I could never replace what I lost.

I enjoy collecting stamps from the time I was 9 years old. Learned a great deal about different countries and cultures. I now have a small worldwide collection and a more detailed US collection, some mint and some used.

Hi Art

My reason for collecting what I collect is posted here:

https://goscf.com/t/11411#11411

Jerry B

I just love to collect stamps.

Though I have a soft spot for classic stamps I often come across modern stamps that I think are amazing.

I don't think I have a favorite Country but I do find myself working on Canada, Great Britain, Germany and Japan more than the other countries.

I also enjoy researching countries that I did not know even existed.

Dianne

I chose for something to pass down because my Daughter is starting to take an interest and I was telling her just the other day that I'll give it to her someday so it applies. Most of the other directly apply too with the exception of the investment one since I will never sell it and it will never be worth more than I paid. Probably take a loss the way things is going! lol It's the journey not the destination a friend once said. It stuck.

Completion, and the hunt.


-IBFS

I get asked a lot why I collect stamps and postal history of Haiti. I was there for 2 years.

It's mostly about interest for me. I'm an Eagle Scout so I collect Scouts on Stamps. I was a journalist so I like journalists on stamps and newspaper revenues. I'll give you three guesses why I collect Coast Guard postal history.

For research and study with the goal of writing about it.