Determining An "End Date" For A Collection

I just picked an arbitrary date of 1969 but I really don't buy anything after 1900 but, my focus changes a lot subject wise. Mainly focusing on nicer classic US covers as of late. It's really up to you. I really don't like the newer issues except for maybe one or two here & there so I'll tuck them in and keep them but I won't chase the more modern issues. It's just my personal preference.

For my Haitian collection, I don't worry about it. They haven't gone crazy on issues, and a person can quite reasonably expect (in number of issues as well as price) to be able to assemble a fully complete Haitian collection.

With my other stamps - US, Israel, Scouts on Stamps in particular - it really becomes simply an affordability cut off rather than a year cutoff.

For U.S. I'm in line with "ILS"...through 1970 because that is about where I was when I first started collecting stamps as a kid, and anything post-WW2 is so cheap....why not? Canada I cut off at 1945, seemingly like many of the Canadians! Otherwise, I have limited my world wide to Europe-only and cut off at 1900.
I pondered what could be meant by "Classic", 1940 as Scott might suggest, or the end of WW1 as a cut off? I settled on 19th Century only as being classic. John

I have recently set my cutoff date for Worldwide at 1960. This allows me to avoid the majority of 'collector only' issues that began proliferating in the sixties, and concentrate on an era where the engraver's art was still prevalent, and commemoratives had historical significance. I do make exceptions for interesting stamps and series past that date. Admittedly, there are a great number of them. A 1960 cutoff means I don't have to concern myself with the Sand Dunes, or all of the large, gaudy issues from many countries, that were never intended to move mail. (Thank goodness this includes all of those hideous (IMHO) issues unleashed on us from Equatorial Guinea!) That's not to say, however, that I will not pass up any post-1959 stamp. Most get relegated to envelopes or stock books, rather than my formal albums. Another group of post-1959 stamps I will collect are first issues/series from countries that came into being after 1959, but I will rarely go beyond that first set.
U.S. Issues I collect up until the Self-adhesive era. I consider most of the recent U.S. issues to be garbage, with a few notable exceptions. Again, these are the ones that depict something of historical significance.
I do hold on to any covers I receive in the mail with any kind of stamp on them. These are getting extremely scarce. (Plus I don't have to worry about trying to soak those miserable SAs!)

Most of the world-wide collectors in my local stamp club stop at 1940, but ione goes to 1968.

For US, I just cut way back recently when they started the current imperf craziness.

I really do not have an actual cutoff date. I have an arbitrary "idea" of my cutoff. I mainly collect US, but have been putting together a WW collection also now. I will say arbitrary as I will collect any years that come across my desk/mailbox, or if it catches my eye. I will say I "Prefer" the stamps prior to self adhesives as a norm. I personally feel the earlier engraved and non-computer generated/printed stamps are more pleasing. That being said, there are some newer issues that definately catch the eye in design and color. It does get boring with all the re-pops such as the tiffany lamp types in us and the same holiday/purple heart issues for example.
I would say I would try and collect up to about 2000 just for round number sake. I still prefer 1980's and earlier.

I have only one country collection which would need an end date (Germany, MNH and cancelled) and initially had set that date to 1979, when I graduated from high school. Recently I started buying surprise boxes and there was a lot of German stamps after that date so eventually I decided to continue (cancelled only), for the time being no end date set, matter of wait and see how the collection evolves.

All my other collections are topical and for the time being no end date is set.

Klaus

I only collect Canada. (tried the world years ago. not for me) I have all stamps up to date. Now I only buy the quarterly packs, a yearly supplemental pages for my album. Also the annual hard cover book that I enjoy for the stories about the stamps and the photos. I "try" to avoid all the other fluff that is geared towards collectors only and can be very expensive and very repetitive for the same stamps.

No end date in sight yet but I think it is easy to manage.

Collecting the Indian States, an end date is simple: stop when the particular State issued its last stamp. I stick pretty rigidly to this timeframe, which means basically nothing after September 1951. This cover sneaked under the bar



because it was an attempt, three months later, to use Travancore-Cochin stamps after they'd been demonetised. The stamps were disallowed, and postage due was levied.

With postaly used stamps becoming cdifficult , I collect up to 2001, also that is were my set of Scott catlogs end. But I wiil keep newer stamps that just come my way.

Specializing in U.S. revenues, it's real easy to determine an end date, considering the U.S. ceased issuing revenue stamps in 1963.

For my secondary worldwide collections, I pretty much stop at 1940, although there are a few countries I have more recent material from simply because collections/lots I purchased had newer material in them.

About 20 years ago, I sold my worldwide collection because it seemed so daunting. I then focused on insect stamps. I then realized that there were 10,000+ insect stamps and new ones being printed all the time and so I sold most of that and focused on the malaria issues from the 1962 'World United Against Malaria' campaign - about 100 countries issued these stamps and slogans and meters. There are some forerunners and some issued in 1963 but there seemed to be an end date. with collecting essays, proofs, errors, FDCs, commercial covers, I still find a few items a week online and if I go to shows, I can get more. I have more than 30 feet of binders of malaria items.

There have been and still are new issues being issued related to malaria in the last 5 years but I cannot justify paying $10 for a souvenir sheet and then $15 for an imperf souvenir sheet from countries that are just trying to make money. If I wanted to buy the FDCs also, it would be another $40. $65 for a few items that I'll be able to sell in 20 years for $1 is not what I want to do. I am not looking to make money but I would like to at least know that I am not just buying stickers for a lot of money.

I can buy malaria commercial covers from 1962 having nice destinations or nice clean cancels and maybe paying a nice rate for 2-30 US dollars and that is more fun for me. I still may lose some of what I pay for but I don't feel like I am getting totally ripped off. I also have a few exhibits that I am working on for issues from 1962 and so I have a purpose for many of the items that I buy.

Larry