Mystic Stamp: Historic Postage Stamps Of The US Album - $15

Has anyone seen Mystic's starter album entitled "Historic Postage Stamps of the United States Album"? It's apparently new and designed for the beginner collector, since its nowhere near complete and just limited to spaces for only 1425 stamps in a single volume.

On the other hand, at a $15 price point, it comes with the album (pages and 3-ring binder), 100 used stamps, along with 1000 stamp hinges, plus a primer on "How to Collect Stamps".

It seems as though it would make a good gift for a kid or even an adult who may have interest in starting a collection without having to pay big money for a three-volume album that may be overwhelming to a beginner.

http://www.mysticstamp.com/viewProd...p?sku=m11054

Has anyone seen this offering in person?

I've always said that I love their albums ... can't beat the price. You just have to live with the constant mail, and make sure that you don't sign any "approval" documentation (though I don't know if they offer that option). If I was going to start a new album for the grandkids, I would take them up on the deal.

I have not seen it, but I like the concept. Good and affordable beginner albums are key to getting people started in stamp collecting, in my opinion.

I think part of what attracts people to stamps in the first place is a connection to something else they might be interested in. In my case, when I was a kid, I was fascinated by stamps for two reasons: 1) in the case of worldwide stamps, that I could hold something strange and exotic (in my 8-year old opinion) in my hands, with foreign writing and strange pictures on it, and 2) for both US and worldwide, that I could own something really old; a tangible connection to a different time and place. If kids can be exposed to stamps right at the time they might be learning about history and other cultures in school, it can make that connection for the right kid. But if they suddenly find out they have shell out 50 or 100 bucks for an album, they might just say "forget about it". Not everyone wants to have a "complete" collection and many are just happy to have a bunch of stamps they happen to find interesting.

Mystic does a really good job at this sort of thing, in my opinion. I'd like to do more business with them if their prices for stamps weren't so ridiculously high in most cases.

Yeah, I think it is a good idea for the beginner collector. The 3 volume Heirloom album can be a little overwhelming for a noob, so this appears to hit a sweet spot. Overall I like Mystic. Yes they have their flaws (pricing, non-stop approvals, etc), but I think they do a great job of promoting the hobby.

While I never had a problem with Mystic, there was another company that wouldn't stop sending approvals, even after being told to do so. I sent them a registered letter saying I'd consider anything further that they sent me to be a gift and it would not be returned or paid for. They kept right on sending, I ignored it. I think it took them 4-5 shipments before they figured it out and stopped just sending me free stuff.

As a child, I received a similar set (not Mystic) as a gift from my aunt. That was around 1985. It was the thing that sparked my interest in the hobby and taught me how to identify and handle stamps. I think it's a wonderful gift for a child. For $15, you can't go wrong.