Your Thoughts On APS "Circuit Books"

I would like to get into the circuit book loop, but I often cannot realistically pass them on within 7 days.

Greaden, since you are a member of APS, you could always look into the "Sales Talk" that appears each month in the Journal. If you have a need for keeping a circuit longer, get in touch with the folks who run the circuits. They will try to accommodate you, I am sure!

Peter

I'm not crazy about the 7-day turnaround, either, but I'll just have to make them a priority when they arrive. Most of the time it won't be an issue, but some weeks life gets too busy to devote much time to stamps. I understand why they do it - if they gave people 30 days, for example, the circuits would take forever to circulate. I'm glad to send it on quickly if it means getting more shipments sooner.

Good info and opinions folks - Thank You.

Question..... assuming 10 books may be sent at once, how many individual stamps would we be talking about? Yes, I know the books would not be full, etc., but "ballpark", how many would be considered "the usual"?

In my 2nd collecting phase (mid to late 90s) I was an APS member and was a member of a couple of circuits. I found them to be worth doing.

mobilman, it depends on how many were in the book to start with and how many were taken out.

Peter

It's been a long time since I sold anything on a circuit. The books used to be 16 pages of 12 stamps per page if totally filled. Though most were never full and as Petert4522 said it depends on how many people have picked over the contents along the way. I just subscribed to Baltic States and there were times when I flipped thru the books and turned around and sent them on to the next member. And there were times I spent a lot of time going thru them and enjoyed picking over what was there and added some nice stamps to the collection.

Its funny what 'counts', and what does not count.

I dumped a quarter in a parking meter in front of my bank the other day, and reflected that, if they charged me a quarter to make a deposit, I'd find another bank.

I paid round-trip subway fare each day I attended the WSS NY 2016 show, but would have thought twice about paying the same five bucks (and change) at the door.

I recently drove a round-trip thirty miles to pickup an auction lot that could have just as easily been shipped, but that was all about 'needing' to get out of the house for the drive, and had nothing to do with comparative costs or global warming.

Q/ Why do shipping fees stand out?

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Shipping costs are very much like the costs of attending a stamp show. If I receive a 4 circuits in a year and I find a great deal of useful material, then I'm very inclined to continue receiving the books. And, if I drove to a particular bourse or show and found good material and received good information from sellers, I'd go back to that event. Before retirement, I flew to some shows and stayed in downtown hotels for several nights. The comparison of those costs with $6.80 priority mail is laughable.

When I find very little useful material in a circuit, it does make me reflect on the associated costs. They include not just postage, but the trip to the post office, as well as my time... which could have been used more productively.

Since I have been receiving APS circuits for quite some time (for one circuit, it has been 25 years+ uninterrupted), on balance I'm glad to be receiving them.

It's like a dealer sending you approvals. When I collected general I was very harpy. Maybe if you have very narrow collecting interests it will be less rewording.

I've been receiving circuits since the early 1980s and have found them very useful for enhancing my collections.

One advantage of circuits that I like is the opportunity to review a substantial variety of low or moderately priced stamps without a dealer hovering over me or collectors jostling each other for space at a dealer's table. Circuits offer an opportunity to view and learn how to recognize varieties of a stamp. On the down side, one has to be attentive to detail as sellers frequently misidentify stamps or fail to note small faults.

Overall, I consider circuits a worthwhile source for stamps. Right behind them is the APS stamp store.

Don

Ok folks, you convinced me! I got on the APS website and signed up for the circuits - Pre '40 USA, 19th century USA, and BOB USA. Have no clue when the first will arrive, but I will attempt to update this thread when it happens.
Thank you!

Shipping fees are so different and more $$ in Canada, I feel these circuit books were designed for the US and not International members......any ideas or experience from Canadian Stamp APS members ? Thanks

Shipping fees for APS circuit books are more reasonable than other clubs. I am a member of the Swiss stamp club and their circuits run over 11 dollars to ship. The APS allows one to ship their circuits in a flat rate box, hence the difference.

Peter

Thanks Peter - will check at the P.O. Also wrote to APS for their experience with Int'l- Rene