After 15 Years I Lost The Enjoyment

For 15 years I have loved examining and collecting stamps. Recently I updated my album to cover years 2001 to 2012, then it happened. The Liberty Bell and Liberty/Flag series sucked all enjoyment away and left me with a massive headache! I absolutely hate those 2 series! Large and small dates,microprinting and no microprinting,funky diecuts, ect ect. Anyone else hate these as much as I do? Gotta go take some Advil.....

Try collecting some foreign countries.

Ignoring the first 10 years when I was a child, I collected stamps in a progressively serious way for 30 years (1970 to 2000) and then in one day, I just gave up.
It was that sudden.
And I stayed away until 2012 and then I came back. Again that sudden.
The previous comment by "Angore" makes a lot of sense.
I am back....and yes just as serious with my speciality. BUt the other side is that I find a lot of enjoyment in cheap used world-wide stamps.
They are effectively two different hobbies. Something very serious (and obsessive) mitigated by something which is basic and fun.
It works for me.

This basically describes my collection. The "serious" part gets most of my dollars but the "fun" part gets most of my time. There are few things in this world I enjoy more than sorting through a big messy pile of stamps.

I actually enjoy collecting all of the minor varieties in modern US stamps. That said, it can at times be a bit frustrating. But for the most part, it is far less expensive than collecting the classics. And lest you think only stamps like the Liberty Bells are frustrating, try figuring out the different colors on the early postage dues ... or the different varieties of the blue 1-cent Franklins from the 1800s. But that's the beauty of this hobby ... while one collector may find an area of collecting tedious, boring & frustrating, another will find that same area exhilarating, interesting & challenging. We should simply choose to collect whatever we find interesting.

I actually enjoyed working my way thru the early Washington and Washington/Franklin series. But these newer ones.....
Thanks y'all, I'm going to try foreign for awhile.

Rob
Welcome to the Forum if you haven't already. Nice group of stampers. have not bought a US stamp since the early 70s.....no interest at all. I have had the luck to get earlier Canada stamps (mint) when a friend decided to get rid of them.....more than 10 years of stamps !! I gladly accepted them ! WW collection is very interesting and a keeper

I just stopped collecting anything post 1990 in US. Between self adhesive stamps and excessive garbage subject issues / massive multi-year regular issues, etc. just found the USPS offering frustrating and needlessly expensive.

Quite. I had a good number of decimal (i.e. post-1970) GB stamps. Earlier this year, I took the decision to complete my collection by using them to post ebay lots. Curiously liberating and satisfying.

Thanks. I may just go back to only collecting up to 2000. I only updated do to the multitude of post 2000 stamps I've acquired in bags and lots of stamps over the years. I did read about a stamp I'm going to get next month. As an amateur astronomer I have to get the eclipse stamp that reacts to finger heat.

When I started getting into the Washington-Franklins and the prices, I started more on my foreign areas. For not very much, you can get a lot.

We must be walking down the same path, angore. After completing USA 1920-2016, I started focusing on W-F. OK, expensive. But the killer was how many fakes are out there. Now focusing on KGVI, but am disappointed with the repetitious nature among the various colonies. So now I am taking a vacation (sort of).

Jack Kelley

I am focusing on Malaya, Brunei, North Borneo, Sarawak, etc. Although these were commonwealth countries, they have more diversity in engraved designs. Each Malay state had their own leaders so these replace king George, Edward, etc. although basic design is similar.

Yes... I did the same on my Early Indian stamps... Most of them needed a watermark test and that lighter fluid gave me a real real headache !

I have been scaling way back the scope of my collection. It is very liberating feeling and helps me to get out of under the bags and envelopes full of unsorted modern stamps that really don't interest me. I was only keeping them out of obligation.

I pretty much stopped with modern US Been sending to a friend in Hawaii that collects everything. She is 84 and she sends back duplicate W W to me so we both win. I have been finally putting my stamps in Varios so I can finally get rid of duplicates instead of just putting in envelopes, then gallon plastic tubs when the envelopes are packed. I have so many duplicates it was discouraging. I started in W W 50 years ago and enjoy that the most like Artful does. I made up my mind to quit buying until I get through them all. I have debated getting Steiner pages instead of various as I typically collect used, hinged is ok with me. So if you get tired or loose the enjoyment change it up.