The Biggest Downs Of Your Stamp Collecting Experience.

Hello,

This discussion is all about disasters or downs in your stamp collecting experience.

Recently, I had bought some hinges from the Universal Philatelic Auction- and received some nice stamps on the envelope.There were TWO blocks of stamps on my envelope with fancy cancellations.

After soaking them off the envelope and leaving them to dry between some paper towels- I went downstairs for some coffee. And when I came back upstairs the stamps were gone. A probe into the recycling bin found them scrunched up and torn.It turns out my mother was the culprit

One of those moments where you have keep the frustration within. Sorry for so much text

1. One of the blocks- the scan makes the condition look better.


Thanks, Jamie

That sounds frustrating. If I recall correctly, I believe that one of the inverted Jenny's - C3a got vacuumed up in a similar accident.

I've accidentally damaged a couple stamps over time - I suspect most of us have.

Jamie: Such a disappointment especially right after you were looking so much forward to having these stamps in your collection only to have them thrown away and damaged is something that is very upsetting.

I wanted a stamp that I couldn't pay for all at once so that an arrangement was made to pay the dealer a bit at a time for it until it was all paid off. Then I would get the stamp. Unfortunately, this arrangement was verbal and not written down. My only proof were the cancelled checks that I had. After some time, a big stamp show came to town and after it, the dealer informed me that he couldn't find the stamp anywhere. He said that it may have been taken and inadvertently sold off to someone at the stamp show by his staff. He did return all of the amount that I paid for it up until that point and to me it looked more like he had a change of heart and sold off the stamp to someone at the show who was able to pay him the full amount on the spot. This felt like a big disappointment to say the least, especially to a teenage collector.

Through hard experience, I have learned to keep anything I value in the stamp cave. It is the only safe haven from the cleaning rampage.

Hi, my experience, when I was posted to Fairchild AFB, Washington, my twins were about 18 months old. I was working on a 12 hours on and 12 hours off. I came home after my 12 hour shift, my wife had to go to the Base Commissary and I was to babysit the twins. So I turned on the radio music and had a drink, all of a sudden I realized the house was quiet. Too quiet for a set of twins. Got up and search for the twins. Found them having a toss up from my dupes files of stamps. Stamps all over the room, I mean all over the room. Took me days and days just to round up all the stamps. Then took me days just to identify and refile them in the right and proper correct file.

Stampmaster

Back when I was an 11 or 12 year old lad I took two pocket sized folders which contained my then prized collection of U.S. MNH 1920s 4 and 6 stamp plate blocks to my pals house to compare our collections. Afterwards, we decided to go fishing in a nearby pond. Afraid of loosing them, I thought it wise to remove the folder books from my jeans pocket, and for safety deposit them under a clod of grass which I pulled up from the bank leading down to the pond. When we left for the day, I plumb forgot to retrieve my stamps! I returned bright and early the next morning and found that the dampness from the ground had caused every stamp to firmly adhere to the glassine leaves!

More then 60 years later I still have the folders with stamps affixed within, setting in my "to do" cabinet.

While stripping stamps from a collection I'd bought, a pretty expensive stamp was hinged more tightly than most of the other stamps, and I tore it. Oh, gosh, darn, fiddlesticks!! I try to be a lot more careful now.

Told this story before --------When I was 16 years old ,I had a worldwide stamp collection made up of purchases like 100 stamps for 10 cents and those HONOR-BILT packets from Woolworths .I was really proud of my worldwide collection it was all mount in a Discovery Album .
I read a wall posting at the Park District Field House of a stamp club meeting there on Monday nights . Monday came ,took a bath and put on nice clothes and took my very valuable stamp album and rode my bike to the stamp club meeting .
At the club there were 10 old farts sitting around a large table and I came in and sat down with my worldwide collection . One older guy at the end of the table ask to see my collection . He flip thru it and then announced to every one at the table "It is just worthless stamps " I sat there quiet . I cried as I rode my bike home that night .
That's why I STILL have a problem talking with other stamp collectors or being friendly with them.

Some 25 years ago we moved into a new house that only had a wood-heater in the front room. Come winter we had to put the heater on & a couple of days later I noticed some serious condensation in my little stamp den, I feverishly checked my stock books & yes, a fair number of MUH were firmly stuck into the books. My wife still chuckles about the picture of me desperately trying to dry a floor full of stamps.

Floortrader,

That was one mean old fart. He must have hated his life.

I think many of us have has some experience akin to floortrader's (I know I have). I feel your pain even now. What's wrong with those azzhats?

Floortrader,

All I can say is "Wow." I'll never understand how anyone, regardless of age, can be so coldly rude. It doesn't matter what you had in the collection - it was your collection, which you spent the time AND your money to build. If some crusty curmudgeon couldn't step back from where he was long enough to realize the effort you put into it before he opened his mouth, shame on him. If he had done that at the club I'm president of, he would have been told his presence was no longer desired at the meetings.

I hope someday you realize - while there are fools out there - including old fools - that their opinion is just that. Not everyone thinks or acts like he did.

While I'm sure he never apologized, I'll do it for him. You keep collecting what you enjoy and don't ever let someone else take that joy away from you.

About 30 years ago, as a middle school student, my brother and I had just purchased a Penny Black for our general worldwide collection. It was, at $15 or $20, a large single purchase for us.

Got it home, grabbed a pair of tongs to give it a good look....and dropped it right down the air vent next to the desk. Couldn't recover it; never saw it again even after removing the vent and tracing the duct work down to the basement and trying to check down there. I've acquired a couple more penny blacks since, but I still miss that one.

Agree I think many of us got brushed aside by a dealer or a large firm because they looked at us as small potatoes or not worth any time . How many times when I was at a show or bourse that I mention being a worldwide collector or some speciality that we get brushed aside and the dealer thinks "not worth the effort".

There are two things growing up that I feel hurt over . I can assure you I made up for over the years . One is the insult over my stamp collection and the other is never having a birthday cake growing up .My wife of 41 years knows that the fasts way to get a divorce is not buying me a birthday cake .

Hi Paul,

I can identify with your sentiment.

Not that it helps any, but I too was rarely, if ever, acknowledged on my birthday.

I was born on Christmas, and I was almost always forgotten about. Never had a party ON my birthday. Everyone was too busy with their own families. Can't tell you how many birthday/Christmas "combo" presents I got.

Just saying that I feel your pain.

Jim