So They Tell Me The Stamp Market Is Crashing?

Local stamp shops are usually too expensive on their stamps in order to pay for the overhead of the shop. I have lived in the Louisville area for over 5 years. I went to the one and only local stamp stamp shop once and was not impressed. It looked more like an old stamp surplus store with most items I would not even want if given free. The stamps were listed at full book value. The owners were rude and not very knowledgeable. They made a bad impression on me and I have never gone back. Shops like this are detrimental to the hobby.

We apparently have two stamp clubs in the area. It took a lot of searching online to find them. Both are too far from where I live to consider going. I have never seen a stamp show in the area. If there was one, I never knew about it. The local clubs are not looking for new members because it was too hard to even find they existed.

Online collecting is the only way to go. In my early collecting years, I bought a most of my stuff locally in St. Louis area. Selection was very limited and prices were outrageous. Collecting foreign material was almost impossible. Local shops only had kiloware junk. Online, you can find almost anything you want from any country. The internet has brought new life to the hobby. It has also brought competition and therefore, lower prices.

Online pdf books are the way to go. It was always difficult to have multiple Scott catalogs open, along with an album or two. Most of the old research books are unavailable or very expensive. Those books could be copied and sold online in a pdf at a fraction of the cost with thousands more people buying them. But the liberal mentality is to keep supply low and prices high to make more money and they do not see that they loose money because of lower interest. They could sell a lot more if the prices were reasonable and online for download at a small cost.

Chat rooms like this are greatest stamp club ever. It is 24/7, not just one day a month. There are more experts here than you will ever find at a local club. Also, I have all 40 of my albums near me so I can always have access to any country I want to purchase stamps for.

As far as taxes goes, In the US, there is NO tax on collectibles such as stamps and coins. Has anyone ever paid taxes on stamps bought at the post office? I thought not.

I do not collect new stamps anymore. They will never be worth the paper they were printed on because of the many stamps they put out each year. If anyone is trying to kill the hobby, it is the post office.

In conclusion, the internet has brought new life to the hobby. Without it, the hobby would surely die. If it was not for the internet, I would not be collecting stamps anymore for lack of available material.

False, at least for California. Sellers engaging in 3 or more transactions per year with California residents, on ebay or anywhere, must collect and remit California sales tax. There is no exemption for stamps, though there are limited exemptions for certain coins. If the Franchise Tax Board becomes aware of a transaction with a large enough tax basis (usually >$2500), over the internet for which sales tax was not paid, they will send a "use tax" bill to the buyer and relentlessly pursue that party until it is paid. Don't ask me how I know.

Chris

Taxability of stamps, coins, bullion, etc. varies greatly by state.

For me personally SAN is the best thing since sliced bread. Having access to auctions around the World and being able to place bids and live bid via the internet is still absolutely amazing.