Do You Equate "Value" With "Collectability"?

How does the current value of an item or its perceived future increase in value influence what you collect?

Only in that I write off items that are too expensive - otherwise, I collect for fun.

I believe most folks on this forum would agree with GeoffHa in that we collect for the fun.

Peter

I also collect for fun. When I buy a stamp, I expect it to stay in my collection. I buy it only because I want to add it to my collection. If I find a better copy or a duplicate then I sell the extra or give it away. Since I don't keep track of my costs, I don't know if I made or lost money.

When my stamp album is permanently closed, my kids will most likely sell it. Since their cost is essentially zero, anything they get for my collection is money for them. If it goes for 10% of what I paid, that's what they get. The 90% "loss" is the value of the fun I had collecting.

Dan

For fun, but also uniqueness. I could have an item not worth more than the paper it is printed on, but if it tells a story or has something unique to it, I consider it collectible.

I don't collect as an investment.

I try to be aware of current values, in hopes I'm not overspending on items.

Same as the majority of members, collecting for "fun" - Stamps are not a good investment -

That is what I learned thru 40+ years

I collect what is interesting or beautiful. In some cases, both. If someone else sees the value in it and wants to pay for it in the future, great, but I don't care one bit.

I collect for fun. YMMV.

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful". You're philately's William Morris, Cjd.

I like stampcrow's answer. Understanding that there are always exceptions to the rule and collector's are going to do what they please anyway, the usefulness of a catalogue value may be better used as a regulator rather than a barometer of value asking us to think twice about paying more than ( or even as much as ) the catalogue value. For each of us that number may be further reduced by a percentage. Someone in the right circumstances might pay up to 70% of catalogue whereas someone else will only pay 10-25% of catalogue regardless---

Interesting thoughts and opinions on hobby vs. investment. I have been collecting for many years -- much (though not all) of what I have is 'worthless' monetarily speaking. Two nights ago while I was sorting an old cigar box full of US from the 20's and 30's, my 6 year old daughter began helping me. We sorted for quite a while and it was a cool bonding and teaching moment - she now knows what a COIL is what is was used for and she also got quite a few items for herself and to pass out to classmates at school. Yesterday she told me, "Dad, when you die, can I have your stamp collection?" That really made my day..... Sometimes what we do becomes much more than a hobby.

I'm with the rest. If momentary value was a concern there are thousands more sensible ways to spend time rather than using hours and hours on 'valueless stamps'. However the enjoyment one get while studying those valueless stamps is 'priceless', and if it had been required I would even have payed for the privilege to have that valuable time.

There is "collectible value" and "monetary value", which aren't the same in my opinion. Many if the most "collectible" items (to me) in my collection came from the least "monetarily" valuable lots.

Alchemy