Wife Not Happy About My Stamps

Wow! What a great gift.

I must admit my wife does care about my stamps. She wants to know what they're worth and when I'm selling them......

This thread confirms the humor we have as a stamp collector.

my wife sews at the desk next to where I put my stamp collection away. And yes, we are both 35. It is just a way for us to step away from the computer for a bit and unwind after a day of being barraged with emails and constantly connected at work.

My wife says all stamp collectors tend to become hoarders - and I have to agree, or else

In vain I try to explain to her that boxes like the one below need first to be sorted, since they might contain that very particular stamp I was looking to find for years, and only after that we can talk about getting rid of some stuff ...

AUG-STAMPS ......Agree that most collectors become hoarders but not all . Some of us but a very small percentage keep our collections highly organized .

It's always a mistake, especially if your spouse values neatness and a tidy home, to let your stamp collection become an issue. "Happy wife (or husband), happy life."

A few tips that might or might not be helpful:
- If all your binders are different colors and have different sized labels, they are more noticeable because they look messy. If they're all the same color and neatly labeled, people are less likely to see them as a problem. Let's call this "camouflage". When buying binders, stick to one color -- black is nearly always available. But any color will work. If you're resistant to this, consider putting binders of the same color together on the shelf. It looks less messy (even if it makes no stamp collecting sense).

- With loose-leaf binders that aren't full, you can get more on a shelf by alternating forward and backward, spine out - spine in. It can be a little difficult remembering what each album has in it sometimes, but it saves space. Not "camouflage, but maybe "misdirection". Also "thrifty" since you save shelf space.

- Out of sight = out of mind. Most people can't afford bookcases with doors, but they would help. I've seen a few people hang "curtains" (at least nice-looking bed sheets) over bookcases to keep dust out. They also keep your albums out of sight. Not visible = less commenting about how many you own.

- A closet works if you install shelves. Avoid basements since they can be musty and that will ruin your collection. If you must use a basement, be sure to install a dehumidifier of some kind. Put one in the closet, too.

- Get everything out of those cardboard boxes. To most people, nothing says sloppy like cardboard boxes. Boxes make a room look like a storage warehouse. If you were visiting a doctor's office for the first time, or a lawyer, how would you feel if their office was filled with cardboard boxes? Not good. If you must use boxes, buy some attractive plastic storage boxes at the hardware store (and not too many of them!).

- If it's messy, ripped, unusable, maybe you need to throw it away. When I get an old and useless album from an auction, I often remove the pages with stamps on them, and throw the rest away. This allows me to get rid of an album that would just be taking up space for no reason. I'm not referring to albums in good shape, of course (or old brown Scott Internationals!). Those I might give away if I didn't want them. Sometimes an auction lot has one album I want along with others in poor shape.

- Remind your spouse -- very gently -- that they have their own space for their personal interests, and you have your space for yours. Don't back down. My wife is a dog lady, so dog stuff is everywhere in the house. Plus all her (little used) cooking equipment (Why do we need two waffle irons?). When she comments about "all" my stamp collecting stuff, I remind her with a smile that I put up with all her stuff.

- I wouldn't promise your spouse that they can make a lot of money off your stamp collection when you die -- because it may not be worth much. But you can always remind them that when you do die, it is worth "some" money and not to just give it away. Keep a list of dealers you'd like them to contact along with a simple list of all the major albums and collections. You might make a guess at how much each item is worth (20% of catalogue is probably safest). Mentioning this from time to time can show you're not just throwing "all" your money away. And remind them that selling it as one lot is much easier, but that this means the price paid will be a good deal less -- worth it, I think, to avoid the hassle of selling separate items.

I'm fortunate to have a separate room for an office. Plus, it's not connected to the rest of the house and only accessible by going outside, soooo my spouse doesn't look in on me much and doesn't see the mess I'm making. I probably should follow my own rules better and straighten things up. I have way too much stamp stuff in there. How did this ever happen?

aug-stamps,

What the heck is that mess?

Jack Kelley

Jack Kelley, now you sound like my wife

Get a new wife?!?

(Obviously, my wife doesn't read stamp forums!)

I am now curious if stallzer and I are married to the same woman.

Good advice on here. I like the idea of having matching binders neatly on your shelves, somehow it looks better and less like a 'hoard' of junk. Separate checking accounts helps.

I know of one case locally of a guy whose wife divorced him over his collecting interests.

My wife thinks I collect bookcases .

Sometimes they have a point. Its a hobby that can easily get out of control. I've gone boom to bust several times.

Jack Kelley