How Did You Figure Out/Narrow Down The Areas You Collect.

In this hobby, I find that one thing leads to another. Accordingly, my interests expand rather than contract.

Jack Kelley

From collecting worldwide, I decidec to narrow my collection. Partly because of space, time and money, but also because I was assembling stamps that didn't interest me. Over the last few months, I've disposed of most if my material from Europe and the Americas. I'm now concentrating on France and the French area, with a slighter collection of the Middle East. I've also kept my GB/Commonwealth, although I haven't done much with that for several years, aside from buying GB decimal stamps to use on ougoing ebay lots. I find that the introduction of decimal currency is a good point to abandon GB collecting, which incidentally saves me from the sheer tedium of Machins!

My collecting areas are largely dictated by my interests in general, particularly when it comes to topicals. If I'm halfway serious about collecting stamps and/or postal history about a certain topic, you can bet that I also have a LOT of non-philatelic books on that subject. Esperanto and other artificial international languages? Check. Runes and runic monuments? Check. J.R.R. Tolkien? Check. Assorted pop culture topics? Check.

Five months ago, I started a "one from everywhere" collection of unused 19th-century postal cards. Why? I really like the aesthetics of a lot of those early cards, so limiting it to the 19th century seemed like a good strategy. And limiting it to one card from each place makes the goal more or less achievable, without completely draining my bank account in the process.

Jack Kelley, you stated it succinctly and correctly. And I am never bored.

I narrowed my focus from worldwide to U.S. only when I first started collecting. Even as a kid, I realized that the way I collect things, this could get out of hand.

Having said that, I have no intentions of narrowing what I collect - which is anything U.S., except for state hunting stamps, so like amccleaf1 said, I'm NEVER bored!

What a great way to spend a retirement!!

I'm thinking that once I have my collection reorganized, sticking with probably Europe from 1900 to 1950 (give or take a couple years). Thats providing reasonable price material.

Agree with both statements ,never bored and great way to spend retirement .

I'm still at the expanding interests stage, as I'm fairly new to this and figuring what I like & don't like so much. Started with WW classic, some Canada and German related (esp Berlin). All of these are great, but also recently really enjoying French African colonies, so adding to those previously collected by my grandfather. Similarly, expanded Canada collection from early 1950s to 1999, I do find our stamps very attractive in general.

Expect this to happen for a few years more, and then I'll try settling down to something more focused and divest the rest - or maybe not!

I've been a plate number coil collector for 30 years, but never started seriously collecting US stamps until about 4 years ago. I started with commemoratives 1893 - 1940 then started collecting definitives 1902-1938. I later added back-of-book by collecting airmails, postage due, and special delivery. I find that I'm happiest when I can achieve small goals in my collecting by finishing a series or particular issue.

I would suggest starting small (say lighthouses) and increasing the scope of your collection over the course of a few years years.

GeoffHa wrote: "but also because I was assembling stamps that didn't interest me......"

That concept, I think, is another reason that led to my downsizing beginning about three years ago. I like what I'm specializing in; previously listed. Other than the France & colonies collections already sold, almost all of the countries I'm discarding don't have enough catalog value to warrant going to auction, in addition to my lack of interest now. I am pulling out a number of higher value stamps; like Israel 7-9 used; for the APS Stamp Store. The rest to the RMPL, also as previously listed.

You don't. As a kid, I collected the world. Then I specialized in U.S. Then Belgium (we lived there for awhile). Then a few other countries. Today, I "specialize" in about 40 countries (sigh) and I still have a huge worldwide collection as my "back up" collection. It's a losing proposition for me to focus anymore. So I'm just enjoying all of it. It's a hobby. It's supposed to be fun.

I'm 68. I have collected stamps since I was about 8 (1958). I started collecting worldwide (like most) and mounted my stamps in a worldwide album using hinges (like most). From there I graduated to collecting U.S., and I now have a fairly formidable U.S. collection to the point where I really shouldn't be spending the amount of money I would have to in order to add a single stamp (4 figures).
This got me to thinking that the most "fun" I ever had collecting stamps was as an eight year old and maybe I should go back to that. My question(s) are....what can I house my stamps in? I would rather have an album(s), but I would rather not spend more that maybe $200. Don't really want to use stock books. Wouldn't mind buying used albums. Wouldn't be greatly upset if there were not spaces for every stamp as I realize at this point that would require 20-30 albums, and that may be low. So bottom line, is there a series of albums that might fit my needs? If so, how do I acquire them (Ebay?).
Additionally, once I have the album(s), how do I mount them. I understand that hinges are not readily available anymore (my U.S. collection is in a hingeless album). Almost forgot, where would the best place to acquire the stamps at a reasonable price be (I fully realize that any money I spend on this collection will never be recouped, and that the most valuable thing in the collection will probably be the albums. Suggestions? Don't say take up coin collecting. I've done that and it's just as costly, if not more.

I narrowed my collection to Worldwide ,just didn't want to expand to Moon and Mars stamps.

What about the "narrow" stamps? Do you collect those as well in a separate album perhaps?

This thread has some topics.

https://goscf.com/t/63909&whichpage=1#555448;

My focus has been current/former British Commonwealth countries to 1980 or so (pre-Disney era). When someone says specialize, I expect some scholarship beyond the stamp, etc. by getting into postal uses, print history, historical aspects, etc.

I purchase mostly country collections so that keeps me from countries I do not collect.

But, accept the facts your tastes will change as you collect.