I have been reading through the archives over several days while waiting for my next batch of stamps to arrive. I was born in the 60's and grew up in the 70's. I am from the last generation (X-Y) assumed as automatically returning to stamps.
Many think children born into computers won't get the stamp itch as senior citizens. However, the future is not set in stone. The problem with stamps is much bigger than no one writes letters anymore. The hobby has major integrity issues to solve.
I was passed down some stamps as a child like most kids back then. There is a purity to it on the one hand as in the hobby in itself. But otherwise, stamp collecting has a long undeniable history of having been a total ripoff. That is why for the most part the hobby has hit rock bottom for popularity.
The main benefit to the precipitous drop in perceived value is the hobby finally appears to give the opportunity to get one's money worth as in better stamps. This is merely an adjustment phase called market corrections. I have adjusted by not collecting common stamps. They accumulate. I don't display or work on them. That was my first decision when getting back into stamps a few years ago.
People are saying enough is enough with getting ripped off by stamps. It's looked on as a racket. Dealers need to cough up the goods or there will be no money spent. That is what happened and what will continue to take place.
I bought some mints, plate blocks and first day covers as a teenager to add to what had naturally been accumulating after a relative had gifted an old-school album. Letter writing was a big part of life. Stamps seemed important to save. I probably bought a jumbo bag or two of cheap garbage stamps from the big companies. Later on in my twenties, I would try to sell the collection. One dealer offered $6. Ouch!
Cheap common stamps have always been in abundance, but I had no idea at the time. How could my stamps have been worth so little money? My conclusion was that stamp dealers were corrupt. Now many years later, I realise it was not that simple.
On the positive side, since returning to the game now going on a bunch of years, obviously something has changed if I am actually loving stamps. I am completely addicted. I would not be surprised if there is an addiction element to this, but perhaps that could be said about anything. The drop in prices is enabling me to acquire stamps I never would have during youth.
The catalog values have never been too accurate. I'm trying to avoid common sense debate aspects of the hobby that have been discussed enough elsewhere. I am conceding it is a hobby and leisure more than the money part. But then again, the valuation of stamps has always been a big part of it.
One big lie that should have been explained sooner was that common stamps have always been given a charity rating of ten cents to a quarter. Today it seems to have leveled up to 30 cents. It is pure fiction. We all know it and that's why I'm not trying to reinvent any wheels with this blog entry.
I find the accumulating part much more fun than putting it all together, although the latter as endgame is where personal pride can develop. I love the identifying and finding of non-common stamps. I want to create a collection in which the stamp dealer or whomever will not be able to deny the collection's greatness. I don't mind the 10% number. Dealers and stamp ptb's need to accept it or find new jobs? Put all stamps online with every variant explained. That should be public free knowledge. Stat people or whomever could volunteer to create realistic pricing. No one should have to pay for catalogs.
I keep an inventory. A source I have been buying from seems to appreciate stamps as treasure hunt. They seem to understand the new stamp economy, so I am still into it.
I don't need to find a $5,000 stamp. I am currently having no problem finding $20-$50 stamps for c.v. value. I know they are not worth that much, but they are definitely uncommon and worth something. Such stamps were never before available. It's all fun and good for me after stamps crashed. I do sincerely feel bad for anyone who was ripped off.
I haven't checked out the stamp smarter website, but I respect Don for putting that sort of thing together. Catalogs need to be replaced with free, open identification of all stamps. I'm not saying Stanley Gibbons was a serial killer, but he might have been.
I wonder how many stamp collectors experienced anguish in the 50's and 60's after finding out they had damaged their mints by using hinges. They should have known better? What about the folks who sent their collections to auctions colluded on by crooked dealers? What's up with a so-called alleged New York cartel? I saw the news article. I've seen the damage that Crystal Mounts could afflict. Scandals everywhere. Ripoffs galore. Everyone got taken to the cleaners by stamps. That's why the hobby is all battered and bruised. The truth hurts.
The harsh, brutal truth is that we are now never quite sure what we have due to reperforations, regummings, tough to figure out variations and flaws, faults, bad centerings, etc.. Law enforcement couldn't care less about stamp crimes?
We are told to take it to the experts who are the dealers. What the sport needs is more people like Don. It needs the collectors who are in this for a love of the game over profit.
But we must also ask what can be done to stop people from getting ripped off. It is not good enough to calculate the enjoyment quotient as a write-off. No, if I spend $200 on stamps, I expect some amalgamation equaling that or close enough. The best things in life are meant to be free. I'm not saying make the stamps free, but let's put an end to people getting ripped off. That is the only thing that will save the hobby long-term.
Even though I probably come across as an arrogant know-it-all, I respect the sport and realise there is so much I don't understand. I want to know how to see reperfs and regums. I am getting there. It does take time. It does get easier too. It is not an impossible sport. It is definitely one that anyone can master. It is not rocket science.
The great thing about prices dropping is not only the sudden availability of fancier stamps. It means one needn't sweat over question marks. If I am unsure if a stamp has been tampered with, it's okay. I'll just jot a note in the inventory. The collector shouldn't be penalised due to others' crimes. It's not about money, so if I lose some stamps due to integrity, I'd rather know.
What the hobby needs to figure out is how much of the stamps in circulation are tainted. It is better to know. We should have been informed sooner that common stamps are close to worthless. I've come across some forgeries. It is quite disturbing to be unsure of items. There's a blog out of India- the dude is mad calling out stamps as garbage. He makes it sound like stamps are no more real than professional wrestling. It would scare away anyone.
I could ramble on forever, so I will stop there for a part one of this post.
Yesterday on page 24 of this section I came across a long locked thread titled, "Re: Modern Fake Stamps are Flooding the Market."
https://goscf.com/t/46376I have a number of those Leaders of the World stamps from various Caribbean island countries. They were in one of the first lots I bought since returning to the hobby. They were all bent and looked like a big chunk of Pringles potato chips. I am not a shill, but that snack is the best way to describe the condition.
Stamp collecting is like learning how to ride a bike. You never forget. So I retained basics such as soaking stamps off of envelopes and then flattening them in books. These were/are mint stamps, so I skipped the water part and put them into books. Long story short, I fixed the stamps.
The person in the above thread is very mysterious. I cannot tell if that is a real person or not. It is a human being of course, but it could be anyone. It could be an agent working out of GCHQ or a Pentagon/FBI cubicle for all anyone knows. But the off-shoot topics are real. There was that dude Clive Feigenbaum. Now that's a real confirmed name. And the thread does lead into aspects of stamp history which contributed to its apparent downfall or flattening out as a national hobby.
No. One. Likes. To. Get. Ripped. Off. Period.
I personally hate the cancelled to orders. Talk about a scam. I almost quit stamps a second time a year or two ago from those. It makes one so mad. A cancelled stamp should not have mint gum on it with fake cancels. Those are bogus, despicable stamps and I refuse to collect them. Sure, some of the older ones are worth money. I am not against them completely but almost all of them. I've got a sheet from North Korea which would be worth about $70 c.v. if it wasn't c.t.o.. Maybe it is worthless. It'd be nice to know.
My general rule, however, is to not collect c.t.o.'s. They are another thing that must be repelling new collectors. Those are nasty and were as immoral if not more so than a lot of Feigenbaum's efforts.
My Leaders of the World stamps are from real countries such as St. Vincent. I only kept the higher values. I don't throw out common stamps nor damaged higher priced stamps, but they do get bundled and stored. I think common and flawed good stamps will eventually rise in value but that it could take hundreds of years or it definitely won't be any time soon.
I was interested in that thread because I did want to know if mine are forgeries. I'm not even sure there are any forgeries. Maybe the person used computer programs to photo-shop different colours. The forgery thing could be a hoax or otherwise simulated activity. Apparently according to the mysterious person, one can tell through the gum whether one has the legit or fake stamps. The originals had gum that bent with conditions according to the troll. The Pringles test makes me feel confident I have the real stuff.
So in regards to my stamps, it looks like mine are legit and real. There was another long thread at Stamporama in 2012 including the same person. I'm having trouble finding the link to Stamporama but it is included within the above link. The individual was claiming that there were not millions of stamps made for each country. A million is not bad for a print run. I am a modest person. I am not searching for ultra pricey stamps. If I find a stamp worth $6.90 for c.v., I get the same thrill as if it were c.v. hyped at $50. It's another uncommon stamp to keep.
I did not like the snobbery of the Stamporama board. I do not like the troll nor trust him, but I did not appreciate the stamps called wallpaper. Mine are not Cinderellas. I think Feigenbaum used to run Stanley Gibbons. Feigenbaum is hated because he figured out how to scam the scammers?
I get that Tuvalu was a big stretch and then especially with the fake printing errors, but I don't have leaders of the world stamps from there or inverted Michael Jackson. What about Japan making a million stamps each year? Yes that is hyperbole but try to identify those. That wasn't exploiting the stamp collectors?
Real countries hired Feigenbaum and his people, no? It's not my fault I own the stamps and they are real and not wallpaper whatever that implies. Admin and others seemed to be lumping too much into the same story and he also admitted to buying and selling the stuff he condemns. It was quite hypocritical.
Some people are not going into stamps because they don't like the snobbery. It's okay to collect cheesy stamps. Condition and print runs tend to be the two most important factors, imho. It's frustrating to find a nice stamp in regards to catalog value but then realise it is cancelled to order or damaged.
How about mints after 1940 which have a hinge mark? Ugh! But I still love stamps. I am now obsessing on my Leaders of the World stamps.
I find it all fascinating. I want there to be a stamp revolution. Free all the data. E.G., what was the print run of every stamp? What's wrong with my leader of the world "wallpaper" if they are apparently worth some good money? I like looking at them. They are listed as real stamps. I have a Lundy stamp from I think 1954. That's a Cinderella, but it happens. I don't go out of my way looking for them. They are usually worthless. But due diligence is part of the stamp hunt.
I am not blind to flaws and the grading system. It is part of the fun. It has always been a part of it. I learn along the way. I say no to commons, c.t.o.'s and to most mints with hinge marks that shouldn't have them. I try to identify every stamp and do keep an inventory. I am up to approximately $20,000 in catalog value to butcher but I tried to be choosy with standards. 15% for true value ($3,000) would feel fair. I grok that it is next to impossible to make money at this. But it does seem possible to break even. That would make the hobby explode in popularity.
I am unsure if such a revolution will take place, but it apparently has for myself and those of us still in the hunt. I am not completely against common stamps, but to me it is always about weeding them out. I advise people into them to search for the very best or it would seem pointless money wise. Common stamps are boring. That's just me. I'm not trying to offend anyone. I am hunting for the bigger values. People should definitely not have to spend much money. To me, philately is mostly about the identifying and preservation of stamps worth the money to house them for presentation and fair trade, not ripoffs.
I have so many nice stamps I never expected to acquire. I need to figure out scanning and then I'll probably make some gratuitous what do I have here threads and scam ye out of your insider knowledge. I have one stamp that might c.v. around $700, but I am afraid someone will burst the bubble. It is true that most stamps will not be the variant we want. It is still fun and eventually good stuff shows up from hard work. It is a thrill to find $10-20 stamps based on watermarks and perfs.
I understand some of my stamps could be or are probably fake in some way. I am not naive about how bad centering or flaws hurt value. But one still feels it's just gotta be worth something.
Stamps as sport has been damaged.
I have those German liberty bells. Say there are twelve in the set with a retail fantasy value of $150. I don't care if they are only worth $15. They pass all available tests for true philately value. I'd like them to be worth more and perhaps they are. Stamps are addicting. I am keeping nice mints with hinge marks if they have high value and good condition. They must be worth something.
Stamp snobs want to ruin people's buzz. Some want to rip us off. The old model was clear cut ripping us off. That's why stamps are not so popular right now. I am currently on a good run putting together a nice collection. It wouldn't be possible if stamp values hadn't fallen. This feels like a pure buy while it's low period.
Stamps will never die. There are finite numbers for stamps and those always drop. I have a few stamps in which there were only 20,000 for a print run. I like to find stamps in which there were less than a million made. It doesn't mean they are worth a fortune. You guys all know this stuff. But stamps have value, no doubt, even the common stamps are worth a pittance.
I am picky. I am proud and a little snobby about my growing collection. It's all about context and truth in stamping. It's a hobby but the money part can't and shouldn't be denied either.
Posted 12/02/2018 7:11 pm
