Dormant Stamp Collector

Like many, I collect U.S. I started collecting when I was 7, and it is now 61 years later. For my income level my collection is basically complete. I can't justify spending what I would need to spend to add a single stamp. Even if I did it wouldn't be much fun to be adding 1 or 2 stamps a year to my collection.
Because of this situation I've considered collecting worldwide (as I did when I was 7) prior to 1960. I'm wondering if there is an album (or two) that would cover that time span. Additionally, is there a ready source for used stamps of that era (I wouldn't mind soaking off paper)?

I am sure others have better ideas, but there are still several ads out there to buy bulk lots - (look in Linn's or The American Philatelist) - where you can buy kiloware, and many list years for the stamps in the lot. Also, there are several kiloware or bulk lot dealers on ebay.

You can also likely purchase an older album on ebay.

I started re-collecting the world a few years ago. But instead of whole countries and all stamps - I pick a country and then decided. It might be the first (appox.) 3000 or 400 stamps from a country (such as Cameroun), or it might be just selected sets (or some individuals) that I just happen to like (from Argentina; Mexico; Ireland) - these could be from any era.

In this way I do not have to be any kind of completist AND I can collect within a reasonable budget.

Good luck.

Almost my situation exactly except I started at 12 yrs, 60 yrs ago. I did the add 1 or 2 stamps a year thing to my U.S. collection for a few years until it wasn't worth the time or money anymore. Over the last year I've made fits and start in several WW stamp areas, but have yet to find one that continues to hold my interest. There are a lot of countries out there who's stamps I have yet to look at. So hope springs ---.

Hello.
I have stopped almost all my collections in the year 2000.
Now, when I see a stamp that I like, I collect the complete series, without importing the country.
I have more than 100 series in dance and amuse myself more that collecting countries, though I continue Germany and Switzerland.
Regards.

I've heard that Mystic Stamp Company has a bunch of random worldwide stamp collections and that you can choose stuff that's a bunch of different countries or sets that are just one country. I know they have US albums and UN albums, but not sure about foreign... Other people might have better suggestions, but at least it might give you some idea of where you'd like to start.

howell1018

As far as albums for personal use, I would go with Scott Internationals or Minkus SUPREME Globals.

Used with stamps is one way to go for the stamps but be very careful if you want to use used albums.

Many are missing sections and/or countries which won't be declared

I went that route and ended up buying all new pages and moving stamps into them on a continual basis.

If you only want pre 1940 you could always go with the Vintage reproductions.

Each has their pro's and con's depending on who you talk to.

I have all 3 and use them all.

Rather than buy an entire album (or several such) and have pages for items you do not want to get, look for the folks selling CD's of album pages you can print out yourself.

For about $10, you can get such a disc that encompasses the entire world and simply print off the pages that you want. No waste. Buy 48 pound (or heavier) paper at a Staples-type store, get an electric hole punch and some three ring binders and you are all set.

I have been doing it for years and am delighted with the convenience

Like many of the above respondents, I started collecting at age 10 or so, exclusively US, and as I got older primarily 1903 issue and earlier. Much of it was unused including some fairly expensive singles including the pictorials, no grill pictorials, and scarce varieties such as 271a and 272a. Naturally, as I got older and my impressions of the advisability of sinking further significant sums into the hobby with my perception of the future US market sobering, my number of new purchases dwindled.

It so happened that my grandfather had collected stamps when he was a travel agent scouting out new area for his clients. He housed the stamps he collected (heavy in central and South America) he housed in a blue international album. As that album began falling apart as I added to it, I bought a 4 volume Scott international set up to 1940. Although I have stamps later than that my main WW focus is 1940 and before engraved. I found that the US does not have exclusivity for beautiful classic stamps. Virtually the entire world, including what we would consider some of the poorest countries on earth put out beautiful engraved stamps between 1893 and 1930. Among these would be : British commonwealth, BEA, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Haiti, Labuan and north Borneo, Monaco, Portugal, Rhodesia, etc.

As a kid, I collected US. When I retired, I dug out the old album. After a flurry of buying, I'm in a similar situation. There are still a few that I can afford, but not many. In an old album I inherited from my grandfather, I found some odd long stamps. Well, I started collecting revenues. On this forum, some people were discussing postal stationary. I wondered what the hell that was, found out, and bought an album. My son gave me some books on German history. Eventually I started collecting German States and Reich. Now I'm done. No new collections. But I can go on a buying splurge and buy 20 stamps in a day, and it will cost me $45 to $100.

Don

I am similar to you guys except I restarted in my 50s once my kids got out of high school. I now focus on postal history since it offers so much more! For each stamp on cover you can collect by; the actual stamp, cancellation types, town cancels, pictorial postmarks, solo usage, who it was sent to or by whom, event usage, early usage, first day, autographs, picture postcards, etc... it greatly expands the collecting experience and you can do it just for stamps or series that you have a preference for. Now my stamps on cover tell a story!

I like that phrase.

My MNH U.S. collection is very nearly at that point. With the exception of the alternate Bugs Bunny pane (Scott 3138), I've filled all the spaces in my album from 1931 to 2005, which is my cutoff, except for issues that interest me topically. I've been trying to fill in some spaces before 1931, but in the last six months I've only bought four stamps toward that end. Of the MNH stamps I'm still lacking from 1922 to 1930, only seven have Scott values under $50, and only one is under $20.

Same situation here. Switched to worldwide using a Minkus Comprehensive album that goes up to 1958. I love it because it's small enough to be "completable" but has enough to keep you busy and searching for several years to fill it (I'm about 95% full and that took about 15 years of stamp bourses, auctions, and hipstamp). What started as a single 3" binder is now four 3" binders ( didn't know stamps could be that thick!). BTW, there was someone selling a Minkus Comprehensive & Minnie Master Global last week you might want to check out. Here's a link to it:

https://goscf.com/t/65516

I started collecting stamp at the age of 14, so from 1947 to 2020
mint, single, Pair, Blocks and sheet of India. USA stamps since 1974
to 2018 stopped in 2019. UNO 1975 to 2000 and Canada stamps from 1976
to 2009. USA wild life.some Albums created mostly kept in Sheets in Files. Whole sheets Customized Parchment Paper Books. Now Have started
scanning and trying to finalize Albums.

Cheers

I started collecting stamps at 7 years old . Started with 10 cents for 100 different stamps in the back of BOYS LIFE magazine . Never given up . I grew the collection over the years .

It is a decent size now .....

I collect a number of countries as a sideline from my postal history collections. I use Steiner (stampalbums.com) pages. One-time purchase of a $50 CD and you have all countries, all periods to work from.

General preprinted albums all have significant limitations on space, short sets, etc. I am fastidious about complete sets so that solution wouldn't work for me, except for expensive specialty albums.