I had intended to ignore this thread because I dislike the word "neo", a word-forming element. I don't see it relevance to modifying the word "philately". Any stamp collector may become a philatelist by carefully studying stamps or covers. There is no need to modify the word "philately" to include the means, whether paper or electronic. The result, acquiring knowledge, is the same. Please keep in mind that stamp dealers must make enough profit selling to collectors to make up for losses selling to philatelists.
I also wanted to respond to floortrader's comment about virtual experts. Few collectors have high quality images stashed on their hard drive. Or, they may not have the means or time to create images from their collection. One result of selling on
ebay for fifteen years and creating presentations for stamp shows or the APS Summer Seminar is thousands of images on my hard drive. Also, high resolution images of stamps and covers from expertizing studies add to the collection. As the images become more organized and better annotated, they form the core of a virtual reference collection. Still, this is not a substitute for an actual reference collection, especially for expertizing.
However, it is sometimes more convenient to search for an image on the web to illustrate a point if time is limited. It should also be noted that URL links are needed to report noteworthy
ebay or HipStamp listings. Posters should pay attention to potential copyright issues if using images from the Internet.
The result is that philately, even if virtual, is still philately.
Posted 05/21/2019 7:25 pm
