Stamp Collecting During The Coronavirus Pandemic

I can't wait until everyone is back working.
I'm getting out bid on almost everything.
Some of the prices people are bidding are incredible!

Timm: I don't understand it either. The unemployment rate is estimated between 15% to 30% across the United States and $1200 stimulus checks aren't enough to cover food, rent, etc., for most unemployed people. Plus, the stock market it down significantly from January, so it's baffling why stamp auctions in general are fetching high prices. Are people using the $1200 stimulus payments to buy non-essential goods instead of helping to pay for food, rent etc..?

Furthermore, it might be risky to buy stamps since the future of the USPS is unknown. They could be bankrupt by September 2020 without Congressional funding.

It's quite simple, is it not? Setting aside the rich, there are plenty of pensioners around, who aren't dependent on working and wages. They have less things to spend their money on - no restaurants, travel, cinema etc - and they're also confined to their homes with ready access to "pay now" buttons.

The best way to get everyone back to work is to require those in power to give up their own income anytime they put others out of work.
Don

Some of us are old enough to remember the increase of stamp collecting due to the marketing ability of H.E.Harris ,then came the crazy inflation of the late 70's . Then the long drought of the 1980's and 1990's .Then came ebay with the huge increase of stamp sales.

Now we got interest again as sales pick up with the stay at home crowd and buyers cleaning up the low end of market ,which gives a lot of us time to clean out the closet again .

"The best way to get everyone back to work is to require those in power to give up their own income anytime they put others out of work".


The Constitution's authors provided that congressional salaries would come from the federal treasury, with Congress setting the actual amount.

The president's salary is set by Congress, and under Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution, may not be increased or reduced during his or her current term of office.

Having read these, exactly what does anyone think the chances of any "requirement of those in power to give up their salary" have of ever happening?

Members of Congress and other politicians could donate their salary as Trump does. Trump does not need it anyway but many politicians could use a dose of economic reality.

Meaning no dis-respect, gentlemen, if you want to talk politics, please consider a thread on the General Discussion board.

Back on topic, the foot of snow I referenced some three weeks ago is long gone and now yard work is cutting into my stamp time. But, unlike a couple of you, I'm not bidding on anything. I picked up a few things earlier in the year, including a collection of East Africa & Uganda Protectorate, to eventually blend into my British East Africa collection. That was a decent deal from Dr. Bob Friedman in suburban Chicago. Otherwise, it's continuing to sort Portuguese Colonies, and then back to some re-mounting, and blending in new purchases from prior years. No plans to buy anything more until Great American Stamp Show in August, if that happens.

And, floortrader, thanks for the trip down memory lane. When I was a kid back in the 1960s, I bought a lot of Honor Bilt packets from H.E. Harris. Still have one of those little Harris, "semi-pocket-sized," paperback catalogues from 1965.

Some do and some don't. And Trump has made millions from being president, at least before the virus closed everything down.

"The best way to get everyone back to work is to require those in power to give up their own income anytime they put others out of work."

Trump has never accepted his salary from the government and it is returned back to the government

I think all of the Democrats and Republicans do the same.

A few have, most do not. Bloomberg did as mayor of NYC; technically they each get $1 per year.

It's made me resume the hobby in earnest. My sports getting cancelled (badminton is now allowed again, though) and the fact I've been working from home has given me more free time thanks to no longer having to commute back and forth to work.

This is only a factor if you're buying mint U.S. stamps with the intention of using them for postage. It has absolutely no effect on buying mint U.S. stamps as collectibles, mint stamps from foreign countries, or used stamps from anywhere.

If you're buying stamps from a dealer in the U.S. and the USPS collapses before your order is shipped out, then yes, this could be a problem.

A good amateur radio friend of mine drives a mail truck for our local contract carrier of mail to and from outlying post offices to our mail sorting facility. He is seeing an increasing volume of packages especially large ones of light weight. TP by mail?

I don't understand the talk about other people's money , that is a subject for another chat room .

I rather read and talk about stamps here and the big increase of stamps sales due to the stay -at-home situation and how it is bring out a lot of buyers{ I think that is what the original poster open this page for } .