Where Do You Draw The Line And Stop Collecting New US Issues?

My worldwide used collection stops at 1968 (Scott Intl vol 6 set the standard). My US is in a National album and I collect through $0,25 issues, a favorite number and good a line as any.

As a beginner collector I am still in the phase of establishing these parameters for myself.

Aesthetically speaking, I am so far more drawn to the stamps prior to 1970. That's not a hard line drawn for myself, but a preference so far. I don't know enough yet to be able to articulate why, but I suspect it's based on design and printing methods, as well as something more intangible about the allure of a more distant past.

I have more recent issues that are gorgeous for different reasons. I imagine as I begin to focus my interests the time frames might become more specific too

I have a carefully thought-through method of collecting U.S. stamps. It's been repeatedly tested over time, and here's how it works.

Every few years, I agree with myself to adopt a fixed ending year for my collection. At one point that ending year was 1975 for no particular reason, but it seemed to make good sense.

Then, a few years later, I regretted not buying the stamps that were issued after that date, so I moved the ending date later and bought the missing stamps at prices substantially higher than if I'd bought them new at the post office at face value.

The new ending date always lasts for awhile. After all, I'm no fool! But, eventually, since I'm still alive and breathing (who would have guessed?), eventually it happens all over again, and I regret not buying the newer stamps that I could have had at face value, so I move the ending date later again and buy the missing stamps at a premium. Remember, I said this was well thought-through.

This began some decades ago at 1975, then 1980 which worked for awhile until I decided 1990 was a much better date. It was a nice round number, after all, and who doesn't like a nice round number? After awhile, 1995 seemed to make more sense, though, then 2000 which was, after all, the "millennium" or something.

Then, still being alive (much to my own surprise), I moved the ending date of my U.S. collection to 2010. Then to 2015 which is where it is now at its "obvious" ending point that no one, not even me, could possibly disagree with.

But, I have to tell you, I'm getting that itch again and 2020 is starting to seem like the far better and more obvious date I "should" have chosen years ago if only I had been as smart back then as I am now.

Fortunately, we all have a lifespan of a only certain number of years, so this problem will solve itself. I certainly hope so, anyway.
With my luck, the night I fall asleep and never wake up will be the night I move the ending date of my U.S. collection to 2030. I can't possibly live that long, can I? It's inconceivable. But I'm giving it some thought.

A friend gave me a mini sheet of the US SCOTT 4805 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE SHEET OF 20 STAMPS, Perry Victory stamp as they live in that area. A nice gift and likely I will use that as the cutoff as I will then be able to use some of the newer material as postage and might never have to purchase a stamp again.
That commemorative was issued on September 10th, 2013.

I started collecting stamps of the USA in 2022 when someone commented that he knew no one in the North east of England who collected them. Isoon got 2 stock books full and 2 collections at an auction. Browsing through I decided that a collection running from roughly the end of the great War to the end of 1990 covers a good variety of designs and styles. If I change the dates it will be to go back in History. As I read B Muellers book on US postal stamps, and now have USPS and Gibbons catalogs I can begin to see the differences in the earlier stamps

I choose to keep my US up to date. I get the all-different design minisheets and high value stamps direct from USPS and got the rest as singles/se-tenant from a dealer on hipstamp for face +50%. Total cost was US$175 or so, which works out to only ~US$3.50/week or so.

I stopped my US at 2000 mostly because my mother was still buying me sheets & I was still buying some stamps in the 90s. I was a kid in the 70s and bought new stamps then, my mom kept buying sheets for fun well into the 90s.

Ireland I also took to 2000, worldwide I stopped at 1960.

I have no problem with the Inverted Jenny mini sheet. I have one, but don't ask what my next newest US offering is. No clue.

I stopped collecting U.S. at 2020. those "day of the dead" & "message monster" stamps
were the last straw. They've issued crappy stamps before but those were about the worst.

I've recently decided to stop my collection of US issues at 1970. I find there is a relative consistency with the designs up through the 60's, but after that it seems like the art is kinda all over the place.
There may be individual stamps post-1970 that I choose to seek out, but as far as trying to complete a set, that's my cutoff.

I collect all the US issues I can afford up to the Prexie era. After that, I collect what interests me, including flag EFOs, joint issues, high-face-value stamps, ducks, Liberty series, inauguration / presidential covers, and commemorative blocks or sheets I just like - mostly ones with a classic design that commemorate major events in US history.

I don't see a lot of challenge and don't have any interest in buying large numbers of trivial-to-find and trivial-to-identify stamps that are at-best worth face value.

Stopped my US stamps at 1990. Seemed like a good place at the time. Plate Blocks stopped at 1980. No real reason other than I wanted to gain a little control over my collection and focus more on what I have. I still have plenty of spaces to fill anyway.

I essentially stopped in Dec 2002, after the issuance of the last gummed U.S. stamp (3648), with the following exceptions (so my heirs don't have to pay exorbitant prices in the future)
:
1 - Priority and Express Mail plate blocks and singles

2 - Plate blocks and singles of any U.S. stamp with a denomination of $1 or more

3 - A few selected topicals i.e.the LOVE, Lighthouses, and Non-machinable (butterfly) series

I draw the line may the 31 1847,

I have not been collecting US-Stamp but now I will, bought my first Cigar-box filled witth US-Stamp, thought it was Cuban Cigars so was a little disapointed

.

I haven't drawn a line. If I was buying mint stamps I would have drawn the line somewhere in the 1940's. There are still some attractive stamps that are produced (though they are scarce at this point).

I lucked out with the above which has a very light cancel.