New To Stamp Collecting, Attempting Complete Canadian Stamp Collection In VF-Mint

Hi,

I just posted in another forum about storage and cataloguing.

My question for this forum is. How many Canadian Stamps including Provinces, b.o.b's etc are there? Has anybody completed this set? Im assuming the early issues from the mid 1800's will be quite pricey and difficult and will take allot of time due to the rarity and availability etc. For the later more common years is it best to buy lot's in order to fill out the collecting or is there a better strategy? Any advice would be great. Also where is the best place to find deals on Canadian stamps and lots?

Thanks and regards

How you buy depends on what type of buying you enjoy. The easiest way to get started is to buy a good quality collection, perhaps in a good quality set of albums if you wish to use printed albums. Follow a few auctions and see what collections go for. ,But others enjoy picking up individual stamps or sets. If you're going to insist on mint Victorian stamps in excellent condition and with very good centring, prepare to spend a lot of money.

Yuuup

Remember this...If every collector insisted on buying mint stamps, and if every collector has the SAME mint stamps...How boring..

There are stamps {used} with god, semi rare and rare cancels.
Also stamps with different perforations that are coming into view over the last couple of years...Watch what JOGIL posts {Perforation Guru}.

Also colour differences...Gum differences, etc., etc.
Regardless..HAVE FUN

Robert


PS - Are you from Nova Scotia??
PS - PS -Welcome to the forum.

Hey Robert, is Brampton, Ontario on Nova Scotia now? (-:


Peter

Just north of Toronto.

A good way to start is looking at Canadian collections at auctions (Maresch, Sparks, Eastern being the major Canadian auction houses). Both Maresch and Sparks have loads of collections for sale in their auctions this month, and future ones I'm sure. You can pick up mostly complete collections - often in albums - that way, and then fill in the rest, depending on what you want. Those holes can be filled through Hipstamp or ebay, or through a Canadian dealer like Arpin (also good for supplies).

An almost complete used collection - just missing the rarities - is not that expensive to put together - obviously an all mint never hinged collection is another level of $$. Personally I am working on MNH from 1897 forward, and mint hinged before that, as mint not hinged for earlier issues are typically more than I'd want to pay...

A Unitrade specialized catalogue is very helpful when collecting Canada/provinces. Particularly if you go down the road of collecting varieties.

Enjoy!

~Greg

Thanks for the replies. I just ordered some vario pages in various sizes and some plastic sleeves for protecting the larger blocks and sheets of stamps.

So far so good I have been pretty lucky so far accumulating maybe around 1000 unique canadian stamps in MNH so far. These are mostly the more common issues.

Thanks again

Remember that, unless you're using a simple ring-binder (two, three or four ring) format, Lighthouse's Vario pages won't fit a proprietary album binder - eg, if you buy a Lighthouse Canada album in ring format, the ring-holes of the Vario pages won't match.

Hi Peter..He had a NS stamp for his avatar..Just curious.

Robert

This makes allot of sense I might have to adopt a similar strategy.

If you don't have one already, your first purchase should be the Unitrade Specialized Catalogue of Canadian Stamps. It's updated every year and it lists every stamp that has been issued. You don't necessarily need the most current one - you can usually find a copy that's a few years old that will be a lot cheaper. Try Frank von Hausen - he often has older used copies:

http://fvhstamps.com/

General observation: splash around in the shallow water and learn the basics of swimming before venturing into the deep water.

Completeness depends on what one bases it on. For some it is based on a catalogue and its numbers while for others it is based on whatever they want to base it on depending on their specialty.

Hi and welcome to the forum. I too am North of Toronto.

To complete Canada would take a lot of resources and big $$$$ for some. Your best bet would be to aim in at a topic you are most interested in. A lot of Canadian collectors specialize in the "Admiral" series, or the "Centennials, others in either the "Small Queens" or the "Large Queens". There are many avenues to explore.

You also might want to expand into the postal history of a particular area in the country too??

Enjoy the forum.

Chimo

Bujutsu

General observation: splash around in the shallow water and learn the basics of swimming before venturing into the deep water.

Just like the song goes...

It's too late to turn back now, I believe I believe Im falling on love,

Sorry I couldnt resist that.

But seriously I have set rules for myself. Anything above Scott #50 must be VF MNH. With attention and focus on nice looking color and centering. Im looking for errors for my collection also. For the earlier issues for the main run, provinces and special stamps I may have to bend my own rules a bit due to cost. Rome wasnt built in day.

Cheers

Enjoy the journey! - note that if you are looking for VF not hinged for #50 (Jubilees up) you'll end up shelling out considerable $$ - in particular, for the high-value Jubilees, King Edward and Queen Vic leaf/numeral definitives.

~Greg