Collecting US Stamps

Honestly, who cares? Collect what you want to collect. Stop giving a damn what anyone else says.

I've always liked the 1938 - 1950 US stamps and they can be purchased cheap. Huge inventories to choose from and attractive stamps.

The Army / Navy set has always been a favorite of mine.

As a U.S. collector, I have yet to be berated on this site. I must be doing something wrong.

I agree with others who posted 1934-present is a relatively inexpensive way to get your collection going. a lot of spaces can get filled for not a lot of money. As I progress I will start focusing more on pre 1934 issues. small collections and lots on ebay and other places is a great way to start.

Steve,
you have just one HUGE decision to make.

Follow Gibbons Cataloguing, (stamps in issue date)
or Scott, Air and semi postal are segregated

Choose wisely my friend.

A lot of very nice, inexpensive US collections can also be created from several "back of the book" areas as well.

If you use a catalogue organised on a rational basis, ie Gibbons, you can always order your stamps in your album as you wish. If you use one that creates weird separations, it's much harder to work backwards from that.

It all depends on what one is used to. I find the Gibbons method very jarring; I have been using Scott for 60+ years and am used to the separations.

It's odd that people have trouble following stamps listed in order of issue, but are OK with stamps from the same set being listed in two different sections of a catalogue - and separated by scores of pages in the case of Scott albums,

That's the difference really, isn't it? Whether or not one considers them to be from the same "set" or not. I think of them along the lines of "similar design different issue." For me, a "set" is multiple designs of a common theme issued either at the same time or consistent, periodic basis. Other than that, they're different issues to me.

classic paper

I collect primarily US stamps but alo get international and UN stamps. AS I am still young to this hobby I get most stamps for their design but I do try to complete some easy, short sets.

Here are a few you can get very cheaply and easily:

1950 3 cent National Capitol Sesquicentennial -- ignore the inflated price at Mystic bay but the information otherwise is quite good -https://www.mysticstamp.com/Products/United-States/992/USA/
2018 Statue of Freedom stamp series is an affordable way to get the design used on the 1923 Head of Freedom Statue on the US Capitol Dome. The 1923 stamp is not expensive but still runs anywhere from $100 - 200. Personally I like the 2018 rendition more than the 1923.
1961 - 1963 Centennial War series is a classic. This would be nicely paired with the 2012 Sesquicentennial Civil War issued in 2012. https://www.mysticstamp.com/Product...4664-65/USA/

Another project which would take a little extra time but is quite affordable are the Transportation Series coil stamps issued in the US from the mid 1980's to early 1990's. Engraved and very cool series. Quite popular but easy to get. Just a very long series. The National Postal Museum offers info about it and is a great resource of info on US stamps. https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibit...ive-series-1

As for current series available at face value - The Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express stamps are lovely and gain a premium rather quickly for ultra-modern stamps. Plus they produce 5 million or less of these and the remain available only 1 - 2 years. The Literary Arts Series has been going on for 33 years which highlights US writers and poets for the three ounce 98 cent stamps. One of the longest stamp series from the US Postal Service is the Black Heritage series spanning 44 years. Presently they have Edmonia Wilson, sculptor for 2022 and August Wilson, playwright for 2021 available on the site. https://store.usps.com/store/result...93lv?Nrpp=24

Now if you are into coil and sheetlet stamps and want to dig deeper into a series the seemingly mundane US Flag stamps can present much more than one thinks with these stamps. The 2022 Flag Stamps are produced in 6 formats but Scott catalog recognize 5 major design varieties. The differences are subtle - location of microprint to determine the printer (also how the back plate number is presented is another indicator), perforations can have one do a little sleuthing to get all of the designs.

The great thing about post 1934 US stamps is there are tons for a collector on any budget to acquire. Granted a collection of 3 - 5 cent commemoratives from 1940 - 1965 will hardly leave you with a very valuable collection (maybe in another 100 - 200 years when everyone has exhausted using them for postage or tossed them and finding unused ones starts to become difficult). But it will be a rich and informative one!