Color Deficiency And Stamp Collecting

Hi all,

Have come across some circumstantial evidence that I may have a bit of trouble seeing red. I have always thought that it was difficult to read certain colors on top of each other for example, but just attributed it to having nearsightedness (20/700 without contacts or glasses). I finally looked it up and saw that sure enough, having trouble reading red on yellow and misidentifying colors in bad light are signs of mild colorblindness. Basically I think red appears a bit darker or duller to me than to everyone else (10-20% maybe) but it is only the fine shades or poor light that make it noticeable.

So here is the question: is a color deficiency deadly to stamp collecting, in the conventional sense, or are there work-arounds? I could get taken by some sleight of hand thinking a $5 reddish orange stamp is a $50 red one for example. I am sure I have stuck a few of the newer varieties in the wrong place of my US album because they look the same to me. The stuff about being able to collect for postmark etc. would be too dull to me to do that alone.

Also, are there countries or time periods that would matter less?

First of all, it is sensible to realise that devices are not the only source of perceiving colours differently. Every person does so as well.

Having trouble discerning certain colours or even hues is an obstacle for a shade collector. Still if he knows a trustworthy dealer, that is possible.

Other than that, why should it be deadly to stamp collecting? Know your limitations and act accordingly. Happily buy the cheaper variety and look for help in checking if it is the more expensive one. Avoid buying the expensive one, unless you have help or can trust the seller.

And let's be honest: if you buy based on internet images, there is no certainty the stamp looking like a $ 50 red one isn't, in fact, the $ 5 orange red one anyway. Being mildly colourblind makes no difference then.

There is a test you can administer yourself to determine color blindness. It consists of dots of color and numbers within the colored circle. This will tell you which colors are affected by your sight. It maybe helpful to administer this to yourself. You then will know which colors that you see are affected. I think most people are affected with color blandness to some degree. This will help you determine yours. You can find this test on line but best to get a printed version issued to Optometrists. This could help you adjust your sight to better detect the color you or seeing. A printed version will have a answer sheet by numbered circle so you can see immediately your perception of color. It is a test they give pinting pressman and others that must perceive colors to do their jobs.

You may find a printed copy at your local library or even ask your doctor. I think taking the test would help everyone. It cost nothing but a small amount if your time and could assist you in your collecting field in our case collecting stamps.

Interesting thoughts, Uknjay and NSK. I did take some of the internet quizzes last month. The basic ones I passed with no problem. There was another with more detail, and I passed it with some squinting on the red and purple. The most detailed online quiz said that I had mild colorblindness, and I couldn't see the lines they insisted were there on the last few questions. Didn't pay for the detailed report (I don't know what my tablet could be doing to colors) so didn't get anything more.

I do have an annual eye appointment in about a month so that would be a good chance to ask for the test Uknjay mentioned, if I don't find it on my own. I have told him I get eyestrain sometimes and there doesn't seem to be a good reason for it.

1. Nobody can see colours as well in poor light as in ideal light (which is bright daylight without direct sunshine). The poorer the light, the more we use the rods in our retinas instead of the cones, and the rods provide only greyscale vision. So I don't think you need to worry about that.

2. Experts may be able to identify the shade of a single stamp, but the rest of us have to rely on comparison. And the comparison has to be done with reference material, because it's a fact that the longer one stares at two identical stamps, the more likely it is that they'll seem to be different shades. So making mistakes in identifying shades is something else you don't need to worry about.

3. There's a personal, cultural and linguistic element in naming colours. I've been professionally tested for colour-blindness and found to have perfect colour vision, but I still use "blue" to describe shades that all my friends call "green". Brains differ just as much as eyes, and if your brain sees "reddish orange" as "red", just as my brain sees "blue-green" as "blue", that's yet another thing that you don't need to worry about.

So, there are at least three reasons not to worry!

I recently released free colour matching software called ChromaMate that you might find helpful.
The current version is still pre-release, but it is fully functional.

More details can be found here https://goscf.com/t/90578

Clive

Clivel, will have to take a look the next time I am on the laptop. It needs a stouter operating system than my android tablet has!

Thank you for sharing!

Pjr yes that is true, but my eyes seem to switch over to black and white faster than others do. From across a parking lot, I won't be able to tell maroon from blue for example, while the person I am with will match up correctly. Also, I have found I am a better nighttime driver when I look for white objects. For example, can spot a narrow white post holding up a red reflector faster than I can spot the red reflector itself, unless it is electrically lit. All circumstantial though.

It is good that we do all see color a bit differently, because that is interesting, if harder to trade stamps.

There are color-blindness correcting glasses you can wear. They are quite amazing. They get people who see only in black and white to see colors for the first time, so I imagine they'd "fix" whatever red color problem you have at least while you have them.

I can't think of any reason this problem would have any serious impact on collecting stamps. I still disagree half the time on the silly color names and color identifications catalogues use for many stamps.

And now a color blindness story: My grandfather was color blind, but never bothered to mention it to anyone. I first discovered this when as a teenager I wandered into his bedroom suite once (very large house) and saw his week's worth of shirts on hangers with ties draped around them. I asked my parents why he did that and they said he had to have my grandmother match his ties to his shirts or he'd make strange color mistakes sometimes. That's when I first realized he was color blind.

When I was a much younger man my girlfriend's brother was color blind and managed to fool the US Navy so that he could serve on a submarine which he did for six years.

I agree with Drew that the stamp color nuances are most silly. They were driven by dealers finding creative ways to extract collectors money.

Not to be too dramatic, but it could also be a bit of a cataract yellowing kicking in. I just had cataract surgery on my right eye, and now I see the brightest, most beautiful colors out of that one. Unfortunately, my left eye wasn't along enough, so they delayed surgery for another 6 months. The difference is quite amazing, as I said my right eye sees all colors great, but the left eye, in the same lighting, sees a yellow haze over everything. That "may" explain some difficulties seeing some colors, but not an expert by any means.

I submit that most red shades as variations are crap-shoots these days. Reds are the worst for being colorfast, and the best approach is to find a dealer you trust if you must collect such variations, but better is to just leave them alone.

I'm red green color blind and this does raise some issues on occasion. I find the color guides to be very helpful and I have one similar to this old thread. https://goscf.com/t/10294 I find that most shirts go with black pants ;)

So if I am understanding the feedback, there are some takeaways:
* calibrating is more important than actually identifying the color. In other words if I see a dingy looking red and match it to a dingy looking red in a catalog, I probably have the right one, even if most people see it as brighter.
* despite the fuss specialized catalogs such as Michel make over different shades of color, many collectors just don't want to bother with the close shades, for various reasons.
* stamp colors fade over time, making color identification more difficult for everyone

Thank you and feel free to keep the thoughts coming!

So here is my follow up- why do some collectors get invested in collecting these different shades of stamps, if the above is true (colors fade, people see them differently, etc)? There is also big money in the different shades, sometimes, or can the catalog be believed? I thought value was based on scarcity and interest, if less interest then less value.

Gathering is in our genes. If rationality would be a consideration, likely, no one would collect a single stamp.

Different people gather different things, just like some of us like to watch ice dancing and others like to watch downhill skying.