How Long Have You Been Stamp Collecting?

I have only been stamp collecting for a couple weeks now. Just wondering, how long have you guys been stamp collecting?

 

Started collecting stamps when I was 10, and have been doing it now for 35 years. Have been loving every minute of it. The amount of history you learn is awesome. Hopeful you will enjoy it as much as I have.

 

I started collecting stamps when I was in second year high school back in 1998.
But that was "on and off" kind of collecting since I am not actively collecting through those years. I just collect when I will have an opportunity to collect. Right now I am very thankful for those who helps me in my collection. Thanks guys.

 

i've been on and off with my collection since i was 16, but started to get more serious with it about 4 years ago.

 

i started at about 11, so that is 37 years now i have around 300,000+ stamps, as you can probably guess i have a lot of duplicates lol

i have now catalogued around 16,000+ in stock books and albums, have a log way to go yet though

 

With all those stamps, You must have a room in your house with just stamps in it...lol

 

I started when I was about 13...so 18 yrs now. i just got serious about 6 yrs ago

 

Guess that is really a long long way.
You probably have a stamp island with that. Great and love it!

 

I started collecting when I was 10. I'll be 47 in December. My mother bought me the big orange bag of stamps from H.E. Harris out of the back of a magazine and a Traveler stamp album. Except for later in high school and college I have been a serious collector ever since. I can't tell you how many stamps I have, though I do keep the majority of them in stockbooks and albums. I actually started selling off a lot of it to focus on just a few areas but I always seem to continue to accumulate as much as I sell. I have a very hard time keeping my eyes off on-paper kiloware. Buying kiloware and pawing through it is like an addiction!

 

Well I guess on and off again since I was a kid in the 1970's so I guess longer than I care to admit! I also collect (very early) American coins.
this is just a pic I took for an avatar I believe, showcasing a Columbian Exposition admission tickets (that I also collect).

 

Off and on over 40 years LOL

 

Just started Late August early September. Yup! This month!! I can see this lasting a looooong time though, and thanks for generous members and a slightly unhealthy addiction to bidding/shopping online, I already have a good sized collection started.

 

Wow, a majority of you guys have been collecting for a while, I wish I had the brains to start earlier to

 

VideoController,

It has nothing to do with brains. When I started to collect when I was about 10, it was the middle of 1970's. Back then we had no computers, no video games, no cell phones, no cable or satellite television, no dvd or vhs, etc. I played outside and when it rain I would play with my stamp collection. My mother worked at the local natural gas company and she would receive all the mail. Thats how I received most of my US stamps. We did have a hobby shop that my mom would allow me to buy foreign stamps once a month. To this day some of my prize foreign stamps are the ones I bought as a kid.

On the other had, I have two kids, age 14 and 10, and they wont have anything to do with stamps. I try to talk almost daily about the history and the importance of stamps, but I get laughed at. There is just to much for them to do on their free time.

Sorry to rant, but that is my take on it. Hope you enjoy your new hobby, and if there is anything I can do to help you please let me know.

Enjoy,
Kris

 

VC no brains needed to start lol

i started as a young lad as well, with me it was purely laziness, i was a boy scout and i wanted the collecting badge, so stamps were easy, like above my mum worked in an office so she brought me them home, and i started by using hinges (i still shudder now about that) and i picked up the badge after a about 2 weeks lol.

but i became addicted, i wanted to see the history of the stamps i had so i bought a second hand catalogue at a jumble sale, and once i saw what i was into i could not stop

the history behind some countries stamps tells of all the campaigns, and wars and revelutiopns for most, i know USA are a bit funny about that subject, one of my fav collections for the history is Eire (South Ireland), there stamps remeber all the great rebels that songs have been written about and banned at soimne point in history due to us Brits not wanting them to tell bad tales about us.

My children are 27 and 21 and they laugh at me so does the wife, but i am trying very hard to get my 2 grandchildren interested, i have like Alvin (after he told me his idea) started making albums for them, so when they are a bit older i can hopefully get them hooked.

but according to Stanley Gibbons and Scotts Stamp investments increase by 10% each year, so that on its own merit should attract even more collectors, and investors.

by heck all that and it is half past one in the morning here lol

 

The US is funny alright...... lol

 

It's amazing how much history stamps can contain in them, that's one of the reasons they fascinate me!

 

I have to agree with Kris. My 15 yr. old and 11 yr. old think I am a dork. My wife and I struggle constantly with the amount of videogame and tv time they have. Both of my sons started stamp collections when they were younger but the interest waned quickly. Perhaps that spark will mean they will pick it up another day...High school and college for me were too active and I lost interest. What brought me back into the hobby was living in another country, seeing their stamps and needing something to do in my free time.

 

as i have said before, i inherited (sp?) my starting collection at 16. i'm 30 now. only in the past few years have i become serious with it. the main reason is the cost. the other... to fill my free time. coins are becoming waaaay out of my budget, but over the weekend i bought 18 stamps for $12 (including shipping). try to do that with coins!! both have history, which i love. i'm a cheap-skate, so stamps get my attention now.

 

Wow, both you guys have recently become serious about stamp collecting. You guys are lucky, though. You guys have experience... I don't.