How Long Have You Been Stamp Collecting?

Are you sure you can do that? If that is the case, then I will try that for junk that I have to pay for in the mail.

 

YES you can do that but only after you give them fair warning or else it's theft of services. You must write "Any mail hereafter will be treated as unsolicited mail and will be dealt with as such."

 

I have only been involved since 2008.
My father started in the 1950s, but never shared with me.
When he passed, I got his collection.
When he knew the end was near, he tried to give me a crash course, but it wasn't nearly enough.

 

Nicole,
My father spent the last couple years of his life bedridden, and never got online.
I found out after he passed that he had been buying from Mystic all the while.
Oh how I wish he had spent that same small fortune buying online than from Mystic!
They were charging him OVER catalog value (CV) for most of their offerings, and when
you realize that stamps can be had online for a fraction of their CV, Dad could have
got much more for his money. Mystic is highway robbery when it comes to stamps.

 

I think Mystic knows that, lets sell to the older generation, that doesnt go online. If they dont go online, then they dont know that we over charging them.

 

I guess I qualify for the old-timer part. Started as a teen and then put it aside until I had taught college classes for a few years, and started hard in the 1970s. So I guess that puts me at about 40 years or so or actual collecting. retired in Jan 2004, and tried to have fun since. I decided that for the most part my collecting would be limited to pre-1940, except for a few special countries , and those to 1964. I have concentrated more on art, minerals, and coins since retiring than philately, but maybe I ill become enthused once again

Jim

 

I started collecting in 1953 when i discovered a batch of letters my grandmother had from the late 1800's and early 1900's. I continued until 1980 when my real early stuff was stolen in a robbery. I did continue getting the yearly packages from the PO until 1990 but still have not opened the packages. I really lost most interest when the PO started putting out junk commerating everything under the sun. I've only just recently gotten everything out and am considering whether to get back in or not. If I do, it will be to complete the early issues. I have all the commeratives except for a couple of the Columbians and would concentrate on earlier years.

I like how you could actually learn from stamps - how else would you know what Pan-Pacific was, or the battle of White Plains, or the Overrun Countries, etc? Those things aren't taught in school anymore.

 

I agree!!!!

 

Hi David and WELCOME!! Looks like you could possibly use a new camera (daguerreotypes are out dated these days) and a shave...lol J/K I agree whole-hardheartedly with your post!

 

I've been collecting from mid 1980s... I started about age of 10 or so, and haven't stopped since. I started as worldwide collector, then (tried to) specialized / became serious for a while, before heading back to what I like - collecting worldwide.

 

Experience certainly helps with stamp collecting. But the thing I have always loved, it that no matter what you can afford to spend, there is always something available that you can collect. I started collecting used Canadian stamps. It started when I worked in an office as the accounts receivable clerk and all the customers sent in checks to pay their bills. We would get 400 checks a day. And almost all would have stamps on the envelopes. I had to open all those envelopes, and so I'd just rip off the stamps from the envelopes and that became my first collection.

 

Newbie to the group here,
Began collecting as a 12 yr. old and lasted for 4 yrs. As I grew older I continued feeling the 'draw' back into the hobby.
Ten years ago a lady friend, who bought storage lockers for re-sale, came up w/ a nice collection of Iceland, 1873-1970, all in stock books & MNH.
She asked me to sell them for her in Houston, as she lived in Galveston, & we would split the proceeds. After schlepping the collection to all 4 of Houston's stamp dealers in the August Houston heat and receiving offers of only $30-85 (CV $800) I told her I sold them for $120 & paid her $60. Much better than the actual $42.50 she would have received and Voila`, I started my Iceland collection.
Since then I have 'reverted' to my 1st choice of stamp collecting & added the British commonwealth pre-1963 MNH as old habits die hard.
I try and be as selective as possible w/ my stamps & my small Ancient Greek coin collecting.
Looking forward to being an active participant to this group & hope the screed above not too boring.
Regards,
Harry
H.G. Golightly

 

Started collecting back in 1955. Quit when I went to college in 1965, then restarted mid-80's? Been in two stamps clubs; don't know what happened to the one in Boise, ID; the one in the town I live in now will 'fold up the meeting table' in May of 2012.

Still collect world-wide (used), US (mint and used), US plate blocks, US sheets, Canadian specialized. Too many stamps and so little time

 

Hi Larry, I too am new to the Forum. WELCOME!
I have never been in a stamp club as the only 2 I knew of were approx. 25 miles
from where I live.
Your range of stamp interest is indeed expansive but if you read my posts you probably found that I
collect other items not inclusive to the 'stamps' area. That's probably why I have strictly limited myself to Iceland & Br. commonwealth before 1963.
(Now that I come to think of it THAT'S not very limiting at all. LOL!
Cheers,
Harry
HG Golightly

 

Yeah, I kinda inferred your indicated interest from reading a couple of your posts. I may be able to help you with the pre-'63 british commonwealth material. I'll just have to get organized in that regard (ordering showgard stock sheets) to better scan or take pictures of what I have so I can post accordingly.

 

I'll be looking forward to hearing from you. Mind mentioning again what your interest are?
Hg2

 

Mostly used world-wide ( W. Europe/Scandinavia), some E. Europe, Austraila, New Zealand, early (pre-60's) Latin American & Br. commonwealth, RSA, defunct countries (Bosnia, Danzig, Saarland), North African countries, some middle east, India, Pakistan, early China (pre-50's), Japan. My foreign collection is housed in 25 volumes of the Minkus Master Global series.

US (both mint and used collections), US plate blocks, US sheets.

Canada (mostly mint).

 

WOW! Extremely Serious collector!
Hg2

 

id say i have been at it here in B.C. Canada since about 1991-1992
Mostly Canadian but i inherited many world and German stamps from my dad

 

Hi Larry,
That is really nice to have as a hobby on cold Canadian Nights/days when mobility is difficult. I always thought it would be really nice to move up to Canada & live for at least a year. Here in Houston we rarely get either snow or really cold weather. I'm kind of 'socked' in to the Houston scene presently as I am helping take care of my 90 yr. old mom.

I have a home-bound business as a 3rd Party inspector of O-rings for a large French conglomerate Seismic company, Houston & French based. Its been a real peach as I get 35¢ per ring for measuring Circum. Dia. & doing a visual for flaws.
Does not sound like much but the last order I just finished late Oct. was for 10,000 different sized rings.& finished all in 7 days... (You may do the math) This has allowed me to spend unheard of sums of $$ ( unheard at least by me) on these small pieces of printed paper. (Perhaps too much personal info) Please forgive...Never-the-less, the job is starting to wind down and the company is doing more & more in-house inspections...Que Sera` I'll probably be retired by the end of this year.

Thanks for sharing the info on how you got such a large collection in only 1 year!
Regards,
Harry