How Long Have You Been Stamp Collecting?

well shoot harry hows about hooking up a job [ im a heck of a worker hehe ]
but i hate to break it to ya but i rarely get snow here either lol
i live in a temperate rain forrest here in british columbia we are probly the warmest place in canada and out summers are as hot as mexico!
altho i am jelous of your year round texas weather!
u'd probly be surprised that u never really needmuch more than a hoody yr round here and even tho i see it every day i never get tired of the scenic mountains or beautiful wildlife
its really not that cold here

 

Would have never guessed & I learn something every day!...
Did you know that only the owl can see the color Blue? (Thanks Snapple)

 

its worth the trip if you can ever make it, i would very much like to see texas tho too! altho myheart belongs to northern california

 

Congrats on your prosperity! I too am retired (at 40)! I now own a farm and was a professional musician for years but now I enjoy sitting in a quiet stress-free environment sorting and cataloging stamps! Life is grand sometimes.

 

I love Canada but I'm from in N.E.C. Pennsylvania and currently reside above Clearfield in a sleepy little town called Curwensville that currently is populated by more deer & turkeys than actual people! LOL

 

Here is a shot straight out my living room window early this morning for ya!

 

What a wonderful scene to awaken to..as I have just tuned up my MacMini and am having my 1st cup of Kona this morning @ 10:03 CST..
What do I see on the screen but this grand shot! (As close to a jealous icon as I could find)
I taught Photography at the Houston Museum of fine Arts Glassell school for years and studied @ UT under Russell Lee.
So I know a good shot when I see one.
RE: 'More deer & Turkeys than people'...In my dotage (67) I have found that most animals make better neighbors than
many people. (I'm really not a cynical as all that but getting there. LOL!

 

Addendum: Curwensville is not located in Canada ..Correct? Do you have a place in Curwensville PA, & a place in N.E.C.?
Also are there any other field of collectibles you dabble or are serious in?
(Busy-bodies want to know..LOL!

 

i have a large collection of world coins and banknotes alot are from european countried before the introduction of the Euro
but have many other locations too (my uncle was a salesman allover the world)

 

Do you actively collect either? or they just a legacy?

 

now-a-days i pretty much just do my best to nab all the old coins in my change
but i did manage to get some pretty neat pieces in my collection
ill have to dig em outta the closet one day

 

I just added a key coin to my U.S. collection...hint: one w/ the 'wardrobe malfunction' ;-0
Have to meet Rice University Prof. friend for lunch but will forward pic of coin upon return , if you are interested.
Please advise!
Also I'm looking for older 50's & before complete pictorial set MNH of British New Hebrides.

 

N.E.C. = North Eastern/Central Pennsylvania and Curwensville is in PA. That's where I am living now. Thank you for the compliment and I wholeheartedly agree about the animals being good neighbors...they absolutely are!

Collectables- Yes. US early coinage.

 

Good Sunday to All,
I began typing out some of this info on my collection yesterday , yammering on about not only coin engraver but stamps engravers as well.
I hit some kind of magic key on this MacMini and it all went away. (Nothing like a reality check to remind one that he is ,indeed, 67 years old LOL!)
Anyway, I believe that one of the important facets to coin & stamp collecting is the art of the engravers. It may be a simplistic observation but I've not thought of it in this light quite before. (e.g. No one is sure exactly how engravers from 5th century BCE engraved such fine miniature works of art for the Greek city state coins sans use of any magnification, etc.) Likewise, although technology was present for the early stamp & paper currency die engravers, the patience (& eye strain) must have been awesome. As mentioned in one of my earlier screeds I enjoy my Br. commonwealth & Iceland stamps not only for their historical & informational representations but the fine art engraving on 98% of the issues.
U.S Coinwise, I have put together an XF-AU type set of all early coins designed & engraved by the indentured German John Reich. I just believe his service to this nations art/coinage has been under-appreciated.

 

Enjoying reading everyone's collecting history - mine started with an aunt who encouraged me to collect stamps. She sent me envelope corners often and my mother bought me a Harris World-Wide Postage Stamp Album - used hinges (gasp) and crystal mounts for my prized stamps. Lost interest as a teen but came back to the hobby a few years ago. By education I'm an artist and a shade tree historian that has worked in/around the printing industry for many years - so all aspects of the collecting interest me: the historical, the artistic/engraving and the printing. Even had the honor of providing equipment to the BEP for printing before they stopped printing stamps. Great hobby but sometimes feels a little isolation - no active local clubs, no local dealer and hard to find much except online. Glad to have found StampExchange and happy for a few trades with some of you already.

 

Hi Martin,
Welcome to the conversation, as a new perspective is always of interest. (My opinion, at least).
I started reading your post last night rather late and decided not to reply until this morning, after a couple of cups of coffee.
Houston residents awakened this morning to a beautiful fresh sunny day, low humidity & 55 degrees. Very rare for this Gulf Coast city.
I would be interested in hearing about your other collecting interests/passions, if you care to share. I believe I've mentioned mine pretty much in previous posts. Also do you collect and specialized areas of stamps.
Regards,
Harry

 

Good Evening Harry,
Upstate South Carolina and Western NC have enjoyed a spectacular autumn season. Spent at day at the Cradle of Forestry in NC a few weeks back and they confirmed this year's weather was making for some of the best fall colors in many years.
In some ways I am still trying to find my collecting passion (other than all stamps generally). As a young collector (many years ago) I was devastated by a dealer who informed me that my collection was worth nothing. I shelved the hobby until a few years ago when 1) I had time to resume and 2) I realized it wasn't the monetary value that attracted me in the first place. So, I concentrate on mint US singles (mostly ordinary issues due to budget), plate blocks (same constraints) and recently added plate number singles to the list, although I am undecided on how to organize that collection (any suggestions?). I'm also considering mirroring my collection with used specimens too. I am very fond of souvenir sheets and lucked upon a Scott #630 Battle of White Plains S/S a few years back.
After reading an APS article a couple of years ago, I decided to start a one-stamp collection - specifically search for as many varieties of a single issue (for me it is Scott 789 US). I have the obvious examples (single, PB, plate number single, single on envelope, sheet, FDC, etc) but have been searching for other uses of the stamp that are not as commonly collected.
I must agree with your previous comments regarding fine art engraving. I have studied Albrecht Durer (late 1400's-early 1500's German printmaker) and deeply interested in the art, especially as displayed in stamps. I expect Durer would have been a stamp collector as well...
Thanks for the interest and glad to hear you're on a Mac! I worked for Apple many years ago and have owned many of their products. Run a small business now with numerous Apple logos all over the studio!
Best regards,
Martin

 

H

Hi Martin,
Many a dealer has shot his self in the foot by discouraging young stamp collectors as in your experience. But for everyone of these short-sighted businessmen there are dealers who realize the potential of fostering the young collector. (My opinion)
I recall, as a 13 year old, catching the bus & going into Houston City to visit Mitula Stamp & Coin Company w/ 5$ in my pocket. If Mr. Mitula was working, he treated everyone kindly, but if his assistant was the only one there, you could expect both a rather chilly & rude service. I recall trading a friend for a used block of U.S. Sc. 832, the 1$ Woodrow Wilson w/ Wilson's image printed way down & to the right and actually a top the $1 @ the bottom of all 4 stamps. He dismissed it as nothing unusual, but when I returned home that afternoon, I did not have possession of that block. (He could be a real Putz & perhaps a thief!).... Ah, found remembrances of my 'yute'.
RE: Suggestions for your collecting
Sounds like you are doing just fine. The only suggestion I could make was keep you 'Collection(s)' as simple as possible.
I personally have to fight myself from starting a new 'Branch' e.g. Instead of just Br. CommonWealth & Iceland MNH before 1970, why not Scandinavia, why not after 1970?
Or..w/ coins, Not just Ancient Greek before 100 B.C.E., but Roman coinage as well...you get the picture.
RE: Your Collecting
Have you begun a U.S. 1st Day cover collection?
Regards,
Harry
P.S. Your scenery in N. C. sound spectacular!

 

Harry,

Great advice on keeping things simple. That's what has been plaguing me and you helped me identify the problem. Gonna focus on finishing a few things now! And yes, I have accumulated several FDCs...

Martin