What's One Piece of Advice You'd Give to Beginners?

Hi Folks,

I rediscovered an old stamp collection that I inherited as a child and now I'm looking to get started as a serious 'adult' collector It seems like there's so much to learn. What's one piece of advice that you can give me about where to begin? Thanks in advance for your help!

M.

 

Ask questions, read up on the subject, ask questions

 

Before you go to a stamp show read the first few informative pages in a newish stamp Catalogue.
You may notice that quality is being shown off at the shows, so that should be your aim whatever you fancy to collect.

A Child should collect as many as possible, adults more targeted.

 

Oh one other thing, dont get stressed try to enjoy the hobby If you do manage to get to a show, dont buy from the 1st stall you find with items that you want, make a note of the price and check out the other sellers also dont be afraid to ask if what is marked up is actually the best price

 

Collect based on what your heart desires. Then, try to collect and learn more about it as much as possible.

 

This is some great advice for going to any show. I once watched my mother-in-law spend her entire budget within ten minutes, and the first six booths, of entering a show. The funny part was she was visiting from out of province, and half her purchases were imports from her province of origin. Goes to show how easy it is to get caught up in shows.

 

That is very good advice, I would say not to get in a huff if you don't have hundreds of stamps all at once, because you will get them all eventually, it's meant to be fun and relaxing and if it ceases to be so then stop and go back to it later.

 

Just goes to show how easily the human race can get itself addicted to something pleasing. Me as a youngster, spent my Birthday money on stamps the next day.

 

I totally agree, it seems to me that there isn't anything on this planet that we can't get addicted to.

 

Yes - very important to set limits on what's purchased. As a very young collector (10-16 years old), my budget allowed for bulk stamps purchases, but in the 2-3 cents per foreign stamp realm, and less than $1 for any US stamp.

Collecting US, I give myself more latitude now that I'm retired and a little less disciplined. Biggest purchase to date? XF Graf Zep set for $1700. My foreign stamp purchases tend to stay limited to less than 1 $US per stamp unless it fills a larger set or completes a page in my album.

Collecting issues vary by collector and their desires. Topical collectors, e.g. flowers or trains or autos or airmails or elephants or . . . have already set their limits on what to collect, just not necessarily how much they'll pay for it. Some of us bite off more than they can reasonably 'chew', i.e. general foreign & US specialized & US plate blocks & US sheets & Canadian specialized. Just keeping up with the album supplements is a chore in and of itself.

Then when the winter weather breaks I have to get outside, so stamp collecting kinda goes by the wayside for maybe 6 months. Breaks the addiction - for a while.

 

You have to really like this, instead of just trying to follow other people's hobbies. You must also love history as you would be surprised to find a lot of history in every stamp. If you do not read a lot, then you would only see a stamp much like a sticker only. Therefore, with stamp collection comes a lot of education as well.

 

I would like to add a little contrary note to Larry's above.
Even as a youngster getting a lot (at that time anyhow) lots of local stamps and packets of stamps of foreign one soon gets to miss the top missing values.
One thing I learned relatively too late is that one should buy, exchange or negotiate for the top stamp of a set opposed to the lower values.
Like numismatics, first off you collect penny coins hardly Kruger Rands.

Of course a young collector is hesitant to spend his $10 on one stamp as volume is really the target. This is where the psychology of stamp collecting comes in.
You can brag about the volume of stamps or the value of just a few stamps.

The latter was clearly understood and noted by the Chinese already 500BC.
The argument was such:- Two Boys argued about the sun and when approached by the Wise Old man (Confusius) asked him.

The first Boy argued 'the sun is further away when it rises and nearer at midday'. The other Boy states the 'the sun is nearer when it rises and further away at midday.
The first boy added 'At sunrise the sun is large as a wagon wheel and and by midday it is the size of a plate, does not what is further away look smaller and what is closer, look larger? '
The second boy added 'the sun during sunrise is msty and cold and hot as boiling water at midday - is it not hotter when it is close by and colder when further away?
Confusius did not offer a decision and the boys burst out laughing saying " And they say you have great Wisdom.

As we say - enjoy the hobby, nobody knows his or her ultimate philatelic destiny.

 

I like this piece of advice, that is certainly something a newbie to the collecting game should really keep in mind.

 

first allot a monthly budget for buying stamps. buy stamps which are available for cheap price or kiloware from your local hobby shop. Try to sort all the kiloware according to country wise. The stamps you wish to add in your collection, just preserve it in a nice album. The stamps which you have in excess, try to exchange them with fellow collectors in your stamp club or online stamp collectors. By this way, you could try to build a sizeable collection.

You should not spend more than your monthly budget for stamps.

warm wishes.

 

I don't dispute buying the best you can within budget. Because now I have a whole lot of incomplete sets and I'm trying to complete them on a country by country basis. I doubt that any one type of collector predominates 'buying the key stamps' vs. 'buying the set'. IMHO, the key stamp buyers would be more reflective of the investor approach (thinking there's money to be made on this purchase in the future), and the set collectors would be . . .well, the collectors. I've found stamp collecting to be a fiscal drain (very unprofitable), but I never entered into the hobby thinking I was going to make money at it. Collecting coins is potentially much more rewarding financially.

To each their own.

 

I too did not start stamp collecting to even think of making money out of the hobby.

Ooops the tail end disappeared to this message - time's up!!

 

I agree, the first time I have ever heard of being able to sell stamps was actually on this forum, I had always just collected them for the fun of it.

 

This is the problem and the salvation !
We are like squirrels and hoard.
At some point one should get rid of the surpluses, either exchanging or selling to replace or find others for your collection.