Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Nearly every day I get letters or packages with stamps. So many, I cannot really organize and I just put them in glasine envelopes by country. If I ever find the time, I go a step further and sort them by period. Hundreds and thousands of them and still I do not seem to get any closer to having anything complete. Not enough time to deal with what I buy and this week I will get 3 packages with stamps on paper weighing roughly 2kg and that in addition to other deliveries.
I have to either start hiring helpers or quit work. How do you handle this small issue?
It must help being retired, but even then, it will be a challenge.
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I had similar issues and my solution was this: reduce buying of new stuff to a minimum, at least no large quantities or collections and do the same with trades. Then start sorting.
I am now working my way to stuuf I bought months, perhaps more than a year ago :-)
Almost finished sorting my way through 400 grams of Norway commemoratives off paper. A huge amount of stamps that took me two weeks so far. Now I need to put them in catalogue order...
Stamps on paper all end up in a big box, no time for them at the moment.
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Cougar & JanSimon,
Grandchildren-make lots of grandchildren!! (Stay tuned for more helpful hints.)
Best,
Dan C
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"Grandchildren-make lots of grandchildren!! (Stay tuned for more helpful hints.)"
NO!!! You'll end up in prison if you do that!
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I do divide my stamp time three ways, the collection itself, duplicates and correspondence.
By the collection I mean add, replace and rearrange my stamps.
By duplicates I mean catalog stamps getting them ready to go on trades on approval books or anything else.
By correspondence I mean to reply (presently have 24 WW trading partners)to my traders, look through the net to buy, sell and trade.
A little time spend on each category and you'll be done in no time, try to tackle everything at once and you'll find yourself exactly were you are.
Like Jan, I did get 2 kgs. of Japan last winter but I only soak a handfull at a time, apply the rules above mentioned and quickly done move on to the next handfull.
Being retired helps and sometimes I cheat but, hey! it's my collection.
Tony
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I have been looking over the many many, MANY envelopes I have franked with stamps from all over the world, all addressed to me. The accumulation goes back for years. I think I may put them in large lots for sale on Stamporama. Perhaps there will be some interest in all the different rates, usages, etc., perhaps not.
Maybe you should do the same.
Bruce
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there IS consistent interest in both international covers offered in lots AND US covers, especially those showcasing varieties of rates and services. Don't expect to get rich, but sample images of what's in the box always generate bids. I typically start at a penny and always get a decent return, all for virtually no work.
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Reducing buying doesn't seem to be a solution. With all the new issues coming up, you do that and you fall behind.
I had one very efficient way of buying from a seller on Ebay, who was selling stamps sorted by year and had all nicely arranged on stock book pages and scanned. All I had to do was buy the lot, save the scans, review the stamps upon arrival and put whatever stamp was missing in the lot on a wantlist, then I could comfortably move on to the next country and period.
Starting to think that having a WW collection might be a mistake. Or at least thinking that I can have some countries and periods complete.
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It *is* virtually impossible to keep up with all the new stamp issues in the world. It is a veritable flood, and no end in sight. On top of that, there are more and more issues that hardly serve any postal purpose, but are produced chiefly for collectors. What I should like to suggest is to restrict yourself to selected countries, issues, or topics, or only collect to a certain cut-off date (say, pre-2000, or pre-Euro, the reign of a certain monarch, a country that has been absorbed into another ...).
Martin
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"What I should like to suggest is to restrict yourself to selected countries, issues, or topics, or only collect to a certain cut-off date (say, pre-2000, or pre-Euro, the reign of a certain monarch, a country that has been absorbed into another ...)"
Most sane people do this
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Of course what JanSimon and jmh67 propose is both accurate and true- but I am puzzled. Since when is 'sanity' ever used when speaking about stampcollectors?
Dan C
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You're absolutely correct there Dan. My wife often questions my sanity when she sees me digging through large quantities of small coloured pieces of paper...
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Dan,
you are correct, nothing sane about us stamp collectors. Insane might be a better term for us, at least for me.
A friend offered me a 20 year run of Robert Siegel auction catalogs, all I had to do is get them from his third floor and into my truck. I figure it is about 10-12 feet of shelf space which I don't have at the moment. They sit in the back of my truck out of view as I slowly bring them into the house so not to draw too much attention from my wife.
Vince
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Just wait until you rearrange a bookshelf to make room for a couple of Y&T catalogs and a set of older Scott you picked up at a flea market by moving some of her cookbooks to another shelf. That was not a good move on my part.
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It's that darn "Buy It Now" button that will be the death of me!
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Restricting yourself to one or two countries? That's what I told myself too....
Just used USA and Canada. But then there are plate numbers, perfins and precancels, fancy cancels, seals, back of the book, etc.... now it is all of the above on cover....
It truly never ends. The really inventive ones among us can always find ways to expand our collections while staying within our self-imposed "boundaries ".
The key is to enjoy what you are doing. If it is too stressful, stop. Pare it down, narrow your focus, or just accept that it will be one big happy mess that you can lose yourself in now and then.
I have more stamp catalogs than cookbooks - I thought that was the way it was supposed to be.
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Having focus both in what you collect and what you purchase would free up time. You don't have to give up collecting world-wide, but you can focus for a while and then move on when nearly complete. For example, by date, by continent, by country etc.
Then make sure your purchases are relevant to your current focus. Don't buy packages of random stamps on paper that you have to soak and sort. Buy collections, large or small, in your area of focus, preferably in albums, and then smaller lots or individual stamps/sets to fill holes. They are already sorted for the most part, though you will have to verify tricky issues. Take what you need and flog the rest back on Ebay.
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Don't flog them on ebay, (spit when you say that name) flog them on Stamporama.
What I do with the bulky stuff is take them to my local Auction House. Some times you can be amazed what your "junk" can make.
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Aah.... the auction house! Learned you must be careful at local auction houses selling stamp collections. I saw an "old stamp collection" listed among the multitudes of items at auction from an old family's consignment. So I went to check it out just before the auction started. Of course it was all U.S. stamps- I collect everything but. However, what a collection- many, many old MNH pre-1900 and MNH blocks from 1900 on. I had no idea of value but I was impressed. And nobody was even looking at it! I was about to stay just to see if I could win with a low bid- but then I saw it. The item that indicated they were all forgeries. An early 1900's airmail stamp with an upside down flying plane on it. If the forgerer couldn't even get the plane flying right side up what's to say all the other stamps weren't forgeries? I guess they thought I was born yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Correct me if I'm wrong but, wasn't there in the early 1900s an airmail stamp printed with the plane upside down?
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"Cookbooks, did you say cookbooks? You can never have enough cookbooks!"
cookbooks are obsolete! Just Google "Amphibian recipe" and stuff will pop right up!
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"I have to either start hiring helpers or quit work. How do you handle this small issue?"
I have a full-time job, with a 45 minute commute each way. I have two sons, ages 11 and 13, and I am mentoring a robotics program. I only work on specific areas at a time and if I have a large backlog, I quit buying. You just have to decide how much time you want to allocate to your hobby, and balance that with your other obligations. I finally had to give up on new issues after 12-31-2014 to maintain a healthy balance in my life, and I collect little more than U.S.
Lars
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Stamp Collector
I think the comment was humerous ( at least I hope it was ). Somehow jokes like this never quite work in print. The trouble is you can't see the expression on his face, the laugh in his voice or the leering wink he favours you with. A permanent cynicism helps !
Malcolm
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" If the forgerer couldn't even get the plane flying right side up what's to say all the other stamps weren't forgeries? "
Malcolm, I just don't know what to think about the statement, I'm 100% positive that there's such an stamp, but what makes seeing this stamp all of the others forgeries? I'm sure that you will never see that stamp on a mix but the possibility exist.
Tony
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My theory is that the more confusion (the more stamps that pile up in my stamp room) the better - never run out of things to do - I have about 8 or 9 collections I purchased which I haven't had time to do anything with. I'll eventually get to them but probably will have bought half a dozen more in the meantime.
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That's what I'm talking about, just receive an SS from Germany that I already had.
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Simple solution... I put all new additions in shoe boxes.
I date the shoe box.
When it hits one year, I fill the bathtub , put the box in, set it on fire, and give the stamps a Viking funeral.
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I restrict my collection to US. Nevertheless, dupes pile up.
When the dupes reach a high pile, I advertise on one of the forums, asking newbies if they want them.
I'll send a bag to any of the new collectors with empty albums and full hope.
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I have more or less the same problem as the original poster. Difference is I am now retired, and I've tried to limit my buying in the last few years.
Being retired doesn't help as much as I thought it would. There is no way I'll be able to go through everything I have now in as much detail as I'd like. And I do add to the pile fairly regularly, as recently as this weekend at a local show...
So, I've decided I've got to parcel out some of the areas I'm less interested in (to auction or whatever). Tough decisions still to come relate to which areas to parcel out. I'm very good at justifying keeping stuff, maybe a touch of hoarder in me?
Anyway, I wish you luck. If you can limit yourself to certain collecting areas, and focus your buying on those areas, I think you would be further ahead. However, I've never had any luck doing that...
Eric
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Nearly every day I get letters or packages with stamps. So many, I cannot really organize and I just put them in glasine envelopes by country. If I ever find the time, I go a step further and sort them by period. Hundreds and thousands of them and still I do not seem to get any closer to having anything complete. Not enough time to deal with what I buy and this week I will get 3 packages with stamps on paper weighing roughly 2kg and that in addition to other deliveries.
I have to either start hiring helpers or quit work. How do you handle this small issue?
It must help being retired, but even then, it will be a challenge.
Login to Like
this post
Approvals
re: I have a problem......
I had similar issues and my solution was this: reduce buying of new stuff to a minimum, at least no large quantities or collections and do the same with trades. Then start sorting.
I am now working my way to stuuf I bought months, perhaps more than a year ago :-)
Almost finished sorting my way through 400 grams of Norway commemoratives off paper. A huge amount of stamps that took me two weeks so far. Now I need to put them in catalogue order...
Stamps on paper all end up in a big box, no time for them at the moment.
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re: I have a problem......
Cougar & JanSimon,
Grandchildren-make lots of grandchildren!! (Stay tuned for more helpful hints.)
Best,
Dan C
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Approvals
re: I have a problem......
"Grandchildren-make lots of grandchildren!! (Stay tuned for more helpful hints.)"
NO!!! You'll end up in prison if you do that!
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re: I have a problem......
I do divide my stamp time three ways, the collection itself, duplicates and correspondence.
By the collection I mean add, replace and rearrange my stamps.
By duplicates I mean catalog stamps getting them ready to go on trades on approval books or anything else.
By correspondence I mean to reply (presently have 24 WW trading partners)to my traders, look through the net to buy, sell and trade.
A little time spend on each category and you'll be done in no time, try to tackle everything at once and you'll find yourself exactly were you are.
Like Jan, I did get 2 kgs. of Japan last winter but I only soak a handfull at a time, apply the rules above mentioned and quickly done move on to the next handfull.
Being retired helps and sometimes I cheat but, hey! it's my collection.
Tony
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Login to Like.
09:46:05am
re: I have a problem......
I have been looking over the many many, MANY envelopes I have franked with stamps from all over the world, all addressed to me. The accumulation goes back for years. I think I may put them in large lots for sale on Stamporama. Perhaps there will be some interest in all the different rates, usages, etc., perhaps not.
Maybe you should do the same.
Bruce
Login to Like
this post
re: I have a problem......
there IS consistent interest in both international covers offered in lots AND US covers, especially those showcasing varieties of rates and services. Don't expect to get rich, but sample images of what's in the box always generate bids. I typically start at a penny and always get a decent return, all for virtually no work.
Login to Like
this post
re: I have a problem......
Reducing buying doesn't seem to be a solution. With all the new issues coming up, you do that and you fall behind.
I had one very efficient way of buying from a seller on Ebay, who was selling stamps sorted by year and had all nicely arranged on stock book pages and scanned. All I had to do was buy the lot, save the scans, review the stamps upon arrival and put whatever stamp was missing in the lot on a wantlist, then I could comfortably move on to the next country and period.
Starting to think that having a WW collection might be a mistake. Or at least thinking that I can have some countries and periods complete.
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12:54:18am
re: I have a problem......
It *is* virtually impossible to keep up with all the new stamp issues in the world. It is a veritable flood, and no end in sight. On top of that, there are more and more issues that hardly serve any postal purpose, but are produced chiefly for collectors. What I should like to suggest is to restrict yourself to selected countries, issues, or topics, or only collect to a certain cut-off date (say, pre-2000, or pre-Euro, the reign of a certain monarch, a country that has been absorbed into another ...).
Martin
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Approvals
re: I have a problem......
"What I should like to suggest is to restrict yourself to selected countries, issues, or topics, or only collect to a certain cut-off date (say, pre-2000, or pre-Euro, the reign of a certain monarch, a country that has been absorbed into another ...)"
Most sane people do this
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re: I have a problem......
Of course what JanSimon and jmh67 propose is both accurate and true- but I am puzzled. Since when is 'sanity' ever used when speaking about stampcollectors?
Dan C
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Approvals
re: I have a problem......
You're absolutely correct there Dan. My wife often questions my sanity when she sees me digging through large quantities of small coloured pieces of paper...
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re: I have a problem......
Dan,
you are correct, nothing sane about us stamp collectors. Insane might be a better term for us, at least for me.
A friend offered me a 20 year run of Robert Siegel auction catalogs, all I had to do is get them from his third floor and into my truck. I figure it is about 10-12 feet of shelf space which I don't have at the moment. They sit in the back of my truck out of view as I slowly bring them into the house so not to draw too much attention from my wife.
Vince
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11:27:49am
re: I have a problem......
Just wait until you rearrange a bookshelf to make room for a couple of Y&T catalogs and a set of older Scott you picked up at a flea market by moving some of her cookbooks to another shelf. That was not a good move on my part.
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re: I have a problem......
It's that darn "Buy It Now" button that will be the death of me!
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re: I have a problem......
Restricting yourself to one or two countries? That's what I told myself too....
Just used USA and Canada. But then there are plate numbers, perfins and precancels, fancy cancels, seals, back of the book, etc.... now it is all of the above on cover....
It truly never ends. The really inventive ones among us can always find ways to expand our collections while staying within our self-imposed "boundaries ".
The key is to enjoy what you are doing. If it is too stressful, stop. Pare it down, narrow your focus, or just accept that it will be one big happy mess that you can lose yourself in now and then.
I have more stamp catalogs than cookbooks - I thought that was the way it was supposed to be.
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: I have a problem......
Having focus both in what you collect and what you purchase would free up time. You don't have to give up collecting world-wide, but you can focus for a while and then move on when nearly complete. For example, by date, by continent, by country etc.
Then make sure your purchases are relevant to your current focus. Don't buy packages of random stamps on paper that you have to soak and sort. Buy collections, large or small, in your area of focus, preferably in albums, and then smaller lots or individual stamps/sets to fill holes. They are already sorted for the most part, though you will have to verify tricky issues. Take what you need and flog the rest back on Ebay.
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06:25:24pm
Auctions - Approvals
re: I have a problem......
Don't flog them on ebay, (spit when you say that name) flog them on Stamporama.
What I do with the bulky stuff is take them to my local Auction House. Some times you can be amazed what your "junk" can make.
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re: I have a problem......
Aah.... the auction house! Learned you must be careful at local auction houses selling stamp collections. I saw an "old stamp collection" listed among the multitudes of items at auction from an old family's consignment. So I went to check it out just before the auction started. Of course it was all U.S. stamps- I collect everything but. However, what a collection- many, many old MNH pre-1900 and MNH blocks from 1900 on. I had no idea of value but I was impressed. And nobody was even looking at it! I was about to stay just to see if I could win with a low bid- but then I saw it. The item that indicated they were all forgeries. An early 1900's airmail stamp with an upside down flying plane on it. If the forgerer couldn't even get the plane flying right side up what's to say all the other stamps weren't forgeries? I guess they thought I was born yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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re: I have a problem......
Correct me if I'm wrong but, wasn't there in the early 1900s an airmail stamp printed with the plane upside down?
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re: I have a problem......
"Cookbooks, did you say cookbooks? You can never have enough cookbooks!"
cookbooks are obsolete! Just Google "Amphibian recipe" and stuff will pop right up!
Login to Like
this post
re: I have a problem......
"I have to either start hiring helpers or quit work. How do you handle this small issue?"
I have a full-time job, with a 45 minute commute each way. I have two sons, ages 11 and 13, and I am mentoring a robotics program. I only work on specific areas at a time and if I have a large backlog, I quit buying. You just have to decide how much time you want to allocate to your hobby, and balance that with your other obligations. I finally had to give up on new issues after 12-31-2014 to maintain a healthy balance in my life, and I collect little more than U.S.
Lars
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04:43:55pm
re: I have a problem......
Stamp Collector
I think the comment was humerous ( at least I hope it was ). Somehow jokes like this never quite work in print. The trouble is you can't see the expression on his face, the laugh in his voice or the leering wink he favours you with. A permanent cynicism helps !
Malcolm
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re: I have a problem......
" If the forgerer couldn't even get the plane flying right side up what's to say all the other stamps weren't forgeries? "
Malcolm, I just don't know what to think about the statement, I'm 100% positive that there's such an stamp, but what makes seeing this stamp all of the others forgeries? I'm sure that you will never see that stamp on a mix but the possibility exist.
Tony
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05:21:38pm
re: I have a problem......
My theory is that the more confusion (the more stamps that pile up in my stamp room) the better - never run out of things to do - I have about 8 or 9 collections I purchased which I haven't had time to do anything with. I'll eventually get to them but probably will have bought half a dozen more in the meantime.
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re: I have a problem......
That's what I'm talking about, just receive an SS from Germany that I already had.
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12:06:36pm
re: I have a problem......
Simple solution... I put all new additions in shoe boxes.
I date the shoe box.
When it hits one year, I fill the bathtub , put the box in, set it on fire, and give the stamps a Viking funeral.
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04:56:22pm
re: I have a problem......
I restrict my collection to US. Nevertheless, dupes pile up.
When the dupes reach a high pile, I advertise on one of the forums, asking newbies if they want them.
I'll send a bag to any of the new collectors with empty albums and full hope.
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
05:51:34pm
re: I have a problem......
I have more or less the same problem as the original poster. Difference is I am now retired, and I've tried to limit my buying in the last few years.
Being retired doesn't help as much as I thought it would. There is no way I'll be able to go through everything I have now in as much detail as I'd like. And I do add to the pile fairly regularly, as recently as this weekend at a local show...
So, I've decided I've got to parcel out some of the areas I'm less interested in (to auction or whatever). Tough decisions still to come relate to which areas to parcel out. I'm very good at justifying keeping stuff, maybe a touch of hoarder in me?
Anyway, I wish you luck. If you can limit yourself to certain collecting areas, and focus your buying on those areas, I think you would be further ahead. However, I've never had any luck doing that...
Eric
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