What can you tell me about stamps?

Aspie_Rocco

Vague enough? Lol.

I find stamps interesting. Rather than looking up special information, I thought I would ask here where collectors gather, to learn something new from a passionate collector.

So if you have the time I am a pupil ready to learn. I have a small collection of modern stamps.

I would be interested to learn about terms associated with the hobby, errors or varieties, any historical information at all.

Best wishes
Rocco

CCDollar

Hey Rocco...you are asking a lot. Just like coins...same thing...only different. Much more color in stamps (I do believe this is why toned coins are so popular). The engraving and printing on classic stamps is stunning. There is 172 years of printed American history on stamps. I like PSE graded stamps just like PCGS graded coins...just my fifty cents. Take care...

CC

Aspie_Rocco

I do really like the engraved look of the older stamps. It has a much classier appearance to me.
I always appreciated the look of engraved prints of the 18th and 19th century, and often leave brush strokes in my paintings, to sort of mimic the engraving look.

291fifth

Stamp collecting is a hobby that has been in a state of decline for many decades. It was at it's most popular in the US during the Franklin Roosevelt years. Roosevelt was a very active collector and this was well known to the public. Several factors have led to the decline. Recent factors include the introduction of self-stick stamps which force the purchase of sheets rather than singles; excessive numbers of issues; the demise of intaligio printed stamps; and, of course, the aging of the collector population. (My nephew, now 23, has never known anyone in his age group that collects stamps).

There is still a hard core group of serious collectors/exhibitors out there but they are mostly looking for highly specialized material that is actually rare. Common stamps are of no interest to this group.

So far as slabbed stamps go ... I have never seen a slabbed stamp at any show I have attended. In fact, I have never seen a slabbed stamp, period! I know virtually nothing about the slabbed stamp market.

A couple of years ago I got back into collecting stamps of Ireland. I was very enthusiastic for a few months ... and then ... I decided to sell some duplicates. My first attempt to sell the duplicates at a large local stamp show was a complete failure. No one wanted them even when heavily discounted. I eventually dumped them for a few percent of catalog and then sold the main collection to a local dealer for a slightly higher percentage of catalog.

CCDollar

291fifth...very good points. Cranky dealers doing you a favor by selling you a stamp or claiming they don't need your material has always been a main stay. My answer to the OP would be that you need a passion...whether it's coins, stamps, classic cars, sports cards, etc. My passion was sparked in 1957 when I received a H.E. Harris stamp album for Christmas and a bag-o-stamps. And...I will say that maybe stamp collectors are different...15 hits on my PSE Registry post with no reply and half of them are mine checking for spelling. Anyhow...I'm having fun...take care...

I'll keep an eye out...CC