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is collecting stamps a good hobby?
coinzzz
Posts: 46 ✭✭✭
in Stamps Forum
my little brother is collecting stamps and i am going to buy him a 300 pack of stamps from hobby lobby would that be something that stamp collectors like?
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291fifth
Posts: 23,944 ✭✭✭✭✭
Don't waste your money on stamp packs like that. Learn something about stamp collecting, see if your area has a local brick and mortar stamp shop and buy an inexpensive collection lot there. Most stamp stores have lots and lots of such lots and will sell them cheap just to get rid of them. There is nothing wrong with stamp collecting as a hobby but keep in mind it is a hobby that has been in decline for many years. Don't expect to make any money when buying stamps in cheap lots. Just view them as an educational tool.
All glory is fleeting.6
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Not a good hobby for most people who used to collect them & now have "junk" on their hands that nobody wants.
As far as for someone new getting into the hobby, if they collect them based on some historical aspect or specialty just for the fun of it, it can be a cheap way to learn history & enjoy a hobby - - as long as they aren't approaching it as a money-making venture in most cases.
Have you tried attending any coin & stamp shows? Often they will have YN tables with free stamps/supplies to get people started, and might be a good place to get a wide assortment of stamps (U.S. & International) for cheap, until your little brother finds an area he might want to focus on.
PM me, and maybe I can find something sitting around to pass along.
Basically it can be a fun hobby so long as you approach it from the proper viewpoint that almost anything you buy that's "cheap" now will remain "cheaper" in the future -- it's the kind of hobby where outlays for quality stockbooks, etc. will retain more value and be fairly expensive, more than many of the stamps inside. If you can collect very cheaply, it can be fun.
Now of course not all stamps are cheap and valueless -- at auction, some quality rarities will run in the hundreds to thousands, more. If looking to buy at this level, tread cautiously and deal with a quality auction house (Siegel, for USA issues.) More to that point, if preparing to buy at that level, consider where you'd want to sell such material in the future -- right now, Siegel would again be a good choice for that.
https://siegelauctions.com/
Don't collect with money you can't consider hobby-disposable (applies to all hobbies really.)