<< <i>I was totally unaware that the stamp hobby rolled over and died like this. Reading this thread makes me slightly nervous about the coin hobby. What happens to the value of old coins when we go 100% digital?
Hmmmmmm? >>
"With nearly 35,000+ members in more than 110 countries, the APS is the largest, nonprofit society in the world for stamp collectors."
"Please help us keep these boards professional and informative…. And fun." - DW --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BONGO HURTLES ALONG THE RAIN SODDEN HIGHWAY OF LIFE ON UNDERINFLATED BALD RETREAD TIRES
<< <i>I can admit, I used to buy those old commemorative stamps at shows and use them for postage. I think I still have some from the '40s through the 60's that I should use, but am just too lazy to dig out. >>
I had an Uncle with a milk route in Minn. He would mail out his bills with 3c stamps. Over time, he accumulated a full file drawer of 3c stamps.
In the late 1960's, he sold me 10 sheets that I still have for sentimental reasons. Don't know what happened to the rest.
"My friends who see my collection sometimes ask what something costs. I tell them and they are in awe at my stupidity." (Baccaruda, 12/03).I find it hard to believe that he (Trump) rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world. (Putin 1/17) Gone but not forgotten. IGWT, Speedy, Bear, BigE, HokieFore, John Burns, Russ, TahoeDale, Dahlonega, Astrorat, Stewart Blay, Oldhoopster, Broadstruck, Ricko, Big Moose, Cardinal.
<< <i>Does anyone have a reliable source for vintage unused postage stamps from the 1940's,50's and 60's?? I'd like to buy at least a hundred bucks worth, probably more if I had an idea of what the inventory consisted of. >>
Tom, better be more specific than this. As a general rule, you will get a better discount on the lower denomination stamps simply because they are so hard to use. Imagine sending a Priority Mail package today with 8c stamps!
Sorry, can't help you for a reliable source. I use the ASDA Postage Stamp shows that happen a few times per year in NYC. 90% of face is easy to get. Anything less requires negotiation and patience (and possibly luck). >>
Try Sam Houston Philatelics. I've been buying $250 lots from them for $219 (87% face) shipped free. The lots are not advertised on the website. Just call them with your credit card handy.
Successful BSTs with doubleeagle07, adriana, barrytrot, Bochiman, Dabigkahuna, Modern Coin Mart, oilstates2003, terburn88, THEGENERAL, treybenedict
What I enjoyed doing is getting 1960's and 1970's Christmas stamps, and mailing my cards out with them. I got a lot of positive comments. People still love getting personal mail with interesting postage. I also would take miscellaneous vintage Christmas Seals ( not the rarer ones) and use them also.
There is still a lot of nostalgia to be had there.
The dreck put out in recent years is the product of unimaginitive thinking. If the PO was smart, THEY would offer to buy back the old postage, at a discounted price, to turn around and sell at full price to make money. I am afraid one day they will just demonetize the older ones. I believe some countries do this now.
Ever wonder what the USPS's outstanding obligation is for delivering mail with old stamps??
That's money collected and long since spent by them with a continuing obligation to perform services.
Could it be in the billions??
"My friends who see my collection sometimes ask what something costs. I tell them and they are in awe at my stupidity." (Baccaruda, 12/03).I find it hard to believe that he (Trump) rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world. (Putin 1/17) Gone but not forgotten. IGWT, Speedy, Bear, BigE, HokieFore, John Burns, Russ, TahoeDale, Dahlonega, Astrorat, Stewart Blay, Oldhoopster, Broadstruck, Ricko, Big Moose, Cardinal.
A friend dropped this on my desk this week. It has A LOT of stamps in it, most of them very old. I have no idea where to start... It just sits there taunting me....
Here's just a sample... there are stamps on most every page.
<< <i>A friend dropped this on my desk this week. It has A LOT of stamps in it, most of them very old. I have no idea where to start... It just sits there taunting me....
Here's just a sample... there are stamps on most every page.
(IMAGES NOT POSTED AGAIN)
All common stuff - not worth much - at least what is showing... MOST stamps in the first century of philately (1840-1940) can be had for pennies each...
Contrary to the uninformed opinions posted here, philately is alive and well. As proof of that, recommend that you make a comparison of the number of items sold on eBay - stamps compared to coins. Or stamps compared to cards. Or, stamps compared to whatever. The number of listings/sold at eBay don't lie, or do they?
Methinks live and let live is a good idea - you may think you are a big coin "stud," but maybe someone else collects stamps, or matchboxes, or different types of sewing thread, or whatever!
OP-those stamps are worth about 70-80% of face value, more if used on letters...
All IMHO.
John
John C. Knudsen, LM ANA 2342, LM CSNS 337 SFC, US Army (Ret.) 1974-1994
The U.S. Post Office did to stamps what the U.S. mint is now doing to coins. They issued a bunch of poorly designed, boring junk in huge quantities. But I have to admit I like looking at the stamps on the discount posted letters I get from coin dealers on their mail ... before I put it in the paper shredder.
If you don't think that the mint is now issuing junk, look at the bad artwork on the presidential dollar series. And if it were not for fact that they are made out of gold and therefore have a melt value, the First Lady series would be another dud. When you issue too much stuff all at once you tend to drive collectors away. They throw up their hands and say, "I'm sick of spending money on this crap!"
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
I have actually begun collecting stamps, as of 2011.
I like the hobby because it's so reasonably priced. I've been pretty much priced out of the coin and currency hobby. Many of the stamps have detals rivaling the coins and currency. Just smaller. Much smaller.
Although I have to admit I like it better when you had to lick them to stick them to something. Partly because I actually like the taste of the adhesive, partly because it was possible to get just one stamp back then, and partly because the designs have gotten worse since they went to the current peel and stick style.
Most of my collection has been mailed. Since 2011 my mom has been buying stamps on Ebay for me for various gift giving occasions. For less than $50 total spent, my collection already numbers over 1000 different stamps. Since I truly do prefer quantity over quality, that's great for me. They naysayers may say they are worthless, but I love them.
The one bad thing is the hobby can't really be done in front of a high powered fan...and I usually have a high powered fan on. So I basically can only work on the hobby in the dead of winter or when the AC is on.
Stamps are only a partial glimpse into our future.
As long as coins are being minted, some 8 year old kid can start a coin collection with a couple of shiny cents. The series that are currently being minted...Lincoln cents, Washington Quarters, etc. do well because they have an easy entry. But they act as "gateway coins" to the harder stuff. Consider that Buffalo nickels haven't been minted since 1938, but they go up in value every year...and they are less than a gateway.
I know that there are some very valuable stamps, and there are very valuable baseball cards too, but I think these are more "faddish" than coins, which collectively have intrinsic value that stamps and cards don't have. I'm not saying people collect coins because of the bullion value, but I think the fact that there is bullion value in many coins works as an anchor for coins in the public's mind. The general public agrees that old coins are worth "money", just like they all agree that the U.S. dollar...which is really just a piece of paper backed by the reputation of the U.S. has value. Coins have value like Gold has value, where gold is a metal with some good industrial applications but basically is valueless because its soft and heavy...if it wasn't a good conductor it wouldn't really have much in the way of value from an engineering perspective.
So...not in our lifetime...but if you're paranoid...you at least have until about 20 years after the last kid can pull two shiny pennies out of his pocket and store them away somewhere because they're cool.
Really enjoying collecting coins and currency again
<< <i>Stamps are only a partial glimpse into our future... I'm not saying people collect coins because of the bullion value, but I think the fact that there is bullion value in many coins works as an anchor for coins in the public's mind... Coins have value like Gold has value, where gold is a metal with some good industrial applications but basically is valueless because its soft and heavy...if it wasn't a good conductor it wouldn't really have much in the way of value from an engineering perspective.
So...not in our lifetime...but if you're paranoid...you at least have until about 20 years after the last kid can pull two shiny pennies out of his pocket and store them away somewhere because they're cool. >>
Bullion would make up nearly 100% of what I am interested in. As you pointed out, the downside is not as disappointing as the non-bullion items. I don't understand why the half dollars in commemoratives are not minted in silver. Some of those designs are better than the dollars.
The great stamps are also among the rarest. These are priced out of the range of most collectors (which is why I sold mine), and it is difficult for a some serious collector to complete sets. I do wonder what will happen when the kids and grandkids of some of thse older collectors get their hands on a nice collection. They'll rarely realize what they have.
<< <i>I don't understand why the half dollars in commemoratives are not minted in silver. >>
They wanted to make them affordable so poor people can collect coins too---the usual political correctness.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
So Perry you are saying we poor people shouldn't be able to participate in a hobby we love just because we don't have a lot of money? That does seem to be the prevailing train of thought to most in the hobby.
I forgot to mention last night, I'm probably able to be considered one of the younger people in the stamp hobby...at 26, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to say that, but for now, I probably would be.
Comments
<< <i>I was totally unaware that the stamp hobby rolled over and died like this. Reading this thread makes me slightly nervous about the coin hobby. What happens to the value of old coins when we go 100% digital?
Hmmmmmm? >>
"With nearly 35,000+ members in more than 110 countries, the APS is the largest, nonprofit society in the world for stamp collectors."
Link
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BONGO HURTLES ALONG THE RAIN SODDEN HIGHWAY OF LIFE ON UNDERINFLATED BALD RETREAD TIRES
<< <i>I can admit, I used to buy those old commemorative stamps at shows and use them for postage. I think I still have some from the '40s through the 60's that I should use, but am just too lazy to dig out. >>
Bingo, that's what I'm looking for
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
In the late 1960's, he sold me 10 sheets that I still have for sentimental reasons. Don't know what happened to the rest.
<< <i>
<< <i>Does anyone have a reliable source for vintage unused postage stamps from the 1940's,50's and 60's?? I'd like to buy at least a hundred bucks worth, probably more if I had an idea of what the inventory consisted of. >>
Tom, better be more specific than this. As a general rule, you will get a better discount on the lower denomination stamps simply because they are so hard to use. Imagine sending a Priority Mail package today with 8c stamps!
Sorry, can't help you for a reliable source. I use the ASDA Postage Stamp shows that happen a few times per year in NYC. 90% of face is easy to get. Anything less requires negotiation and patience (and possibly luck). >>
Try Sam Houston Philatelics. I've been buying $250 lots from them for $219 (87% face) shipped free. The lots are not advertised on the website. Just call them with your credit card handy.
There is still a lot of nostalgia to be had there.
The dreck put out in recent years is the product of unimaginitive thinking. If the PO was smart, THEY would offer to buy back the old postage, at a discounted price, to turn around and sell at full price to make money. I am afraid one day they will just demonetize the older ones. I believe some countries do this now.
That's money collected and long since spent by them with a continuing obligation to perform services.
Could it be in the billions??
Here's just a sample... there are stamps on most every page.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/gold/liberty-head-2-1-gold-major-sets/liberty-head-2-1-gold-basic-set-circulation-strikes-1840-1907-cac/alltimeset/268163
March of Time - 27 Centuries in Gold
https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=36590
<< <i>Ever wonder what the USPS's outstanding obligation is for delivering mail with old stamps??
That's money collected and long since spent by them with a continuing obligation to perform services.
Could it be in the billions??
Excellent point!
<< <i>A friend dropped this on my desk this week. It has A LOT of stamps in it, most of them very old. I have no idea where to start... It just sits there taunting me....
Here's just a sample... there are stamps on most every page.
(IMAGES NOT POSTED AGAIN)
All common stuff - not worth much - at least what is showing... MOST stamps in the first century of philately (1840-1940) can be had for pennies each...
Contrary to the uninformed opinions posted here, philately is alive and well. As proof of that, recommend that you make a comparison of the number
of items sold on eBay - stamps compared to coins. Or stamps compared to cards. Or, stamps compared to whatever. The number of listings/sold at eBay
don't lie, or do they?
Methinks live and let live is a good idea - you may think you are a big coin "stud," but maybe someone else collects stamps, or matchboxes, or different
types of sewing thread, or whatever!
OP-those stamps are worth about 70-80% of face value, more if used on letters...
All IMHO.
John
SFC, US Army (Ret.) 1974-1994
If you don't think that the mint is now issuing junk, look at the bad artwork on the presidential dollar series. And if it were not for fact that they are made out of gold and therefore have a melt value, the First Lady series would be another dud. When you issue too much stuff all at once you tend to drive collectors away. They throw up their hands and say, "I'm sick of spending money on this crap!"
I like the hobby because it's so reasonably priced. I've been pretty much priced out of the coin and currency hobby. Many of the stamps have detals rivaling the coins and currency. Just smaller. Much smaller.
Although I have to admit I like it better when you had to lick them to stick them to something. Partly because I actually like the taste of the adhesive, partly because it was possible to get just one stamp back then, and partly because the designs have gotten worse since they went to the current peel and stick style.
Most of my collection has been mailed. Since 2011 my mom has been buying stamps on Ebay for me for various gift giving occasions. For less than $50 total spent, my collection already numbers over 1000 different stamps. Since I truly do prefer quantity over quality, that's great for me. They naysayers may say they are worthless, but I love them.
The one bad thing is the hobby can't really be done in front of a high powered fan...and I usually have a high powered fan on. So I basically can only work on the hobby in the dead of winter or when the AC is on.
As long as coins are being minted, some 8 year old kid can start a coin collection with a couple of shiny cents. The series that are currently being minted...Lincoln cents, Washington Quarters, etc. do well because they have an easy entry. But they act as "gateway coins" to the harder stuff. Consider that Buffalo nickels haven't been minted since 1938, but they go up in value every year...and they are less than a gateway.
I know that there are some very valuable stamps, and there are very valuable baseball cards too, but I think these are more "faddish" than coins, which collectively have intrinsic value that stamps and cards don't have. I'm not saying people collect coins because of the bullion value, but I think the fact that there is bullion value in many coins works as an anchor for coins in the public's mind. The general public agrees that old coins are worth "money", just like they all agree that the U.S. dollar...which is really just a piece of paper backed by the reputation of the U.S. has value. Coins have value like Gold has value, where gold is a metal with some good industrial applications but basically is valueless because its soft and heavy...if it wasn't a good conductor it wouldn't really have much in the way of value from an engineering perspective.
So...not in our lifetime...but if you're paranoid...you at least have until about 20 years after the last kid can pull two shiny pennies out of his pocket and store them away somewhere because they're cool.
My currency "Box of Ten" Thread: https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1045579/my-likely-slow-to-develop-box-of-ten#latest
<< <i>Stamps are only a partial glimpse into our future... I'm not saying people collect coins because of the bullion value, but I think the fact that there is bullion value in many coins works as an anchor for coins in the public's mind... Coins have value like Gold has value, where gold is a metal with some good industrial applications but basically is valueless because its soft and heavy...if it wasn't a good conductor it wouldn't really have much in the way of value from an engineering perspective.
So...not in our lifetime...but if you're paranoid...you at least have until about 20 years after the last kid can pull two shiny pennies out of his pocket and store them away somewhere because they're cool. >>
Bullion would make up nearly 100% of what I am interested in. As you pointed out, the downside is not as disappointing as the non-bullion items. I don't understand why the half dollars in commemoratives are not minted in silver. Some of those designs are better than the dollars.
The great stamps are also among the rarest. These are priced out of the range of most collectors (which is why I sold mine), and it is difficult for a some serious collector to complete sets. I do wonder what will happen when the kids and grandkids of some of thse older collectors get their hands on a nice collection. They'll rarely realize what they have.
<< <i>I don't understand why the half dollars in commemoratives are not minted in silver. >>
They wanted to make them affordable so poor people can collect coins too---the usual political correctness.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I forgot to mention last night, I'm probably able to be considered one of the younger people in the stamp hobby...at 26, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to say that, but for now, I probably would be.