Is the hobby ever coming back?

[cheese]

It's sad that this hobby seems to be forgotten. When I was a kid, I collected stamps and there were stamp shops set up in the mall and other places. Today, I never hear of anyone collecting them and they are so worthless that we've been using some of the old ones for postage. I figured the hobby would come back around eventually, but not yet. I have many first day of issue envelopes and plate blocks, all kinds of stuff, but I wonder if it's worth hanging on to it and occupying space. Do you think it will ever come back and have value again? At today's rates, I can't even get the money back that was paid for them back in the 1980s.

 

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[toolmanbutch]

I have a huge worldwide stamp collection. Some of the Countries no longer exist. I still believe they will be worth something, but not in my lifetime, I gave the whole collection to my Granddaughter. I told her that these are great for History and may have monetary value sometime. I hope. I have been collecting for 60 Years, but in the last few years I have just about stopped.
Toolman Butch

 

[civil_war22]

Dad has like 40 stamps in a group of Elvis. All the same stamps of the king. Not sure if they will be worth anything one day. I remember him getting them from my grandma back in the early 90's

 

[Mackaydon]

I believe the pace at which stamp collection is going out of favor is accelerating. As an example, no longer is the Boy Scout Merit Badge for Stamp Collecting offered locally. Back in the day Stamp and Coin Shows were about 50/50 in space taken.Today, stamps, if even offered, are given less than 10% of the space.
As a kid of the '50s, I looked forward to getting First Day Issue Covers and standing in line at the PO to get the newest commemorative. What kid does that today? (Rhetorical question).
As an Illinois farm-boy, stamps gave me the 'window to the world'; its people, places and events. Today, that perspective is offered by the Internet.
Perhaps Bob Dylan said it best back in '64: "The times they are a'changin."
Don......

 

[greenwyvern]

I'm almost 70. I have a pretty good collection. I think it has become pretty worthless except for the actual face value of the stamps. Lately use them as postage on bills. Seems first day covers are more trouble to sell than they are worth. I'll pass it all to which ever grandchild shows some interest.

 

[Slingshot]

I think it will become a popular hobby again as it still has a lot to offer. I am a permanent stamp collector from the cradle to the grave, with 55 years of active collecting under my belt, and am loving the low prices and availability of really interesting stamps and collections that are hitting the market now at rock bottom prices.

It's a buyers market, and if your a collector or someone who is on the sidelines just thinking about starting, it's a great time to be collecting stamps.

I only collect postally used stamps, and mostly just US concentrating on Socked On The Nose Circular Date Stamp cancels, and have picked up some real beauties this year. I also have a nice collection of US #720 & 721, with many examples of re-touched plates, shades, plate # singles, uneven coil line pairs and pages of various cancels.

It's a great hobby and I'm having a blast!

 

[Terry Soloman]

I also believe if you are a dedicated collector that has been at it since you went after your Stamp Collecting Merit Badge, this is a wonderful time to be a collector. As a buyer you can name your price if it is reasonable compared to other dealers. People have no idea what they have, and valuable stamps and collections show up at garage and estate sales all the time. Auctions are still very popular.

 

[TwoYewts]

I would think there are several sellers on Ebay that would beg to differ on this topic. Just doing a quick search for some of the top sellers you can see sellers like NobleSpirit and NYStamps are churning out stamp auction after stamp auction with many bids per each listed item. Kind of in line with what Terry and Slingshot said, if you are in the that particular hobby you could probably attest to how large the hobby's community is, etc. Also the day of brick and mortar anything is long gone, this is just another hobby whose community has gone online with stamp collecting forums and online communication between its enthusiasts.

-TwoYewts
Happy Hunting.

 

[SarahMae86]

I realize I'm a minority, but I'm thirty and just started collecting a couple years ago. One of my good friends has a small collection, and my mom has an album and has done a little collecting with me.

I think mostly the community has simply moved online, although I wish stamp shops still existed. My efforts to find one have mostly been thwarted. I once drove well over an hour to what was advertised online as a stamp shop only to show up and be told rather abruptly (despite the large sign in the window proclaiming otherwise) that they haven't sold stamps for years.

So I buy online. I'm hoping to hit up a show in the next year or so, however.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Beezly]

I've noticed the values are very low but the retail costs are outrageous. Garage sales and things of that nature are the way to go. I don't think the hobby will ever rebound unfortunately, there's just nothing to draw in the younger electronic generation. My focus has shifted towards stampless covers and postal history. Even if my collection becomes worthless, my kids will have something that has sentimental value at least.

 

[Berton]

Unfortunately, now it is possible to buy stamps only in Internet, however, there is a number of good sellers on eBay where you can find what ever you want.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I've seen more stamp activity today than I've seen in the last few years. The stamp collecting forum was just about down to zero activity here!

Glad to see the interest rising again, just another one of those guys who collected since the 50's

 

[Dozer D]

Include me in the group of kids from the 50's who collected stamps, baseball cards, Lionel trains, but now only coin collecting remained. It was fun back in those years, wish they could come back. DozerD

 

[Mackaydon]

I keep my stamps from those days of collecting in the 50s.They are part of me.When I look at them now, I realize I"m not going to provide a college education to any grandkid if I were to sell them. But the memories they instill are worth more than their market value--so I'll let my heir(s) decide on their fate.
Don.......

 

[Jay Plunder]

I recently came into possession of a worldwide stamp collection, and have no idea where to start .

 

[Mackaydon]

For starters, you may wish to post pics of your oldest USA stamps.
What is the backstory on the collection? Was it from a parent, grandparent, or
Don........