Trading advice

[angore]

There is a lot of trading but something I had not reached a level mentally to actually want to do it.

For example. I have around 15 glassines of spares segregated by country. I use to keep them on vario pages but ended up using a lot of Vario pages. Then you have the task of identifying (again) so having something to identify (small piece of paper) adds more to space needs.

Now many are easy to identify but then I have a issues where there are watermark varieties. Do traders care?   I wonder about these round robins if you just see the same stamps over and over.

I use StampManage to inventory so creating a want and trading is not that much work to create shareable files. Some seem to trade on just stamp for stamp and not focus on catalog value.

Please advise.

[sharonb]

angore, I am not sure quite what you are asking but for what it is worth have been a few round robbins and not seen repeated stamps. I am also in the 100 stamps club - these are blind swaps. I always find something of interest and I enjoy contact with other stamp collectors - for me I enjoy that. Hope I have been helpful a little

[guyana1230]

angore, If I trade stamps with someone it is usually on a 1 for 1 basis as I have no interest in value and only use catalogues as a means to lay out my pages, etc. If (and I have done a couple) someone wants to trade on values, I have sent them my exchanges first and asked them to calculate the exchange, so far have been happy with that. I have also done some exchanges through the "100 stamps club" but, have taken a break on this as I had too many sending East European stamps even though I specified that I didn't want East European.

[stampie78]

angore, good morning. My thoughts on trading. Bottom line first. It's all about what you want to do and how you want to do it.

If you have tons of stamps then you can join numerous trade circuits and have a ball. For example, I am a member of ISWSC and they have several trade circuits.

Large circuit for large stamps only, Small circuit for small stamps only, USA trade circuit for US only, CTO circuit for CTO only.

Also I believe they are starting another for cinderellas/reprints/fakes/labels/etc.

I am in all of these circuits and enjoy the trading. All are on a one for one basis so you don't have to worry about values.

If I pick 20 from any circuit I usually put back in 25 or so and they are just picked randomly from either a box or stockbook.

My logic is, if it's hard and you have to work at it you are in the wrong circuit.

Those were the easy circuits and how they work. Now for the more work intensive circuits.

These circuits have you mount stamps on a standardized sheet set up so it can be folded either in half for bigger envelope or folded twice to fit in a #9 envelope. Each stamp is Scott numbered and priced. The sheets are then submitted to the originator of the circuit and you are given a credit for the amount of the sheets submitted. (let's say you submitted sheets worth $100.00, then you can pick stamps to the value of $100.00 from

sheets you receive )

This circuit is great for someone who has lots of higher value stamps (say $1 and up) and don't mind the work/time involved. I have over the years been in several of these and they work fine. As long as you keep sending sheets, you will keep receiving sheets and building a nice collection.

Now I am here at stampbears, I do a bit of trading from time to time, use the monthly lottery and giveaways and am having a ball. Great bunch of people and I haven't met a single one. That's how the stamp collecting community works.

Another advantage of participating in circuits is that you get some very nice stamps on you incoming mail.

So I refer you to the first line and so endeth my rambling for today. (I have heard shorter sermons in a packed church)

Happy stamping/trading.

[JanetC]

stampie78, I just went and looked at the ISWSC website. That looks like so much fun. I might give it a try.

[stampie78]

Jan 12, 2020 13:44:29 GMT -5 JanetC said:

stampie78 , I just went and looked at the ISWSC website. That looks like so much fun. I might give it a try.

And the membership fee is only $15.00 a year plus 250 stamps of your choice (no small) for the kids outreach program.

This is a great club for trade circuits and many other benefits. Go through all the links and you will see. Something for everyone.

[janstamp]

angore,

I don't do Round Robins or blind swaps.
I only exchange on catalogue value - unless otherwise agreed - and with the agreement that one can always send back what you don't like to keep.
Exchange-sites such as colnect.com (about 70 languages) or lemarchedutimbre.com (only french) are quiet easy to use for such swaps as you can make want- and offerlist on base of catalogue numbers and images. 

[sharonb]

stampie78, I am checking out the ISWSC website as I write this - I am confused as they describe the circuit as a magazine -where as I thought you were talking about a stamp trade circuit? Or do they do both? does the circuit go world wide or just in the US ( i cant find that info on the site) I ask because I am in Australia.

[angore]

"The Circuit" is the name of the their bi-monthly publication. They manage multiple swap circuits such as Small/Definitive, Large, CTO, and USA circuits.

I collect British Commonwealth but they do not have a swap circuit for that topic..

ISWSC Swap Circuit Program for 2018-19

The 2018-19 program is being simplified to the following circuits. We will charge $4 for the Large Size (100 Foreign Stamps), Cancelled to Order (100 CTO Stamps), Small Size (150 Foreign Stamps - 4 times per year), and USA (100 USA Stamps), We will charge $9 for the Large Size (200 Foreign Stamps) and Small Size (150 Foreign Stamps - 9 times per year). The income received will be used by the Swap Circuit Mangers to buy quality stamp inventory.

[stampie78]

Jan 13, 2020 6:15:58 GMT -5 sharonb said:

stampie78 , I am checking out the ISWSC website as I write this - I am confused as they describe the circuit as a magazine -where as I thought you were talking about a stamp trade circuit? Or do they do both? does the circuit go world wide or just in the US ( i cant find that info on the site) I ask because I am in Australia.

Sorry about that. I should have mentioned the two. "The Circuit" is their bi-monthly publication and is separate from the trade circuits.

If you're not a member already, I think you can read a sample copy of "The Circuit" Just go to the home page and click on the banner where it says Circuit and you can read a sample there. Hope this helps a bit.

And as the name suggests it is worldwide. I get my copy of The Circuit online. (get it quicker and less clutter in my stamp room)

[alyn]

I highly recommend the ISWSC.

[sharonb]

stampie78, thanks for clarifying about the circruit - I will probably join up even though I dont collect whole world. A good few too many countries catch my curiosity then I am done for

[khj]

Jan 13, 2020 19:26:10 GMT -5 alyn said:

I highly recommend the ISWSC.

I'd be shocked if you didn't!

k

[stampie78]

Jan 15, 2020 7:01:51 GMT -5 sharonb said:

stampie78 , thanks for clarifying about the circruit - I will probably join up even though I dont collect whole world. A good few too many countries catch my curiosity then I am done for

Join ISWSC and keep reading all the information and stories. Before you know it we will have you collecting the entire world.

Why not try for one page each of all the stamp issuing entities. (some of course you won't even get a page full.)

A lesser Worldwide collection is one stamp from each issuing entity. This is achievable with a few exceptions. And the entire thing can be housed in one binder. Happy WW collecting.

[JanetC]

sharonb Aww, come on into the World Wide pool. The stamps are fine and the fun is better.

[katie333]

Just chiming in to say I'm one of the circuit managers for ISWSC and it's been a lot of fun to manage. The lists are being pulled together and if you join now (and join the circuits now), you'll get 2 full years of circuits. At first I was a bit reticient because of the costs but now I love it so much I am one of three 'small stamp' managers and also act as back up for the large circuits.

[sharonb]

Jan 15, 2020 11:36:36 GMT -5 JanetC said:

sharonb Aww, come on into the World Wide pool. The stamps are fine and the fun is better.

stampie78, AND JanetC, you are cruel people I am trying to keep things in control just a little ... I think I will join anyway and see what happens. This forum leads me astray too too easily.