Where do you end a collection? and why?

[Admin Bear]

we have hinted at this question here and discussed it at length on the old board, but i want to talk about it in detail.

we have all picked a point in time to end various collections and we all have various reasons why we picked that point in time.. We want to hear about yours... i will be happy to share mine for most of my collections.

US - i chose 2012 (after many debates and changes of hart) primarily because that is where my Album ends.

Canada - i picked to try and collect them all to date... not really sure why but once i decided to start Canada i never picked a solid end point...

Germany - 1945 this plan never changed.. from the moment i decided to collect Germany i wanted to end at the end of WWII.. now that i have had time to explore the hobby more over the last few years i am glad i did pick this point ... it is complex (at best) up to 1945 after that it simply boggles my mind.

i have no clear start or end to any of the Topical collections.. when i find one that fits - it goes in ...

[Perfs14]

Picking the end for the British Commonwealth was easy the S. Gibbons catalogues ends at 1970, so that's where my collection ends. I ended Australia Album at 1984 as they started to issue too many stamps, although I do keep any stamps that come my way after that time. Canada stopped at a similar time.

Most other collections have no formal end date. I am working hard on an Italy album, that will also probably end in the 70's

[Butterfly]

I have an old childhood album that ended about 1950. I collected and added to the album through the 50s, then moved on a more serious relatively hobby free life for many years. After retirement I suddenly had time for hobbies and reacquainted myself with stamps again. After a few years it became clear that the old stamps seen in my youth were the ones for me.
When I look at my country collections my interest drops rapidly from about 1955 to 1970.

Each country is different, but the transformation inevitably occurs at some point in time, and that is the point at which I stop adding them to the albums.

Finally, even with collections trimmed down to 60s and earlier I am still overwhelmed. So recently, to provide adequate time for the countries I'm most interested in, I've totally stopped collecting many others.

Nevertheless, I greatly admire the beautiful stamps of Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries and the many other countries I've stopped collecting, and take great joy in seeing them off to good homes. (sort of like Gordon Lee's foster dogs)

[alyn]

In general, I am going to stick to the General WW Classic which for most countries ends at 1940 and a little later to 1952 for the Commonwealth (the end of Geore VI's reign/beginning of QE II's reign). I came to this decision after looking at my accumulation and just a general feeling that this was a great way to collect.

As with everything exceptions abound, For Canada I will try to maintain up to current issues, US is hodgepodge and I am deciding if I want to seperate my Great Britain and German collections to something similar to how I am planning on Canada, although I may just call 2000 the cut off for them.

For my thematic/topical I haven't even begun to figure how to limit them. But I would guess it will be more an issue of limiting to a certain type of "thing" based on the collection. It could be limiting my ships to Steam Propulsion or one of animal types to genus. For my art, I have already limited it to paintings.

For the most part, most of my decisions take into consideration my other interests and how I can tie in my stamp collections and physical space.

Great question Admin Bear.

Alyn

[cbavier]

Well to begin with I collect U.S Only. I stopped collecting just about everything after 2000 The main reason being. I have hundreds of Plate Blocks
I can't even sell for a fair price. I have many Sheets the same way. All in the 50's,60's and 70's. Nobody wants them anymore. Now the
reasons I stopped about the year 2000.
First - Self Adhesive stamps. I hate them. Almost all stamps after 2000 are self adhesive.
Second- The number of stamps issued every year 100-130 a year at .46cents each makes them cost prohibitive to buy Mint. Used have no value.
Third - The Mint really have no value above face value. So the only ones I save are what come in as regular postage in my mail box.
Fourth- Most of the stamps issued now are so ugly. Computer generated stamps look like photo's of stamps so the quality is very ugly with a few
exceptions. It's like the difference between an Oil Painting and a Lithograph picture.

I have kept my Mystic's "American Heirloom Collection" Album up to date with the supplements but I'm seriously thinking of even stopping that.

[darkormex]

I collect and feel similarly to Alyn with the exception that I have a number of country collections (not limited to certain years) which I won't list here (you can find this on the "what do you collect" thread. I tend to avoid countries that issue excessive numbers of stamps for collectors.

I collect countries that have some connection with me and I also become interested in collecting a country because of it's definitive issues. South Africa and New Zealand became collecting interests because of their definitives.

I do not object to self-adhesive stamps. If it is convenient for the average person to use self-adhesive stamps so be it. As long as stamps are still issued I think we should all be happy. Pure Citrus and similar products have solved any problems I once had.

I collect only used stamps with the exception of South Korea which I mainly collect mint.

[zepherusbane]

I have a few limits on some of my collections but the reasons why typically are based on stamp or album page availability rather than any other reason. I have found that when I said I would only go through year "X" that almost immediately I find some reason to extend it past my date so I don't usually try.

For countries I collect, I'm a world collector but I just focus on countries that I either had a great interest in for non-stampy reasons (like Singapore, Panama, and India) or on countries that I seemed to have plenty of stamps for (such as Great Britain, New Zealand, and Germany).

[MikeC99]

The only country that I collect up to the present time is Canada. The other countries have cut off dates as follows:
- Australia, Ireland and NZ stop at the year 2000(Of course there are exceptions for special stamps, souvenir sheets).
- Germany is collected up to 1976 which is where my Scott album ends.
- Great Britain is collected up to 1983 which is the year that my Stanley Gibbons album ends.
- US is collected up to 2004 which is the year that my Liberty Albums end.
- My British Commonwealth countries are spotty but end around 1960.
- My Topical collections welcome all stamps regardless of date of issue.

Mike

[kannik]

I collect mostly used because mint are too expensive. Like a
few of the people who have written above me here, I hate self-
adhesive stamps (haven't found any Pure Citrus or its equal yet)
and countries that issue those pretty but canceled-to-order
stamps for topical collectors (of which I am one!) I buy them
though, because they answer a need in my collections and are
often beautiful stamps - there's just NO END to them!

I will probably start turning my "mint" US and Canadian stamps
into "used" by using them as postage, except that some of the low
values almost need to be used as wallpaper on large envelopes
to use enough of them to make up the postage!

Cost is a major contributing factor to what and how much of it
I collect. I now have an absolute ceiling of $5.00 per stamp,
postcard or S/S and I don't like spending that. I like to buy
stamps at around 10 cents each. If something I like costs a lot more
than that, I decide that I will just have to have a blank place
in my collection! I remind myself that I have an encyclopaedia
and the Internet if I want to look at pretty butterflies or
flowers!

I look at some
of the stamps that are up for auction for thousands of dollars -
they are often so badly obliterated with postmarks etc. and I
wonder how they can be accurately identified. I get absolutely
sick to my stomach at the thought of anybody spending that kind
of money on little bits of perforated sticky paper (though
sometimes pretty!) when there are people going hungry, fresh
waterless and medicine-less in this world.
(Not that I'm a huge charity donor, either! - I give little bits here
and there!)

That said, there
are probably people out there that think my ceiling is too high!
So basically, I try to avoid spending too much on stamps, am grateful
for any I receive on or in envelopes, and very occasionally splurge
on a $5.00 item that fits somewhere in my varied collections!

[Gordon Lee]

Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
.
I actively seek U.S. stamps, used and unused from the beginning up through to the end. I also actively look for world-wide, used and unused, from day one up to the end of 2003 (only because I'm too cheap to buy any more binders and supplements). Of course, without even trying, newer world-wide end up in my claws. Don't worry. I've got a few blank supplement pages on which I mount them.
.
Notice: I DO NOT purchase stamps (except for what I need for postage).  To me, buying stamps for a stamp collection is cheating.  All it proves is that the richest person (or the person willing to pay the most) has the best collection or the more sought after stamps.  I refuse to play that game.  I am not rich enough to compete.  I honestly believe the hobby started as a means to collect those stamps that came your way -- either through the mail delivery, or shared by friends and relatives, AND by trading.  Only the greedy, wealthy folks started buying their collections (I'm talking about the late 1800's and early 1900's) for the sole purpose to make poor collectors envious.  I also refuse to buy bottled water.  I consider it unthinkable that one would not give a thirsty person a drink of water without having to make a buck.  Nowadays folks don't think anything of buying designer water, just like they don't think twice about buying a stamp for their collection.  The rules have changed.  But I am steadfast in my belief.
.

Thus, the 76,000+ stamps in my collection are not at all extremely valuable.  But they are all mine and I collected almost every one of them honorably.
.
Now, to answer the question where do I end my collection and why?  Well, I expect when my body turns stone cold sitting at my stamp table.  (I've jokingly told my family to shred my stamps and use them to line my casket . . . but, come to think about it, it is not a bad idea.)
.
Respectfully,

Gordon Lee 

[Craig]

Ryukyus: country dead now, so no problem.
France mint: when my album ended 10 years ago.
France used: ditto
Canada used: ditto
British Oceania: ditto
Antarctic, birthdate, Pearl Harbor, US #799 FDCs covers: ongoing
Topicals (about a dozen binders, in Varios): ongoing

And that's about the size of it.

[FairyFoot]

I haven't got a "limit" to my collection.. I am more of a passive collector (my son has shown an interest in stamps - "enclosing some stamps for [you or] your son's collection, with this Postcrossing postcard"), although have bought used stamps, mainly from charity shops (one let me look through and buy some of the used stamps on paper people had put in a basket), but also more recently from a little collectibles dealer where the packets only contain a few stamps and are priced at less than a £1 a packet (maybe no more than 20p a stamp, depending on the packet) - ideal for new and young collectors (35p won't buy you a bar of Dairy Milk or Hersheys or bag of sweets). I think I made the mistake of buying kiloware unaware the majority of stamps were Machins and 2 different children-designed Christmas stamps! Still, didn't spend that much money, and I won't do that again (for a while at least, unless it is for charity, maybe)...

I do have a lot of mint RM stamps intending to be used as my main hobby is postal correspondence (penpalling and Postcrossing) so I like to have various stamps on hand for those who are also interested in stamps... most bought from a little post office from a lovely gentleman who once worked for SG (last time I went to buy stamps, he had his SG tie on).

Also, my collection, although worldwide, tend to be more topical, though not properly sorted... and I think least some of these topics will be appearing on future issues.

[greaden]

I will find a place for any any stamp that comes my way, but as for countries and periods where I seek completion these are my current cutoff points:

US: on the early side I exclude grills, perforation and watermark differences, and coils. On the later side, I stop caring so much about collecting after 1976, the bicentennial. My album extends to 2000, and I may try and fill in the gaps. Beyond that, I only collect what I find on envelopes and what catches my eye at the post office.

FRANCE: On the early side I exclude unissued stamps and high-value overprints. My endpoint is currently 1985 where my album ends but I will probably extend it to their bicentennial, 1989. I include B and C but am not as interested in J (postage dues). Beyond 1989, I am only really interested in the painting stamps and tourist issues.

CANADA: I stop at 1949 when they changed their engraving style.

GERMANY: 1945 though I am looking to fill out my collection of the immediate postwar period until about 1952 when the dust settled and designs became aggressively dull. The German fragments I focus on count as dead countries: Danzig, Saar, French occupation zone, early Saxony and Bavaria.

WORLD: I am looking for at least one stamp from each country, major regime, and occupation zone. I stop at local issues.

TOPICALS: The topic must be relevant to the country issuing the stamp and must not be blatant wallpaper. Alas, the wallpaper mills seem to have discovered one of my areas, carnivorous plants.

My other collecting areas are dead countries (certain French colonies, North Borneo, Nyassa).

[kannik]

I do agree completely with Mr. Lee above on at least one point
(actuallty, many) that he made - I never could see the point of shelling out
about $100.00 and getting 1000 or so US stamps from somewhere like Mystic
and then sticking them into an album. Where's the thrill of the chase
in that? All it is, as far as I can see, is fast (except that Mystic
took about three months to send me my "free" catalog after I sent the
something like $11.00 for postage, plus the cost of a couple of phone
calls to track it down!)

[kannik]

Greadon, I'd love to see some of your carnivorous plants
on stamps - I don't think I've ever seen any! Also,
welcome to our friendly bear den, and please be kind
enough to find our "How did you find/choose your screen
name?" thread and tell us your answer!

[rbridge28570]

We are trying to limit ourselves to certain areas of interest but will take any orphaned stamp in for protection at the moment. We have received quite a few from Stamp Bear members. So we haven't really limited any collection. So we will continue to accept any stamps that need homes and will send extras to anyone willing to give safe haven. Some day we may have to turn them away !!!

[Admin Bear]

Dec 5, 2013 6:56:56 GMT -5 rbridge28570 said:

We are trying to limit ourselves to certain areas of interest but will take any orphaned stamp in for protection at the moment. We have received quite a few from Stamp Bear members. So we haven't really limited any collection. So we will continue to accept any stamps that need homes and will send extras to anyone willing to give safe haven. Some day we may have to turn them away !!!

i have been trying to turn hobo stamps away for a while.. they always find a way to trick you into making them comfortable (even if only for a little while)...

[kannik]

Yah, I know, ain't it drefful?

[swish513]

my collection stops wherever it stops. take my precancels, for example. i chose certain states to collect, and within those states, a set number of towns issued precancels. therefore, that's what i collect. as far as the 3 countries i collect, well, those countries are still issuing stamps, so i guess my collection doesn't stop.

[khj]

This question can only be answered by my wife.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT ASK her this question.