Something that those now becoming stamp collectors might never know are the benefits of buying across the counter from a living, breathing stamp dealer.
Older collectors wistfully remember a dealer who seemed to be their own personal stamp agent. There was security knowing that you had a philatelic mentor who could point you in the right direction and assure that you put together a collection of meaning and value.
Now, you're pretty much on your own, with the exception of the information you can glean from the Internet. It may be hard to know what sources can be trusted, but I like to think that About.com Stamps has some of the information and stamp news you need to enjoy your hobby to the maximum.
Of course, no site can have all the philatelic insights you need, but here you can find links to organizations and collector's clubs that maintain libraries to plumb, not to mention experienced collectors who are willing to share their knowledge for no more than a "thanks."
Goodbye to the Day of the Stamp Dealer
Some were cigar-chomping hard dealing dealers, who were more bluff than bite, although they could indeed drive a hard bargain. But they often seemed to have the stuff you needed, so you would put up with some mild abuse to add a prize to your collection.
When you hear the expression "romance of stamp collecting" it is good to remember that like a lot of things romantic that require purchase, the stamp dealer has ways to instill a sense of the romantic and exotic that the stamps may not intrinsically possess.
I don't know if I would call going to a stamp shop "romantic," but there was something very enjoyable about meeting a buddy or two and heading out to your favorite stamp shop on a Saturday morning, after you'd been to the post office to check out the new issues.
There was also the possibility to make a find more easily, as an Internet of 10s of thousands of collectors didn't have access to the stock, sure to scoop it up before you'd have time to blink.
There was one dealer that some of us called The Doctor, so fine was his over-the-counter manner. Located by the train station in one of those well-kept northern New Jersey towns, he was easy to get to. He did not fall to the Internet, as so many stamp shops have, rather being forced out by escalating rents in the decade of the eighties. He was popular with all and got written up in the local paper many times over the years. I'm sure he wouldn't have railed and ranted against the Internet, but would have shaken his head and smiled as he brought out another box full of stamp treasures waiting to be found.
Sharing at About.com Stamps
When you visit About.com Stamps you can easily get answers to your philatelic questions or share your own knowledge. Here are the ways you can connect here at About.com:
- Share your experience of a first day of issue ceremony for a stamp here.
- Following About Stamps at twitter is a good option for a quick hit of philately, when you don’t have time to delve into deeper content here on the site.
- If you so desire, email me directly for a quick return and an answer or a referral to an expert.
- Sign up for the weekly newsletter on the front page, upper right. It is a good way to navigate to new articles, as well as a good digest of the news of the week.
- Finally, there is the forum, useful not just to collectors, but civilians who may have a question about inherited collections and the like. The forum is accessible from the front page, top left.
As I’ve mentioned, stamp collecting is all about sharing and the forum is a good place for that.
