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The Guardian 'Money' section today has an article about stamp collecting:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/ap ... tely-clubs

The article decries investment in stamps (via comments on SG 'values') and comments on the decline in collecting but the apparently thriving local stamp clubs.

Well aside from the comment about the low value of the 1951 'Edward VI' set which must surely be wrong as it's certain to be a unique item , this is a fairly interesting article.

Thank you for referring to it, Jps1949.

Having said that, I'm not so sure the stamp societies are that vibrant.

These days, there is more action on the net, and the new stamp societies are sites like Stampboards, to a large extent. At least in Belgium, for which I have more information, stamp society membership has seriously waned in the last 20-30 years.

Cheers,
Joel.

MUCH better than that BBC article the other day about FDCs.

And as for the chap who bought his stamps in the 1960s, and is now selling them on eBay and is disappointed at what fraction of SG catalogue value they are realising, I suspect his memory is rather selective.

For a start, I imagine that he bought them for a fraction of the then SG CV. My guess is that if he was to buy the same stamps today from equivalent dealers, he might well pay a similar fraction of current CV to what he paid in the 1960s.

It's not SG's fault that many not uncommon GB stamps have been a poor investment (compared to say, property or equities). It's all about supply and demand, and the only "yield" you get with stamps is the pleasure of looking at them and studying about them!

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29,000 stamped postcards & covers:http://www.delcampe.net/stores/edwardx
Collecting old passports:http://www.passportland.com/

The article quotes SG's spokeswoman as saying that the price a stamp achieves depends on condition, yet doesn't give the condition of the stamps owned by the articles opening subject. I wonder what kind of shape his early material is in, if



They said he bought from dealers on The Strand and auctions, so one would think he wasn't buying damaged rubbish.

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Collecting Mongolia; Thailand; Indo-China; Mourning Covers; OHMS.
My online 'store': http://stampsfromaethelwulf.blogspot.com/

Yes, I thought about making the very same comment.

It can't have been a very good example to get this kind of price. I would expect a decent stamp to fetch at least £25-£30, and a really nice one with a central CDS to get closer to £100.

£6 will get you one of these stamps, but with faults.

Cheers,
Joel.

Their photo used is HIGHLY deceptive.

See Joel's informed comments re prices in the REAL world.

This example they showed is a GEM for this issue, and would never sell for 6 quid on ebay.

I'll buy 1000 of them for 6 quid apiece.

Exactly! This is a nice, very well centered, clean example with a crisp central oval cancel.

No way this goes for anywhere near £6...

Let's see SG's investment department defend this article. "We sell it to you for £175, but when you try to sell it elsewhere, you'll only get £6". Since they seem to target non-collectors, explanations like "its all about the perforations and gum" might go over the heads of many people, just as an antiques dealer might lose you when going on about the effect on value of patina.

Seems like everything in the background of that KE7 is kiddie kollection material, maybe even the cover of a Chinese stockbook.

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Collecting Mongolia; Thailand; Indo-China; Mourning Covers; OHMS.
My online 'store': http://stampsfromaethelwulf.blogspot.com/

The caption below the picture might help clear up the article: "A King Edward VII stamp: catalogue prices are for pristine examples of the stamp in question, not what it is ‘worth’ should you wish to sell it, according to Stanley Gibbons."

The used stamp pictured looks to be a pristine example. Not pictured is the one discussed in the article. Comparing the two stamps could have led to a lesson about investing as opposed to collecting.

Best wishes,
AndrewG

I would agree that Society membership has waned, but what is left, at least locally anyway, is still pretty vibrant. Of the 2 local Societies I belong to, the membership of 1 has held steady over the past few years after a period of decline, and the other has seen its average attendance rise from about 20 members a few years ago to about 30 now. These people almost all participate on the internet in some fashion, it's just a change.
Like many things, Societies aren't dead yet, thankfully!

I read it this morning and thought that it was the most balanced article in the mainstream UK media for a long time (on collecting that is). The only thing that let it down was the headline, and as I said re the BBC one, the journalist writes one thing and somebody else may put the headline on.

Of course in the right/wrong circumstances any stamps can sell for peanuts on eBay. If you have no picture, as our wannabe dealer in another thread did, or a poor picture, or you list it with a less-than helpful description and title..... Things can slip through everybody's radar, despite the number of standing searches there are.

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Ian Billings - Norvic Philatelics GB stamps info: http://www.norphil.co.uk - also /catalog for our ecommerce site, blog.norphil.co.uk, shop.norphil.co.uk and Ian_norvic on twitter

I found the above passage from the article particularly interesting, especially to those who think Stamp Collectors are dying out.

Darrin.

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Visit my Website - http://WWW.DJMSTAMPS.COM for Australia & World Stamps, Collections and Accessories

I popped into Dauwalders on Wednesday afternoon and at 36 years old I must have been the youngest customer in the shop by at least 25 years!

However, I did overhear one chap saying that the shop was one of the busiest in the shopping centre that day, which is good to hear.

Jon.

Here's a report from our local newspaper on a weekend event:

Collectors keen to ensure philately isn’t stamped out: 63rd East Midlands and East Anglian Federation of Philatelic Societies convention in King’s Lynn

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Ian Billings - Norvic Philatelics GB stamps info: http://www.norphil.co.uk - also /catalog for our ecommerce site, blog.norphil.co.uk, shop.norphil.co.uk and Ian_norvic on twitter

The Last time I did a random head count of my Philatelic club, the membership stood at 10,168 and still growing !!!

This is a typical piece of press doublespeak - Glen will tell you all about it no doubt if you ask nicely

What they DON'T say is that the auctions he bought from may have been at his local club - or on ebay - and he may have bought "kiddie collections" as well as quality material from The Strand. Or even that way back when, there were plenty of dealers on The Strand selling bulk lots as well as premium material.

Cleverly talking about two different subjects in one sentence leads one to the (incorrect) inference that he ONLY bought quality material.

"It's in the papers - it must be true"