A Beginner's Guide to Collecting Stamps Ep. 8 -- How to NOT Compulsively Collect

[@RichardLaurence]

Thanks for sharing some very personal stories - I love that our fantastic hobby can bring people together in this way. My wife developed an incurable disease 7 years ago, and within a year she died. My collecting became even more important to me - I certainly veered into the impulsive zone you describe, but now has returned to the ‘normal’ level! I switched from the relatively expensive military postal history to my other love, French stamps. I’m now collecting modern material, which is fortunately‘cheap & cheerful’…

[@graemeguthrie2054]

I struggle not to get too carried away with collecting in general. Once I get my teeth into something I'm off !. Started with me collecting Tea cards in UK then stamps since 1969 as a little lad then model cars then bicycles and then watches. But stamps are something I left alone for years but I'm fully engaged once again and loving it. Pandemic got my Stamp Fire going once again. I love your videos and am inspired by the collection of USA. I've started one also now. Only have 1952- 1966 at the moment but watch this space. Keep these videos coming. Thank you

[@mattiaswilliam6540]

Very good advice. I was also impulsively into card collecting (mostly hockey) when I was younger. I also remember scrounging together enough for a pack or two. I managed to stay away from the drugs, but did apply my compulsive nature into alcohol (thankfully not for very long). My mother was the one that got me into stamp collecting over 35yrs ago when I was quite young. I remember setting a budget from my paper delivery money and going to the stamp&coin shop once or twice a month. She passed away last year and the act of merging the collections together really got me back into collecting. I have a budget set, but I will definitely keep that HARM acronym at the top of my mind -- also the "there will always be another" when finding myself bidding in an auction (which I did 2 days ago...) I kept to my budget, but I'll admit, it was very tough.

[@obscurity8415]

I think all collectors are compulsive to some extent. The lockdown also cost me a lot as my collection expanded not only in numbers but different strands. Now I try to stick to a monthly budget concentrating on one strand, currently stamps of Jersey (there’s some great ships, trains and space stamps, hint hint). You HALT nemonic is great and true, it also helps to have a supportive partner. Thank you for the psychology 101 and reminding me that I’m not alone.

[@dwaynebagley173]

I deeply appreciated this video. The HARM acronym has now been committed to memory.

[@ptrinch]

Great video, as always. The ship stamp (Scott no. 216) is the HMY Britannia. It was a racing cutter built for King Edward VII in 1893 and raced by him and his son, King George V. As his dying wish, King George wanted the yacht to follow him in his death. As such, 6 months after King George died, the yacht was sunk off the coast of Isle of Wight. Really a shame as it was a beautiful boat, but as they say... what a king wants, a king gets. At least we still have the stamps.

[@silkontheweb]

Wonderful story!! And sad ending... thanks for sharing

[@LawnGnomePower]

Love the realness and advice! I’m a younger collector and enjoy hearing your stories of when you were younger and being older now.

[@kozzackkelt]

Focus your collecting interests.... set a budget......something similar will be available in the future..... Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired... Great words of advise. I still have a bunch of baseball cards from the early - mid '70's.... a few might even be worth a dollar or two.... Thanks for another GREAT video.

[@bigtom1948]

Love your posts, thanks. Your story and mine are about the same regarding collecting stamps. Trying to keep the hobby under control is a real problem. Didn't use the drugs and alcohol though. Mad respect to you for being sober. That is really super.

[@davidkeeley8473]

Thanks for sharing a truly honest video. I've done the exact same thing several times late at night doing a buy it now on ebay, only to find I really didn't need it. Stamps I already have, or they are in rough shape or stuck to the pages. Compulsive buying. This is a good lesson. Thank you. I'm learning.

[@stephenmegrath3734]

Thanks for this, you really do give more than just advice on stamp collecting and it’s much appreciated.

[@jasonparr4275]

Very wise words my dear Yankee cousin. I think we have all been there!! Best wishes from Qld, Australia!!

[@otakudibyan24]

Great advice. The baseball cards were cool. Love your videos.

[@gumshoe2273]

I call it, "going all mania on it." I've learned to recognize the feeling when it sets upon me, take mental note that I'm under attack, and tell myself to, "step away!"

[@LiveStampLaughRepeat]

I absolutely loved this series. I love your advice to those of us just starting out.

[@pinkgirl1x]

Thx for the Halt strategy😊

[@AaronTenino]

Great advice. I can definitely get sucked in that way as well. One thing in addition to what you said that I often try to do is take the time to get a value on what I am buying. I try to pay 2 to 5 percent of catalog when buying albums. I also know my max bid and snipe at the end of an auction, waiting until the last 5 seconds keeps me from being tempted to bid beyoud my budget.

[@AJuchum]

I’ve been collecting since I was about 8 with some Indian stamps my father brought home from the war. It was on and off for years and finally I sold most of what I had at a local shop’s counter auctions to buy Canadian. I managed to get almost everything costing under $100. Now that I’m retired I’m selling them on eBay. I’ve been buying big lots on eBay or Goodwill and reselling to still play with stamps. Also I made a custom album for one stamp from every country/issuing agency. It’s a fun collection. Enjoy all of your endeavors.

[@dedrayn]

Thank you for sharing such a personal story! My tip: I have a plastic crate and all of the albums I buy on eBay have to fit in the crate. If the crate is full, I need to make room one way or another. It has definitely slowed me down in terms of accumulating more stuff!

[@christophersmeltser6564]

Wise words

[@jameslove1092]

Hi Silk. Hold a long time. Halt. Best regards from James in Scotland.

[@TheFasteddie97]

Nice episode! Thanks for being so frank. I struggle with compulsivity while collecting stamps. It was influenced by a friend I met at a stamp club, who is obsessed with stamps.I have way more stamps than I will ever be able to sort out and mount. And my albums always seem to grow in number. Got to keep it in perspective. And resist “bargains” that are always available at the club, and online. I enjoy your postings. Keep up the good work!

[@silkontheweb]

Totally understand... it's typically the 'bargains' or the illusion of a bargain that I fall for...

[@Bible-writing_study_project]

Oke i love this video❤ thanks you! I'll put the HALT on a paper the fridge

[@Ms.Sarah.Orange]

thanks for this series - your enthusiasm is contagious and I very much enjoy your hearty bellow of "I LOVE THIS STAMP!" I'm aware I have compulsive traits and have only recently dipped into this after a friend of mine designed the latest British Dungeons and Dragons set which reminded me I have my childhood album and more excitingly my dad's childhood album. I now have a 3rd album and a load of loose stamps that I'm cataloguing and am holding off getting any more until I've dealt with all this - I think my plan is to merge the two old albums together (and take the mickey out of my 13 year old dad (soon to be 80!) for putting stamps in the wrong section of his - doesn't the internet make us wise :D) maybe into a newer loose leaf album. I've learned so much history and geography in the last few weeks but I can feel the compulsive behaviour nipping at my toes a bit so I'm going to put the breaks on a bit. what helped was seeing an ebay listing where someone was selling 4500+ penny reds. that is beyond normal collecting and way into hoarding when you have that many :D

[@ericgagnon1222]

Great video - Let's Just Collect Stamps, Not Just Let Stamps Collect! Let's be Stamp Collectors, not just Stamp Accumulators!

[@silkontheweb]

Wonderful advice!!

[@pepper7only]

Good video, down to earth

[@LeoSchulp-p6d]

Verry honest video, thanks! HALT is another word for STOP in Dutch, so very appropriate!

[@olivermiller2013]

This is one of the best videos I saw, not only for stamps. Of course I´m also guilty and for some years I say to myself after losing an auction: There are always stamps out there I can buy. It doesn´t matter if I don´t have this and that. I have a big collection and there are some parts I will sell, because they are simple too much. I did such things in the past as well. Your album in the video was the best example. I found myself in the past when I bought something I´m quite complete and I may need only 5 - 10 stamps. I like old stamps up to 1950, sometimes newer ones, but this is quite seldom. I started working on a website to have the possibility to see them, when I´m travelling for business. It is a big construction site, nothing is near to an end, but it is the same with my collection. I do not look that I´m complete, I look only for beautiful stamps and envelopes. The Blue nose stamp is such a stamp, but I do not own it yet. This is absolute fine, because there must be always something to hunt. I stopped buying stamps at night, because of your HALT rule you make too many mistakes. In the past I was same as you at 10 PM or later looking at ebay and with the millions of possibilities it is inevitable to find something you would like to have. Today I buy more often at classical stamp auctions and they are not at night. Because the collections are a bit more expensive, I buy most of the time only one I like. The next buy is some months later. I still have plenty stamps to sort, it never ends. Thank you for sharing this.

[@silkontheweb]

Do you have a favorite auction site for quality collections?

[@adamhuffman3354]

Your videos have the ingredients to change lives for the better. Intellect and perception go good with philately. Great video!

[@silkontheweb]

Thank you so much for the encouragement... your feedback means a great deal, and helps keep me going on this KZbin journey. I really appreciate it!

[@Jabarten]

I fully understand what you are talking about. Did I ever have those compulsive collecting days, not just with stamps, but with paper money, ball cards, etc.etc....along with partying heavily in my 20s and 30s. I got a real job in 1989 that paid well, and had lots of money to spend. Also did saltwater aquariums ($$$$). Age has slowed me down now that I am in my 50s, but still show bits of it at times...just was exicting for me I guess (probably correctly). Still have quite a bit from those days, even though I sold large parts of my collections at times just to make room. Now I need to get more albums and bookcases again as I am running out of space...went on a tear lately for the last 5 years...just my views...

[@silkontheweb]

Totally get it... I came real close to an aquarium, too... :)

[@tedlawrence4189]

Back when I started my collection back in 1959,at age 10,the majority of collectors collected the whole world. That was hard to do even then. Now you better have a lot of $ to even build a modest W.W. collection. Specialization makes only sense today.

[@billsweeney4785]

awesome episode, loved it buddy, thanx.

[@silkontheweb]

Thanks for watching!

[@phils473]

Moral of Silk's story: No stamp shopping after 10:00 PM, especially if dinner was really light 😅 All kidding aside, though, thanks for sharing something so personal. For me, it was cards as a kid. All sports. This was my escape from poverty and it became an *obsession*. Need any worthless Pro Set cards? Score? I still got 'em! Then in college (and about 20 years onward), it was foreign language books and materials because I got that nerdy lol. The pattern is still there, so I've had to pump the brakes on stamps. But refinement is good in such a vast hobby.

[@silkontheweb]

Remember Triple Play? :)

[@phils473]

@@silkontheweb Hmmm... That's ringing a bell somewhere... It should click when I Google it

[@RonDale-jy8et]

Sometimes if you as a collector feel burnout, I find switching to another area for a while helps...

[@davidcid9943]

😷😷🇺🇦😷 Quite simply, Thank You

[@219belizeman]

A rule I follow. If I have only $100 to spend, I will buy higher value stamps instead of a bag containing hundreds of stamps. In the end, a bag containing hundreds will always be available again. The few stamps or single stamp for $100 may not surface again at that price.

[@JoshuaWysocki]

get words and sometimes i struggle with the same things

[@muchonice]

Thx for the video. Unrelated to this specific topic, I was wondering how you identify various stamp paper types ? Im a newbie but love the detective part of it already but comes to a dead-end with the paper. Thx again.

[@silkontheweb]

I love the detective aspect too... are you wondering about finding watermarks, or identifying different types of paper like blue paper, etc?

[@muchonice]

@@silkontheweb I got the watermark figured out. But some catalogs differienciate between the paper. For instance red and white paper, but because my stamps are so old its hard to determinate what is what. Any tips. Thx for great content.

[@patiencezero-xc9zl]

My method of collecting does me well to avoid compulsive or hoarding behavior. I have an Ebay store and make a modest sum selling singles. I will spend only a few hundred dollars at a time buying collections but invariably double my money breaking them up and selling. THAT requires patience but I try to only use that money to then purchase high-value stamps with certifications. It works well and has the added benefit of keeping the collection from turning into a three-headed monster AND making the collection into something that will hold value. Oh, and I have given myself a very decent education in expertising. Knowing that my collection is very valuable takes the place of simply having a ton of stamps.

[@silkontheweb]

I've yet to sell stamps... Mrs. Silk would probably like me to... but I do like the idea of a hobby that pays for itself. I may ask for advice down the line, would love to hear your insights

[@mortenlangekirkegaard1855]

I do exact the same. Buy collections and break them down and sell. Keeping the ones I need or is better condition or better cancel. It is really hard to have the patient for this, but I know I would hoard stamps if I just let loose.

[@RonDale-jy8et]

Mr. Silk thank you for this video!! Lots of good ideas here!! Most of us collectors seem to be compulsive in some fashion! A Couple of ideas to keep Mrs. S close to you and you outta the stamp auctions 1) Nasal Strips. These look like band aides on the bridge of the nose. May help the snoring deal. Also some beds adjust to stop people snoring and hence keep you outta the auctions Any good stamps in that auction.? WROTE DOWN YOUR HALT ACRONYM!!Are you still doing the trades? Have some BOB stamps you might use... A Fan...!!(Still curious about your Harry POtter figures... They don't 'come to life like in TOY STORY..... at least I hope not?( Otherwise WHERE DO THEY GO?)

[@silkontheweb]

Ah! I wasn't sure which Harry Potter figurines you were referring to... they're from Office Space, a bit of a subtle nod to the fact that I work from home sometimes... :)

[@RonDale-jy8et]

Wow, I'm not a big Funko fan (Only have one Funko :Alex Trebek!). Really thought they were Harry and hermione!! Ah, welll... they aren't very expressive!!@@silkontheweb

[@Creek54]

I'm guilty too. I love all things James Bond/007. A couple of years ago a 1/8th scale die-cast put it together yourself model of the Aston Martin DB5 was on the market. I forget how many part shipments there were but it was a lot. The problem is, I don't have room for a 2 foot model. Also the parts ended up costing over $1000. Yikes! And when i want to sell it, there's no way I'll get my money back. And now there is a 1/6th scale Shelby Mustang available! I must resist!

[@silkontheweb]

It happens... I wish I'd learned about HALT years before I did!

[@RonDale-jy8et]

Mr. Silk. Are you still following the Cubs? Trying to keep faith with the Pirates, but they frustrate me...!!

[@robanderson4137]

I have inherited a collection of about 400 stamps ranging from 1890's to 1960's...most are canceled some are not. All varieties, france germany canada, bolivia, south america, usa and so on. none are in books, they are loose or in envelopes...I really don't want to collect, looking to sell really. What is the best way to offload this collection without getting ripped off...there may be some real value to this collection but i don't have the time to get up to speed on what is valuable and what's not.

[@RonDale-jy8et]

Any chance of donating it to a fellow collector or club? I suspect it'll just be an irritation, like buying abook in lousy grade because it's cheap... If somebody jumps ahead that's not YOUR album...!!

[@RonDale-jy8et]

There's a bed for that....(ZZZZZ!)

[@collectingconfidence]

But, can we still do a 'little bit" of compulsive collecting? Please?

[@silkontheweb]

Were all a work in progress... :)

[@radeknovak1243]

Interesting video! Maybe I should publish a video on the similar topic on my video chanel as well :-) Keep on, you make cool videos!

[@patiencezero-xc9zl]

By the way, you did not go to Michigan Tech for University did you? If you did, we may know each other but I won't try to guess your name in public or anything so don't worry. ;-)

[@silkontheweb]

Nope... wasn't me...

[@patiencezero-xc9zl]

@@silkontheweb lol....understood. My wife also accuses me alot of remembering the faces of people I never actually knew because of a resemblence. I was a social butterfly in my younger years.