Stamp Stories: The First Tea Party

You been hearing alot of about Tea Party this and Tea Party that these days but few seem to recall the first Tea Party involved American colonists sneaking onto a British cargo ship in the Boston Harbor disguised as Indians and promptly tossing crates of Tea into the waters below to protest the unjust Tea Tax Law.

I share these stamp stories because of the primary reasons KNS exists is to help create more fond memories between kids and their parents and between kids and their favorite stamps. The Boston Tea Party stamp block of 1973 was my first block in my stamp album. It was also the first stamp/s I used a "jacket" on. We used to call them "jackets" but they are the protective mounts with clear plastic to seal a stamp from environmental conditions and thus preserve its unique quality and value.

While stamps in their full scope are more than historical milestones; they cannot escape being placed in the event the stamp was originally issued to commemorate. And neither can I separate my memories of events surrounding the acquistion of various special stamps. The remember the trips to get them. The stories around them. The shows that spoke about them. The tales from other collectors.

In our modern era some will have you convinced this is corny stuff worthy of coke glasses and acne medicine. That stamp collecting is supposedly confined to the sheltered fearful types who toil in the lonely dark staring at colorful slips of paper. Just remember this, the fools who hurl these charges are the same fools who devote hours to mindless violent video games with nothing to show for their expense of time and money. Usually these folks are equally addicted to profane and sex-charged cartoons and motion pictures who spew a diet of everything out there is primitive and backward if it doesn't involve cursing, shooting, fornicating or killing.

So I guess I'll stay corny. And so will my children. We will enjoy stamps and the unique memories they create. KNS is here to help you create a few more.

The Emergence of Ebay: Stamp Buyer Be Glad

The emergence of Ebay has been nothing short of an international phenomena. It's actually one of the few internet companies to survive the internet bubble implosion that wiped out billions of dollars and cast out thousands of tekkies into the unemployment lines of the 90's.

In a nutshell: How Ebay survived

Ebay permits anyone with a computer, digital camera and a product to place it online and potentially sell it in days, hours or minutes. The product can be new or a used item you found around the house, garage or attic. Some people actually go to yardsales and buy for pennies on the dollar and sell for dollars via auction. You can auction your item to the highest bidder via the auction process or outright sell it at a fixed higher price.

Impact on the stamping community

Ebay's influence on the stamping community is enormous; at any given day nearly 20,000 stamp-related auctions take place, making stamping the most active of any of its numerous detailed non-stamp categories. The Internet in general and Ebay in specific are directly responsible for resurrecting a worldwide hobby once perceived on the decline in America. It unites stamping communites, dealers, clubs, and organizations like nothing in the history of stamp collecting. Not all change is bad. Not all progress is at the expense of something else.

Advantages beginner collectors receive from Ebay

Virtually the same as the advanced collector. The specialization of sub-categories easily permits the beginner collector to zero in on the exact item they require be it, a stockbook, stamp album, stamp tongs, magnifier glass, stamp hinges, stamp mounts, etc. In many instances it might be less expensive to buy from an auction site (Ebay or one of the above listed) than from a stamp store or hobby shop. This is not guaranteed if you have the time and opportunity for comparison shopping between the (inter) Net and a (stamp) Store--definitely do so. Another great advantage is the advent of Paypal, a separate service (but now owned by Ebay) which enables you to pay the auction costs via credit credit or checking account quickly and safely. Paypal offers guaranteed money back if fraud occurs or item damaged or never shipped

By Accident and Design

The sub-categories for stamps on Ebay are the most extensive on any auction site on the Internet by virtual of it being the oldest and biggest. This feature is not only useful for beginning collectors in purchasing items but also in learning what entities produced stamps, what continent, language, etc. By accident and design the item arrangement serves as an educational resource as well as the descriptions many dealers/sellers decide to include with the auction. You can cut and paste this information on word doc and save it for your files. It comes in handy later for identification and cataloging.

Purchasing Stamps and Stamp Supplies

For the beginner collector who hasn't decided on a certain country or countries, theme, topic, etc. purchasing stamps on Ebay is very easy if you keep these tips in mind.

Buy in Lots (200, 500 or 1000) By purchasing in this manner you get a wide selection to study and help you decide what you want to collect. Or maybe you want to collect them all.

Postage and Handling: Handling charges are rare, but postage is another matter. It varies geographically depending on where the dealer lives and where you live. Note where the dealer resides from, if is in a foreign country you have to decide if the auction is worth your time (could take couple of weeks to receive it) to the extra cost of international postage. The cool advantage is often these dealers include their country's stamps on the envelope for you to cut, soak and save. U.S. dealers on the other hand can sometimes offer postage higher than necessary as a way to increase their profits. It really shouldn't cost any more than $3 to $4 for postage for a lot of 500 stamps. There are many auctions taking place so choose wisely by price of stamps, price of postage and geographical location (if time is of the essence.)

Stockbooks and Stamp Albums

Unlike the minor weight of stamps, hinges and mounts, stockbooks and stamp albums are heavier items and shipping charges can be nearly a third of the cost (for albums) and nearly a half (for stockbooks) of the item being shipped. Which is one of the reasons why I recommend people comparison shop if they have a stamp store in their community. You might save some serious postage. If the Internet is your only recourse then you should compare between auctions at Ebay and/or between Ebay competitors.

***NOTE: For the purposes of full disclosure, I am not a dealer nor have I ever sold anything on Ebay, but I have bought plenty for my personal stamp collection and therefore can easily testify to the experiences spelled out in this article. While we do not endorse any product or service (since we are not paid nor accept advertising) this site in good conscience will strongly recommend something of good value to its readers but not without also naming alternatives and competitors. The following are main competitors to the auction service Ebay---feel free to use them instead of or in conjunction with the subject of this blog article.
http://www.wigix.com/ http://www.ubid.com/ http://www.bidz.com/ http://www.auction.com/ http://www.webidz.com/

Amazon and Overstock also have their own auction platforms.

Stamp Albums, Hinges and Mounts

Stamp Albums: United States

Over time the beginning collector might outgrow their stockbook and seek to start a more established home for their multitude of stamps. Collectors choosing the United States as their preference must select one of the many brands of Stamp Albums (Minkus, Whitman/Harris, Scott, etc.) currently sold on the market. The three mentioned in the brackets are the biggest and oldest of the official U.S. stamp albums and each bring a unique characteristic to the Hobby of Kings.

Minkus and Scott albums have neat descriptions about each stamp and Harris has more keener illustrations than most out there. There are plenty of other album brands out there; most are generic in nature with B&W photos, if any, and usually no descriptions. While we do not endorse any products in particular I can honestly say you will be better served with the time-tested major album brands quoted above.

Some of you might be fortunate to live in a community with a stamp/coin store. In the days before Internet stamp stores were numerous and the best place to go to purchase stamps and supplies. I still remember taking the train from NJ and buying stamps with my grandfather and father at Gimbels in NY which was a major department store. Today, if you are watching your budget, you are better to shop around at Ebay, the direct brand sites and the stamp store. You will save on shipping costs at the community store versus Ebay provided the price is competitive.

World Stamp Albums are very expensive and very large in volume. It could take 6 large loose leaf styled albums just to cover the planet of stamp collecting. I know stamp collectors of 50 years who still don't even have 1/4th of them filled. I would not recommend going this route. Stick to the stockbooks on stamps from around the world, if two or three countries strike your fancy, you can buy world supplement (pages) that contain your chosen country for an affordable price. Buy an inexpensive loose left binder and you are set to collect.


Hinges and Mounts: Ways and Means

Hinges are very small glassine wedges made to stick to the back of stamps and the stamp album page. My general rule is: only use them for used stamps. Actually, you can use them for any stamp of any condition. It all depends on personal taste. You can use hinges on stamps and then slip the entire stamp page in a plastic clear page protector. (Note: collectors used to separate pages from the album and hole punch them for a 3 ring binder. )

Mounts are stamp protectors that slip over the stamp and stick to the album via an glue adhesive. My general rule is: only use them for unused stamps are stamps of exceptional used value or maybe sentimental reasons. Mounts or as we used to call them "jackets" are very helpful but pricey items that shouldn't be wasted on just any old stamp. Actually, you can use them for whatever you want just be ready to pay the price. If you try to mount 100 stamps or more you'll discover it costs more than the album. Best to survey what you need and plan accordingly.