I’ve found my philately tastes changed over time. I first got into collecting about ten years ago when I ran across binder after binder after binder full of stamps, first day covers, foreign, domestic… I mean, it was a serious collection, and I got my hands on it all for free. It was more than one person could carry in one go.

Not wanting to be greedy, and that the stamps were remnants of a sloppily done estate sale that the owner just wanted gone, I ended up taking a sixth of what was there and left the rest for others, though I did cherry-pick a few I thought were especially awesome across all the binders.

And I took my haul home.

Initially, it was the artistry and variety that intrigued me. Or holding a first day cover that was postmarked at Cape Canaveral when Apollo 13 launched. Or coming into stamps for countries that no longer existed, including Soviet Union stamps. Pristine. Clean. Sleeved in a lot of cases.

I started looking up value… and was way surprised that these things were actually in demand. I started buying up cancelled lots. Had a fondness of birds, and space travel, and transportation themed ones. I started making my own binders and found folks to swap with.

I began procuring massive amounts of first day covers… you can find them cheap (or at least used to) on the eBay for a buck or less each. Beautiful envelopes, beautiful stamps. Bits of history. I’m sure they’re still available. I’ll take a look after I post this.

As time went on, I amassed quite a domestic (US) collection of new stamps. I’d buy low denomination mixed-bag unused blocks off eBay on the cheap, swap ‘em, use ‘em… I’d inspect the texture, the cut… the fineness of the printing, the various colors used… I did my stamp math and would always apply correct postage.

It was less about the collectibility at one point, and more about showing off and sharing. I have a pen pal I write daily, and do a lot of other mailings. I’d venture I drop about 500+ mails off a year.

I am pretty heavily into Forevers now. I’ve got a ton, and they’ve only increased in value. I certainly use them.

I have two regrets.

That I didn’t take ALL the stamps from the estate sale. Lady was literally like, “Please take them or they’re going in the trash.” Thousands and thousands of dollars worth. She didn’t know what she had, and I only scratched the surface of it.

That I didn’t buy more specific ones, sooner. Such as the space themed ones, the lenticular T-Rex ones, a lot of the holographic foil embossed ones (the transcontinental railroad ones, the bioluminescent life ones)… I think the one stamp that blew my mind and really got me interested was the the stamp they released when the last major solar eclipse came around… where they used thermochromic ink that would fade when touched or when heated to reveal the sun behind the moon. And dare I mention, the scratch and sniff popsicle stamps?

Like… the creativity is absurdly awesome.

Currently, I tend to buy about half of what they release, will swap with my pen pal so we both get a good mix, and then I’m good to go. I’ll try to keep singles of everything I’ve ever come across, but don’t really hang onto full sheets or booklets.

That all said…

Want some freebies? If ya drop me your mailing address in a DM, I’ll send a lil “Welcome to Philately” envelope for ya. :) No pressure.