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4301

How to grow the market of collectors...?? I wonder if it is holding its own, or shrinking. Is stamp collecting more related to older age groups? I see that our local stamp collecting meeting is in a resthome. I think other meetings are in resthomes also. That is not going to increase the market or number of people interested in stamp collecting.

akaroa - 2012-07-21 18:06:00
4302
akaroa wrote:

How to grow the market of collectors...?? I wonder if it is holding its own, or shrinking. Is stamp collecting more related to older age groups? I see that our local stamp collecting meeting is in a resthome. I think other meetings are in resthomes also. That is not going to increase the market or number of people interested in stamp collecting.

You have to go where the people are and where you can afford to be. Luckily old folks homes usually will provide rooms free of charge for such activities. Workings mens clubs also often will provide free rooms for groups although the group will have to meet under their auspices. Luckily for us in Christchurch the stamp clubs own their own clubrooms and this has made life so much easier and cheaper and the result is more and bigger meetings. I think our Stamp club meeting which gets 40 plus to its evening meeting and circa 25 to its afternoon meeting is probably the best attended in the country. There is also an active Youth stamp club in the city and of course we held the Youth stamp camp at Waddington for a week earlier in the month to which our club sponsored some juniors to attend. It doesn't really matter how old or young a collector is so long as they are keen. A newly retired beginner may have 30 years active collecting ahead of them. A youngster may give up in 6 months time. People attending stamp club meetings are getting older on average. its the same for most hobbies with working age people often doing their hobby at home via internet rather than at club meetings.

kiwisteven - 2012-07-21 19:10:00
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This message was deleted.

donaldo - 2012-07-21 21:45:00
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Clearly the stamp buying market has segments. TradeMe exposes more product to the casual collector (like myself). This is possibly the market that TradeMe is growing. Suddenly, everyone can have a complete basic collection of all NZ stamps at an affordable price. The casual collector has the satisfaction of having a complete collection of stamps and their needs are fulfilled. Of course the serious collector seeks more perfect copies, errors and stuff I have zero clues about. In meeting the casual collecting market, the price has dropped out of much of the stamp collecting business. Pricing only remains solid for the highest quality of stamps.

Edited by akaroa at 10:18 pm, Sat 21 Jul

akaroa - 2012-07-21 22:18:00
4305

I agree with Steven, statistics can be read however you want. Example three pre decimal used lots I have going off Sunday night have 62 bids so far between them. So that shows good competition for items, or does that only on show in stats as 3 with bids. Good items at sensible prices will attract bids. As with alot of other fulltime stamp sellers on Trade Me we do alot of business with buy now for generic philatelic items and also 10 - 15% of our weekly sales come from fixed price offers. Philatelic items from different areas of the hobby go through patterns of popularity for selling (cyclic) and that makes it interesting. Always easier to sell items that collectors want, not always easy to get them to sell though.

Edited by twg1935 at 12:27 am, Sun 22 Jul

twg1935 - 2012-07-22 00:23:00
4306

I agree totally with with Gary and Steven, but with the internet you have to look at stamp collecting on a global basis.Remember that Trademe has a miniscule audience due to its selling restrictions on the World market.
Many Kiwis sell on overseas sites and do very well out of it.And look at China I have heard of figures from 8 million to 80 million collectors.
Now at the moment they are concentrating on Chinese Stamps but........sooner or later they will concentrate on oversees stamps then look out!!!!!!! Any results you groom from Trademe's statistics should be therefore in my humble opinion taken as a false negative.

Edited by rebel58 at 11:57 am, Sun 22 Jul

rebel58 - 2012-07-22 11:52:00
4307

I went to Kmart at Porirua yesterday. While I was there, I saw 2 ads in the toilet above the urinal by Auckland City Stamps. Fantastic way of getting attention. (haha). I like the one that said they sold a 12/6 1882 Postal Fiscal for $25,000.

ang_ck - 2012-07-22 12:08:00
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Don't we have a free trade agreement with China?

akaroa - 2012-07-22 12:54:00
4309

What a great day we all had at the Stamp Fair yesterday ,lots of collectors socializing,swapping,buying selling etc and we now have collectors from Timaru who car pool to come up.I learned a great deal from a 1935 Pictorial expert and will look forward to the next Stamp Fair so I can have a second go at harvesting some more of his knowledge.
New Zealand Stamp Collectors Club meeting Wednesday 25th July at the Philatelic Centre in Mandiville Street from 7.00 pm.Come along to socialize ,pick brains and have a cuppa. Items of interest are welcome,Silent displays etc.

Edited by rebel58 at 2:51 pm, Sun 22 Jul

rebel58 - 2012-07-22 14:46:00
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This message was deleted.

donaldo - 2012-07-22 15:29:00
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The member deleted this message.

donaldo - 2012-07-22 20:26:00
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donaldo wrote:

but with about 13000 listings at present trademe suggested that there might be an over supply--
perhaps i should suggest that they limit sellers to no more than 100 lots each until the % of sales rise

I will say the more the merrier. Some looking for bargains, some looking for gems whereas others might just want to buy it to start a collection.

The time when trademe starts asking for a listing fee in the general auction, is the time you will see a drop in listing.

ang_ck - 2012-07-22 21:10:00
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Does any member use stamps in the art of découpage ?

Mint or used with rust spots on the gummed side can be made available if there is any demand.

philafarinz - 2012-07-24 11:31:00
4314

I have had a few customers using stamps for découpage and actually sold a box of stamps for this purpose only 2 weeks ago but of course they only want the cheapest and more colourful and their needs will never dent the supply. Today has been a rainy day in Christchurch so everybody decided to visit me. I purchased stamps from 4 lots of people and sold to about a dozen other people. Now i have to do my on line business this evening! an earthquake sure rattles a few stamp collections out of the woodwork!

kiwisteven - 2012-07-24 17:19:00
4315
donaldo wrote:

but with about 13000 listings at present trademe suggested that there might be an over supply--
perhaps i should suggest that they limit sellers to no more than 100 lots each until the % of sales rise

That is the worst possible suggestion. I sell over 100 lots a week so you think i should cut back on good selling items so people can list rubbish that doesn't attract bids? alternatively if you charged people $1 per lot to list each lot and made photos etc free then you would get rid of a lot of unsaleable junk from the listings!

kiwisteven - 2012-07-24 17:23:00
4316
donaldo wrote:

but with about 13000 listings at present trademe suggested that there might be an over supply--
perhaps i should suggest that they limit sellers to no more than 100 lots each until the % of sales rise


Agree.

akaroa - 2012-07-24 18:06:00
4317
kiwisteven wrote:

That is the worst possible suggestion. I sell over 100 lots a week so you think i should cut back on good selling items so people can list rubbish that doesn't attract bids? alternatively if you charged people $1 per lot to list each lot and made photos etc free then you would get rid of a lot of unsaleable junk from the listings!


Agree

rebel58 - 2012-07-24 18:39:00
4318
kiwisteven wrote:

That is the worst possible suggestion. I sell over 100 lots a week so you think i should cut back on good selling items so people can list rubbish that doesn't attract bids? alternatively if you charged people $1 per lot to list each lot and made photos etc free then you would get rid of a lot of unsaleable junk from the listings!


Charging $1 per lot would get rid of many bargain lots which aren't necessarily junk. Many sellers would decide that cheaper lots would be uneconomical to list and even more so if you had to pay again to relist. A limit on the number of times a lot can be relisted would make more sense, except for relisting a similar item that has just sold.

paulmc - 2012-07-24 22:32:00
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Not all doom and gloom.The New Zealand Stamp Collectors Club Circuit Books has had a record year of sales, so things are obviously rocking and rolling in the mainland in more ways than one.Doom and gloom must be a North Island thing.

Edited by rebel58 at 5:51 pm, Wed 25 Jul

rebel58 - 2012-07-25 17:48:00
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Tell me, is there a category or name for collectors of historic photos? I collect stamps, labels, historic photos, postcards on themes that mean something to me.

akaroa - 2012-07-25 19:31:00
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donaldo - 2012-07-25 20:44:00
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This message was deleted.

donaldo - 2012-07-25 20:48:00
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donaldo wrote:


try a search for 'HISTORIC PHOTOS ' as there are over 300 listings


Thanks.

akaroa - 2012-07-25 22:01:00
4324

Stamp collecting is great,trade me as bought me some good buys.But like anything u have too pay for the good and rare stuff....Thanks too all the dealers on here that give us little guys the chance to pick up good stamps at a good price.......

jackjohn2 - 2012-07-29 15:35:00
4325
jackjohn2 wrote:

Stamp collecting is great,trade me as bought me some good buys.But like anything u have too pay for the good and rare stuff....Thanks too all the dealers on here that give us little guys the chance to pick up good stamps at a good price.......


More bright and cheerful ,positive comments concerning Stamp Collecting ,note again from the Mainland.

rebel58 - 2012-07-30 19:25:00
4326

From the Mainland? Y' mean, 'kinda cheesy'?

akaroa - 2012-07-30 21:18:00
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Greetings..Enjoy reading all the positive stuff here..I have a question for REBEL58 / Paul....Your Store on KMP only allows for a Paypal payment.
Would you consider a NZ bank transfer for NZ buyers that use the site..
Example in Hand is John from P2T has for Years allowed payment from fellow Kiwis with No fuss what so ever....Cheers

prospectking - 2012-08-01 12:34:00
4328

Reminder to people in Canterbury. This months stamp fair will be held tomorrow morning (Saturday) at the Philatelic Centre 67 Mandeville st, Riccarton with lots of Trademe buyers and sellers these. 9 am to midday and free entrance. There will also be a public stamp auction at 2pm onwards which will be sure to draw a crowd. i know a carload of Timaru people will be coming up. i'll be there. Will you?

kiwisteven - 2012-08-03 18:41:00
4329
kiwisteven wrote:

Reminder to people in Canterbury. This months stamp fair will be held tomorrow morning (Saturday) at the Philatelic Centre 67 Mandeville st, Riccarton with lots of Trademe buyers and sellers these. 9 am to midday and free entrance. There will also be a public stamp auction at 2pm onwards which will be sure to draw a crowd. i know a carload of Timaru people will be coming up. i'll be there. Will you?

The stamp fair was extremely busy all morning with good business done by most. I had 3 or 4 people at my table most of the time and the room was quite noisy with all the people there. quite a few new people turning up too. Of course you have to remember that Christchurch is suffering from no existing stamp shops since last years earthquakes wiped them all out of their traditional haunts.

kiwisteven - 2012-08-04 19:21:00
4330

What sort of stamps do people buy at a stamp fair? Is it random or are there patterns?

akaroa - 2012-08-04 23:57:00
4331

Would it not be a good idea for TM to give members blue and red face amensty ?

We see only up to 1000 feedback listings per member and in browsing see maybe 5 defaulter notes with red or blue faces and not the others.
Beyond 1000 trades is not visible to members.

So why not show only those amounts of red or blue faces that come up in up to the 1000 listings.

Surely enough trade feedback can be reflected in a 1000 listings to warrant reflection on the member's trade status.

It only serves as a negative impact to see 40 red & blue faces on 10000 listings or more when only 1000 are seen.

philafarinz - 2012-08-05 14:42:00
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That would of course be amnesty not amensty - m.c.

philafarinz - 2012-08-05 15:40:00
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akaroa wrote:

What sort of stamps do people buy at a stamp fair? Is it random or are there patterns?

Stamp collectors are the sort of people that buy at stamp Fairs. While the fair opens at 9am there are always some who sneek in early. For last Saturdays Christchurch fair I guess some 200 people came during the 3 hours and most stayed at least an hour. I find that what they want is usually what you have left at home! Perhaps 10% of sales are pre-booked and most sellers already have a regular relationship with 80% of their buyers. I find that buyers are looking for particular themes, unusual countries, recent issues far more than on trademe where most buyers are looking for an earlier stamp in top condition at a cheap rice or a rare stamp in not so nice condition at a bargain price. On trademe I sell lots of NZ stamps but at a fair I sell mostly foreign stamps especially Pacific islands, Asia, British commonwealth and Europe. I also sell lots of pages of stamps at a fair but not on trademe. At a fair people love being able to ferret thru old albums.

kiwisteven - 2012-08-05 18:45:00
4334

re stamp fairs you can also buy a single stamp for 20 cents (Perhaps less) and you can quickly negotiate a deal. You can also compare stamps and certainly at Christchurch get expert advice from others as to the genuineness and fair price of an item being considered. You also don't have to pay for postage or worry about loss in the mail. A fair is also a great way of getting to know others who collect the stamp topics you do. You can sit down with a coffee and browse over stamps or reference books. It is a very social and informal time. If you haven't attended a stamp fair then the next one in Christchurch will be at 67 Mandeville st 9am to 12 noon 18th August.. Free admission!

kiwisteven - 2012-08-05 18:55:00
4335

Interesting. I suspect people also come through to network. Thanks for the invite but I'm not quite so close as Akaroa these days.

akaroa - 2012-08-05 20:49:00
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akaroa wrote:

Interesting. I suspect people also come through to network. Thanks for the invite but I'm not quite so close as Akaroa these days.

Christchurch is slightly closer to Akaroa these days now. Evidently the February 22nd 2011 earthquake saw the Port Hills move 2 meters northwards and 1 and a half meters upwards so Akaroa would have moved closer to Christchurch. All the GPS readings in Canterbury are having to be redone.

kiwisteven - 2012-08-08 13:40:00
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This message was deleted.

muzz8 - 2012-08-08 14:15:00
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kiwisteven wrote:

Christchurch is slightly closer to Akaroa these days now. Evidently the February 22nd 2011 earthquake saw the Port Hills move 2 meters northwards and 1 and a half meters upwards so Akaroa would have moved closer to Christchurch. All the GPS readings in Canterbury are having to be redone.


at this rate in 100 yrs time we will be in the rue :)

gandalff4 - 2012-08-08 16:25:00
4339
gandalff4 wrote:


at this rate in 100 yrs time we will be in the rue :)

That's only a rue...mour!

kiwisteven - 2012-08-08 18:13:00
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The member deleted this message.

muzz8 - 2012-08-08 19:19:00
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kiwisteven wrote:

That's only a rue...mour!


We Chch residents will all Rue the day if that ever happens.

paulmc - 2012-08-08 21:45:00
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muzz8 - 2012-08-10 07:43:00
4343

good to see that this forum still retain's it funny bone :
have a great weekend folk's

gandalff4 - 2012-08-10 09:27:00
4344

Afternoon all.
TradeMe, Ebay, Bidstart, What other public (not in-house) auction sites do you use to buy or sell?

bambam - 2012-08-10 16:24:00
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muzz8 - 2012-08-10 18:27:00
4346

I see that the US Embassy have commissioned the latest New Zealand CAL stamp Issue. A booklet of 10 70c CAL's celebrating the US marines in New Zealand during WW11. The booklet will be made available to collectors in the Annual CAL pack early next year. this is an unusual and probably first for a foreign country to be commissioning NZ stamps. I wonder what next. North Korea celebrating their great leaders Mothers 120th birthday or Australia Government advertising "Come to WA and get paid heaps to work in the mines". perhaps we can help NZ Post to be proactive here and suggest topics for the various embassies to consider?

kiwisteven - 2012-08-10 22:25:00
4347

I AM SOOO OVER EBAY!
I listed 6 auctions and after 24 hours they still never appeared! Try to contact ebay...what a joke!
Now listing on ebid. So easy and heaps of NZ stamps, sellers and buyers.
TradeMe and ebid. What more do you need.

Edited by Trade Me Admin at 10:18 am, Tue 14 Aug

bambam - 2012-08-11 15:26:00
4348

I have a stamp collection, dating back pre- 1980, does anyone know of a good valuer in the hutt valley?
Its time to sell & move on for me.

jude343 - 2012-08-11 18:01:00
4349
bambam wrote:

I AM SOOO OVER EBAY!
I listed 6 auctions and after 24 hours they still never appeared! Try to contact ebay...what a joke!
Now listing on ebid. So easy and heaps of NZ stamps, sellers and buyers.
TradeMe and ebid. What more do you need.

With ebay often the problem is that if you have selected to list an item then it goes into a schedule to be listed and won't actually list unless you schedule it for "Now". Its a silly system i know but then what do you expect.

Edited by Trade Me Admin at 10:18 am, Tue 14 Aug

kiwisteven - 2012-08-12 01:31:00
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I see where it says "start immediately". That default is auto ticked anyway when listing. Others can see my sales. Just me that can't.

bambam - 2012-08-12 13:13:00
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