Stamp - An Endanger Hobby

  • davidchen
    Closed account

    16 messages

    United States

    There has been a lot of discussion about the stamp hobby. The future of this hobby is uncertain. I don't know what tomorrow will be, but I do know that the hobby is still alive globally. Let's take a look at each regions:
    .
    .
    Europe - Stamp hobby is quite active in this region despite the decline in sales & membership. Large number of forgeries also hurt this great hobby. Despite these set backs, the European Philatelists continue to buy, trade & sell constantly. British lead the way with highest number of Philatelists while the French have the highest number in sales. European Philatelists have enormous buying power - dominating globally with many wealthy Philatelists residing in Switzerland, Monaco & Austria. Sadly, Iceland Philatelic Bureau no longer exist. However, Ukraine's war stamps sparked some interest unexpectedly.
    .
    Africa - The stamp hobby remained unchanged in this continent. African Philatelists are mostly regional collector & ultra conservative targeting certain stamps. South Africa leads the way with highest number of Philatelists in Africa. However, Equatorial Guinea continues to be very unpopular which causes the decline in stamp collecting. Many African Philatelists blamed Equatorial Guinea. The Egyptian postal office make several attempts to promote stamp collecting, but with disappointing results.
    .
    North America - The hobby is in ICU. Almost every North American Philatelists believed the hobby is in decline, their children & grandchildren have no interest in this hobby - they don't even care if they will inherit their parents' stamp collection. At this moment, it's the older generation that is keeping the hobby alive. American Philatelic Society & Linn's Stamp News have make several attempts to revive the hobby, but received little co-operation from a poorly managed & financial lacking of US Postal Service.
    .
    Asia - The stamp hobby is booming in this region. Huge number of Asian Philatelists were recorded last year. Japan & China leads the way with largest number of Philatelists. Taiwan & South Korea continues to host numerous of stamp expos with record attendance. Auction house is always full & bidding war can be seen everyday. India & Vietnam registered highest number of young Philatelists last year. In contrast, Central Asia (former Soviet Republics), the hobby is dead. Almost no philatelic activities in this region. Central Asian expressed no interest in this hobby - even the stamps from Central Asia were voted "un-desire" in the philatelic world.
    .
    South America - This region is weak in stamp collecting due to low number of South American Philatelists. There hasn't been any shift regarding revenue & the hobby itself hasn't attract younger generation. Few stamp clubs with even fewer stamp shows are held in this region. Despite the low number of South American Philatelists, there is a large number of South American Specialists that focus on S.A stamps only. Most of these folks don't make large purchases & are off the radar in the public. The hobby will decline on this continent if the number of Philatelists doesn't increase.
    .
    Central America - Unlike South America, stamp collecting is strong thanks to postal offices in this region. The governments have make enormous effort promoting the hobby. As a result, Central American Philatelists have slowly increased over the years. Some of the most beautiful stamps were produced recently which attracted media attention. It's common to see stamps & stamp sheets sold out at post offices. Strangely, most Central American Philatelists tends to avoid buying stamps online. The future of stamp collecting is some what bright in this region.
    .
    Oceania - Stamp collecting is thriving in this region surprisingly. The number of Oceanic Philatelists have tripled since 2010. French Polynesia & Fiji leads the way in sales & membership. Australia has the largest number of Philatelists in the region while New Caledonia registered the most young Philatelists. Oceanic Philatelists shocked the world by spending over $100 million last year. Many stamp clubs were created through out the Pacific Ocean especially in Solomon Islands, Hawaii & New Zealand. The hobby is so popular that even Tahiti, a tiny island has dozens of stamp clubs. In contrast, Pitcairn Islands has zero Philatelists on the island, but selling stamps generated 70% of Pitcairn Islands' revenue.
  • worldphila

    252 messages

    Israel

    Many thanks for the information
    What about the Middle East?
    In Israel there are many small auction houses.
    Jewish people around the world are still collecting some Judaica stamps and covers.
    The Israel philatelic service is not in good shape.
  • davidchen
    Closed account

    16 messages

    United States

    Middle East - This region is experiencing decline in stamp collecting. Middle East Philatelists are struggling to keep the hobby alive. Currently, Israel has the most Philatelists with 13 stamp clubs in the region, but Iran also claimed to have the most Philatelists. Lebanon has a slight increase in number of Philatelists recently thanks to the campaign effort lead by several Lebanese Philatelic organizations & multiple Philately appearances by Lebanese President in 2019. Dubai hosted a stamp expo in collaboration with UAE last year which set an attendance record. Despite these progress, the hobby continues to decline. The membership & sales are falling at an alarming rate. Many of the Middle East postal offices are struggling & some have closed. However, postal reform & restructure in Egypt, Oman & Saudi Arabia provides opportunity to grow with European's liberalization of the market. Nevertheless, the future of this hobby remain to be seen.
    .
    Most Middle East Philatelists blamed "digital" for hurting the hobby. Both Jews & Arab youth have no interest in stamp. The young generation has embraced technology in which "speedy communication" is a big part of their life. This year, a Jordanian teen proposed world's first "invisible stamp" and was lashed out by angry Philatelists. During early 20th century, stamp collecting was well established in this region. Turkey produced almost every stamp in Middle East until 1918. The hobby continued to strive until 1980's. Buying & selling in Israel occurred daily with 11 Philatelic companies. Israel is considering privatizing their national postal service in Tel Aviv. Israeli postal is notoriously known for unreliable services & over regulation while their surrounding neighbors are also struggling. Jordan, Syria & Lebanon are in red ink, even Palestine which received so much international publicity is losing revenue too.
    .
    Small nations such as Qatar, Kuwait & Bahrain have launched several projects promoting the hobby. These Gulf states produced number of beautiful stamps recently which attracted some Philatelists around the world. However, the success was at minimal. As you know, some of the world's largest stamp collections belongs to Middle East Philatelists. It's a badge of honor they're proud of, but are often over look in the Philately World. Globally, not many people collect Middle East stamps, they may have some in their albums, but this Middle East is not on their top priority. I, myself doesn't have Middle East stamps, not even one. The best way to learn about Middle East stamp is to network with Middle East Philatelists, but I rarely encounter one just as I rarely encounter a Caribbean Philatelist. I don't know much about them, not enough info for me to write an accurate article.
    .
    .
    Note: Middle East Philatelist are collectors residing in Middle East only. It's estimated that Middle East Philatelists comprised about 8% of Philately population.
  • fan_at2

    52 messages

    Ukraine

    Unfortunately, interest in Ukrainian postage stamps of the war era is already declining. I don't see anything strange in this, because one of the reasons I see is the large circulation of the latest issues and politics, because the world is already tired of Ukraine and this war ...

    I now prefer not so much as stamps, but as postage with them that have gone through the actual mail.
  • bareven

    15 messages

    Israel

    Many thanks for the information
    What about the Middle East?
    In Israel there are many small auction houses.
    Jewish people around the world are still collecting some Judaica stamps and covers.
    The Israel philatelic service is not in good shape.
    • Created on 21 Apr 2023 at 05:54
    • #1550095
    I'm a member of the Tel Aviv philatelic society . Almost half of the members who attend , are of Russian origin , without them there would be attendances of ten members . Auction houses are not a reference for the philatelic activity in the country . There are not very much shops .
    I'm collecting Judaica , only philately . Almost on a pro way .
    The shop of the philatelic services opens only the day of issue of new stamps , and is in Modiin i think .
    50 years ago this service was located at Mugrabi .
  • bareven

    15 messages

    Israel

    There has been a lot of discussion about the stamp hobby. The future of this hobby is uncertain. I don't know what tomorrow will be, but I do know that the hobby is still alive globally. Let's take a look at each regions:
    .
    .
    Europe - Stamp hobby is quite active in this region despite the decline in sales & membership. Large number of forgeries also hurt this great hobby. Despite these set backs, the European Philatelists continue to buy, trade & sell constantly. British lead the way with highest number of Philatelists while the French have the highest number in sales. European Philatelists have enormous buying power - dominating globally with many wealthy Philatelists residing in Switzerland, Monaco & Austria. Sadly, Iceland Philatelic Bureau no longer exist. However, Ukraine's war stamps sparked some interest unexpectedly.
    .
    Africa - The stamp hobby remained unchanged in this continent. African Philatelists are mostly regional collector & ultra conservative targeting certain stamps. South Africa leads the way with highest number of Philatelists in Africa. However, Equatorial Guinea continues to be very unpopular which causes the decline in stamp collecting. Many African Philatelists blamed Equatorial Guinea. The Egyptian postal office make several attempts to promote stamp collecting, but with disappointing results.
    .
    North America - The hobby is in ICU. Almost every North American Philatelists believed the hobby is in decline, their children & grandchildren have no interest in this hobby - they don't even care if they will inherit their parents' stamp collection. At this moment, it's the older generation that is keeping the hobby alive. American Philatelic Society & Linn's Stamp News have make several attempts to revive the hobby, but received little co-operation from a poorly managed & financial lacking of US Postal Service.
    .
    Asia - The stamp hobby is booming in this region. Huge number of Asian Philatelists were recorded last year. Japan & China leads the way with largest number of Philatelists. Taiwan & South Korea continues to host numerous of stamp expos with record attendance. Auction house is always full & bidding war can be seen everyday. India & Vietnam registered highest number of young Philatelists last year. In contrast, Central Asia (former Soviet Republics), the hobby is dead. Almost no philatelic activities in this region. Central Asian expressed no interest in this hobby - even the stamps from Central Asia were voted "un-desire" in the philatelic world.
    .
    South America - This region is weak in stamp collecting due to low number of South American Philatelists. There hasn't been any shift regarding revenue & the hobby itself hasn't attract younger generation. Few stamp clubs with even fewer stamp shows are held in this region. Despite the low number of South American Philatelists, there is a large number of South American Specialists that focus on S.A stamps only. Most of these folks don't make large purchases & are off the radar in the public. The hobby will decline on this continent if the number of Philatelists doesn't increase.
    .
    Central America - Unlike South America, stamp collecting is strong thanks to postal offices in this region. The governments have make enormous effort promoting the hobby. As a result, Central American Philatelists have slowly increased over the years. Some of the most beautiful stamps were produced recently which attracted media attention. It's common to see stamps & stamp sheets sold out at post offices. Strangely, most Central American Philatelists tends to avoid buying stamps online. The future of stamp collecting is some what bright in this region.
    .
    Oceania - Stamp collecting is thriving in this region surprisingly. The number of Oceanic Philatelists have tripled since 2010. French Polynesia & Fiji leads the way in sales & membership. Australia has the largest number of Philatelists in the region while New Caledonia registered the most young Philatelists. Oceanic Philatelists shocked the world by spending over $100 million last year. Many stamp clubs were created through out the Pacific Ocean especially in Solomon Islands, Hawaii & New Zealand. The hobby is so popular that even Tahiti, a tiny island has dozens of stamp clubs. In contrast, Pitcairn Islands has zero Philatelists on the island, but selling stamps generated 70% of Pitcairn Islands' revenue.
    • Created on 20 Apr 2023 at 17:37
    • #1549999
    The number of collectors is declining . No youth . You also can see that many stamps are offered below face value . Price have also fallen . Dealers sell stamps today under the price they bought them 20 years or more years ago .
  • bareven

    15 messages

    Israel

    Middle East - This region is experiencing decline in stamp collecting. Middle East Philatelists are struggling to keep the hobby alive. Currently, Israel has the most Philatelists with 13 stamp clubs in the region, but Iran also claimed to have the most Philatelists. Lebanon has a slight increase in number of Philatelists recently thanks to the campaign effort lead by several Lebanese Philatelic organizations & multiple Philately appearances by Lebanese President in 2019. Dubai hosted a stamp expo in collaboration with UAE last year which set an attendance record. Despite these progress, the hobby continues to decline. The membership & sales are falling at an alarming rate. Many of the Middle East postal offices are struggling & some have closed. However, postal reform & restructure in Egypt, Oman & Saudi Arabia provides opportunity to grow with European's liberalization of the market. Nevertheless, the future of this hobby remain to be seen.
    .
    Most Middle East Philatelists blamed "digital" for hurting the hobby. Both Jews & Arab youth have no interest in stamp. The young generation has embraced technology in which "speedy communication" is a big part of their life. This year, a Jordanian teen proposed world's first "invisible stamp" and was lashed out by angry Philatelists. During early 20th century, stamp collecting was well established in this region. Turkey produced almost every stamp in Middle East until 1918. The hobby continued to strive until 1980's. Buying & selling in Israel occurred daily with 11 Philatelic companies. Israel is considering privatizing their national postal service in Tel Aviv. Israeli postal is notoriously known for unreliable services & over regulation while their surrounding neighbors are also struggling. Jordan, Syria & Lebanon are in red ink, even Palestine which received so much international publicity is losing revenue too.
    .
    Small nations such as Qatar, Kuwait & Bahrain have launched several projects promoting the hobby. These Gulf states produced number of beautiful stamps recently which attracted some Philatelists around the world. However, the success was at minimal. As you know, some of the world's largest stamp collections belongs to Middle East Philatelists. It's a badge of honor they're proud of, but are often over look in the Philately World. Globally, not many people collect Middle East stamps, they may have some in their albums, but this Middle East is not on their top priority. I, myself doesn't have Middle East stamps, not even one. The best way to learn about Middle East stamp is to network with Middle East Philatelists, but I rarely encounter one just as I rarely encounter a Caribbean Philatelist. I don't know much about them, not enough info for me to write an accurate article.
    .
    .
    Note: Middle East Philatelist are collectors residing in Middle East only. It's estimated that Middle East Philatelists comprised about 8% of Philately population.
    • Created on 23 Apr 2023 at 20:00
    • #1550806
    The Tel Aviv philatelic society , in a region of more than one million people , has attendances of a twenty collectors . One of them comes from Jerusalem and i from Petah tikva . No youth .
  • tris_nerima

    374 messages

    Canada

    It seems to me, having followed many auction houses from around the world...that the stamp market has never been stronger. Prices realized are usually higher than estimates. Quality items get premium prices. Had the internet not arrived to make buying and selling much easier to a global market, the picture would be much different.
  • worldphila

    252 messages

    Israel

    The Tel Aviv philatelic society , in a region of more than one million people , has attendances of a twenty collectors . One of them comes from Jerusalem and i from Petah tikva . No youth .
    • Created on 6 Jul 2023 at 12:43
    • #1575400
    I'm a member of the Rishon Lezion Philatelic society.
    About 35 members including coins and Bank notes collectors.
    Any Israeli or a visitor guest from other countries are invited to visit our club.
  • bareven

    15 messages

    Israel

    It seems to me, having followed many auction houses from around the world...that the stamp market has never been stronger. Prices realized are usually higher than estimates. Quality items get premium prices. Had the internet not arrived to make buying and selling much easier to a global market, the picture would be much different.
    • Created on 6 Jul 2023 at 16:38
    • #1575439
    yes for rare or very much sought after items . Modern material not . Dealers sell sets now under the price they were bought some 25 years ago .
  • bareven

    15 messages

    Israel

    I'm a member of the Rishon Lezion Philatelic society.
    About 35 members including coins and Bank notes collectors.
    Any Israeli or a visitor guest from other countries are invited to visit our club.
    • Created on 7 Jul 2023 at 14:37
    • #1575736
    And the attendance ?
  • gogostamps

    2 messages

    Cyprus

    I am a collector (I wouldn’t dare name myself a philatelist) of the soviet stamps of a certain period (30s-50s). The sources of my purchase is either Russian boutiques/russian auctions or the actuon houses outside of Russia. It is clear to me that the hobby is aging fast. My kids aren’t interested but they know what my collection may bring them - just in case I warned them not to sell for cheap. In Cyprus where I reside today the hobby is also very quiet although there is one auction house and a number of senior age philatelists. I tried to find good collections for sale in Israel but disappointedly the quality of those wasn’t good while they were priced too high. Bottom line in my view (except for few regions) - the hobby is dead and I simply try to capture the moment and enjoy sorting the remnants of the previously huge history of philately.
  • jasonmax

    1 message

    Germany

    It's wonderful to hear about your passion for collecting Soviet stamps from the 1930s-1950s. Collecting stamps is indeed a unique and historical hobby that allows enthusiasts to connect with the past. While it's true that the hobby may not be as widespread as it once was, there are still dedicated collectors around the world who share your interest.

    Preserving and documenting these stamps is not only a personal enjoyment but also a way to contribute to the historical record. Your dedication to the hobby is admirable, and your collection may hold significant historical and cultural value for future generations.

    If you ever wish to share more about your collection or have questions related to philately, feel free to ask. It's a fascinating area, and there are likely others who share your passion, even if they may be fewer in number. Happy collecting! For further information, click here)>> Link (https)

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