Stamps ... Mint or Cancels?

[FirstGreenIsGold]

What do you prefer to collect?

Do you look for a certain type of cancel on used stamps?

(This is probably a silly question ... but that's me, I'm full of silly questions.)

[JDStamps]

I always collect used examples first, preferably with a neat CDS cancel (circular date stamp), though more expensive and elusive postmarks can rocket the price up, as some collectors will collect multiple copies of the same stamp with different postmarks.
Failing that, a stamp with a clear profile or subject is preferable.
I do collect mint stamps too, as I get them from New Issue authorities, but my preference from an early age has always been for used stamps.
And its not a silly question at all, Marie; its important to know your customers likes and dislikes, and depending on your marketing strategies what to list now and what to save for later.

All the best
John

[HerMajesty]

used,,,,,,,,part of the fun for me is seeing the date stamp. or some unusual mark....

[billsstamps]

Mint is second best for me as well.

A neat postmark is ideal. Messy postmarks are worse than a crack in porcelain.

[FirstGreenIsGold]

Thank you all for responding.

Good information and advice.

I appreciate it.

:-)

[gbsbks2010]

I collected used stamps and then moved on to mint, then on to first day covers, and now I am quite interested in messy old covers which is where the used stamps first came from.

[somersethedge]

yep another used collector here as well..... mind you QEII onwards they have to be fine used.... I tend to list first day covers then if they do not sell within a year I get rid of the cover, soak the stamps off and either add them to my collection or list them as very fine unmounted used

Any UK mint we get goes into our business as postage

[20sent06]

Mint for me - just like me choclit!

GB is what I am into ;-) been working backwards from QEII (c2008) trying to get them all: the machins were a nightmare, regionals and all, so glad to have done them!

They do look good in the album(s) I have.

Now I'm onto GeorgeV and the Seahorses - boy, are they expensive! - resisting the temptation to go used as they are cheaper...

I have fits and starts with the stamps, as Postcards are really my biggie; it depends on how much money I have left over at the end of the day.

Mint is good - but much dearer!

[FirstGreenIsGold]

Speaking of mint chocolate .... I just enjoyed some lovely mint Lindt dark ... very good! :-)

I want to thank you all for your comments.

Me, I think that the only stamps that I'm going to keep is just one album of Canadian that Dad gave to me right before he passed. The rest of his collection went to a dealer and the (very small) amount received went into the estate, as I have some siblings.

The collection that I'm cataloguing belonged to my in-laws and hubby was the only child, so it's their collection that I'm having fun with.

I'm going to have to live to be a 100 to get through all these stamps!

[Cancelcollector]

I've always preferred used stamps. There's something appealing about the "story" a postmark tells about the stamp... and how it was used to carry out its intended purpose of carrying the mail.

My father (who got me into collecting stamps, in the first place) was all about mint. But I just wasn't interested... and as a kid, I felt I had to "be too careful" to not damage the gum.

I like those lovely socked-on-the-nose town cancels. In fact, I keep several cancel collections... my favourite being town cancels on classic Sweden, which I have been collecting for some 20+ years. My Denmark collection is also "supplemented" with excellent town cancels.

~Peter