Where to Buy Stamps (Part II)

I wrote about where to buy stamps some time back. In that post, I explored the various options on where one could buy your normal postage stamps (for your snail mail) and also for collectors.  I have been using mainly Ebay for a long time now and have always felt comfortable with it.  But then, I realised that it was hard to get some of the stamps that I was looking for.

Recently, a reader told me about 2 other auction sites that uses an auction method just like Ebay. They are :

1. BidStart
2. DelCampe

I must say that I was pretty surprised to find these 2 auction sites because I managed to find some of the stamps that I was looking for.  These were some older Straits Settlements stamps which I have been trying to get my hands on.  And the ones listed on Ebay were not the ones that I were looking for.  

To the reader who recommended this 2 sites to me:

Thanks for recommending this 2 auction sites to me!   I can never thank you enough!

Fiscally Used Straits Settlements Stamps

Part of my senseless buying rampage of stamps over Ebay includes the purchase of these fiscally used stamps featuring two beautiful judicial cancellations on a King George V 25 cents, $1 and $2 stamps.  It seems that there were holes punched into these stamps too to render them used.  Since these stamps were used as revenue stamps, they are really quite worthless in the philatelic sense but people still do purchase them off Ebay.  I think the beauty of them really lies in the judicial cancellation.

Improving Your Stamp Collection - Knowing Your Limits

I have been bidding on Ebay for many stamps lately and I realised that bidding is really done based on a spur of the moment thing.  Sometimes, it isn't simply because the stamp being put up for auction is valuable or anything.  It is just that I want to improve my collection and I really wanted it at that point in time.

Many times, I find myself being outbid by other presumably stamp collectors who somehow seem to have a deeper pocket than mine and who can afford to put up really crazy bids for the items.  It is with this that the realisation that stamp collecting is really about acquisition and it involves stepping over others to get the stamp that you treasure the most.

One thing for sure:  It is good to know your financial limits when seeking to improve or build up your stamp collection.