Growing a Stamp Collection, Part 4: Trading

This is part 4 of a multi-part article on how stamp collectors can "grow" or "build" their stamp collection. This article discusses how to build your collection by trading with other collectors.

Trading stamps usually begins, for most collectors, about the same time they begin collecting, especially if they are in an area where there are other collectors. Trading is an easy, inexpensive, and frequently fun way to build a collection. There are a number of things that the collector needs to know, however, if they want their trading experience to be a pleasant one.

Trading, basically, is exchanging material you have in excess that someone else may want, for material they have in excess that you want. Beyond that basic statement, stamp trading can become complicated in a hurry! Let's do some analysis, so we can reduce the complications and irritations of stamp trading.

Establishing a Trading Option

Let's suppose you're a collector, and you want to use the option of trading stamps to add to your collection. In order to trade, certain conditions have to be met:

• Both sides have something to trade. This usually indicates that both collectors have more than one copy of a given stamp in their possession, or they have stamps from countries they don't collect that they're willing to part with.

• The other collector wants what you have! This is a VERY important consideration. It doesn't matter how many duplicate stamps you may have, where they're from, or how valuable they are, if someone else doesn't want what you have, they're not going to trade for it.

• The other collector has something you want. You may have many good stamps to trade, but if you can't get anything in exchange that pleases you, there's no incentive to trade.

• You can agree on a common basis for trading. There's more to this than just deciding "I'll send you five red stamps for three blue ones". Some of the problems that need to be overcome for many collectors when they contemplate a trade include:
  • How you're going to trade. Some of the options include:
    • Stamp for stamp. There are several ways to do this: each exchange a given number of stamps from an agreed-upon issuing entity; each send the other a large accumulation of stamps (hopefully, sorted by country, category, type, or other agreed-upon method), and each keep the ones they want until a balance is reached or the two traders no longer want to trade with each other; an equal exchange of new issues, and so forth.
      The copyright of the article Growing a Stamp Collection, Part 4: Trading in Stamp Collections is owned by Michael A. Weatherford. Permission to republish Growing a Stamp Collection, Part 4: Trading in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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