Friday, April 06, 2012

Part Time Stamp Dealing

A recent post on John Apfelbaum's blog on philately, Apfelbaum's Corner, talks about part time stamp dealing.

John writes, "Having a small business going into retirement can be a very nice part time activity. Using your collection duplicates and carefully adding to your stock can help you build an inventory that is salable and desireable."

He goes on to offer a a couple ground rules...

"First, stick to selling the stamps of one country or topic. Success in stamp dealing depends on repeat business and, since most collectors collect one or two countries, by only selling one country you maximize your chances of establishing a continuing business relationship with each customer.

"Second, have a presence on EBay. It's hard to overemphasize what a boon EBay has been to the casual and newer dealer. In the years before the Internet it could take decades to have the market penetration in stamp dealing that new dealers have instantaneously because of EBay. I would stick to the EBay store rather than auctions as the store lets you offer lower priced items more advantageously and allows more leisurely perusal by prospective buyers."

Finally, John believes, "There are very few of us that will be able to completely retire without some additional income. A stamp business, however small, creates additional income while at the same time allowing tax favored deductions such as providing Medicare supplementary insurance."

For more of John's interesting insights on buying and selling stamps, click here.
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posted by Don Schilling at 7:24 AM