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The Internet Revolution

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

It's amazing how much the Internet has changed stamp collecting.

Every major U-S stamp collecting organization has a website and nearly all sell
memberships and merchandise and take payments.

Most stamp societies and postal agencies send out their news releases via e-mail, and
the publications - even the print ones - EXPECT press releases electronically.

We can talk with other stamp collectors all over the world, practically for free - and
in real time, if our time zones match up.

There are also all sorts of discussion groups online - such as The Virtual Stamp Club -
where you can meet other stamp collectors.

Once you could tell the serious collector at a stamp show because he had a briefcase,
often crammed with heavy catalogues.  Now, more and more collectors are carrying tablets
or other electronic devices... which contain all the information of the catalogues, and
more.

The Internet is allowing more stamp dealers to take credit cards during shows. And at
shows or at home, PayPal has become THE coin of the realm for many stamp transactions.

In fact, some collectors feel there's no longer a need for stamp shows, because you can
buy and sell, hold meetings, and look at exhibits online.

So if your image of a stamp collector is someone sitting at a table, carefully putting
stamps in an album... well, yes, there is still some of that. In fact, sometimes it's kind
of good to get away from the computer.

But not always.

I'm Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting,
visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.

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