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>Hello Ben, >I hope I can help with your project in some small way? >Answers (My opinion only!) to your questions are as >follows: > >1)Philately is probably quite static in the UK with >about 2.75 mill.ion people who collect some form of >stamps/covers etc.,according to a survey in the late >90's The growth is evident in countries where >communism has collapsed and a free market has >appeared, so Russia and the Eastern Bloc have seen a >big collecting growth. Hence the number of websites >offering their stamps.In the UK, a dearth of young >collectors is only being partly addressed by a small >band of people trying to whip up interest in the face >of stiff competition from TV & the Internet. If this >does not improve the situation we could see a >considerable decline in collector numbers. >2) A significant proportion of collectors collect >their own country and this is often very pronounced in >certain countries like France, where a huge proportion >collect France & Colonies. >3) Stanley Gibbons have many major competitors, most >of the main dealers in the UK, who specialise in a >particular area, are strong competitors for SG. SG's >strength is their long history, the name many smaller >collectors know and the fact that they try to stock a >wider range of material than probably any other dealer >(certainly in the UK). Price is the problem foir SG as >they mainly charge catalogue price (Prices quoted in >their own reference catalogues) and most competitors >sell at a discount on SG prices. >4) Unlikely as Ebay offers a fantastic range of stamps >already and unless their pricing policy was changed >they would be hard pressed to compete with the World >market of E-bay, but they certainly will have a bigger >presence on the internet as time goes by, they are >already a major seller on the net. >5)Quite probably, but under a different name perhaps, >there is a great future in stamp collecting. >6) Stamp issuing countries will be forced to >reconsider the folly of issuing £100's worth of new >issues each year. Postal reforms such as labelling >instead of stamping letters will reduce the number of >stamps produced and possibly even cause them to >completely dissappear from the market, leaving label >collectors in their place. But there are enough stamps >around to fuel a healthy market for many years. The >development of postal history and, latterly, social >postal history(i.e. the contents of an old letter) >have widened the appeal of stamp collecting and >ensured its future in the short term. Education of >collectors, to channel their collecting habits into >something which they can properly understand and >enjoy, is important. So many people collect new issues >and First Day Covers and then find they are worth less >than half their cost when they try to sell them. This >puts people off collecting for life, and gives stamp >dealers a bad name as they are accused of robbing the >collectors by offereing below cost prices for material >which is, sadly, in vast over supply! >I think the internet will become even more important >than it is now and stamp fairs will suffer >accordingly. They will always exist while stamp >collecting exists, but they may become more general >collectors fairs with postcards (as they do now) and >matchbox labels, sugar packets, model toys, etc. all >under one roof. > >I hope this is a little help, please e-mail me if I >can help further or we could have a phone conversation? > >Best regards > >John Cowell (a former M.D. of Stanley Gibbons Auctions) > > >>Hello all, >> I am writing an article for the Cambridge >>University student news >>paper about "Stanley Gibbon". I would be very grateful >>if you could help me >>answer some questions about the company and about >>philately in general. >> >>1) Is Philately a growing hobby? I notice that there >>are lots of websites >>selling Russian stamps is this one of main growth >>areas? >> >>2) Do collectors usually collect the stamps of there >>own nation? >> >>3) Who are Stanley gibbons major competitors? >> >>4) Do you think Stanley Gibbon will become the "Ebay" >>of stamps? >> >>5) Do you think "Stanley Gibbon" will still be going >>in another 100 years >>time? >> >>6) What do you think will be the major changes in the >>future of stamp >>collecting? >> >>I would be most thankful for any help you can give me >> >>Kind Regards >> >>Ben Sims

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