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50 Years of Experience in Collecting and Trading
A lifelong collector and recognized authority in stamps, banknotes, and coins.
Smits Stamps and Coins
Immersed in the world of stamp collecting since the age of nine, Mickel was introduced to the art of collecting, trading, and valuing stamps by his father, Wim, a respected dealer. What began as a childhood passion evolved into a lifelong career in philately, including numismatics.
As the author of Renniks Stamps of Australia, he worked to create a reliable reference guide that makes navigating the content, variations, and values of stamp collecting easier for collectors and traders of all levels.
As the author of Renniks Stamps of Australia, he worked to create a reliable reference guide that makes navigating the content, variations, and values of stamp collecting easier for collectors and traders of all levels.
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Renniks Stamps of Australia 18th Edition
by Mickel Smits
With 408 pages, over 4,500 images, and more than 20,000 valuations, this book serves as an essential reference for collectors of all levels. It provides a concise catalogue of current market values for Australian and Australian Antarctic Territory postage stamps at the time of publication.
Available in store
With 408 pages, over 4,500 images, and more than 20,000 valuations, this book serves as an essential reference for collectors of all levels. It provides a concise catalogue of current market values for Australian and Australian Antarctic Territory postage stamps at the time of publication.
Available in store
Renniks Australian Coin & Banknote Values - 32nd Edition
This guide covers Australian coins and banknotes from the 1850's to 2023. A trusted reference for collectors of all levels, it provides values and detailed identification to help you better understand the market.
Available in store
Available in store
The following article explores the rise of modern stamp collecting, the missteps that led to its decline, the eventual recovery, and renewed appreciation for modern issues as scarcity and tradition once again define value and achievement.
An Overview of Modern Australian Stamp Collecting
The 1981 Annual Collection: A Profound Turning Point
The Rise of Self-Adhesive Stamps: From Rejection to Acceptance
Market Saturation & Speculation: Collector Challenges
Balancing the Market: The Road to Recovery
The Return to Tradition: How Scarcity Shapes the Future
An Overview of Modern Australian Stamp Collecting
The 1981 Annual Collection: A Profound Turning Point
The Rise of Self-Adhesive Stamps: From Rejection to Acceptance
Market Saturation & Speculation: Collector Challenges
Balancing the Market: The Road to Recovery
The Return to Tradition: How Scarcity Shapes the Future
An Overview of Modern Australian Stamp Collecting
Its rise, fall, and recovery
To understand the evolving shift in modern Australian stamp collecting, we should reflect and begin by looking back to the 1960s.
When decimalisation occurred in 1966, many collectors focused on completing their pre-decimal stamp collections. It was much the same for coin collectors. As new decimal issues were released, collectors of mint stamps followed a familiar formula they had established for themselves: purchasing a set of singles and, for many, blocks of four as well. Occasionally, booklets were released and included. A small contingent visited their local P.O. and scoured their sheet stock looking for printing faults.
For First Day Cover (FDC) collectors, the process was fairly straightforward but required some organisation. You either took a self-addressed envelope to the post office on the day of issue, affixed the stamps, and had the postal clerk cancel it with a "First Day of Issue" postmark and send it to you in the post, or you had a standing order with a professional FDC provider such as Excelsior, Royal and Wesley First Day Cover Service, amongst many others.
In 1969, the post office began releasing Stamp Packs, a presentation folder detailing background information related to the stamp issue that was included inside. Collectors seeking completeness (owning at least one of everything the post office released) added these to their collections too.
In the following year, the first ‘Post Office Official' first day covers were made available over their counters. This was a defining moment for FDC collectors, and in particular, the private suppliers who had catered to them. Over the next few years, many collectors switched to the P.O. editions, valuing their "official" status. With the exception of Wesley Cover Service, private providers eventually fell by the wayside.
In 1978, Pre-stamped Envelopes (PSEs) were introduced - primarily for general public convenience. However, collectors "had" to have them too, as these were illustrated envelopes featuring printed stamps commemorating historical and contemporary events. Today, they are known as Pre-paid Envelopes (PPEs).
When decimalisation occurred in 1966, many collectors focused on completing their pre-decimal stamp collections. It was much the same for coin collectors. As new decimal issues were released, collectors of mint stamps followed a familiar formula they had established for themselves: purchasing a set of singles and, for many, blocks of four as well. Occasionally, booklets were released and included. A small contingent visited their local P.O. and scoured their sheet stock looking for printing faults.
For First Day Cover (FDC) collectors, the process was fairly straightforward but required some organisation. You either took a self-addressed envelope to the post office on the day of issue, affixed the stamps, and had the postal clerk cancel it with a "First Day of Issue" postmark and send it to you in the post, or you had a standing order with a professional FDC provider such as Excelsior, Royal and Wesley First Day Cover Service, amongst many others.
In 1969, the post office began releasing Stamp Packs, a presentation folder detailing background information related to the stamp issue that was included inside. Collectors seeking completeness (owning at least one of everything the post office released) added these to their collections too.
In the following year, the first ‘Post Office Official' first day covers were made available over their counters. This was a defining moment for FDC collectors, and in particular, the private suppliers who had catered to them. Over the next few years, many collectors switched to the P.O. editions, valuing their "official" status. With the exception of Wesley Cover Service, private providers eventually fell by the wayside.
In 1978, Pre-stamped Envelopes (PSEs) were introduced - primarily for general public convenience. However, collectors "had" to have them too, as these were illustrated envelopes featuring printed stamps commemorating historical and contemporary events. Today, they are known as Pre-paid Envelopes (PPEs).
The 1981 Annual Collection: A Turning Point for Australian Stamp Collecting
Its impact and evolving implosion.
The most profound game-changer initiated by the Post Office came at the end of 1981 with the release of an Annual Collection of Australian Stamps.
The philatelic community was caught completely off guard. Collectors had already purchased their stamps throughout the year, as had dealers, so as to ensure they could accommodate new collectors joining the hobby. The album was made available for sale for the following 12 months, as they are today.
Many established collectors saw its introduction as counterproductive and at odds with the fundamental spirit of the hobby. Collecting had always been about:
Nevertheless, the Annual Collection became a success for the Post Office - not just due to collectors’ "must-have" mentality, but because its release coincided with a speculative boom in the market.
It wasn’t just stamps that were booming - coins, antiques, art, and precious metals were also in high demand as inflation was soaring at the time, driving investors toward tangible assets as a hedge against the eroding value of their money. While inflation was gradually brought under control in the following years, speculation persisted for more than a decade before awareness and market corrections took hold. The real estate downturn of the early to mid-1980s, followed by the 1987 stock market crash, also fueled this speculative era.
In the meantime, the revenue the Post Office generated from philatelic sales boomed - not just in Australia, but globally. It was an international phenomenon.
In 1988, Australia’s Bicentennial year, the Annual Stamp Collection album sold out, leaving many collectors stranded. Over the next few years, its value skyrocketed to nearly $300. For collectors committed to maintaining completeness, paying the price was unavoidable whilst being caught-out, bolstered sales of the successive annual editions for the next few years.
Coincidentally, 1988 saw a record number of stamp issues from the Post Office. Collectors voiced their concerns, but they fell on deaf ears - the volume of new releases continued to climb in the years that followed, eventually stabilising from 2010 onwards.
With the release of the 1992 edition, the P.O. set a new precedent that drew the ire of collectors. From then on, whenever a set was released alongside a miniature sheet, the P.O. only included the miniature sheet in the annual albums. As a result, the albums were no longer complete.
It became clear that the P.O. had chosen to exclude the sets to keep the album’s issue cost at an optimal level while also reducing handling costs in assembly. Collectors were not pleased - over time, album sales were impacted.
In an attempt to reverse the situation, the 2000 edition included a composite sheetlet of the Sydney 2000 Olympics Gold Medallists stamps instead of the set of 16 individual stamps.
This was a major disappointment for traditional collectors as they could not acquire the special-edition sheetlet on its own - they had to buy the annual album. The P.O. faced heavy criticism, yet from the 2004 edition onward, an exclusive miniature sheet became a standard inclusion.
While the post office initially expected this strategy to sustain sales, they continued releasing more sets with miniature sheets, leaving the albums increasingly incomplete - with 4 missing sets in 2004, 9 in 2009, and an average of 13 per year from 2014 to 2019.
To make matters worse, the 2020 edition brought not just frustration but outright bewilderment and disdain. Loose stamps and miniature sheets were no longer included for collectors to place in their mounts, as had been the practice for all previous editions. Instead, the so-called "stamps" were printed directly onto the pages of the album. It was no longer an album of stamps - it was a "book," a coffee-table book at best.
Our advice to collectors has since been to seriously reconsider whether to continue collecting them. Instead, we recommend establishing a standing order for each set and miniature sheet as they are released. Not only will this provide better resale value and prospects, it may also bring greater enjoyment by being actively involved in your hobby throughout the year. Plus, your yearly collection will be complete, just as they were in the earliest editions.
The philatelic community was caught completely off guard. Collectors had already purchased their stamps throughout the year, as had dealers, so as to ensure they could accommodate new collectors joining the hobby. The album was made available for sale for the following 12 months, as they are today.
Many established collectors saw its introduction as counterproductive and at odds with the fundamental spirit of the hobby. Collecting had always been about:
- Actively engaging in the process - anticipating new releases, purchasing them as they became available, and carefully placing them into their albums.
- Sharing their new acquisitions with fellow enthusiasts, family, and friends.
- Experiencing the satisfaction of building a complete collection.
- Discovering the history, culture, and diversity captured in stamps, along with Australia’s unique flora, fauna, and geography.
- And in doing so, they were celebrating and preserving the nation's heritage through an art form of visual appeal.
Nevertheless, the Annual Collection became a success for the Post Office - not just due to collectors’ "must-have" mentality, but because its release coincided with a speculative boom in the market.
It wasn’t just stamps that were booming - coins, antiques, art, and precious metals were also in high demand as inflation was soaring at the time, driving investors toward tangible assets as a hedge against the eroding value of their money. While inflation was gradually brought under control in the following years, speculation persisted for more than a decade before awareness and market corrections took hold. The real estate downturn of the early to mid-1980s, followed by the 1987 stock market crash, also fueled this speculative era.
In the meantime, the revenue the Post Office generated from philatelic sales boomed - not just in Australia, but globally. It was an international phenomenon.
In 1988, Australia’s Bicentennial year, the Annual Stamp Collection album sold out, leaving many collectors stranded. Over the next few years, its value skyrocketed to nearly $300. For collectors committed to maintaining completeness, paying the price was unavoidable whilst being caught-out, bolstered sales of the successive annual editions for the next few years.
Coincidentally, 1988 saw a record number of stamp issues from the Post Office. Collectors voiced their concerns, but they fell on deaf ears - the volume of new releases continued to climb in the years that followed, eventually stabilising from 2010 onwards.
With the release of the 1992 edition, the P.O. set a new precedent that drew the ire of collectors. From then on, whenever a set was released alongside a miniature sheet, the P.O. only included the miniature sheet in the annual albums. As a result, the albums were no longer complete.
It became clear that the P.O. had chosen to exclude the sets to keep the album’s issue cost at an optimal level while also reducing handling costs in assembly. Collectors were not pleased - over time, album sales were impacted.
In an attempt to reverse the situation, the 2000 edition included a composite sheetlet of the Sydney 2000 Olympics Gold Medallists stamps instead of the set of 16 individual stamps.
This was a major disappointment for traditional collectors as they could not acquire the special-edition sheetlet on its own - they had to buy the annual album. The P.O. faced heavy criticism, yet from the 2004 edition onward, an exclusive miniature sheet became a standard inclusion.
While the post office initially expected this strategy to sustain sales, they continued releasing more sets with miniature sheets, leaving the albums increasingly incomplete - with 4 missing sets in 2004, 9 in 2009, and an average of 13 per year from 2014 to 2019.
To make matters worse, the 2020 edition brought not just frustration but outright bewilderment and disdain. Loose stamps and miniature sheets were no longer included for collectors to place in their mounts, as had been the practice for all previous editions. Instead, the so-called "stamps" were printed directly onto the pages of the album. It was no longer an album of stamps - it was a "book," a coffee-table book at best.
Our advice to collectors has since been to seriously reconsider whether to continue collecting them. Instead, we recommend establishing a standing order for each set and miniature sheet as they are released. Not only will this provide better resale value and prospects, it may also bring greater enjoyment by being actively involved in your hobby throughout the year. Plus, your yearly collection will be complete, just as they were in the earliest editions.
The Rise of Self-Adhesive Stamps: From Rejection to Mainstream Acceptance
In 1989, the first Self-adhesive (Peel and Stick) stamp was introduced. As is often the case with change, traditional collectors were resistant. Many dismissed them outright, claiming they weren’t even “real” stamps. However, from the Post Office’s perspective, these new format stamps offered undeniable convenience for the general public and businesses - and they were right.
As self-adhesive stamps began to be issued more frequently alongside their gummed (Lick and Stick) counterparts, their domestic-use grew. By the mid-to-late 1990s, the self-adhesives had overtaken gummed stamps in both sales and usage. And so, even the most traditional collectors who had initially refused to include them in their mint collections had to acknowledge reality: these alternative stamps weren’t just here to stay - they were legitimate.
Slowly but surely, a growing number of mint collectors have come to not only recognize the validity but also appreciate their positive and substantive growth in value, as they remain consistently scarcer than their gummed counterparts. And, after all, a proper collection is not complete without them.
However, they are challenging to acquire, as most dealers have little, if any stock. This scarcity, in itself, fuels the pursuit, adding to the satisfaction of re-building the collection over time. Additionally, they behold format variations of philatelic significance, appealing to those in search of further engagement.
The demand for them is buoyant. Current market values - including those in the latest 18th Edition of Stamps of Australia - underestimate their genuine, relative scarcity, creating favourable opportunities for mint collectors to elevate their collections.
Philatelic Numismatic Covers: A Collecting Trend with Changing Fortunes
In 1994, the first Philatelic Numismatic Cover (PNC) was released in collaboration with the Royal Australian Mint. For the next decade (except in 2000), only one was issued per year. In 2004, the Perth Mint also joined the program.
The collection of PNCs gained notable popularity among both stamp and coin collectors, primarily because many featured coins that were never released into general circulation.
Recognizing a winning formula, issuing authorities ramped up the number of releases - along with the purchase price. While profitable for them, this marketing strategy became an increasing concern for dedicated PNC collectors. By the late 2010s, many either abandoned collecting them altogether or became more selective in their purchases.
Today, nearly every stamp issue is accompanied by one or more PNC editions, sometimes several. As traders, we cancelled our standing order a few years ago (for reasons we won’t delve into at present).
Special Edition Sheetlets: A Niche Collectable along with Personal Appeal
In 2000, Special Edition Sheetlets were introduced, consisting of sheetlets of 10 or 20 contemporary Greetings stamps. Each stamp was paired with a themed label or tab featuring subjects such as sports, film, music, and television personalities, including animated characters / pop culture themes. Editions for special events were also released.
Over time, the range expanded significantly. However, these sheetlets did not gain widespread popularity among traditional stamp collectors other than those releases which “tickled their fancy”, usually nostalgically. Instead, they attracted a niche audience - enthusiasts who collected memorabilia related to their specific area of interest.
In addition to these thematic editions, the general public could request and arrange for Personalised Stamp Sheetlets from the Post Office to be used in sending invitations to celebrate weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries, etc. Businesses and institutions commissioned them for promotional purposes. By providing photographs or images, these would then be inserted into the tab portion of the stamp sheetlet.
In 2020, the format for these special edition and personalised sheetlets changed. Instead of being incorporated into a separate tab, images were now embedded directly into the stamp template itself. Today, they are referred to as MyStamp Sheetlets.
Prestige Booklets: Special Editions with Distinctive Variations
Starting in 2002, special edition booklets known as Prestige Booklets were regularly released alongside selected stamp issues. Many featured significant philatelic variations from standard releases, such as individual blocks of stamps which were originally issued in a joined se-tenant format, or conversely, stamps that were initially issued as singles, being then presented in a se-tenant format in the booklet.
Others included imperforate editions, as well as special reprints of past stamps. These reprints were micro-print dated with the year of re-release, ensuring they were unmistakably distinguishable from the originals.
As self-adhesive stamps began to be issued more frequently alongside their gummed (Lick and Stick) counterparts, their domestic-use grew. By the mid-to-late 1990s, the self-adhesives had overtaken gummed stamps in both sales and usage. And so, even the most traditional collectors who had initially refused to include them in their mint collections had to acknowledge reality: these alternative stamps weren’t just here to stay - they were legitimate.
Slowly but surely, a growing number of mint collectors have come to not only recognize the validity but also appreciate their positive and substantive growth in value, as they remain consistently scarcer than their gummed counterparts. And, after all, a proper collection is not complete without them.
However, they are challenging to acquire, as most dealers have little, if any stock. This scarcity, in itself, fuels the pursuit, adding to the satisfaction of re-building the collection over time. Additionally, they behold format variations of philatelic significance, appealing to those in search of further engagement.
The demand for them is buoyant. Current market values - including those in the latest 18th Edition of Stamps of Australia - underestimate their genuine, relative scarcity, creating favourable opportunities for mint collectors to elevate their collections.
Philatelic Numismatic Covers: A Collecting Trend with Changing Fortunes
In 1994, the first Philatelic Numismatic Cover (PNC) was released in collaboration with the Royal Australian Mint. For the next decade (except in 2000), only one was issued per year. In 2004, the Perth Mint also joined the program.
The collection of PNCs gained notable popularity among both stamp and coin collectors, primarily because many featured coins that were never released into general circulation.
Recognizing a winning formula, issuing authorities ramped up the number of releases - along with the purchase price. While profitable for them, this marketing strategy became an increasing concern for dedicated PNC collectors. By the late 2010s, many either abandoned collecting them altogether or became more selective in their purchases.
Today, nearly every stamp issue is accompanied by one or more PNC editions, sometimes several. As traders, we cancelled our standing order a few years ago (for reasons we won’t delve into at present).
Special Edition Sheetlets: A Niche Collectable along with Personal Appeal
In 2000, Special Edition Sheetlets were introduced, consisting of sheetlets of 10 or 20 contemporary Greetings stamps. Each stamp was paired with a themed label or tab featuring subjects such as sports, film, music, and television personalities, including animated characters / pop culture themes. Editions for special events were also released.
Over time, the range expanded significantly. However, these sheetlets did not gain widespread popularity among traditional stamp collectors other than those releases which “tickled their fancy”, usually nostalgically. Instead, they attracted a niche audience - enthusiasts who collected memorabilia related to their specific area of interest.
In addition to these thematic editions, the general public could request and arrange for Personalised Stamp Sheetlets from the Post Office to be used in sending invitations to celebrate weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries, etc. Businesses and institutions commissioned them for promotional purposes. By providing photographs or images, these would then be inserted into the tab portion of the stamp sheetlet.
In 2020, the format for these special edition and personalised sheetlets changed. Instead of being incorporated into a separate tab, images were now embedded directly into the stamp template itself. Today, they are referred to as MyStamp Sheetlets.
Prestige Booklets: Special Editions with Distinctive Variations
Starting in 2002, special edition booklets known as Prestige Booklets were regularly released alongside selected stamp issues. Many featured significant philatelic variations from standard releases, such as individual blocks of stamps which were originally issued in a joined se-tenant format, or conversely, stamps that were initially issued as singles, being then presented in a se-tenant format in the booklet.
Others included imperforate editions, as well as special reprints of past stamps. These reprints were micro-print dated with the year of re-release, ensuring they were unmistakably distinguishable from the originals.
Market Saturation and Speculation: The Challenges Facing Collectors
Collectors faced a growing challenge as the post office expanded its marketing strategy - broadening the range of products while simultaneously increasing the frequency of regular stamp issues. The sheer volume became overwhelming.
What was once a manageable pursuit had become both financially and logistically daunting. The idea of collecting one of everything was slipping out of reach, and even dealers struggled to justify and afford the cost of stocking new stamps for posterity.
Compounding the issue, the stamps purchased from the late 1970s through the mid-to-late 1990s had stagnated in value. This became a growing concern. Those previously unaware of the situation began to grasp the full scale of speculation that had taken place - many others had been investing heavily, even buying entire sheets of stamps in anticipation of future returns.
Harsh realities soon set in. There simply weren’t enough new collectors entering the market to absorb the glut, let alone sustain positive resale values. Before the turn of the millennium - and particularly in 2001, the centenary of Australia’s federation - many saw a natural endpoint for their collections and chose to bow out.
What was once a manageable pursuit had become both financially and logistically daunting. The idea of collecting one of everything was slipping out of reach, and even dealers struggled to justify and afford the cost of stocking new stamps for posterity.
Compounding the issue, the stamps purchased from the late 1970s through the mid-to-late 1990s had stagnated in value. This became a growing concern. Those previously unaware of the situation began to grasp the full scale of speculation that had taken place - many others had been investing heavily, even buying entire sheets of stamps in anticipation of future returns.
Harsh realities soon set in. There simply weren’t enough new collectors entering the market to absorb the glut, let alone sustain positive resale values. Before the turn of the millennium - and particularly in 2001, the centenary of Australia’s federation - many saw a natural endpoint for their collections and chose to bow out.
Balancing the Market: The Long Road to Recovery for Collecting
As the 2000s progressed, so did the sale of collections. With supply far outpacing demand, traders began offering less than face value for mint stamp collections, keeping what they needed for stock and reselling the rest as discount postage. This practice quickly became a thriving trade, with dealers targeting businesses and offering them postage at a 20% or greater discount.
For years, this market remained lucrative, but as email communication became dominant, demand for discount postage steadily declined. The tipping point came in 2016 when the standard letter postage rate jumped from 70¢ to $1 - a sharp 42% increase. Businesses that had still relied on the postal service for invoices and statements, etc, eventually transitioned to email, further shrinking the discount postage market.
Despite this shift, some traders and auctioneers still make offers on collections under the pretense of reselling as discount postage. In reality, this practice has virtually faded away, yet the buying pitch persists. More often than not, these collections are being resold at a discount to face value to stamp dealers in need of stock.
Over the years, tens of millions of dollars' worth of excess mint stamp stock has been culled from the collectors' marketplace. This happened through two main avenues: at first the redemption for cash at 90% of face value - a practice permitted by the Post Office until 1994, when the regulation was then annulled - or through gradual absorption as postage from thereon. Fortunately, this reduction in surplus has significantly helped restore balance, leaving today’s marketplace in a much healthier state, with excess stock largely neutralised in relation to current collector demand.
For years, this market remained lucrative, but as email communication became dominant, demand for discount postage steadily declined. The tipping point came in 2016 when the standard letter postage rate jumped from 70¢ to $1 - a sharp 42% increase. Businesses that had still relied on the postal service for invoices and statements, etc, eventually transitioned to email, further shrinking the discount postage market.
Despite this shift, some traders and auctioneers still make offers on collections under the pretense of reselling as discount postage. In reality, this practice has virtually faded away, yet the buying pitch persists. More often than not, these collections are being resold at a discount to face value to stamp dealers in need of stock.
Over the years, tens of millions of dollars' worth of excess mint stamp stock has been culled from the collectors' marketplace. This happened through two main avenues: at first the redemption for cash at 90% of face value - a practice permitted by the Post Office until 1994, when the regulation was then annulled - or through gradual absorption as postage from thereon. Fortunately, this reduction in surplus has significantly helped restore balance, leaving today’s marketplace in a much healthier state, with excess stock largely neutralised in relation to current collector demand.
The Return to Tradition: How Scarcity is Shaping the Future of Collecting
It has taken 10 years (or more) for the Australian stamp collecting marketplace to finally come to terms with and recover from the harmful repercussions of speculation which wreaked havoc for 25 years beginning in the late 1970s.
The market has come full circle, now realizing that the more modern in particular - those released in the last 15 years - are scarcer compared to most issues released in the 60 to 75 years prior.
Visit a stamp fair and see what dealers have on offer from the decimal era. They’ll have issues up until the early 2000s, but comparatively little beyond that - their stocks are scant. Order stamps by mail from a dealer, and you’ll find that the stamps used to post your order are from the 1970s to 1990s - not post-millennium - because they’re reserving them as stock.
Collectors who held the faith and passion, and stayed the course, by keeping their collections up-to-date are not only advantaged; they will also enjoy growing, positive resale value due to their undisputed, relative scarcity.
This is, in part, one good reason why I took on the role of editing the Renniks Stamps of Australia catalogue, which has since been rewritten, reformatted, and revalued to reflect the full content and diversity available to collectors and philatelists in modern Australian stamps.
As mentioned, the hobby has come full circle. Hard lessons have been learned, bringing common sense to bear, culminating in a return to the long-established and time-honoured tradition of focusing on and acquiring at least one of each stamp, miniature sheet, and any philatelic variations as might occur within.
Modern stamps have reclaimed a place in the spotlight, they’re shining on their own terms and shaping a renewed future for the hobby. The best time to start collecting them was yesterday; the second-best, is today.
The market has come full circle, now realizing that the more modern in particular - those released in the last 15 years - are scarcer compared to most issues released in the 60 to 75 years prior.
Visit a stamp fair and see what dealers have on offer from the decimal era. They’ll have issues up until the early 2000s, but comparatively little beyond that - their stocks are scant. Order stamps by mail from a dealer, and you’ll find that the stamps used to post your order are from the 1970s to 1990s - not post-millennium - because they’re reserving them as stock.
Collectors who held the faith and passion, and stayed the course, by keeping their collections up-to-date are not only advantaged; they will also enjoy growing, positive resale value due to their undisputed, relative scarcity.
This is, in part, one good reason why I took on the role of editing the Renniks Stamps of Australia catalogue, which has since been rewritten, reformatted, and revalued to reflect the full content and diversity available to collectors and philatelists in modern Australian stamps.
As mentioned, the hobby has come full circle. Hard lessons have been learned, bringing common sense to bear, culminating in a return to the long-established and time-honoured tradition of focusing on and acquiring at least one of each stamp, miniature sheet, and any philatelic variations as might occur within.
Modern stamps have reclaimed a place in the spotlight, they’re shining on their own terms and shaping a renewed future for the hobby. The best time to start collecting them was yesterday; the second-best, is today.
