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Comment by radosc | Hacker News Reader

It's an excellent time to collect super rare stamps. Common stamps declined in value and a lot of abandoned collections are sold for next to nothing so it's easier than ever to look for some hidden gems. In 10-20 years, when all the random collections disappear it'll be a super specialized market with high prices again based on scarcity. Some years ago when I was into cars, I could buy any beaten up BMWs for less than €1000 including E24 6-series or E9. Sometimes I'd find a gem in super an excellent condition, and it still followed price trend with an abundance of similar cars for sale. Now with all these cars junked to buy a parts E24 you need to have upwards of €7000.

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Not sure about that: When the next generation doesn't know what a stamp is, and the fascination, getting a message from someone, getting glimpse into the world, has no basis, who will 'collect'?

I think it's similar to collecting old guitars; people in their financial prime buy a connection to the music and bands of the 60ies and 70ies; their children may have grown up with electronic music and can't relate.

Cars might be relatable, since you can still drive around with it, but the current fashion of having 'vintage' things may be over in 10 years.

People can relate to all kinds of things that were no longer in use when they were born. Many times that foreignness can even make it more attractive, compared to someone for whom stamps were just an ordinary tool.

More like vinyl collections: it becomes valuable only after it goes through a period of being untrendy enough that a lot of the stock gets thrown away.

...before it finally fizzles out, along with the Hipsters that brought it back in the first place!?

You just wrote off entire business of trading antiques.

There's a well-recognized trend in car collecting: the value follows the age of people who can afford what they dreamed about in high school.

Following this trend, Model As and Ts have gone way down, as the dreamers are now past the age or dead.

57 Chevys are on the downside, too. Too old.

90s Japanese sports cars are on the upswing now.

But stamps? I don't see it recovering. It was popular in the 70s/80s, like Professional Bowling. Both are still with us, but not the same as they were.

The other thing about 90s Japanese cars is that cars, once old enough, can be easily imported regardless of emissions/safety standards.

In Canada, I think it’s 17 years of age, then you can bring in your right hand drive car more easily than container of potatoes.

Personally, I don’t know why each country has its own safety standards when every industrialized country has a similar enough mix of speed limits and urban/suburban/rural environments.

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