cost of collecting news issues

Hello, if you read my Christmas competition you will have seen the question I posed about how many new issues / stamps did the Royal Mail (Great Britain) release in 2006. Frivolous question I know but my answer was; no one knows because no one has had time to count.. well I am sure Royal Mails knows, and Stanley Gibbons and others .. but as far as I am concerned I don't know.

Yesterday I got my copy of Stamp News Australia - good magazine I might add -and in it was an article about how 2006 was a record breaking year for new stamp releases and variations issued by Australia Post.

Seems that if you had been rich enough to afford them all you would have paid $1901.30 to acquire 1 copy of each variation. Probably could sell at a good profit too I might add so I am not totally against collecting them if you have time, patience and lots of disposable income.

Some further details. There were 352 variations issued... and 29 stamp issues with 215 stamps... Just collecting 1 copy of each new issue would have set you back $282.20. all in Australian dollars but hey still a lot of money and that is excluding the cost of the albums to safely store them in.

The article was written by David Mallen, and all credit to him for his excellent study and presentation of the detail. He is the author of the Australian Stamp Variation Catalogue. I note also he is offering a free copy of his Variation Statistics - email dgmallen@bigpond.net.au

So why do I not collect new issues from Australia. You guessed. Why am I stopping collecting - after the Beatles issue - ok so I am sentimental too - new issues from Royal Mail.. for the same reason.. It is just too expensive. (Although I have to admit I still collect Machins - I just cannot stop myself on that one.

I read somewhere some statistics from the US that for the Elvis issue some 140 million Elvis stamps are held in collections.. awesome.. I think I have remembered that right..

anyway.. back to my search for those elusive GB George V downey heads variations

Am off to London in a few hours.. will try to write from there with any news I can glean from the UK scene.. am having a beer (or two) with Machin Man himself so expect some good stories - I may even be able to write to you about some of them

Best wishes.. Happy New Year to you all.. see you in 2007!!!