Updates & support for SCB

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Goodbye 2020, hello 2021

Goodbye 2020, hello 2021 If looking back at 2020, it is very hard to find words other than 'bizarre' to describe all that has happened. COVID19, divorce, moving across the country, picking up a new job.... No surprise I did not have much time for stamps nor blogging in 2020. As always there's the good, the bad, and the ugly - depending on how you look at it. ...(700 words, 2 images, 4 comments)

Just a quick heads up on what's happening

Howdy all. I thought I'd do a quick end of summer summary on what's happening with my life. Needless to say it's the past 18 months have been one heck of a "joyride", but things are finally beginning to normalize. But lots of changes in my life have happened and many are still happening; many of them things I considered unfathomable even six months back. ...(597 words, 1 images, 2 comments)

The cost of running SCB - 2018 financial summary reviewed

Since my goal is to keep the operations of SCB as transparent as possible, below is a financial summary for 2018. Many philatelic organizations are obliged by their by-laws to release a public financial summary, but most stamp websites and philatelic publishers on the other do no such thing as they are privately owned. As such we collectors are usually struck by lightning when some website or publisher closes down because of financial issues. I've been very open about any kind of financial issues SCB (or me) has faced over the years, and i wish that open financial report like this would open up the complexity and costs of running a philatelic website like SCB for wider audience. ...(461 words, 2 images, 4 comments)

Merry Christmas folks

I'd like to wish readers of SCB a merry and peaceful yuletide. Do enjoy this time of year with your family, friends and stamps, and take a small break from daily life - as that is precisely what I'm about to do for the next week or two. Below are some (more or less recent) worldwide Christmas stamps that have landed upon my stamp collection this year. What makes these stamps worthy of public showcasing is that they all bring a smile on my face (mostly because of personal memories), and I hope they would do the same for you. Merry Christmas folks! ...(479 words, 4 images, 6 comments)

Misuse of free trial - and why it has to end

As all readers hopefully know, SCB provides a paid Premium subscription that gives you access to all there is. And then there's the time- and feature limited (but still generous) Free Trial. The latter has been technically built as such that no person should be able to have more than just one signup without knowingly frauding the system. And all in all, the system works well. People who enjoy the contents upgrade and become Premium subscribers and supporters of community sooner or later. And folks who are not up to it simply let their free trials lapse and become forgotton. But would anyone knowingly fraud the system? In the end the annual subscription is only 18.40€, and the money goes fully into supporting the SCB website. ...(976 words, 0 images, 21 comments)

Summer break

Summer has arrived also here up north, and as usual I'm taking a small break from blogging and the online world to enjoy the summer sun and hopefully warm weathers. ...(79 words, 1 images, 3 comments)

No article in week or two

Just a quick announcement to all subscribers that there will be no article (nor newsletter) this week, and possibly the same applies for the week following. The seasonal influenza wave has hit this part of world, and unfortunately I and other members of my family are down due to it. ...(80 words, 0 images, 10 comments)

Goodbye 2017, Hello 2018

Goodbye 2017, Hello 2018 Another year has gone by once again, so it is time to review the past year and write down some plans for year ahead. ...(787 words, 3 images, 4 comments)

A Christmas tale

A Christmas tale It was the night before Christmas. The greatest stamp collector of all times was sitting comfortably in his chair, sorting some new stamps to his album. Suddenly the harmony was disturbed. ...(942 words, 3 images, 7 comments)

Finland Independence Day Sweepstake: win stamp catalog & stamp mixtures

Finland Independence Day Sweepstake: win stamp catalog & stamp mixtures Finland celebrates it's 100th anniversary on December 6th, and though I am far from being a patriotic person, I do want to commemorate this special event. So I am organizing a small sweepstake for readers of SCB. In addition this is a great opportunity for me to clear some clutter from my stamp desk ;) ...(825 words, 1 images, 40 comments)

You can now listen SCB

You can now listen SCB Just a quick heads up that I've rolled out another update for the blog. Those browsers that support speech synthesis (meaning pretty much all devices and browsers released within the past two years) can now listen for the blog entries. The buttons to engage 'speech synthesis mode' can be found at top of each article as illustrated in below picture: ...(354 words, 1 images, 4 comments)

Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017

Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017 With just about one hour remaining of 2016, I'm finding myself looking back at the year behind, and thinking what will be ahead in 2017. ...(1596 words, 4 images, 12 comments)

SCB Reader Survey 2016 - your feedback (or should I say Letters to the editor)

SCB Reader Survey 2016 - your feedback (or should I say Letters to the editor) In this second part of the SCB Reader Survey 2016 results I'll share the additional feedback to survey questions as well as my responses. I must say that I was happily overwhelmed by the amount of verbose feedback received. I advice you take a cup of coffee or tea (or whatever you fancy), as this is one seriously long (22-page) read. And like the reader survey results, also this entry is a free read to all subscriber levels as well as non-subscribers. ...(6357 words, 1 images, 0 comments)

SCB Reader Survey 2016 - the results

SCB Reader Survey 2016 - the results Back in May the subscribers of SCB were invited to participate SCB's Spring 2016 Reader Survey. The results are now in and I want to share them with all of you (which is why accessing this entry does not add to usage of free accounts and even non-subscribers can access it). All in all I received plenty of useful responses and suggestions on how to make SCB even better, and I definitely learned a few new things about you and your interests. Below I'll share the actual survey results question by question as well as my short analysis of each. ...(1870 words, 8 images, 0 comments)

Stamp № 100,000

Stamp № 100,000 Dear readers, I'm happy to announce that my worldwide stamp collection has now officially reached and went beyond 100,000 different items today. It's definitely a time for a bit of celebration. I hope you enjoy the visual countdown below: ...(215 words, 5 images, 14 comments)

SCB 2016 update is here

SCB 2016 update is here As everybody can hopefully see, the much talked 2016 update of SCB has finally landed. All in all this is the biggest update in the seven year history of SCB, and this post highlights the changes (not their reasons, as they've been covered before elsewhere). ...(469 words, 5 images, 16 comments)

Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016 - End of an Era

Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016 - End of an Era New year is a traditional time to look back of the year behind, and reveal/make some plans for the the upcoming year. For me and SCB, 2015/2016 marks an end of en era for me in number of ways. ...(599 words, 1 images, 22 comments)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2016

This is my last blog entry for the year, and as customary I want to wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2016 to all the readers of SCB around the globe. As long time readers of the blog know, I always end the year with introduction of recent Finnish Christmas stamps. ...(329 words, 3 images, 8 comments)

Is SCB making it or breaking it?

Is SCB making it or breaking it? Over the past few months I've been thinking about the future of SCB, as well as which way to take it. SCB is on most parts a one man show (me,me,me...) , but it may be the time to move forth from that model. Instead of being anything organized, this post is a collection of random thoughts about some possible venues for the future, and I'd like to hear the thoughts and ideas of readers of this blog before making any decisions. ...(1714 words, 1 images, 29 comments)

SCB Facebook page now open

SCB Facebook page now open Another quick post to notify everyone that SCB is now also in Facebook. You can view SCB's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stampblog. Having a separate Facebook page for SCB is something that has been 'under consideration' for years, but only now it becomes reality. ...(467 words, 3 images, 6 comments)

SCB turns six - a new look and some new features

As uncanny as it, SCB is now officially six years old. To celebrate the anniversary, it's now time to unwrap some of the changes that I've been working. ...(218 words, 1 images, 8 comments)

Towards 100,000 stamps and other plans for 2015

Towards 100,000 stamps and other plans for 2015 One of my goals for 2014 was to reach the limit of 90K stamps, and that I succeeded (though only in the last day of the year). So I'm now heading towards the uncanny 100,000 major number stamps in my collection. Whether or not I'll actually reach 100K this year remains to be seen, but I've set my target to no later than summer 2016. ...(646 words, 2 images, 23 comments)

SCB Summer Camp: Filling spaces project

SCB Summer Camp: Filling spaces project I'm keeping a short 'summer break' from actual blogging and focus on working my collection and my stamp exchanges for the next month or two. Two frequently asked questions relating to my exchange are "Can you tell me what specific stamps do You need from country X" and "Do you have these...". Well, this 'summer project' is all about it. Instead of listing everything I have/need (both which would be a lifelong task), I've decided to to narrow the focus in one small (but very dear) niche: European definitive stamps. ...(1032 words, 74 images, 10 comments)

Happy holidays to readers of SCB

Happy holidays to readers of SCB I would like to wish all the readers of Stamp Collecting Blog a merry and peacuful holiday season. As usual, I'm taking a small holiday breather from the online world for the next 3-4 weeks, and will primarily focus on spending time with my family and working with my stamp collection. ...(246 words, 2 images, 2 comments)

Merry Christmas and Happy new Year 2013

Merry Christmas and Happy new Year 2013 With this update, I want to wish all readers of this blog a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year 2013! To carry on blog traditions, below are Finnish Christmas postage stamps of 2012 for Yours to admire: ...(182 words, 2 images, 24 comments)

75,000 stamps and counting, and other misc tidbits from the summer

75,000 stamps and counting, and other misc tidbits from the summer It's been over a month since my last major update on the blog, and I thought some regular readers of the blog might enjoy reading a general update on what's going in my stamp filled life, and what kind of plans I have for upcoming months. ...(296 words, 2 images, 14 comments)

My exchange & blog take a break because of health issues (again)

My exchange & blog take a break because of health issues (again) As avid and long term followers of the blog may recall, I suffer from disease called Ulcerative Colitis. Sadly it's flared once again, and I've been ordered a set of studies and operations on my local hospital in less than two weeks time. As I (or the doctors) have no precise picture what will happen in next weeks (and months), I see it best to close down my stamp exchange for the time being. Please, do not post any exchange lots until I give my permission again. ...(400 words, 0 images, 67 comments)

A sad day

A sad day I'm very sad because from this day onwards most stamp images and photos on this blog will contain an embedded 'watermark inscription' running on top of the image. The reason for this change is pretty simple. Some users and websites have chosen to spread my original photography and scans onwards without my permission, and against the copyrights of this site. ...(701 words, 0 images, 23 comments)

Third anniversary - happy birthday SCB!

Third anniversary - happy birthday SCB! It's been three years since I wrote the very first words on this blog. Though this blog is largely about my personal adventures and findings in the stamp collecting world, it would not be the same without Your involvement. So in honor of this special occasion, I wish to thank everyone who's been contributing and commenting ever since. Fred, Carol, Rick, Bob,Pablo, Dennis et al who's name I can't remember right now... Here's one for you all: cheers ;) ...(126 words, 1 images, 10 comments)

State of my stamp collection 2011/2012

State of my stamp collection 2011/2012 Yet another year has gone by, and it's time to look back for the year 2011 and what's ahead in 2012 for my stamp collection. In 2011 my collection grew with over 6,600 stamps, and my worldwide collection contains now 70,519 stamps (listed with major catalog number in Michel). ...(470 words, 1 images, 15 comments)

Season's greetings

Season's greetings Christmas time is once more just around the corner, and I'd like to wish all the readers of the blog a Merry Christmas & Prosperous New Year 2012! In last couple of days the mailman has brought several greetings from the readers of the blog around the globe - I humbly thank You all for the warm thoughts (as well as the nice stamps on the covers / cards). ...(102 words, 2 images, 18 comments)

Summer break 2012

Summer break 2012 Being a bit lazy person, I'm republishing this older post with a bit updated data... Just to notice everyone, that this will be my final post on the blog for some time. Summer has finally reached central-Finland, and like most folks I'll be taking a break from the online world to enjoy the sun and good weathers. Next major updates on the blog will be sometime in (late) August or September 2012. ...(361 words, 4 images, 14 comments)

What makes a happy stamp collector?

What makes a happy stamp collector? Recently I’ve been reading an alternative lifestyle book telling a story of a nurse who jumped off the 24/7/365 modern lifestyle and rebuild her life a much happier one. It has got me thinking how happy I am of my life, and what things I could do differently on various aspects of life such as stamp collecting. I confess that I'm somewhat happy of my life; and stamp collecting is definitely one of the key areas where I'm extremely happy of my life. But of course there's (always) room to improve... ...(509 words, 1 images, 33 comments)

65 Degrees North

65 Degrees North For the last seven days I've been on a business trip to Eastern & Northern parts of the Finland. As I'm writing this, I'm staying the weekend in Oulu, one of the northernmost and largest cities in Finland. ...(507 words, 1 images, 2 comments)

Merry Christmas

Just to wish all the blog readers A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year! Hope You all like this "stampy greeting" displaying one of my all-time favorite Christmas postage stamps. ...(71 words, 1 images, 3 comments)

I'm back...With review of SOTW 2010 and misc stamp related tidbits

I'm back...With review of SOTW 2010 and misc stamp related tidbits Time definitely does fly, as it's been a bit over a month since my last post. Yes, I did have a relaxing summer vacation with plenty of sun and heat. ...(551 words, 0 images, 4 comments)

Collecting stamps in 2030 AD

Collecting stamps in 2030 AD I had lots of interesting moments while reading the Into the Future – The American Philatelic society 2030 report. No, I’m not a member of APS (or any other philatelic organization any more), but I find reports as such very useful way to track down where organized philately is heading to. And especially as I expect to retire somewhere around 2040, I have very high hopes that the world would still have plenty of fellow stamp collectors in distant future. ...(344 words, 1 images, 20 comments)

5:13AM

5:13AM Sometimes I find myself writing these notes add very odd hours. This time I'm dealing with the "pleasures of child family" as stomach flu has hit few of my kids and I've been awake for few hours already. ...(129 words, 1 images, 6 comments)

Random stamp stories

Random stamp stories Carol suggested in a recent blog comment that I should write a piece about the stamps you see on the blog's header image. Tough each of the stamps has been covered thoroughly on the blog during year 2009, newer readers of the blog might not be familiar with them. A common nominator for all these stamps is that I like their designs. ...(354 words, 0 images, 1 comments)

Winter holiday 2010 feelings

Winter holiday 2010 feelings As some know I've been having my winter holidays this week. Although things didn't go quite as planned (I got some heat/fever for few days), I still did have a quite enjoyable week with my family and some stamps. ...(225 words, 2 images, 3 comments)

October 2009 Survey - long or short articles?

October 2009 Survey - long or short articles? Working with "making stampcollectingblog.com a better place" project, here's a question that will possibly raise some mixed opinions and discussion. Do you prefer reading short, medium length or long writings? ...(105 words, 0 images, 9 comments)

I'm not a postcrosser

For some time I've been receiving random postcards from postcrossers, but lately these seem to be with increased numbers. Though I like receiving my mailbox filled with worldwide items, I want and need (these words heavily emphasized) to say publicly that I'm not a postcrosser. I've never been involved with any "official" postcrossing projects nor wish to be. ...(646 words, 1 images, 16 comments)

Ask anything about SCB newsletter

This page is reserved for questions and discussions about Stamp Collecting Blog newsletter, the bi-weekly email bulletin providing you the details on whats new on SCB and world of stamp collecting . If you are not yet a subscriber, click here. ...(22 comments).

Misc updates, notices etc.

This page is reserved for short notifications of technical updates, service breaks etc. affecting the functionality of the SCB. ...(69 comments).

The beginning

I know first posts always suck, so I'm not going to give any BIG promises or pages of text here. This blog is about life of a casual stamp collector living in middle of nowhere. It's about a a hobby I love and feel passionate. ...(52 words, 0 images, 0 comments)