In advance of this weekend's Chicagopex stamp show and exhibition, Chicago Tribune reporter Naomi Nix pens, "By many appearances, the more than century-old tradition of stamp collecting has lost its place among American leisure activities. Newspapers like the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times no longer carry weekly stamp columns. Most of the 20 or so brick-and-mortar stamp shops that populated the Loop in the decades between the 1950s and the 1980s are gone."
Nix says Berg's shop, Stamp King, is one of the last in the city to line its shelves with binders full of collectible stamps.
Nix goes on to say, "Berg took over the shop two decades ago, but said he believes it first opened about 30 or 40 years ago. Nowadays, Berg said the shop generates enough money to pay the bills, but it is not always easy."
He quotes Berg as saying, ""I have more people wanting to sell stuff then buy."
"But," Nix points out, " the growth of the Internet in recent decades has meant that collectors and dealers no longer have to depend on stamp shops, auctions or local associations to buy or learn about stamps. Blogs like The Stamp Collecting Round-Up offers hobbyists news and information about stamps, while sites like eBay, craigslist and dealers' personal websites give collectors access to thousands of stamps from vendors around the world. "
To read the entire article which also talks about why people collect, click here.
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