Used stamps exchanges.

Hello everyone!
I'm an intermediate WW used stamps collector.
I think this idea is very nice, I joined inmediatly.
I would like to give some ideas to discuss.
1.- Definitive stamps
As a WW collector, I have to say that definitive stamps are the backbone of philately.
Nobody can be considered a serious collector if firstly tries to get the most important definitive series.
I understand, however, that many friends in this club don't want to receive definitive stamps.
I thonk that the main reason is they don't want to be sent the most easy to find stamps from the most common definitive series. Maybe this question could be avoided if we all try to send definitive stamps from the same serie, in this case you would receive definitive, but from the same serie.
2.- CTO
Many friends dont want to receive CTO. I have to say that , in my opinion, there are two different classes of CTO.
The first one is that coming from countries like Ajman, Sharjah, and so on, somebody call them "bogus". Those stamps use to be big, colourful, and the topic has nothing to do with the country.
The second group are the stamps coming from the eastern countries or europe, USSR, DDR, Czechoslovakia...
In my opinion, Ajman has nothing to do with Czechoslovakia, in terms of philately.
Maybe some friends are talking about the first group?
3.- Preferences
The best point of this site is that you can send 100 stamps to an unknown friend, and receive 100 stamps from another friend, in the same way that in postcrossing you receive and send postcards.
Danubius explained very well, you receive a surprise pack, as if you were a child.
So, this is not, in my opinion, a good site for making "too narrow" preferences, as it is not a direct swap site. This doesnt mean that you have to ignore the preferences of your partner, but those should be reasonable. if I have stamps on planes or windmills, for sure
I will send them, but if my topic collector partner only receives two or three planes, he should not be really disappointed.
A good solution for this could be that nobody should set preferences he's not in the disposition to fullfill. If a collector forbids (not reccomends) to be sent definitives, he should never send definitives, and guarantee that to everybody.
4.- good will
This site is based in trust and good will.
This is not the place to send the stamps nobody wants, or even worse, to send damaged stamps.
Maybe could be a good solution to avoid "free riders" to make a photo with the phone to the sendings, so that everybody can see what kind of stamps you send.

Finally,I should say that the future if this site will depend on the effort of the members, their generosity, and good will. If the site is useful, it will grow.

regards!

@ Sveinn
( Krepki I am really looking for those Ukrainian stamps with the microlettering If you have any extra)

I will think of you, when I will sort them out - at the moment, I am just putting them in an album (time is limited)

PM me, so I can send you "help" for sorting them...

phparis, as longtime member in this club the limitation for sending is a very positive thing. some have joined and sent right away 2 crappy envelopes ...it would make no sense having allowed to send them even more -and in return later on possibly receiving good stamps ^^ once your stamps are registered and you are rated 3-5, it´s a positive sign and you do not get banned. instead if your first sendings are rated 1 or 2 ...it is a very scary signal ^^

taking pictures of stamps you send is no proof, you can take photos of your best stamps but send others in reality ^^

i have got few private swap offers, im sure it´s not against the rules to ask :)

I also had a "new user" remark so instead of starting a new topic I reanimate this one:
I think this is a great page, but why are new (or all?) users limited to 2 lots and then they have to wait some weeks before receiving and restarting? Perhaps you want to avoid that people register and send a lot of low quality lots without having time for review? To avoid this, asking people to take pictures of the stamps they send seems a good idea to me. (I found this idea several times in the discussions.)

Then just a question: would it be against the philosophy of this project to directly contact members and to offer them private swap outside the 100stamps projet? This is not a question about rules but more about customs of the community.

3rd type of CTO :
LDC = Last Day Cancellation, cancelled on Expiry date. Those stamps are for example most of the used stamps from Greenland, Faroe Islands and all the less populated Islands and countries that issue to many stamps, and sell them to stamp dealers after Expiry date.
I guess those who do not want to receive CTO's know they are also blocking this stamps.
Then there is the question ? FDC's what are they after they are washed of paper? maybe they where never on paper? same countries as sell LDC stamps, also CTO, First Day cansellation.
Yes, definitives are welcome and I would be happy to get 100 different Queen Elisabeth II, when only getting 15 different is not good (then you only get the 15 most common) .
I am willing to swap definitives with more advanced collectors, for example 300/300 ww all different (okay if different variants), so if you send me 300 definitives i will send 300 back. Send me a message for address and to and further detail.
and Krepki I am really looking for those Ukrainian stamps with the microlettering If you have any extra

hi i new this club, if not is for an member i don't know.
only tell thanks by idea. i hope meet new people and get as many stamps and stick with this wonderful hobby.

I love getting definitives - as said those are backbone of philately - but only on my topics! Some stamps (same image) come in a pallette of different papers, perforations and years...
Those Ukraine tree definitives are so hard to gather because of 3 prints per year!!

If I write in my profile, that I collect topics and then I get 30 Spain kings in a letter - this is a joke!
(this trully happened - I got lucky and received the sender address for sending. He quoted, that he needs Spain stamps - I sent them back and received 3 stars...)
you have to know what you want and behave properly... Send what you wish to receive!

100% agree and Let's make the site grow :)

Very well said. I think the same. And I don't know if people have already noticed, but we even have at least one member who says in his profile that he only collects definitives!
Also we probably have to distinguish between same picture definitives (normally the so called "heads") and the definitives with distinct images.
We also have to distinguish between single print definitives (have only been printed once) from the many prints definitives (printed/issued along several years). The firsts, if you have one, you have all, the seconds there are print changes on the same type/value stamp that several people search and collect. And for the seconds, to complete all the sets, we have to go through lots of similar stamps until we can find a copy of all the variants. Sometimes there are so many differences (thick paper, thin paper, fluorescent paper, striped paper, paper with watermarks, size of the print image, different typos on the print, colour variants, distinct perforation gauges, etc ...)
So, many definitives must be rolling around the users. And if we roll them all and not only the lower value ones, I think there should be no problem at all. Otherwise either we do not receive enough definitives to search for the variants or we start storing tens of duplicates ...
This is my opinion.
Regards to all!