What Do You Do With Kiloware Leftovers?

Nothing annoys me more than getting recycled kiloware -- stuff that someone has been through with a fine-tooth comb, then re-donated to charity.

Of course you could sell this stuff on on eBay, fronting it with a smattering of decent stamps, but I think this is just going to get you negative feedback and disgruntled customers. Or you could give it away, and let charities get the disgruntled customers!

My solution is to burn it in the garden. My neighbours don't really like it, but I find it gets the fire going for the other garden waste.

Of course, some people think its sacrilege to destroy stamps, even the ones no one wants.

Here in the States we can donate that type of thing to the APS for distribution to kids. How about some outfit like the scouts? There ought to be plenty of places to give these to besides using them as kindling?

Pete

The listing title description stating that this kiloware is a cheaper mix with a price to match seems to work for me. Not to call it a cheaper mix could lead to feedback trouble as you say.

I use surplus Kiloware and torn stamps to decorate homemade slipcases for my stock books. The slipcases prevent a disaster if the stock book gets dropped or knocked.

What Peter said - gift APS Stamps Teach program - https://stamps.org/Stamps-Teach

I'm a great (and appreciative) fan of arts'n'crafts projects.

I know we all worship at the altar of Our Lady of The Million-to-One Shot, but how many million-to-one shots do we need?

Over the years, I've built a places-to-donate-stamps list that is available as a PDF; just PM me for the current version.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

When does Kiloware become kiloware?
For 32 years, I worked for a large British Government department. For much of that time, I visited the mail room on a daily basis and took away (with permission) many thousands of stamps. The understanding was that they would go to charity and of course 98% did. The other 2% ended up with me. I don't think anyone would have a problem with that.
Realistically I only wanted the occasional foreign stamp, the higher values of British stamps and around ten copies of every commemorative. Then I decided to pick out postmarks.
So my basic thought is that a heck of a lot of stamps given to charities is initially gathered by stamp collectors and already been filtered before it is handed over. I have always given away these stamps and would never have thought of selling any.

When I buy stamps from a charity (and I use one only) I am looking primarily for Irish stamps. While traditionally one copy of a used stamp is the norm, I now like to illustrate my album with maybe six or eight copies of a used stamp. And the Stamps on A Roll (SOAR) are useful as I have over 2,000 in albums. What makes them different is that the individual post office which issued the stamps can be recognised and make for a good display especially with a photograph of the post office.
Have I ever found anything rare. Well in the last consignment I found six copies of the supposedly rare and controversial Che Guevara stamp (it is neither!. Three I kept and three went off to long established colleagues.
Essentially I have two fears.
One is selling a stamp ...its just not worth the hassle.
The other is giving away something that might actually be worth something.
This means that I have far too many boxes of stamps (sorted) that I will never trade or sell. Having say ten copies of 800 British commemoratives is 8,000 stamps and if sorted into batches of fifty stamps, I could trade stamps for a very long time.
But my experience of the websites and the "please pick me" collectors is mixed.
Maybe twenty per cent will actually send me better stamps than I sent. Thats great....and humbling.
Maybe twenty per cent will be "breaking even" which is ok.
Maybe twenty per cent will be ripping me off with juvenile stamps and CTOs from the 1960s.
And the rest wont even write back.
So not worth the hassle.
The leftovers go back to the same charity and I know that I wont be getting them in another lot. Of course not as many go back as my wife would like. There are still Tupperware boxes of multiple British stamps.
So when they go back, they are filtered again, diluted....but that doesn't mean that a person by another batch of kiloware is conned. The only stamps that the charity cant re-sell are USA.
That's how we all do things.
Kiloware still remains the best way for an average collector to build a collection.

Several years ago, I was in a stamp shop in Egland which had a very large sign in the window. "We take stamps for charity". Am I too cynical?

.....so I went into the PO today,
took a Chinese Take-away tub of a few thousand Stamps,
was going to offer it free on SCF.

Postage : $15.75 to US Yikes.

All my stamps now will go to the Red Cross.

I think that kiloware that has been picked over multiple times should either be effectively destroyed or forgotten and stored out of sight so collectors in another 50 years can resort it and look at them with a fresh eye. returning the stuff to the "charity pond just devalues and pollutes the pond. There are in my opinion enough pretty and eye catching stamps lying in boxes and back of the book to donate to those who want to try and instill the collecting habit in people. About 10 months ago I tried for a third time to introduce the idea of stamp collecting to Cubs (8 to 10 1/2 year old s part of the Scout movement) it failed I did not use multi sifted dross from kiloware but colourful stamps donated by Corbitts the stamp dealers and lots of foreign stamps I had acquired. The boys liked the colourful attraction of the stamps and enjoyed soaking the stamps (messy yoo hoo!) I gave them all a handout about how to use a stamp hinge and try to arrange a collection. plus the address of our sponsor. None of the boys have taken up stamp collecting. perhaps in the three attempts two boys out of over 60 have been interested. Both due to the enthusiasm of other family members.
If good stamps fail to lure people into collecting why would dross kiloware be attractive. If Charities can only offer reject dross who is going to buy from them.
Extreme though it might appear destroy dross kiloware or at least don't palm it off on others. I don't want to buy others garbage so why pass it on to innocents who will resell it in good faith

Think positively,
it may not happen this week, this month, this year..........
But your good work, may have sown the seed in someone, years down the track.
Well done you.

As for donating dross to kids, what makes anyone think kids would want thousands of copies of basic rate definitives?

Stamp collectors are at all different levels of stamp type needs. Just because we have an experienced stamp type, taste does not mean all collectors are the same. Lots of collectors only buy cheap mixes.

Take one example Gran mother & father have the kids coming for holidays and stamping is one of the things they can do together so grandparent need a cheaper mix with many the same for the young collectors.

How did you start out as a collector? Because many "someone elses" are doing the starting off, collecting bit right now and need the cheapermixes in the marketplace.

Nicely put, John.

I think some people are politely saying that the idea any stamp is dross is wrong. but if I want to plant the collecting seed. I try to use decent seed. not loads of boring penny reds or other stamps of dull appearance but something eye catching and varied- Wallpaper from Africa and Arab states, modern Europe and north America. I'm not saying no one will be interested in piles of stamps almost identical except in colour but, to change metaphors, If I'm fishing I pay attention to what I bait the hook with and try to put something tasty on the hook. I still think it does the hobby no favours if we get rid of boring kiloware to youth groups and potential collectors. What I should add is that not all surplus kiloware is visually boring. The fact my surplus is almost all stamps of one design doesn't mean everyone has the same. I aplogise if my earlier post was taking too narrow a view.

Generally, our views are taken from our own experience,we are open to change at any time.
I see the huge cardboard carton, at my local stamp bourse, "1c per stamp"
filled with all sorts of what others may consider dross, but the Mums and kids rooting through mountains of castaways, somehow pleases me.

At the Red Cross, when I visit, I always buy (or offer for) the box of "unclassifiable" stickers, meters, all sorts of weird stuff.
It's the "lucky dip" gene, I think I caught.

One of the most amazing collections I have ever seen was a collector who lives in the US and he collected only one very common UK QEII definitive. Does not sound very pleasing but he had pages of this stamp with near perfect postmark positioning of all shapes and form. Plus the traditional postmark place name collections again with the same all the postmarks in the same position. A dedication to one type of stamp over decades of collecting stamps of the cheapest kind turned into a total treasure. It really made me think when I saw that collection.

Started stamping around 4 years of age sorting red KGV's as kiloware for a stamp dealer. By doing this in the winter months I was allowed to have one bar heat turned on in our home. He put a 5s roo in a mix and I handed in when I was about 6 years. That dealer because of my honesty then got me to sort KGV penny reds. Totally fell in love with kiloware & KGV issues through all this but could not afford to collect them. I never got bored sorting stamps that were all the same but the truth was every stamp was an individual, different. To this day by sorting kiloware I have resolved some of the most difficult situations in my life. Just love sorting kiloware. This love for kiloware has never left me for over 56 years.