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Post by jkjblue on Aug 3, 2013 17:39:41 GMT
Which countries are the major stamp producers during the modern era? Which countries, based on population, have excessively high rates of stamp production? There was an interesting presentation of data and a discussion on another board (Located in the southern hemisphere  ) about the absolute number of stamps produced for the "Top 51 countries". A fellow named Stewie1980 (An acknowlegement, and thanks for the initial data Stewie1980!) came up with a list of the number of stamps produced by each country in the Scott catalogue for 1980-2012, and put together a list of the Top 51. If one wishes to look at the list, I refer you to the southern hemisphere board.  But I then took the data, and factored in the population of each country as reported in the 2010 Scott catalogue. ( The Scott data is estimated population for 1991-2004, with most of the population estimates from 1995-97, so most of the population estimates will be a bit low today.) Why factor in population for a countries stamp production? The problem with looking at absolute numbers of stamps issued by countries is it gives a country with large literate population- who may very well be able to support a larger stamp issue output- a seemingly bad name, as they appear to be in the same league as a Grenada Grenadines with 8,000 people- at most. I took the liberty of taking Stewie1980's data- that is the absolute number of stamps issued by country for 1980-2012 (Thanks Stewie1980!), - and dividing the number by the population (in millions) as reported in the 2010 Scott Standard Catalogue. I think many will find the results quite interesting, and presents a picture both horrifying- and for some countries- reassuring. Yes- both  and  ) The Top 51 (Total Stamp issues 1980-2012 normalized for one million population ) 1. Grenada Grenadines – 4410/.008* = 551,250 2. Grenadines of St Vincent – 3153/.009* = 350,333 3. Nevis – 2753/.009 = 305,888 4. Palau – 3256/.019 = 171,368 5. Antigua & Barbuda – 4423/.064 = 69,109 6. Grenada – 5528/.1 = 55,280 7. St Vincent – 6586/.121 = 54,429 8. Dominica – 3467/.065 = 53,338 9. Marshall Islands – 3056/.066 = 46,303 10. St Thomas & Prince – 4363/.155 = 28,148 11. Micronesia – 2408/.13 = 18,523. 12. Maldives – 4011/.3 = 13,370 13. Guyana – 7606/.7 = 10,865 14. Gambia – 6293/1.1 = 5,720 15. Guinea-Bissau – 5855/1.2 = 4,879 16. Comoros – 2535/.6 = 4,225 17. Liberia – 4990/2.6 = 1,919 18. Guinea – 8750/7.5 = 1,166 19. Mongolia – 2591/2.6 = 996.5 20. Sierra Leone – 5204/5.3 = 982 21. Central Afr. Rep. – 3205/3.4 =942.6 22. Togo – 3202/4.3 =744.6 23. New Zealand – 2178/3.7 = 588.6 24. Nicaragua – 2430/4.4 = 552.3 25. Libya – 2259/5.0 = 451.8 26. Mozambique – 5569/16.5 = 337 27. Cuba – 3189/11.1 = 287.3 28. Portugal – 2330/9.9 = 235.4 29. Belgium – 2283/10.4 = 219.5 30. Hungary – 2197/10.2 = 215.4 31. Ghana -3372/18.1 = 186.3 32. North Korea – 4128/22.2 = 186 33. Cambodia – 2110/11.6 = 181.9 34. Australia – 3188/17.9 = 178.1 35. Tanzania – 4806/31.3 = 154 36. Romania – 2992/22.6 = 132.4 37. Uganda – 2742/21.6 = 126.9 38. Taiwan – 2442/22.1 = 110.5 39. Venezuela – 2175/23.3 = 93.3 40. Spain – 2297/39.2 = 58.6 41. France – 3080/59.0 = 52.2 42. Bulgaria – 2213/42.9 = 51.6 43. Philippines – 3481/68.6 = 50.7 44. Great Britain – 2741/59.1 = 46.4 45. Japan – 4870/126.2 = 38.6 46. Thailand 2305/60.6 = 38.1 47. Vietnam – 2567/77.3 = 33.2 48. USSR/Russia – 3030/147.1* = 20.6 49. Brazil – 2296/157.1 = 14.6 50. United States – 3518/281.4 = 12.5 51. China – 2915/1,246.9 = 2.4 * Grenada Grenadines- Scott does not give a figure for population, but the inhabited island dependencies Carriacou and Petite Martinque have 8,000 population (Wikipedia) * Grenadines of St. Vincent- Scott does not give a figure for population, but the inhabited island dependencies Bequia, Mustique,Canouan, Mayreau, and Union Island have 9,000 population. *USSR/Russia- no doubt the population was larger in the USSR days It would be nice to have a discussion about the "the good, the bad, and the ugly" of stamp production by many countries. Is it killing modern collecting? Or do collectors, many with topical interests, welcome the issues? I will return later with a few thoughts of my own.  |
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cjd
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Posts: 1,107 
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Post by cjd on Aug 3, 2013 19:19:39 GMT
An awful lot of the usual suspects on that list.
I'm surprised Equatorial Guinea isn't there...did they clean up their act? When I was a kid, I seem to remember being awash in EG stamps.
rod posted an older article (1970's?) in the Gambia thread, probably from an Australia stamp publication, that said, basically, Gambia's (then-current) stamps are (were) sought-after for their broad thematic appeal.
At some point, broad thematic appeal became miniature sheets with a train, a mushroom, a kitty, a butterfly and a penguin.
It's one thing to celebrate your local flora and fauna, but when a complete disconnect between the issuer and the subject started appearing, it is hard to see that as a positive development.
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Londonbus1
Moderator 
Cinderella Stamp Club Member 3059
Posts: 5,064
What I collect: Wonderland; 1912 Jubilee International Stamp Exhibition, London ('Ideal' Stamp, ephemera); French Cinderellas with an emphasis on Poster Stamps; Israel and Palestine Cinderellas ; Jewish National Fund Stamps, Labels and Tags; London 2010, A Festival of Stamps (anything); South Africa 1937 Coronation issue of KGVI, singles or bi-lingual pairs.
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Post by Londonbus1 on Aug 3, 2013 20:09:37 GMT
The Stamp issuing policies of most of the top 50 in that list are dubious at best, downright criminal at worst. It should be taken with a pinch of salt...as the saying goes. I'd be interested to know the figures behind some other nations. Maybe a job for someone with time to spare !!! Good to see the Solomon Islands and Israel did not make the list......for differing reasons of course !! Londonbus1 P.S. Just curious, but what does the number tell us when you divide number of issues between certain years by a population figure of a certain year ??  |
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Post by Perfs14 on Aug 3, 2013 20:47:30 GMT
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Londonbus1
Moderator
Cinderella Stamp Club Member 3059
Posts: 5,064
What I collect: Wonderland; 1912 Jubilee International Stamp Exhibition, London ('Ideal' Stamp, ephemera); French Cinderellas with an emphasis on Poster Stamps; Israel and Palestine Cinderellas ; Jewish National Fund Stamps, Labels and Tags; London 2010, A Festival of Stamps (anything); South Africa 1937 Coronation issue of KGVI, singles or bi-lingual pairs.
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Post by Londonbus1 on Aug 3, 2013 20:57:40 GMT
Another interesting list might be one where we add the amount of money one needs to spend in a given year to be complete !! Yes, I am sure there are still a few around .
For many countries, one would need to work overtime or get a second job to cope !  |
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Post by Perfs14 on Aug 3, 2013 21:20:05 GMT
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Post by jkjblue on Aug 3, 2013 21:40:11 GMT
I wish I had a 1910 Scott, it would be fun to compare! A couple of comments.... * The estimated population counts are indeed low for most countries except, perhaps for a ZPG country like Japan.  But, unless there is a significant difference in growth rate for a country compared to the countries around it on the list, the relative standing is still valid.  * The West Indies countries have 7 out of the 8 top spots for the dubious honor of having issued a boat load of stamps for their minuscule population. 1. Grenada Grenadines – 4410/.008* = 551,250
2. Grenadines of St Vincent – 3153/.009* = 350,333
3. Nevis – 2753/.009 = 305,888
5. Antigua & Barbuda – 4423/.064 = 69,109
6. Grenada – 5528/.1 = 55,280
7. St Vincent – 6586/.121 = 54,429
8. Dominica – 3467/.065 = 53,338Specifically, the estimated population is 8,000 - 121,000 on the islands (Total 376,000), but they issued 30,000+ stamps between 1980-2012. In comparison, The United States (which many believe have too many stamp issues!), has a population 700x larger,and issued 3500+ stamps during this time period. Wow. Just Wow.  More thoughts to follow.... |
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cjd
Member
Posts: 1,107
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Post by cjd on Aug 3, 2013 21:47:45 GMT
for, say 2008 alone, you would need to spend ~$6300 to collect all the stamps issued and their variations! HO-LEE COW! |
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Post by perfs12 on Aug 4, 2013 4:10:15 GMT
The issue is a persistent one, changing only in extent and magnitude. On 6 May 1895 (yes 1895, not 1985) the Society for the Suppression of Speculative Stamps (S.S.S.S.) was formed, with support from dealers and philatelic societies in Great Britain and the United States. Among the aims of the organisation was the boycotting of speculative stamp issues, including commemorative and jubilee issues, pictorial sets aimed at collectors and surcharges and overprints. The Society thrived for a few years but folded under the successive waves of commemorative, pictorial and surcharged issues in the late 1890's and the unrelenting demand for the stamps from collectors. |
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Post by Perfs14 on Aug 4, 2013 4:41:14 GMT
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scb
Member
Inactive
Now at 100,000+ worldwide stamps, and progressing one stamp at a time towards the 200K
Posts: 313
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Post by scb on Aug 4, 2013 4:46:06 GMT
I wonder how many actually got stamps from these countries (in any form) at their collections? As many know I collect worldwide used & CTO (but not mint); and have somewhat largish collection (with well over 80,000 face different stamps). But I have to say I've got very little - if at all - items from the "top countries": 1. Grenada Grenadines – got very few (almost all cto) 2. Grenadines of St Vincent – got very few (all postally used) 3. Nevis – nothing 4. Palau – nothing 5. Antigua & Barbuda – got few (all postally used) 6. Grenada – got very few (almost all postally used) 7. St Vincent – got very few (all postally used) 8. Dominica – got very few (all postally used) 9. Marshall Islands – nothing 10. St Thomas & Prince – got something (all cto) And If I limit the years to 1880-2012 era, then the number of items I have would go down by 90%. So if you ask me, I think this kind of statistics are trying to create a 'non-existing' problem about the 'stamp flood'. These items may be available for 'new issue' subscribers, but other than that they are simply not 'out there'. just my 5 cents worth, -k- PS. If anyone is suffering a flow of these (used or CTO), please do feel free to PM me. I'm sure we can work out a satisfactory swap/exchange |
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scb
Member
Inactive
Now at 100,000+ worldwide stamps, and progressing one stamp at a time towards the 200K
Posts: 313
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Post by scb on Aug 4, 2013 4:50:00 GMT
I'm surprised Equatorial Guinea isn't there...did they clean up their act? When I was a kid, I seem to remember being awash in EG stamps. Yes... Since early 1980s EG has officially issued only about 500 stamps (though there is a largish number of bogus items circling around). Here's on overview of the 1970s 'crazy years' many collectors think / associate with Equatorial Guinea: www.stampcollectingblog.com/equatorial-guinea-a-country-with-lost-reputation.php |
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Post by ramanandn on Sept 4, 2013 2:51:36 GMT
To their credit, most of those countries do confess that stamp sales are on of their major sources of revenue.  Ram |
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Post by Perfs14 on Sept 4, 2013 8:40:27 GMT
You get it where you can. But I wonder how much of that revenue goes back to the people and how much into numbered off-shore accounts...
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firstfrog2013
Member
Posts: 3,276
What I collect: BNA Liberia St Pierre U.S. Bolivia Turkey
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Post by firstfrog2013 on Sept 4, 2013 13:43:32 GMT
Most revenue is probably swallowed up by top heavy postal appointments.Wish I had an uncle in office.
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BC
Departed
Rest in Peace
Vancouver, BC Canada
Posts: 836
What I collect: Worldwide USED up to the 1960's, later years from countries that came into existence after then, like Anguilla, Tuvalu and Transnistria.
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Post by BC on Sept 4, 2013 16:14:11 GMT
How is Tuvalu not there, with a population of only 12,000? I will have to work on some figures.
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BC
Departed
Rest in Peace
Vancouver, BC Canada
Posts: 836
What I collect: Worldwide USED up to the 1960's, later years from countries that came into existence after then, like Anguilla, Tuvalu and Transnistria.
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Post by BC on Sept 4, 2013 16:20:46 GMT
The Grenadines should be grouped with St. Vincent and Grenada respectively because there is is no separate postal administration for the Grenadines in either country. The so-called stamps have the exact same validity as stamps inscribed only with St. Vincent or Grenada. Just like Antigua and Barbuda are properly grouped together.
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Post by jkjblue on Sept 4, 2013 18:50:02 GMT
Agree that "Grenada Grenadines" are part of Grenada.
But Scott lists their output ( I don't want to say issues, as there are too many for that ;-) separately after Grenada. And the pages go on and on and on and....
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Ryan
Moderator
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 2,749
What I collect: If I have a catalogue for it, I collect it. And I have many catalogues ....
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Post by Ryan on Sept 4, 2013 20:48:53 GMT
How is Tuvalu not there, with a population of only 12,000? I will have to work on some figures. The list only contains the top 50 stamp producing nations, so Tuvalu wouldn't have made that cut. As far as stamps per capita are concerned, the Pitcairn Islands will be very high on the list, with a population of only 48! Ryan |
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Post by canadianphilatelist on Sept 9, 2013 17:21:40 GMT
I think it is okay for a country to produce a lot of stamps. Countries need money and not every country can be ridiculously wealthy with natural resources. If they can however be successful in increasing their GDP with postage stamps, then I say why not?
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BC
Departed
Rest in Peace
Vancouver, BC Canada
Posts: 836
What I collect: Worldwide USED up to the 1960's, later years from countries that came into existence after then, like Anguilla, Tuvalu and Transnistria.
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Post by BC on Sept 9, 2013 19:59:50 GMT
The figures for Tuvalu are 1900/.012 which would put them in 5th place with 158,333. The total stamps does not include any intentionally created varieties such as imperf, inverted overprints, change colours, etc.
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nickmang
Member
Posts: 51
What I collect: ww used definitives and commemoratives
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Post by nickmang on Jan 15, 2014 21:49:24 GMT
Where did canada lie in the list?
Thanks
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Post by jkjblue on Jan 15, 2014 22:09:49 GMT
Not in the top 51. |
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Post by jkjblue on Jan 15, 2014 22:18:49 GMT
I must admit when I posted this topic awhile back I was feeling a bit smug, as I only collect classical WW to 1950 or so. So I do not need to deal with wallpaper, right? But I was putting Tannu Tuva into the album yesterday: you know, Tannu Tuva, the stamp issuing "country" with triangles and other odd shaped stamps, and stamp subjects such as "Tuvan Milking Yak". So the problem of "Tuvans and other Countries Milking Collectors" existed back then too. Mea Culpa. |
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rod222
Member
Posts: 11,044
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on Jan 15, 2014 22:28:39 GMT
I must admit when I posted this topic awhile back I was feeling a bit smug, as I only collect classical WW to 1950 or so. So I do not need to deal with wallpaper, right? But I was putting Tannu Tuva into the album yesterday: you know, Tannu Tuva, the stamp issuing "country" with triangles and other odd shaped stamps, and stamp subjects such as "Tuvan Milking Yak". So the problem of "Tuvans and other Countries Milking Collectors" existed back then too. Mea Culpa. I have wanted Tannu Tuva ever since I began collecting (along with Thule) In the past 8 weeks, I have been outbid on those fellows 3 times, the last passing $40, I'll have to find out the knock down price. Give me that wallpaper any day. (Stamps designed by a female as well) CV for first 20 stamps $130 |
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Post by jkjblue on Jan 16, 2014 1:24:57 GMT
Actually, I like Tannu Tuva, which no doubt, was designed back in the day for collectors to like...and purchase. My point is, even though I know what I know, I am still attracted to the stamps. |
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Ryan
Moderator
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 2,749
What I collect: If I have a catalogue for it, I collect it. And I have many catalogues ....
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Post by Ryan on Jan 16, 2014 19:17:07 GMT
But I was putting Tannu Tuva into the album yesterday: you know, Tannu Tuva, the stamp issuing "country" with triangles and other odd shaped stamps, and stamp subjects such as "Tuvan Milking Yak". was a Nobel Prize winning physicist who collected stamps as a child. The interest generated by Tuvan stamps in particular remained with him his entire life, leading to such things as the foundation of the Friends of Tuva (this was during the Reagan era, not exactly a hotspring of cross-cultural understanding). Here's a PBS Nova program detailing Feynman's attempts to finally get to Tuva. After he passed away, others in his circle continued with the "Tuva or bust" campaign, and eventually a music documentary entitled "Genghis Blues" was produced, becoming something of a hit on the art film circuit. Paul Pena was a blind American blues singer who heard some Tuvan throat singing on shortwave radio. He was fascinated by the music and eventually learned the singing styles, and he made a rather fraught trip to Tuva to participate in a singing competition. Fascinating stuff (although I have to turn my head when the sheep sacrifice part comes on). Ryan |
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Post by jkjblue on Jan 16, 2014 21:12:29 GMT
Thanks Ryan!
I really enjoyed the "Tuva or Bust" on Richard Feynman.
I've read his "Surely you're Joking" autobiography, and talked with an acquaintance many years ago about Feynman, as they worked on the Manhattan Project together.
The "Feynman Lectures on Physics" is justly famous as the best undergraduate introduction to Physics ever produced.
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Philatarium
Member
Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 1,032
What I collect: Primarily focused on Japan, but lots of other material catches my eye as well ...
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Post by Philatarium on Jan 17, 2014 2:10:50 GMT
What excellent research, Jim and Ryan, you've both done! Well done!!
-- Dave
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Post by stampfan on Jul 6, 2014 18:13:10 GMT
Very interesting read. Thanks for taking the time to research.
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) about the absolute number of stamps produced for the "Top 51 countries".
and 
) 
