About UsWell, I see you were brave enough to click on the About Us tab. I assume you already read the intro page and you know I’m Guy Gasser, your friendly neighborhood, proprietor for HB Philatelics and this site. This is a new beginning for me. I started this dealership in November of 2009 as a part time gig while still on active duty with the U.S. Army. Then June 1st, 2011 happened. I retired after serving 30 years in the Regular Army. I am originally from Helena, Montana, but currently reside in Florissant, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis to the North. I have a bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Master of Business Administration from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Okay, great. Now what to do? Why not give back to the hobby as not only one who has collected for years, but as a dealer to help others learn and enjoy this hobby just as much, and ya, perhaps make a buck or two. After all, this is a business. As a collector, off and on, for the past 40 years, and now a philatelist, I couldn’t think of a much better way to enjoy my retirement than to work in the hobby that I have grown to love over the years. I can also help others enjoy and learn about philately. It doesn’t matter what age either. I enjoy working with youth just as much as with adults. I started collecting United States stamps when I was 11 years old. I guess I am the family black sheep as no one else in my family, to include any relatives, collected stamps. So what got me started? The Boy Scouts of America got me started. I had just moved up from Weblos to Boy Scouts and at my first Troop meeting I realized that I had no merit badges, but everyone else did. Hmm, what could I do to get me a merit badge or two and do it quick? Well, I went through the merit badge book searching for what I thought would be the easiest and quickest merit badges to earn. I came upon stamp collecting. Turns out it was pretty easy, but it also turned out to be quite interesting and enjoyable. But, I had bigger and better things to do in my quest for something. So, with that box checked, I packed up my collection and to the top of the closet it went! Three years passed by and I am now the old age of 14! You remember that age. A freshman in HS and know everything! It so happens that one day during this most difficult time in a teenager’s life I noticed a box on the top shelf of my closet. Now, what is in that box? I had no clue as I had long since forgotten about what the contents might be. Naturally, my curiosity said take it down and see what’s inside, and of course I did. Low and behold there it was! My stamp collection! I pulled it out and rummaged through the box, and the rest, as has been said so many times before, is history! And, as another little side note, I am certified to help the Scouts earn their badges. It is now 40 some odd years later and I am still at it, but now from both sides of the table although the collecting part has fallen way off. Something about this new day job! I have been a member of the APS since 2006, #204487. I am also a member of the United States Classics Society, two stamp clubs (Greater Mound City and Webster Groves) in the St. Louis area, regularly subscribe to several philatelic magazines, and have started to build a pretty good reference library. The ‘rest of us’ are a few idiot collectors who happen to be friends who want to see this idea succeed, and therefore have given of their time, energy, and sanity to get this site up and running, the inventory entered, the stamps sorted, the certs filed, and so on. Any errors are most certainly theirs. Please bring them to my attention so that the beatings may commence until morale improves. Seriously though, I am always open to ideas, suggestions, constructive criticism, and anything else those of you who want to throw my way. I may not always adopt it, but I sure can’t consider it if not presented. Also, if for any reason my service has not been superb, GEM 100, please bring that to my attention too. I can’t fix it if I don’t know there is a problem, and remember that sometimes we don’t see the forest for the trees so I may not see anything wrong even though it is right in front of me. Thanks again for reading about me and HB Philatelics. Now, let’s go shopping and have some fun with your stamps! Guy A. Gasser |