Value of Stamps

"What is the value of these stamps?" I have asked this question on many forums and I see many people asking this question. When I was a kid, I didn't bother about the "value" of the stamps, I just collected the ones I liked. Of course, as I grew older and (ahem!) wiser (worldy wiser perhaps) and restarted the hobby, I started to look for value, as though I would earn a fortune out of it. As I bought some stamps recently on eBay, from a dealer and then from the post office, it suddenly hit me: the "Value" of these stamps is really dependent on how badly I want them or how much I can afford to spend on them. Irrespective of what the catalogues might say about the value, I might still pay whatever if I want some specific stamps in my collection. And some stamps and albums have their own sentimental value. A completely torn and worn out stamp album that I still retain is of immense value to me because that is one of the first albums I bought from a philatelic exhibition way back in 1981. It is scrap paper for all practical purposes but I hold it dear to my heart. So unless I am going to become a stamp dealer, let me not worry about the value and collect stamps for the hobby that I hold close to my heart..... (till the next catalogue comes along and I try to find how much it is worth... LOL!!!)