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June 17, 2026 07:49
Is there an agreement or something in the handbook that describes themes for series? At least, I don't understand why they are removed quite often. Here: #11252729 but not here #11551531 . Here the most: #11542629 , #11542593 , #11542573 and here again not #11542019 . So the image varies quite a bit across the Beleef de natuur series.
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June 17, 2026 08:33
portbetaald The manual indeed states that for a Series you list 1 or 2 common Themes.
The detail themes are listed with the Stamp.
Perhaps we should be a bit clearer about this, because constantly adding and removing makes little sense.
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June 17, 2026 12:56
Okay... I've added Nature back to that theme-less series and thinned out the somewhat exuberant theme sets in others. Let's see what I can do to maintain some consistency. I still find it difficult that with the "Experience Nature" releases, not all items appear under the theme "Nature". The search term "Experience Nature" does work, of course.
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az60
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June 17, 2026 13:15
The manual indeed states that for a Series, you list 1 or 2 common Themes.
I would do the same for skins, like #6206163 .
I would do the same for 'blocks', like #1950613 .
For blocks like #1798785 , #4561497 and #1208403 Regarding the stamps, I would choose the common themes, supplemented with all the themes appearing on the remainder of the block. As far as I am concerned, this also applies to FDCs and commemorative envelopes.
Nothing is mentioned about this in the manual.
By the way, I would delete those 1 or 2. I think you should list all common themes. They do, however, have to be 100% common.
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az60
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June 17, 2026 13:27
portbetaald
If nature had been entered as a theme everywhere, it would have become a gigantic number. All animals, all plants, all landscapes, and probably even more. Because of those enormous numbers, searching or filtering by nature is a pointless activity. As you yourself indicate, it is better to put nature in the title.
Actually, most people have been very hesitant to use nature as a theme. As far as I have seen, nature has mainly been used as an overarching (common) theme in series containing stamps with only animals and with only plants as the main subject.
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June 17, 2026 18:02
It completely escapes me why, among other things, the "fishing" theme was removed at #11252729
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June 17, 2026 18:10
It completely escapes me why, among other things, the "fishing" theme has been removed from #11252729

This completely escapes me too. Even the most overarching theme, animals, has been removed.

I think it is a mistake by the administrator in question.
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June 17, 2026 18:18
I would do the same for skins, like #6206163 .
I would do the same for 'blocks', like #1950613 .
For blocks like #1798785 , #4561497 and #1208403 Regarding the stamps, I would choose the common themes, supplemented with all the themes appearing on the remainder of the block. As far as I am concerned, this also applies to FDCs and commemorative envelopes.
Nothing is mentioned about this in the manual.

Fully agree az60 . By the way, I must say, 'still' agree. Because this topic has naturally been going on for quite some time now.
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az60
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June 17, 2026 19:49
It completely escapes me why, among other things, the "fishing" theme has been removed from #11252729
Not me. There are 3 stamps that do not feature any fish. The dolphin and the humpback whale are obviously not fish, and neither is coral. So, fish is not a common theme. Therefore, do not mention fish with the series, but with the individual stamps. Animals was, of course, a common theme. They are all animals. Sea animals was also a common theme. After all, coral is also an animal, not a plant.
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June 17, 2026 20:06
The dolphin and the humpback whale are of course not fish, and neither is the coral.

I hadn't looked that closely yet az60 . But you're right.
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June 18, 2026 10:13
So series, blocks, and sheets consisting of various stamps focus on an overarching theme. "The handbook indeed states that for a Series, you list 1 or 2 common Themes."

For blocks and sheets consisting of (multiple of) 1 stamp ... I would be just as specific as with the stamp in question.
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June 18, 2026 17:25
For blocks and sheets consisting of (multiple of) 1 stamp ... I would be just as specific as with the stamp in question.

Not me portbetaald, because in principle we are talking about a series or part of a series. And because of this, the unnecessary and inapplicable number of themes can add up quite a bit with these types.

Consequently, you will no longer receive targeted filtering. And targeted filtering is precisely the intention. It is not a game to specify as many themes as possible, which is what some users have done in the past.
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June 18, 2026 23:12
Just as specific as the stamp is not the same as “many”. I see no reason to treat #9867311 any differently from this #9447733

Or #9867821 other than this #11286681 .

You keep species separate by species, not by theme. Right?
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June 20, 2026 01:36
For blocks and sheets consisting of (multiple of) 1 stamp ... I would be just as specific as with the stamp in question.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Or #9867821 other than this one #11286681 .
In this example, there is only 1 type of stamp in the sheet. The themes on the stamp and the sheet are, of course, identical. Therefore, the same themes always appear on both the stamp and the sheet. My example #6206163 was a sheet with several different stamps.
I see no reason whatsoever to to treat #9867311 differently than this #9447733
Coincidentally not in this case, but that is because brushes, paint, palette (and easel) happen not to be themes. Had Vincent held a cat instead of his palette, that cat would not be visible on the stamp, but it would be on the rest of the block. Mentioning cats as a theme for the Van Gogh stamp is therefore nonsense. A cat collector (of stamps) therefore gains nothing from the Van Gogh stamp, but does want to collect the block. For the stamp and the block, partly the same and partly different themes are listed, whereby all themes on the stamp are present with the block (there is only 1 stamp), but not all themes of the block are present with the stamp (in the case of a cat).
In my example #4561497 features plants and butterflies as themes (among others). The rest of the block also features an agouti (rodents, mammals), a parrot (bird), and a crab (crustaceans, marine animals). The single block stamp therefore has plants, flora (which I consider identical), flowers, butterflies, insects, and animals as themes. In this case (1 stamp), the block also lists these themes, but there are also a considerable number of other themes, such as rodents, mammals, etc., that are not listed with the stamp and must therefore be listed separately with the block. If the themes are not listed with the block, they cannot be found.
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June 24, 2026 14:23
The fact that sheet margins/block margins can be added to the list of themes... fine, I think? Furthermore, as mentioned, for blocks/sheets consisting of 1 stamp or 1 type of stamp, I would maintain the same thematic consistency with respect to the stamp.
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June 24, 2026 15:40
It seems to me portbetaald that you add a theme to the item you have in front of you. If the object in front of you consists of multiple items, you take an overarching theme.
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June 24, 2026 17:52
Again contradiction between the explanation next to the field “Theme / topic ” stating:
Where applicable:
Choose the themes that are present on or related to the stamp. For rabbit, choose ‘animal’, ‘pet’ and ‘rabbit’.
In case of series, only fill in the overarching theme
.”
and what the “ Stamps manual” stipulates:
11. Theme / topic
With a series, you choose an overall theme –
or several themes – for the whole series- and more specific themes for the individual stamps. For example: For a series about animals you choose the theme “animals” and for the single stamps you choose “animals” and “pig”, horse” or “dog” depending on what is shown on the stamp.”

If the single stamps are indeed “pig” horse” and “dog”, the overall themes could be “animals” and “mammals”.

Is it really so difficult to have the same content in the texts next to the fields and in the Stamps manual?

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