Kids and Collecting Part 3

Anyone half interested in collecting stamps has heard the talk of today’s kids not being interested in stamps. Perhaps there’s a shred of truth to that. But that same truth can be applied to most items that kids collect. Are rocks exciting? They can be, I suppose. But the point is that rocks don’t have to have images of the latest cartoon characters or the latest boy band for a child to pick it up and put it in his pocket. Nor do they have to be rare and valuable. The fact that they are common and easily found makes looking for a different one all that much more meaningful. These same factors still apply to stamps. So, why aren’t more kids collecting stamps these days?

One contributing factor is certainly the fact that much of any given day’s mail is metered mail (printed rather than stamped). Another is that busy parents are less likely to ask post office clerk to view the varieties available. Instead, we use a machine, the Web, or just ask for a book of stamps. It looks like both of those reasons are related more to adults than factors controllable by children. And on a rainy day, which requires less effort on the part of the parent: dragging out the stamp collection and answering questions; or, handing them the remote?

So, where’s our defense as parents? I’m a parent too. All of the above are also related to time…a commodity that continues to dwindle with each new generation. For our kids to learn to take time to collect stamps, we have to do the same. It’s actually a refreshing thought. Take an hour or so the next time you have a chance. Upon your child’s first glance at a pile of stamps, the likely first question will be, “which one is your favorite”? From that moment forward, collecting stamps may be one of those few loves you and your child share for years to come.

— James the Web guy

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