Stamp Collecting future?

I just returned from a local stamp bourse. To be honest it looked
more like a gathering of the AARP (Assoc. of Retired People). I feel safe
to believe that the only person there under the age of 40 was a young girl
who was obviously with her stamp dealer dad (wether she collects... only dad
can know for sure).
It seems to me to be a sad view of our hobby, but there it is. It
becomes more and more obvious as time goes on that the young generations are
not the least bit interested in spite of all the gimmics, childish stamp
subjects and advertising.
I've written it before that new collectors are probably more likely to
be recruited from the older generations (about 40 years old and up). We are
getting at that age to be more sedate and a hobby that fits into that is
good. We have more money to spend on hobbies since we find the fads,
fashions, & such less appealing. Lots of reasons really... older people are
more interested in learning, using their minds, etc. They are quite likely
looking for things that don't demand any more time than they are willing to
give, relaxing, doesn't take up room, can be shared with spouse, as cheap or
expensive as you want, can easily tie in topically with other interests, is
a quiet pasttime and many other things.
Change the slogan to "Introduce a senior citizen to stamp collecting".
Young people just aren't interested.

Dave (just an opinion & I have many of them too)

On Sun, 02 Nov 2003 17:10:52 GMT, "Dave"
wrote:

I just returned from a local stamp bourse. To be honest it looked
more like a gathering of the AARP (Assoc. of Retired People). I feel safe
to believe that the only person there under the age of 40 was a young girl
who was obviously with her stamp dealer dad (wether she collects... only dad
can know for sure).
It seems to me to be a sad view of our hobby, but there it is. It
becomes more and more obvious as time goes on that the young generations are
not the least bit interested in spite of all the gimmics, childish stamp
subjects and advertising.
I've written it before that new collectors are probably more likely to
be recruited from the older generations (about 40 years old and up). We are
getting at that age to be more sedate and a hobby that fits into that is
good. We have more money to spend on hobbies since we find the fads,
fashions, & such less appealing. Lots of reasons really... older people are
more interested in learning, using their minds, etc. They are quite likely
looking for things that don't demand any more time than they are willing to
give, relaxing, doesn't take up room, can be shared with spouse, as cheap or
expensive as you want, can easily tie in topically with other interests, is
a quiet pasttime and many other things.
Change the slogan to "Introduce a senior citizen to stamp collecting".
Young people just aren't interested.

Dave (just an opinion & I have many of them too)

Just one stamp bourse does not a hobby make... :^)

Overall, the "control" of the hobby comes from the 40-somethings and
on up.

I still do not believe the hobby is dead. Sooner or later, those 40+
somethings will pass the biz on to their heirs. They too may be 40+
somethings.

Many kids today still apsire to the same dreams as we did as kids back
then. We didn't have the play toys they have now. (I would've loved
to have had a 2 GHz PC when I was 5.) The world is also changing at a
breakneck speed.

There are still many people out there who have been taking detours on
the Information Superhighway, to stop into rest areas where there are
other stamp collectors.

Further, even despite nasty drops of younger clientele to xBox and
other fancy games, they also use the 'Net to surf for stamp related
goodies - something I never had a chance to do when I was a kid.

I dunno... until the Big, Fat Lady (sorry ladies!) sings her last
opera, I'm one to believe the hobby is still alive and kicking.

Tracy Barber

"Dave" wrote in message
...
snippage
Change the slogan to "Introduce a senior citizen to stamp
collecting".
Young people just aren't interested.


Dave,

I still have quite a ways to go before I am a senior citizen. You know I do
take my daughter (3.5) to stamp shows and stuff, and I think the future of
our hobby really depends on a focus on the youth. The problem is that there
is a age range where the demands of life are just to great to get into or
maintain a hobby like collecting. Heck I wish I had more time to work at it,
but life is demanding. Regardless, the ones that collect in their older
years likely also collected when they were younger. It is a rare bird that
doesn't take a break when girls or boys start to look better than a
perforated edge. Heck if this were not true we might have died out as a
species leaving only our collections for the next emerging sapients to find.

Also the structures we enjoy as older collectors might be intimidating for
younger people. I have been surprised as to how many of my younger
parishoners (I pastor a church) actually collected at some point in their
lives. Those are the guys that once they get settled into married life will
pull out their collections (like I did) and find a hobby that will relax
their minds and spirits. But without people like me to get them to the
clubs, they just are not aware of what is out there. They assume that the
hobby died off. They look for stores to buy supplies and find, like I did,
that the supplies are now relegated to a small corner of the store dominated
by coins and other collectables. Now later on I did find an honest to
goodness stamp store, but not really close to my house.

At our club there is one guy younger than me. There is a gap to the next guy
as well. But our club has resisted setting up a website - the primary means
that anyone my age or younger would find the club. If anything I think there
is not enough marketing aimed at younger audiences.

my 2 cents,
Frank

On Sun, 2 Nov 2003 13:20:03 -0500, "Frank Emanuel"
wrote:


"Dave" wrote in message
.. .
snippage
Change the slogan to "Introduce a senior citizen to stamp
collecting".
Young people just aren't interested.


Dave,

I still have quite a ways to go before I am a senior citizen. You know I do
take my daughter (3.5) to stamp shows and stuff, and I think the future of
our hobby really depends on a focus on the youth. The problem is that there
is a age range where the demands of life are just to great to get into or
maintain a hobby like collecting. Heck I wish I had more time to work at it,
but life is demanding. Regardless, the ones that collect in their older
years likely also collected when they were younger. It is a rare bird that
doesn't take a break when girls or boys start to look better than a
perforated edge. Heck if this were not true we might have died out as a
species leaving only our collections for the next emerging sapients to find.

Also the structures we enjoy as older collectors might be intimidating for
younger people. I have been surprised as to how many of my younger
parishoners (I pastor a church) actually collected at some point in their
lives. Those are the guys that once they get settled into married life will
pull out their collections (like I did) and find a hobby that will relax
their minds and spirits. But without people like me to get them to the
clubs, they just are not aware of what is out there. They assume that the
hobby died off. They look for stores to buy supplies and find, like I did,
that the supplies are now relegated to a small corner of the store dominated
by coins and other collectables. Now later on I did find an honest to
goodness stamp store, but not really close to my house.

At our club there is one guy younger than me. There is a gap to the next guy
as well. But our club has resisted setting up a website - the primary means
that anyone my age or younger would find the club. If anything I think there
is not enough marketing aimed at younger audiences.

That was one of the primary purposes of my "Freebie Stamp Project".
Internet only, specific web sites only for any type of promotion.
Promote, it has!

We tend to think of the 'Net as something to take away from those
hobbies, but in fact, it does support them quite well. Moreso than
when I first started collecting. Computers? Comshmuters!

I have been focusing my attentions via the 'Net and collecting. I
suppose, though, soon enough - I'll join a local stamp club. :^)

Tracy Barber

Tracy Barber wrote in message
...
On Sun, 02 Nov 2003 17:10:52 GMT, "Dave"
wrote:

I just returned from a local stamp bourse. To be honest it looked
more like a gathering of the AARP (Assoc. of Retired People). I feel
safe
to believe that the only person there under the age of 40 was a young
girl
who was obviously with her stamp dealer dad (wether she collects... only
dad
can know for sure).
It seems to me to be a sad view of our hobby, but there it is. It
becomes more and more obvious as time goes on that the young generations
are
not the least bit interested in spite of all the gimmics, childish stamp
subjects and advertising.
I've written it before that new collectors are probably more likely
to
be recruited from the older generations (about 40 years old and up). We
are
getting at that age to be more sedate and a hobby that fits into that is
good. We have more money to spend on hobbies since we find the fads,
fashions, & such less appealing. Lots of reasons really... older people
are
more interested in learning, using their minds, etc. They are quite
likely
looking for things that don't demand any more time than they are willing
to
give, relaxing, doesn't take up room, can be shared with spouse, as cheap
or
expensive as you want, can easily tie in topically with other interests,
is
a quiet pasttime and many other things.
Change the slogan to "Introduce a senior citizen to stamp
collecting".
Young people just aren't interested.

Dave (just an opinion & I have many of them too)

Just one stamp bourse does not a hobby make... :^)

Overall, the "control" of the hobby comes from the 40-somethings and
on up.

I still do not believe the hobby is dead. Sooner or later, those 40+
somethings will pass the biz on to their heirs. They too may be 40+
somethings.

Many kids today still apsire to the same dreams as we did as kids back
then. We didn't have the play toys they have now. (I would've loved
to have had a 2 GHz PC when I was 5.) The world is also changing at a
breakneck speed.

There are still many people out there who have been taking detours on
the Information Superhighway, to stop into rest areas where there are
other stamp collectors.

Further, even despite nasty drops of younger clientele to xBox and
other fancy games, they also use the 'Net to surf for stamp related
goodies - something I never had a chance to do when I was a kid.

I dunno... until the Big, Fat Lady (sorry ladies!) sings her last
opera, I'm one to believe the hobby is still alive and kicking.

Well, Tracy, here's the lady singing, and it's not opera, and
I'm not fat either :^P

I can only say that Dave's experience is not mine. Here in
Denmark kids are mighty interested, and more and more
young collectors join the clubs, both the general clubs and
the more specialized. In my own Slania-club of some 60
people there are 3 Danes, all below 25. In my art-club with
100+ members there are about 15 below 25. I believe that
in the end it is a question of inspiring the young generations
and sort of doing things (also) their way, not only what we
elders are used to, or the way we find it right. The young
ones are eager to learn, and often connect stamp collecting
with their other hobbies -- it's not just a question of a nice
passtime; very often they see a wider perspective in their
way of collecting.

Mette

"Tracy Barber" wrote in message
...
I have been focusing my attentions via the 'Net and collecting. I
suppose, though, soon enough - I'll join a local stamp club. :^)

The local stamp club is one of those things that has a amazing potential and
takes the hobby from a solitary pursuit to a brilliant social masterpiece.

This NG is somewhat of a surrogate local stamp club. It does lack some of
the features, but the collective knowledge in this NG is astounding.

But astounding too is the amount of knowledge in the local club. Where else
can philatelic generations meet without the deliberate agenda of trading
stamps? At the club one is able to really mine the depth of knowledge and
build deep relationships around common interests.

The club is a funny place too. The cliques form and are evidenced by who
sits where. You will find me at the end with the nickle a stamp guys looking
for bargains, pouring over books. Across the way the Brits (those who are
Brits and those who collect British Stamps exclusively) sit around talking
about their areas of expertise while maybe thumbing through a box of covers.
These groups represent the two ends of our horseshoe setup, there are
several other special cliques respresented all around the room. I have tried
to jump into several of these groups but always end up back at the nickle
end buying for the many holes in my colletion and joking around with my
friends.

I hope that everyone in the hobby at least gets to try out a club. I had an
older gentleman (my father in law) introduce me to my club in Ottawa, when I
was in Truro I also made it to a few club meetings as a youth. There is no
place like it (good as this NG is) and it really completes the hobby - if I
might be so bold in saying.

Frank

On Sun, 2 Nov 2003 14:45:14 -0500, "Frank Emanuel"
wrote:


"Tracy Barber" wrote in message
...
I have been focusing my attentions via the 'Net and collecting. I
suppose, though, soon enough - I'll join a local stamp club. :^)

The local stamp club is one of those things that has a amazing potential and
takes the hobby from a solitary pursuit to a brilliant social masterpiece.

Not from some people we've heard from here. :^) What makes an
on-line club much different, if everyone can chat at the same time?
Other than seeing everyone and physically touching the "goods", not
much.

This NG is somewhat of a surrogate local stamp club. It does lack some of
the features, but the collective knowledge in this NG is astounding.

Yes, it is. Toss in a few mailing lists that I'm on and that doubles
and triples the amount of knowledge.

But astounding too is the amount of knowledge in the local club. Where else
can philatelic generations meet without the deliberate agenda of trading
stamps? At the club one is able to really mine the depth of knowledge and
build deep relationships around common interests.

Can be done here on the 'Net as well. I have made some seriously
honest friendships with people all over the world. That is something
one cannot do in a local meeting.

I'm sure that if one of them showed up on my doorstep today, I'd do
what I could to accomodate them and I'm sure that they'd do the same
for me.

All because of our interests in the hobby.

The club is a funny place too. The cliques form and are evidenced by who
sits where. You will find me at the end with the nickle a stamp guys looking
for bargains, pouring over books. Across the way the Brits (those who are
Brits and those who collect British Stamps exclusively) sit around talking
about their areas of expertise while maybe thumbing through a box of covers.
These groups represent the two ends of our horseshoe setup, there are
several other special cliques respresented all around the room. I have tried
to jump into several of these groups but always end up back at the nickle
end buying for the many holes in my colletion and joking around with my
friends.

Cliques form on the 'Net also. I've seen that happen over the years.
It's not as quickly identified, but it it seen over time.

I've been to some stamp club meetings, I'm not a total novice. :^)
But, I haven't had the goods ready for a stamp club yet. I think this
will change over time, when I'm much more organized. I've been
working on this for the past 2 - 3 years now.

I hope that everyone in the hobby at least gets to try out a club. I had an
older gentleman (my father in law) introduce me to my club in Ottawa, when I
was in Truro I also made it to a few club meetings as a youth. There is no
place like it (good as this NG is) and it really completes the hobby - if I
might be so bold in saying.

It's like many other groups. They have a focus, a purpose and that's
why people join them, attend meetings and get involved.

This ng is a wee bit different than anything in "real life". It's a
mix between e-mail and a chat board. I've seen days where some of us
would be on-line here and the response was that of a pseudo-chat
board! I haven't seen that in a while though...

Everything has its place. The 'Net has just started to open the door
to many new ways of expanding the local club scene to an international
club scene. I can envision several clubs, all over the world, doing a
NetMeeting conference with audio & video support through the 'Net.
Other than distance, this would be an extension of the "club". People
could display their wares in real time to other clubs.

I like the closeness of face-to-face as well as the long distance
friendships I have worked on...

Tracy Barber

Tracy Barber wrote in message
...
On Sun, 2 Nov 2003 20:03:50 +0100, "Mette" wrote:

Tracy Barber wrote in message
...
- snip -

Well, Tracy, here's the lady singing, and it's not opera, and
I'm not fat either :^P

Well, well, well... ok. So, why are you singing then? :^)

Why shouldn't I be singing :-) Seen from my little corner
of the world our hobby is well, alive, and still going strong :-)


I can only say that Dave's experience is not mine. Here in
Denmark kids are mighty interested, and more and more
young collectors join the clubs, both the general clubs and
the more specialized. In my own Slania-club of some 60
people there are 3 Danes, all below 25. In my art-club with
100+ members there are about 15 below 25. I believe that
in the end it is a question of inspiring the young generations
and sort of doing things (also) their way, not only what we
elders are used to, or the way we find it right. The young
ones are eager to learn, and often connect stamp collecting
with their other hobbies -- it's not just a question of a nice
passtime; very often they see a wider perspective in their
way of collecting.

Further, the OLD ways of counting / categorizing people is no longer
relevent as the driving force(s) in the hobby.

No, thank God for that!

Newer ways of hooking up those numbers are through the intangible
internet, where everyone can stay at home and do pretty much the same
thing as if in person.

Exactly, and that's one of their ways of combining.
When they get tired of pc-games, they turn to
collecting stamps with all what it takes ;-)

Mette

I'm with Dave on this one. When I was a kid here in the U.S.A., some of the
big department stores had stamp departments. Not any more. In fact,
brick-and-mortar stamp stores have all but disappeared. Also, the American
stamp publications all have declining readership. Here in Texas, the number
of, and attendance at, stamp shows is on a quick decline. For example, I
attended a recent bourse in San Antonio, a city of one million inhabitants,
and there were, maybe, ten other collectors there during the entire day (not
counting the dealers). Young people here have zero interest in stamps. The
same is true for 99.99 percent of adults, too. I hope the situation is
different in other states and countries.

Bill






"Dave" wrote in message
...
I just returned from a local stamp bourse. To be honest it looked
more like a gathering of the AARP (Assoc. of Retired People). I feel safe
to believe that the only person there under the age of 40 was a young girl
who was obviously with her stamp dealer dad (wether she collects... only
dad
can know for sure).
It seems to me to be a sad view of our hobby, but there it is. It
becomes more and more obvious as time goes on that the young generations
are
not the least bit interested in spite of all the gimmics, childish stamp
subjects and advertising.
I've written it before that new collectors are probably more likely
to
be recruited from the older generations (about 40 years old and up). We
are
getting at that age to be more sedate and a hobby that fits into that is
good. We have more money to spend on hobbies since we find the fads,
fashions, & such less appealing. Lots of reasons really... older people
are
more interested in learning, using their minds, etc. They are quite
likely
looking for things that don't demand any more time than they are willing
to
give, relaxing, doesn't take up room, can be shared with spouse, as cheap
or
expensive as you want, can easily tie in topically with other interests,
is
a quiet pasttime and many other things.
Change the slogan to "Introduce a senior citizen to stamp
collecting".
Young people just aren't interested.

Dave (just an opinion & I have many of them too)

Looking amongst the myriad of early stamp magazines from 60's 70's,
children were always involved, and there were many contests
for them to adjust to their focus level.
I do not see this in modern magazines very much.

My son is bewildered by my interest in the little pieces of paper
and shows no interest at all.
I feel I have sowed the seed though, and when the right time comes along
I am sure he will discover a need to investigate too.

I seem to notice most serious collectors, had a dibble in their youth and then
came back for a re visit later.

Victors page on Ayn Rand is a classic example, and for me, her description
of the motives behind the hobby describes my journey to a tee.

--

(Remove gum to reply)