Advice On Getting Kids Started.

I am looking for some suggestions on starting kids collecting:

1. What age to start?
2. What area to start them in? (US, WW, Plate Blocks, Covers, FDC, ...)
3. Should you make them purchase the stamps with there own money or buy them for them?
4. Any other suggestions.

Background:
I have started three of my kids collecting (still three more to go). All of them started around the age of 7 to 9. The oldest I think I overwhelmed her with too much material (WW and US) and too much to soak. Her enthusiasm towards collecting has tailed off in her teen years.

The next two kids I I have tried to limit them to U.S. and I try to soak all of there stamps for them. I also have a deal with them that if they run out of stamps I will buy them more.

Taking two of them to the show tomorrow in Atlanta. Hopefully that will help hook them on the hobby.

Welcome to Stamp Collecting Forum!

In response to your specific questions, the 7-9 year old range is usually good for starters.

As many on this forum will attest to (myself included) there are too many other things to get kids attention in their teen years, so very often the stamp collecting hobby is put aside for awhile, but in later years many turn back to it.

Areas to collect depend on ones personal interests. If one has interest in the US start there; if international events interest them start there; if a particular topic is more interesting, you could start there, too. The beauty of stamp collecting is there are no right or wrong answers and no right or wrong way to collect, it just has to keep the interest going of the collector and the rest usually falls into place.

Take a look at some of the responses and resources cited on this previous thread that deals with a similar subject. You may find some helpful information and links with puzzles, games and lesson plans for your own use:

https://goscf.com/t/17635&whichpage...Terms=school

Another good link put out by the US Postal Service is available here:

http://uspsconnection.com/stamp-scoop/

I hope this is helpful.

You have 6 kids and you can afford stamps?! :-)

I roped my Children in by showing my Son Stamps with Planes, Trains, & Automobiles not to mention anything War related. For my Daughter it was Butterfly, Horses, Princesses (Disney) or anything animal related and I tried to do all foreign stamps which lead them to ask questions on the different countries.

Locobot,

Hello and welcome!

It's great to hear that you have kids interested in collecting stamps. I have two boys ages 6 and 8 and they have been collecting for 3 years now. I would highly recommend starting out with topicals. The American Topical Association has a new youth section and every two months they will focus on a new topical with a newsletter. Kids can send off for free stamps. Included in the newsletter is an album page to print.

I have used stamps as bribes for more boys and they also get them for Christmas and birthday presents. Whenever we go to a stamp show,they each get a little money to spend.

Be sure to check out the American Philatelic website- they have a great youth section and really neat albums to print out.

Good luck and we would love to trade stamps with your kids when you reach 50 posts!

apastuszak: 'You have 6 kids and you can afford stamps?! :-)'

Yeah its easy I just spend there college money.

Ask Aimee here on SCF,
"Spanishmoss" she has been doing great with the kids,
has some great ideas.....

Thank you for the referral, Rod.


Fortunately, I have had a wonderful mentor.
The Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs is very
lucky to have a fantastic youth coordinator.

Actually, she might be too good.
Now I live, breath, and
eat stamps!

Took the two of the kids over to the AmeriPex in Atlanta on friday and they had a blast.

I want to thank the dealers and societies there. Most of them had freebies/gifts for kids, even if I wasn't sitting at there table spending money with them.

Thanks!

Forgot to mention a big 'Thank You' to the volunteers working the kids area and the 'stamps by the bucket table'.