Starting New Collection For My Son

Hello all. New to the forum and am seeking advice... I am starting a stamp collection for my son (he is 4 now, but I think if we start with a good collection maybe he will take an interest in it.) So what do you all recommend? mint or used? first day covers, souvenier covers, miniature sheets, blocks, presentation packs, definitives... (?)

Hi Skowis and welcome to the Forum.

You should decide what interests you. You can collect worldwide stamps and limit yourself to a few countries. You could collect only U.S. stamps if you like. The great thing about collecting stamps is you have a lot to choose from. Everyones collection is a reflection of what they like and how they like to collect. So, there is no wrong answer.



Butch

Are you going to have your son work with the stamps, or are you just going to put it together for him? My advice, do both... Get him some nicer stuff to put in his book, and then buy a big packet of really cheap stamps that he can go through and pick what he likes. Use that as an opportunity to teach him how to handle the stamps, use tongs, how to organize them, use a magnifier, and all the good stuff that goes with the hobby. Whatever you wind up doing, make sure that he does get an opportunity to handle the stamps and have input on which stamps go into his collection.

-Allen

Hi and welcome!

For a child, I'd recommend starting with used USA stamps. Less expensive and he can handle them, which is what a child is gonna want to do. For an interesting start, you might consider the USA stamps that have the hidden image and /or microprinting on them. They are more recent so are plentiful and not pricey. If his interest grows, he can always expand his collecting areas.

Kind Regards,

Dave N.
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My daughter is 4-1/2. She LOVES the USA "flag over" stamps. But to her...the only thing of interest is the flag. I keep them on paper so that she can more easily GLUE them into her scrapbook. She does this often when I am working on my own philatelic pursuits. In her mind, I'm sure her pasted flags are equal to or better than my errors, freaks and oddities or proofs.

My lesson learned - let them do what they want with the stuff that will never appreciate in value. They will learn to love the time spent on a hobby, especially such a fabulous one as stamp collecting!

Peter

p.s. welcome to this forum...I'm nearly new here, too.

Welcome skowis! Glad to have you here.

The more knowledge a person or child has about something the better able he/she is to appreciate the value of something.

The best way to get knowledge is to do something yourself. You learn faster and better that way.

Humans make mistakes. That's how we learn how to do and not do things.

Let the child make mistakes and have fun and while doing so discover what they like and don't like. There is no wrong way.

I think topical or thematic stamps are the way to go, whether US only or other countries too. Keeps one's interest and soon you want to have more and learn more. Expands your world.

I let my 3 3/4 year old son pick out what used stamps he likes. He has some in his own scrap book, glued down with archival glue; some are in a stock page, on fill in the blank treasure hunt kids pages and some are just on blank pages. We went to a stamp show and they had a youth room and my wife and him picked out all different kinds of stamps while I went to dealer tables. He has had his own stamps for about 2 years. I think the key is to have fun and let him do what he wants to do when he wants to and try to impart some basics along the way.

BTW: WELCOME!

Welcome to SCF all you new stampcollectors! Reading about collecting for and with children, I remembered seeing the stamp album pages from the APS (American Philatelic Society) and you can print pages for stamps with the US flags, for several States etc. They are free and very nice!
Jopie

G'Day Skowis and to the forum.