Stamp Collecting Is "Cool" Says Eight-Year-Old

I had a good experience with stamps on Tuesday night, so thought I'd post it here.

It was my wife's birthday (she has been bedridden since January) and her sister and sister's husband dropped by. They happened to bring a niece's daughter, which I guess would make her a niece, also.

While they were visiting, the youngster spotted my computer and asked if she could go online to Webkins. Naturally, there were packets of stamps scattered around the computer, so she began looking at them and asked me if I collected stamps. I told her I did, to which she replied "cool," which I took to mean she was either very bright or seriously out of touch.

When I come back into the room at a later time, I found her pulling stamps out of glassines with her fingers, so I told her she should use tongs, and handed her a pair, to which she again said "cool."

Wow, a second cool.

Before they left, I noticed she had been using the tongs to look at some of the stamps, not putting everything back, so I asked her if she would like to collect stamps. She told me that she would, so I will be putting a starter album and kit together for her.

Yes, a volunteer for the hobby! And eight is not a bad age to begin collecting stamps. I began at eight in 1955.

I have been trying to come up with ways to get kids involved. I am wondering if perhaps I could help facilitate stamp clubs with some of the local boy scout troops.

Yeah, I got stamps on my computer desk too.

Great story, Larry!

I'm sorry to hear that your wife is not well and hope her condition improves. I'm glad that she was able to be with many family members on her birthday, and hope it uplifted her spirit.

Good yarn, MW,
and very typical I should think,
I don't reckon you can overly influence a child with initial interest,
stamps either resonate, or they do not.

I reckon she is a bright kid, with an enquiring mind,
hopefully she will find a thematic or country to hold her interest.
Well done you.

A very heart warming stamping experiance.Thanks for shareing.

My boys are in that 20 to 25 year period where stamping
is the last thing on there minds.

Hopefully a granchild or 10 to show stamping to would be nice.

Can't we persuade the APS to sponsor the next Hannah Montana movie?!

Now that is WAY COOL!...lol If you are going to start her on stamps you might want to find out what story book, cartoon, or even if Barbie's are her favorites and then see what countries would have anything that would match. Disney stamps would be a good start. Besides girlie things like flowers, puppies and kitties, don't be surprised if she goes for the the today's hunks and celebs.

When my kids were young they liked to collect the stickers for sticker albums. That was the closest that I could get them to collecting stamps, but my son did later collect comics. There's still hope for him..lol

Donna

You might want to check with the local schools and see if they have any after school activities. A lot of them might have after school clubs. Also, check with the local churches for the youth groups and introduce stamps to them. I think the parents would go for activities like that other than video gamers clubs. Just some ideas here.

Stamps and computers seem to be the thing for me also.

Donna

Very nice modern, thanks for sharing indeed.

I have heard that the better way to teach is by example. And that is what you did.

I don't think she meant stamp collecting is cool. I bet she was using the word "cool" to mean she understood what you meant.

Let me see... she asked if I collected stamps, I said yes, so she said cool because she understood yes? I don't think so.

I agree with Donna, there are all kinds of ways to interpret her interest... and cultivate it. Maybe it isn't about finding the church or school connection. Maybe it's about personal family connections.

I've found all sorts of history lessons in my stamps of late,... and begin to realize the way our ancestors learned, was by copying / doing / and talking about what they were doing / with their kids. Many Girls, for example, learned to read and write by copying cook book recipes (sorry, only know girls). ... but it each stamp has a story, it shouldn't be terribly difficult to find out enough about their interests to hook them in... and let the world expand around them.

Getting an 8 years old interested in stamp is definitely COOL.

Nobody can guarantee she will be interested in those stamps beyond what she was experiencing while sitting at computer desk but who knows - she might become a dedicated stamp collector...

During the last few weeks my 6 years old started his stamp collection and since I promised myself not to be "pushy" we spend our stamp sessions talking about the designs (we use magnifying glasses and he feels like a real detective), about countries (he pronounces the different country names with so many cute mistakes I can hardly hold myself from hugging and kissing him again and again) and about the beautiful "houses" "birds" and "animals".

So for example - when we set two days ago going over some USA stamps he saw one of the Statue of Liberty stamps and without hesitation looked at me and said: "Dad - it's You-Nork!". Can anything compare to that??

My point is - if we have a chance to sit with our niece/son or any child for that matter for only few sessions, talk with them about different things that they see while going over the stamps and adore their way of looking at things - who cares if they become collectors later in life?

You know what kids can do that collect stamps besides give us that feeling of satisfaction in seeing them having fun in a great hobby? They can read the fine print on a stamp that we can't see that well after awhile!

Seahorse, I loved the "You-Nork"! My cousin heard a well know line from a well known song that went this way to him. He thought the line was, "cause I was raised on crunchy sunshine." I miss Art Linkletter. Whoops, that was telling my age.

Donna

Donna - You should hear him saying "Switzerland". It is so unique there is no way I can repeat it.

Way cool thread here!