"Stamps Are Cool" Revisited

Last month, I told about a visiting eight-year-old niece who, upon seeing my stamps around a computer she wanted to use, thought stamp collecting was "cool."

Here is the link to that earlier thread:

https://goscf.com/t/9291

Well, she was back unexpectedly, yesterday, finding a ride with my daughter and her family who were in town for the first time in nearly a year.

Knowing she was interested, I put together a little kit with a beginners' album, stamps, tongs, and hinges. I showed her how to hinge and mount the stamps, helped her identify their origin as she worked on her budding collection, and even how to soak a few stamps, which she also took home between a paper towel and some newspaper while they dried.

Twice, she directly stated that "stamps are cool."

Now my five-year-old granddaughter seemed fascinated by what my niece was doing and was whispering to her, so my niece gave her a couple of her stamps in a little clear envelope. She saw what the older girl was doing, and wanted to do it too. So I found another little album (these things have appeared, over the years, from mixed lots purchased at auction) and set her up with some stamps, hinges, and tongs as well. I showed her how to hinge mount a stamp which she could just about manage with a five-year-old's dexterity, and saw her dad kind-of-watching out of the corner of his eye as I helped them identify some stamps. He doesn't seem to have ever collected stamps but he's a smart guy and maybe he will see this as a good family and educational experience, when and if my granddaughter asks him something like "Daddy, where does this stamp go?"

As they were getting ready to leave, my granddaughter was quick to scoop up her take and try to squeeze it into her mother's handbag. As for my niece, I had her leave her new address so I can send her some fresh stamps to work with from time to time.

Sounds like a great saturday Larry !

You must feel well chuffed.

Thanks for sharing the story.

Londonbus1

modern,
That is so great. I really enjoyed your story. What a wonderful thing to be doing.

very cool stories (this one and the other topic).

In a day and age when it seems more and more difficult to spread the stamp 'disease' with internet and postage labels, it's nice to read things like this.

The stamps still spark their interest at young ages. The problem is the mail their parents receive (and even themselves) doesn't have the beautiful stamps anymore, and the stamps aren't displayed much anywhere else.

I suspect the only thing better than "Stamps Are Cool" is "Grandpa is COOL!"

And in this case, that "Uncle Larry is Cool" too.

Thanks for all of your nice comments on both this and the previous, related thread.

The whole story warmed my heart. The only time that I can realy think that we get postage stamps anymore is around the holidays. People will put a stamp on a holiday card. Well Grandpa/Uncle, you did good!

Donna

I can certainly relate to any success in getting the attention of any young person in our great hobby. We know that they will probably put the hobby aside for a period but almost assuredly will return it at some point. It is our responsibility to see that the hobby survives to be there when they do come back to it. Use stamps on your own outgoing mail. I am constantly chagrined by the amount of mail I receive from collectors and philatelic sources with metered postage.