The Future Of Our Hobby - Collector's Club Of New York Discussion Sept. 21, 2022

This presentation is from the point of view of younger (early 40's) dealer and auction house folks.

https://www.collectorsclub.org/Coll...red%20Video/

i just watched that presentation and found to be a frank, informative and interesting look at the hobby today from a dealer point of view. I would suggest that anyone interested listen in on this.

When four caucasian 40-years old men with 25+ years philatelic experience each can post a 75-minutes movie in which they talk about 'the future of our hobby' I do not know whether I want to cry or laugh out loud.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

When I read a comment like that, I DO know what to do. Laugh out loud.

There is nothing wrong with any of it, but the world's population, nor the community of philatelists consists of 40-years old caucasian North-American men. And if the future of philately lies with middle-aged persons, its past is 50 years into the future.

The most active young philatelic community can be found in Asia. Not only there, but increasingly in other geographies, women are becoming more active. If you want to get an idea of the future talk with people that are at least 15 years younger and do not solely live in Europe or North America.

You would then asking folks who do NOT have much hobby/business experience. Perhaps the 40 year old's represented a good median; old enough to have some experience but young enough to also understand tech.

I am 64 years old and have far more tech experience and am more familiar with the future of tech than most 'younger' people. I realize that I might not be typical, but this is one of the issues with making generalizations in ANY direction.
Don

Don,

With your experience, you, most likely, will be able to develop solutions to cater for the younger people ... as long as they need that.

There, also, is nothing wrong with experienced people talking about the future. But if experienced people do it without the future generations, it becomes an assembly of the Politburo.

Thank you for posting link to this. Beginning of video they say average age of APS member is 70

Great to see a much younger crew in leadership roles.

I fail to see what age, gender, Nationality or ethnicity have to do with anything. Isn't the idea to have smart people with good ideas and forward vision in leadership roles? For myself, I could care less what a person looks like or what their political or sexual persuasion is so long as they are bright, capable and competent.

For all we know there are similar groups in Asia or Africa or wherever discussing the same topic and we are unaware of it. Would anyone who saw THAT meeting and discussion proclaim that they are missing Caucasians in the twenty something age group? It is ridiculous.

The whole putting people in categories thing is just so tiresome.

I know some of us are old (I've been a APS Life Member since 1980), but I have some trouble with this statement, as it does seem a little high. Perhaps Scott English can confirm this number or provide a more accurate number from his membership database. I see all ages in the lists of the members published each month in the American Philatelist.

I also watched the Collector's Club presentation, and found it both interesting and informative. It certainly represents a perspective by a knowledgeable group of philatelist/dealers from the younger generation, and I didn't see any major disagreements from the older viewers who participated. While these young men are primarily from the dealer side of the table, I know several also collect and write about the subjects they know best, and contribute to both sides of the hobby.

Philately today is not the same as it was when I started in the 1950s and took it up again in the 1970s. But I've changed also, and shifted interests 3 or 4 times as I've matured. Change is inevitable in any endeavor or activity.

I feel like the hobby is healthy at present, and I see strong interests in both the simple collecting of stamps, the detailed study of stamps (plating initiatives), as well as investigations into the realm of postal history from all parts of the world. And all can be viewed and read within this forum. If this one forum can attract people from all these areas, then those of other countries most likely have similar groups of participants.

I have no better guess than others here probably have as to where new collectors will come from. This thread is probably not the place for that discussion, but it would be helpful if the nay-sayers who follow this thread and disagree with the points presented in the presentation and the follow-up discussion in this forum, would take a few minutes and submit their positive thoughts on how to attract, encourage, and retain new collectors, regardless of whether they join an organized philatelic organization, or go it alone with participation in forums like this. Or conversely, if they think stamp collecting is already dead, then perhaps they can explain why are they not supporting their next new field rather than flogging this horse.

Mike

Careful, Rodg, you'll be advocating voting rights next

Most of us have little real evidence of who is collecting stamps. The suspicion is that much of the collecting world in North America or western Europe consists of elderly white men. In which case, the future of the hobby is death in the near-future.

It would be interesting to know about the development of collecting in East Asia and elsewhere, including whether that constitutes collecting for the sake of it or accumulation as investment. That should interest middle-aged US dealers, I suspect.

Yes, it is. I can equate this in both the Chess world, and the world of Philately.

Given the vastly different social factors outside of the activity, the activity itself is the great leveling-up factor. It is something we all have in common, regardless of the ability level. That is, if we are chess players, or philatelists.

Rich/poor, hermit/sociable, liberal/conservative, young/old, urban/rural, skin color, religion, sane or slightly daft, etc. (well, you get the idea). We all have the hobby (avocation, activity) in common. That is what gives us the bond of community.

For some people, the community is important. It keeps them in touch with like minded people in areas that are usually pursued in solitude.

John

NSK - the presentation was put in by a US organization, so they don't have easy access to a group of 20 something Asian collectors and they were speaking to US collectors and dealers, hence the use of US speakers.

George H - given the differences in eastern and western cultures, you can expect some differences in Asian collecting habits. I have some insight, but it is limited enough that it might not be completely accurate, hence I won't stick my nect out to answer your question.

eyeonwall,

They make a point of technical changes and that they are using Zoom. How is it difficult to reach out to other countries? Did the internet change the hobby, but not when it comes to hearing how future philatelists look at the hobby?

I would expect modern US dealers to be interested in servicing future philatelists. If they are talking to US dealers and collectors, what then is this remark about Scott marketing its products in Europe about?

"they are using Zoom. How is it difficult to reach out to other countries? "

They have to know who to reach out to. You can't just tell zoom to connect you to a 25 year old collector in China, and even if zoom could find you one, would they speak English? would they be willing to speak to an audience? How knowledgeable are they?

Perhaps you should put together a more international program.

Thanks for posting the link.

It is worthwhile to take the time to see entire discussion.