French Polynesia - Philatelic Hospitality

French Polynesia
Population: 280,000
Location: Pacific Ocean
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Dear everyone: This is our first post here. French Polynesia is our focus because we specialized in French Polynesia only. We studied & research French Polynesian stamps extensively. While stamp hobby is declining around the world, the hobby is thriving in French Polynesia. There are dozens of stamp clubs on the tiny island of Tahiti alone. Most Polynesian Philatelists have close relationship with Philatelic Center of French Polynesia & various of philatelic organizations. This is mainly due to culture. Furthermore, French Polynesia is very small in geography. Therefore, it's a small community where almost everyone know each other.
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Photo below: Staff of Philatelic Center of French Polynesia hosting an event on the island of Tahiti. Philatelic events are held almost everyday throughout French Polynesia.
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Love & Peace.
French Polynesian Stamp Club

Really great to see fellow enthusiasts from around the world. Great post!

I have many of their nice stamps, the progression of designs over the years is very interesting to keep an eye on!

Miss Tahiti Beauty Pageant - This organization is very active on promoting stamp collecting. They've been involved with Philatelic activities since this organization was founded in 1960. Every year, the beauty pageants volunteered to reach out to public promoting stamp hobby. They often setup booth at various of shopping malls throughout the islands. Meeting with philatelists & building strong relationship with the locals is part of their mission. A mission that has gained with positive result & praises from the public. This organization is one of the reasons why the hobby is striving in French Polynesia.
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Photos: Miss Tahiti Beauty Pageant at a shopping mall hosting a philatelic activity. They met everyone & signed autograph on stamp calendar. The beauty pageants spend countless hours volunteered modeling for stamp calendars every year. They played a major role in the Polynesian Philatelic & was honored by the postal office with Miss Tahiti stamps.

Miss Tahiti Beauty Pageant - 2016 Miss Tahiti, Vaea Ferrand is one of most active person in the Polynesian Philatelic. She spend countless hours co-ordinate philatelic activities throughout the islands. Moreover, she traveled to many schools promoting stamp hobby. As a result, stamp clubs were created because of her amazing effort. Reaching out to youngsters was one of her major accomplishment during her reign as Miss Tahiti.
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Photos: Vaea Ferrand became an honorary speaker for the French Polynesian Postal Service. Here's a photo of her holding a 2016 stamp sheet at the post office. This 2016 stamp was promoted heavily by her when it was released to the public.

Lanuii - Out of curiosity what is the age and gender makeup of stamp collectors in French Polynesia? Are there a lot of younger collectors? Female collectors? Very interested in this because here in the United States the hobby tends toward older men.

Maybe if US stamp shows featured tables full of beauty pagent winners the demographics may start skewing younger. Someone in charge please get on this. It seems to work at the car show every year.

In the southern US, having something related to NASCAR may bring in a more diverse group but will they start to collect stamps? The challenge is getting the word out.

Welcome! I love stamps from French Polynesia. What I think is one of the most beautiful stamps ever made is also my personal avatar….

Dear rogdcam: Most stamp collectors in French Polynesia are in their 20's, this is based on my observation. Women outnumbered men in stamp collecting. It's common to see stamp clubs without any men.
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Dear angore: NASCAR stamps will attract NASCAR fans, but it's difficult to know if they will become stamp collector. Besides, US Postal Office is poorly managed & financial lacking with low approval rating from the public.
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Miss Tahiti Beauty Pageant - Pascale Taurau is 1978 Miss France. She was born in New Caledonia. Like every Miss Tahiti, she was very involved in Polynesian philatelic world. In 2017, she became an Engraving Artist & designed a stamp for French Polynesia. This stamp promotes the International Women's Right Day. 45,000 stamps were released in 2018.

Photo: On the stamp, her name Taurau is on bottom right. She's the first Engraving Artist in the history of beauty pageant.

Welcome to the community.



We hear this often but I (and many others) think that this is a misconception. The idea that the hobby is in decline is always based upon 'pre-internet' metrics and comparisons. For example, there are fewer brick and mortar stamp shops, there is lower attendance at stamp shows, club memberships have dropped, or they are less people subscribed to philatelic publications.

But all of these measurements would also be negatively impacted if hobbyists have turned to interfacing with our hobby online.

The truth is that no one has yet figured out a method to measure the health of our hobby that includes online activity.
Don

Lanuii - Thank you for answering my question. The demographics for collectors in French Polynesia are one that most hobbies would love to have. It bodes well for the future. IMO there is much work to be done in the US when it comes to exposing and attracting younger people to philately. The American Philatelic Society has 26,000 members in a hobby that has millions of participants. Not a great ratio. Lately they have been using YouTube more, but IMO are still very weak in utilizing social media and targeting younger people. Charles Epting and staff from HR Harmer are young and are pushing hard to make the most of social media and mainstream outlets to make people aware of the many facets and benefits of stamp collecting. Making it "sexier" and more connectable especially when it comes to postal history. You have to have more than catalog numbers and spaces to fill. You need to expand upon history and bring the stories behind the stamps and their travels alive. Particularly in a World where there is an overwhelming number of things competing for your attention through multiple devices.

Common hearsay, why promote this rubbish?
Supply information to substantiate your claims

Can you supply information that it is NOT declining?

Ianuii, If you know of any clubs that might want some donations; especially for younger collectors, or that just might want to establish some communication, trade or whatever else, can you post some information here (if that might be the case.)

No, I cannot,
either claim would be rubbish, it's just Fake News,
used as propaganda to promote another groups apparent "thriving " hobby.

Leave it alone,
certainly promote your countries beautiful stamps, but leave out the negative
hackneyed phrases that become nauseating in their regularity.