Advice Needed For A Child's Beginner Album!

Soon,I'll be taking my 7 week vacation in the US. My sweet,clever little niece, Emmy will be turning 7 while I'm home. I was around that age when I was given my first stamp album and a "box of stamps". So, I've decided to give her the same. What sort of album would you suggest? I was given a Minkus Paperback album which lasted me until I was 12 and then my folks got me the Harris Explorer. Would it be better to just go ahead and buy her the explorer or go with the paperback because it's not so "overwhelming"? What do you think?

Hard to say what the best choice is for a 7 year old. I know from my childhood days, I started out with a paperback album and then migrated to a loose leaf album when I understood the hobby better. As I recall, my first childhood album was a paperback album I pasted or glued or taped on-paper stamps into until I was taught how to properly soak the stamps off paper, the proper use of hinges and/or mounts, etc.

If it's just an introduction as a "toy", the paperback album will do. If there is serious interest in pursuing the hobby for a lifetime, the better album would be the choice.

You did bring up a valid point, though. The "better" albums would have a lot of spaces that a child (or even a beginner adult) collector could view as overwhelming. I look at my own WW stamp album, and have a lot of blank pages that I have yet to fill and I can only imagine it would be a disappointment to a child if they had all of that empty space and only a few stamps to mount in it.

A lot depends on the individual child and how interested they are in stamps and whether there will be adult supervision/teaching or if it's left to the child to do with as they please.

As to types of albums for a beginner, the Harris series (now sold through Whitman Publishing) is decent, but simplified. Although I haven't personally used them, the ones sold by Mystic Stamp Company seem to come highly rated as well.

I was thinking that Emmy an I would spend time working on stamps together. Also, since I'm in Oman and I do travel from time to time I could send her stamps and write letters.My father got me into stamp collecting when he was in the military and he used to write me all the time. So, it was always something cool to get things in the mail! My stepdaughters don't show alot of interest in philately.

When I was 10, my parents gave me a Harris worldwide album. I remember being VERY frustrated because I could never get the right stamps to fill it. It was so disappointing to get a bunch of stamps, spend the time searching for them in the book, only to discover that there wasn't a place for them.

Soooo....... when it came time to introduce my two boys to stamp collecting, I made them their own albums. The older one was 5 at the time, the younger was 3.

I got them each a three ring binder with a clear pocket on the front. Then I typed their names on a sheet of paper with a stamp image under it and then inserted it in the front of the binder. Next, I filled the books with stock pages and grid paper. Then we just add dividers each time they want to add a new country or topic.

Three years later, they are both still actively collecting and each have a US album, in addition to their original binder.

That's my two cent's worth!

I think something too rigidly laid out might be overwhelming. Loose-leaf like Spanishmoss has shown would allow her to follow her own interests. When getting young people interested in stamps comes up as a topic, the appeal of topicals is often mentioned. My suggesttion would be something fairly robust, with a hard cover, and something with a bit of room and flexibility for her to go her own way.

Also, check out the free downloadable album pages at the American Philatelic Society (APS)website, link is in the upper left corner.

I really like the make your own idea. I know my son rather put stamps where he pleases, than where an album page tells him to. Spanishmoss, thanks for the pictures.

My 2 cents I've noticed with 3 grankids is topical is the way to go. The history lessons will come in time but topicals be it disney, flowers,bugs or cars seem to hold the attention span and keep the wants going. My youngest 3 yr old grandson is actually the one who wants to know who is depicted where they are from and seems to enjoy kings and queens so hes easy to please.

I'm thinking you should find a place to maybe get one of these sheets <edit> US 1997 Commemorative <edit> - and then, use the format to create one sheet of those stamps with HER image on it! You know, the actual personalized stamps ...

Little girls and little boys have very specific interests, so find stamps with their interests in mind. Dinosaurs, skateboards, endless potential there is overlap to stamps and collecting.

Yes, I thought that topicals would be the case. I remember the last time I was home, Emmy and I had a discussion about kings and queens and what they're called in other countries and if I'd ever been to the
"Sultan's Castle" here. For awhile my stepdaughter was bit on stamps with animals on them.

I would subscribe to Australia's "Stamp Explorer" magazine
done in kid's speak, lots of colouring-in
and stories on stamps
Free
http://shop.auspost.com.au/stamps/c...orer/current