Beginner To Stamps

A Great BigTo The Both Of You!

Heironymous - I can see where you're coming from, but you overlook something important, which I think is the point Geoff was making originally, about collecting one's country. That point is that stamps serve a propaganda purpose, and don't represent history truthfully. The truth is far more ugly than people tend to realise and I do think it's unhealthy to buy into mythology about the supposed glory of our leaders, which is what stamps propagate. Characterizing 'alternative history' as self-loathing is just absurd. I don't loathe myself, but I am ashamed of some of the things my country has done, and I would rather be honest about it.

Ringo,

I know all about propaganda. To reduce stamps to propaganda is just as much a distortion as to deny that propaganda is a factor. Do you truly believe that they are only propganda? Why bother collecting them if that's the case.

I can love my patria without blinding myself to her injustices and propaganda. Not to love my patria is to be rootless and that's as big a problem as propaganda.

Life is not either/or. Life is about knowing who one is and where one comes from and having an unblinking discernment of truth, warts and beauties, both.

THat's what I wrote. I overlooked nothing.

Pittstamp, welcome to the forum. I suspect this thread might have turned into something you did not ask for. Going back to your original post I think you nailed the essence yourself of what stampcollecting should be for a nine year old: "just because it is fun". You also mentioned the economical aspect. The cheapest start is a plain worldwide mix. It will offer a kid lots of fun, regardless of all the 'grown-up-aspects'. Then you can only hope the kid will happen to enjoy the history part of it as well, US or not.

I have introduced all my 4 kids into WW stamps. Each of them found something different that attracted them, only my 8 year old prefer stamps from his own country. But they all have had fun and learned a lot without any cost to me at all, as they have simply dived into my leftovers. I hope your kid will do the same

For a moment, let's just say that stamps are indeed propaganda for the issuing country. If one collects the stamps of other countries, then wouldn't you just be collecting that country's propaganda rather than your own country's? I don't see where eschewing your own country's issues would give a more accurate picture of anything. Regardless of which countries one collects, stamps are merely a springboard from which to learn more. An accurate picture of any given country can't be gleaned from stamps alone.

The benefit that I see from worldwide collecting is that it can expose us to other languages and cultures, etc. Given that we live in a global society today, I think that's a good thing, but it's hardly a cure-all for ignorance. If the history and culture of a given country go a mile deep, the stamps of that country might give a good picture of the top inch or two. It's up to us as individuals to dig deeper into that if we really want a more complete and accurate picture.

Wow did this thread go way off topic