A Trip to Your Library

The wonderful world of stamp collecting has been built on stamp catalogs. If you have them in your classroom, that's great. You can introduce your members to them over time so they gain experience and feel comfortable using them. But for many leaders, catalogs are more distant. Still they are important. Even the simplest albums that your members use are organized according to some catalog system. It is wise to introduce members to the lore of the catalog as soon as they show an interest in organizing their collections, and in recognizing stamp prices.

This is where your local library can be a big help. Not only do many libraries have current or one year old catalogs in their reference (non-borrowing) section, but they may well have older catalogs which serve your purpose available for borrowing. If so, you will find them in section 383.2 (or if the Library of Congress cataloging system is used, try the HE6100 and HE6200 range).

In that same section, you may also be able to find other helpful books on stamp collecting, moving the mails, experiences of postal people, and similar themes. Many libraries will get one or more weekly philatelic newspapers or magazines. These carry up-to-the-minute news on new issues, goings-on in local stamp clubs and national societies, articles describing stamps in their historical context, and buy and sell advertising.

On your next visit to the library, check for these resources. If there is enough to make a visit by your members worthwhile, this can be an interesting and useful trip for them. If your library does not have much in the way of stamp-related material, you might consider writing to the library, or the office of city/county government that oversees the library, to make them aware that you and your members have needs they are not meeting, and suggesting catalogs, books, and newspapers that they might obtain.

A Visit to a Stamp Store

Sooner or later, any member who stays with stamps as a hobby will need to buy stamp supplies such as an album, hinges, stock cards, or stamps for his collection. If your town or city has a nearby stamp store, the owner would probably be very happy to have the club visit his store. You should obtain parental permission and explain to the parents that the purpose of the visit is a club activity and not to have the members purchase stamps. To find a stamp shop in your area, look in the yellow pages under Stamps for Collectors or find a stamp shop by using our On-line Dealer Directory and search on Retail Stores and enter your city/state.

One of the things the owner will talk about is the range of stamps available. This will often include a 5-cent box, inexpensive worldwide short sets, and used U.S. stamps issued over the last 50 years. Availability of this sort of material means that members can go and add to their collections without spending much money.

Take the opportunity at your next club meeting to emphasize to your members that they can have just as much fun acquiring stamps from letters, saved for them by relatives and friends, as they can from purchasing stamps at a stamp store.

The stamp dealer will likely be a good contact for you also since most dealers know a great deal about stamps, local philatelic events, and collectors who might give talks or donate stamps and albums to your members. Most dealers realize that their future in the business depends upon the education of young collectors and will be pleased to help in that process.

Field Trip to a
Stamp Show

Like a country fair of stamps, stamp shows offer many fun things for your members to see, hear, and do. If you can find one going on near you, take advantage of it. Give your members an experience they will never forget.

Stamp shows are often called by a shorthand name such as VAPEX for the Virginia Philatelic Exhibition. To find the closest show to you, we invite you to visit our Show Time page where you will find a listing of upcoming stamp shows. You also can contact your local stamp club or consult the exhibit listings in one of the major philatelic papers (Linn's Stamp News, Stamp Collector.)

If you get the name of someone in the club putting on the stamp shows, you can probably arrange for free admission and a guided tour of the exhibits by someone knowledgeable. If you know about the shows early enough, you may also be able to arrange for someone from the sponsoring club to come and speak to your members about what goes on there. Your members will then be in a better position to understand what they see once they get to the show.

In addition you may find that you local show will be willing to provide a small amount of space for your club to show off its stamp designs or other creative works. Members will always get a charge out of seeing their work hanging for others to admire.

Field Trip to a
Stamp Club

Stamps are what philately is all about. If interest begins to wane because sufficient stamps are not readily available, the prescription is to find your local stamp club.

WHY

Stamp club members have exactly the same interests as your members: stamps. Sure, some may be more reserved, or even stuffy about it, but the enthusiasm is still there. And where there are adult stamp collectors available, there are plenty of stamps to see -- and probably new sources of supply since most adult collectors realize the importance of helping juniors, and only need to be asked.

WHERE

If you don't already know of a local club, ask your members if one of their parents is a collector and knows of a nearby club. Refer to the APS Online Local Club Listing. Ask your postmaster. If they don't know the answer, he or she can also check with neighboring postmasters.

WHAT

When you contact a nearby club, propose that the club members pick a regular meeting date on which to have your members visit. It should be far enough in advance that:

1. Someone from the club can come to your club first and explain what to expect, and
2. The adult club members can organize themselves to give a short junior-oriented program and/or bring in lots of stamp collecting items for your members to look at.

You as a leader might also look at the stamps with an ulterior motive! Collections of a particularly interesting topic or country might make a good presentation at one of your meetings. You might make an adult collector a friend of your club for life by asking if he or she would come and give a 10- or 15-minute presentation.