The Future of Stamp Collecting

Sorry for the break from posting, I recently started a new job! But I should be more consistent now
Thank you for watching the video! I hope you enjoyed and please leave a like and subscribe if you are new, also comment below your experience with stamps and opinions on the future of the hobby!

[@deafmusician2]

It's something that needs to be shared with their children. I collected for a short time with my grandfather and then had to get on with my own life. Now that I'm retired and he's gone, I'm going through his collection and getting into it myself. As I go through it, I feel closer to my dearly missed grandfather. Also, nowadays stamps are rarely used and the younger generation didn't really grow up with them.

[@Kenlydford]

I’m starting to love stamps once again. I’m in my early 50’s now and I used to collect stamps in the 70’s and 80’s. I still have a small collection from back then. I would say that I’m first a coin collector but I recently bought a block of Benjamin Franklin 1/2 cent stamps and I remember why I loved it so much in the past. I sell coins occasionally and was going to send some stamps along with the purchase’s for fun. I don’t know much about the market now, but I’m interested again for sure.

[@BitchspotBlog]

It's always been like that though. When I started collecting stamps, 50+ years ago, the overwhelming majority of stamp collectors were old. When my wife and I came back to it 25-30 years ago, we were always the youngest people in the room. Now that we're that age, everyone is still old. Old people are the ones with the disposable income and the time to spend on their hobbies. Young people get involved, they drop it when they build careers and families and then they come back to it later in life when they have time and money to spend on it. You are never going to see a ton of young people doing this because that's not what philately is. The majority will be older.

[@SMCollectibles1]

Interesting, thank you for your comment! It's like the nostalgia cycle present in a lot of hobbies, people come back to it later on when they can put more time and money into it and it reminds them of their younger days

[@vedista]

I agree with your point of view. Young people need exciting thrilling things and they are not interested in stamp or other "calm" hobbies. When i was younger i was into video gaming but now at my sixties i cant compete with other video gamers and prefer the calmness and easy going hobby of stamp collecting. Its calm, not demanding a big effort from my body and offers me a much needed relaxing sense. I inherited from my father a huge collection of Greek stamps and i already started expanding this collection not seeing it as an investment but as something that gives me pleasure. I dont care about prices or what the other people think. I do it for myself.

[@BitchspotBlog]

@@vedista I've been collecting stamps since I was 8. That was more than 50 years ago.

[@kymjohnthorburn6044]

My mother started me on stamps, I was about 9 years old, and loved sorting stamps, learned about countries and symbols used for countries, ahe had a wonderful collection. I had to learn how to mark stamp placement marks, in pencil, and then, once sorted, I then learned how to differentiate colours and post marks, and then once I learned to consult the catalogue, Stanley Gibbons - of the world - I would then hinge and place in order. I also learned about removing stamps from enveloped to add to her collection. My geography and history at school, improved. It should be a section in Geography and History.

[@SaxonSuccess]

Yep, exactly that except it was my Dad who started me off, then one of those caring schoolmasters who had a stamp club at school, after hours so to speak. Bless him...

[@ptrinch]

To add a personal anecdote, I looked into joining my local stamp club. They meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month from 10am to noon. As someone who tends to be busy during working hours, I e-mailed and asked why the meetings weren't at 7pm. Their response was that most of the members are retired and are all in bed by 7pm. Then they wonder why they can't reach the younger generation.

[@SMCollectibles1]

Thank you for adding that personal anecdote I couldn't help but have a chuckle a bit at that!

[@kiwis0uth]

My club meets in the evenings during the summer, usually on a Monday and Sunday afternoon during the winter. Usually the same people attend. Of those who do attend, most display in competitions and at least 3 are judges.

[@d3Luciani9028]

50 plus years off collecting here. To expand on what you said, I think that as we go to a stampless society, there there will be an increasing interest in collecting mini-affordable antiques/works of art. Coming in contact with stamps (as we know it) will be a rare occurrence. I’m familiar with a group of homeschooler parents that buy loose, bulk lots, and use them to teach history, geography and other topics.

[@ericbond5276]

Many years ago in Linn's Stamp Magazine, there was an article that US stamps got too commercialized with superheroes and movie stamps. Also, adhesive sheets made it costly.

[@stevewilliams2892]

Thanks - a good commentary. There is also the issue that stamp collecting can be expensive particularly as you get serious on a country or theme. So stamp collecting is also in a competition for young peoples scarce surplus monies. Older people have more of that.

[@bslangable]

in the netherlands, austria and luxemburg they've released a crypto stamp, where the stamp itself is collectible as well as the nft which is in the qr on the stamp. quite ingenious.

[@pinkgirl1x]

Covid made me start. I was stuck in home first start looking closer to my change then moved to stamps. I am 40 years old and not many people I know start in their 40’s for the first time. I thought this could be a hobby I can do with my daughter and should be good for her instead of going out to a coffee to chit chat and gaze through web, but will see if she will build an interest with time 😅

[@poketinking]

Great video mate, very informative ❤

[@SMCollectibles1]

Thank you man 🙏

[@jabinnahid9034]

I'm 22 years old from Bangladesh. 1 thing i noticed, both numismatic and philatelic collectors arrange exhibition every few months here in my city. Last i went to FIP sponsorship stamp exhibition. I shocked to see there are more numismatic stores than philatelic in selling corner. And also many crowds in numismatic side

[@leesautomotive1737]

Great video. Your comments are spot on. Keep it up.

[@SMCollectibles1]

Much appreciated!

[@suppylarue220]

it all evolves around the concept of hobbies. hobbies worked their way down from the well -off to lower socio- economic groups. a hobby like philately needs a strong middle class with time on their hands and extra money in their pockets. the source of what is collected, are worldwide governments. most governments have reduced support of postal systems over the past 50 years. most mail does not use stamps. most stamps sold are sold to collectors. most mail is advertising flyers. few people write letters. modern stamps unless used for postage, are worth less than face value. in the future postage stamps will be more akin to post office labels, and older issues will be demonitized. the golden age of pre CTOs and Sandunes, and their likes will retain a ever shrinking core of enthusiasts until the last one out of the room turns off the light. the vast collections will be relegated to a display case along with those things called coins and currency in museums.

[@olivermiller2013]

I participated online last week a stamp auction. There were quite a lot people participating and paying a lot of money for the items. 95% were classical stamps up to 1950, where you can find expensive stamps/letters. I do not think this will die somewhere soon. The old stamps/letters are fascinating and the younger people get older and have money with 40/50+ to afford it. That´s why you find many older people collecting stamps. I started with 10, collected till I was 14/15, ab big break to 25 (I had other interests), stopped again quite soon and started again with 40. This is usual. One of my best friends started again with 50 after he finished with 15. Modern stamps will die or already did. Many African countries do not issue some, look at Iceland and other will follow. This is OK, no one needs today new stamps, there are other methods to send a parcel or letter and often you don´t need to do it as you stated in your video. The main advantage is, that you don´t have to look for useless new stamps if you are interested in modern stamps. You can´t see many 80+ persons for internet and even mail. But you see many between 50 - 75 who are using the technologies with no problem. That´s why we have many tools. If you are looking for a plattform for auctions and many shops, philasearch is one of them which is quite popular. I use it far more often than for example ebay. Stamp collecting is going with modern technologies and this is a good sign that you will see stamp collecting in 20 years as well and further. It is not the mass hobby like it was in the 1970s/80s when I started, but there are still people who like collecting old papers.

[@PaulSobon1]

Great discussion, thanks. How can I get a copy of your Thesis on a stamp collection can share an identity? Sounds interesting.

[@peterc4977]

I wonder if numismatics will follow the same path as philately. Our politicians are showing a keen interest in Central Bank Digital Currency.

[@jeffw.1854]

Todays world is simply too fast for stamp collecting. Young people are simply too involved with their cell phones and when do the new models come out, stamp collecting is dull to them, it's boring to them. I dont think the hobby will die but it is def in a transition phase. Very good post.

Hi, thanks for making this great video! Interesting points! To attract young people, I would combine stamp collecting with blockchain and NFT technology. That seems to have a lot of traction these days. A question about your album, aren't you afraid of glueing your stamps to it? Seems like it could damage your stamps, also it does not protect them from the external environment.

[@jordansmithchannel]

It's dying because physical mail is not being sent. I think we should think of ways that stamps could be used outside of sending letters. Could we use stamps to buy groceries for example? Or some other purchase? I could see it making a return in that case. If a major part of society has to use stamps in their day-to-day lives then naturally collecting will be a result of that.

[@OtakuGunsoNY]

I know nothing about stamp collecting but this was interesting though :D

[@SMCollectibles1]

Thank you so much for still checking it out!

[@serga76.bodrov]

Отличные почтовые марки

[@stamp-pic-man]

I make pictures out of postage stamps . I hope it may interduce outhers to stamp collecting and get them interested where they come from ,their history and what you can do with spare stamps .

[@SMCollectibles1]

That sounds wonderful!

[@navstar7334]

If one were to substitute many other hobbies for your general comments on stamp collecting, I think you'd find the same ageing demographic and concern for a new, upcoming replacement cohort. Not sure what this means for the future precisely, but I think stamp collecting is but one of a group of assorted hobbies that seem threatened long term. For "collecting" hobbies, my own suspicion is that they'll just morph further into pastimes for a largely older demographic - but one based on even more specialist knowledge, time & cash ie they'll likely go yet further down the "classic specimens" route...

[@rogerturner1881]

the video is flickering..what's wrong?

[@SMCollectibles1]

Unsure why that is, maybe some kind of glitch with KZbin?

[@ericbond5276]

The Family Guy aside put stamp collecting to rest. Anyway, too many distractions and next shiny objects for the younger generation. Older people might not have the funds being on a set budget so they will appreciate what they have. Individual stamp albums for the worldwide collector is too expensive. Stock books are the way to go, meaning collect the stamp, not the country.

[@lanuiiohu]

i'm 22 and I never socialize with older collectors......sorry !

[@eliziariomaia3972]

Boa tarde tenho 3 caderno 📔📔📔 mais de 1000 stamp pra vender moro no Brazil Brasília df . $ 60.000

[@magikclown]

Why do you want to draw more people into stamp collecting? I don't understand why you even think about such things. What does it matter to you, what other people do?