Stampex Interview: Susan Henderson (Stamp Active)

In the next few days I will be writing a lot about Stampex, which was held in London last week.

During Stampex I was able to interview some very interesting people. The first of these is Susan Henderson, from the Stamp Active Network.

Some of you will know about Stamp Active but, if you don't, it promotes stamp collecting for young people in the UK. Stamp Active also runs a club for young collectors, called Kidstamps. My sister Heidi and I caught up with Susan at the end of Stampex on Saturday. Xanthe: Could you tell me a little about what Stamp Active is and what it does? Susan: Stamp Active is an organisation that promoted philately for young people. We organise events at Stampex, York and the North West. We attend large stamp events and give out vouchers and stamp packs to young people. Heidi: What kinds of activities is Stamp Active running here at Stampex? Susan: This year we have run a lot of activities based on the new Royal Mail Monopoly stamps that were issued on 16th October. There were quizzes and games based on the stamps. We gave out two stamps, one to mount on an album page and one to put on an official envelope and post it back to yourself with an official Stampex postmark. Xanthe: Why do you think stamp collecting is a great hobby for young people? Susan: I've been collecting since I was a child. I like thematics. I like to feel there is a story about stamps... I learned about history and places. You can have fun finding things out about the world through stamps.

Xanthe: How do you make stamp collecting fun for young people who haven't tried it before? Susan: Hopefully by doing things like the Monopoly activities. We're also looking at things like our workbooks and we're thinking about new subjects. (Xanthe and Heidi shared some of their own ideas.) I was thinking about celebrations, like Christmas, Diwali, and big festivals, so there would be something for everyone.

Heidi: How do you make big shows like Stampex friendly and exciting for young collectors? Susan: We have lots of material to give away and we offer vouchers to spend with the dealers. We talk to lots of people and we try to make everyone feel welcome. We also know a lot of the dealers and they're really helpful. They know what we're about and they encourage young collectors. Heidi: Do you have any memories from Stamp Active events? Susan: I like the auction best. It's always a special event. It's great fun and gets everyone excited. Xanthe: What can stamp societies and dealers do to make the hobby more welcoming to beginners?

Susan: Fewer and fewer people are coming to stamp groups. Maybe people think philately is "too clever". It's in the name "Philatelic Societies" and I think that can put some people off. A lot of people, especially beginners, see themselves as collectors rather than philatelists. We've found that some of these societies have changed their name to Stamp Clubs and they have found it easier to attract more people, maybe because it sounds more like something you might want to do instead of something to be scared of. It's one way to become more inclusive. Xanthe: What do you think the future of stamp collecting looks like for the next generation?

Susan: I think there will be a lot more lone collectors. I mean people who do their own thing instead of joining philatelic societies. Dealers are still selling lots of stamps and people are buying them online. People will enjoy collecting, but it will be more individual and personal and a lot more will happen online.

Xanthe: What is one piece of advice you'd give to a young collector starting out today?

Susan: Don't try to collect everything! Choose something that you like or know something about. It might be a country, it might be thematics like birds or animals, but find what you're really interested in and focus your collecting around that.

I'm very grateful to Susan for taking the time to answer my questions. More about Stamp Active's work can be found on their website.