Why should young people collect stamps?

I have been collecting stamps for a few years now.

I think it's a great interest to have but there are people who ask "What's the point of stamp collecting?" and "Why would young people collect stamps?"

It seems that some people think stamp collecting is boring and it's something only old people do. But these these people are totally wrong.

It's fair to say that there are not as many young people are enjoying collecting (and not just stamps) as there used to be. I think that is a challenge for stamp dealers and people who care about our hobby, but it's not true to say young people aren't interested at all.

I suppose one reason I collect is because there are collectors in my family. They introduced me to stamps and I found I liked them. The other collectors in my family collect different things: my grandma has an interest in older stamps and Eastern Europe (especially Russia), my dad knows a lot about Cinderellas and my mum is more of a thematic collector. So I could see that everyone's collection is different, just as every collector is different and their collections reflect what they are interested in.

But why should other young people be collectors? Would I recommend stamp collecting to them? Yes - and here's why.

STAMPS HELP US LEARN ABOUT THE WORLD

Stamps are little pieces of history. The first ever stamp, the Penny Black, was created in 1840 and ever since then people have used these small squares of paper to send mail. That's 185 years of history, and history is still being made!

Stamps tell us about the history of every country in the world. Because I collect stamps, I have learned about the British and French empires, the kings and queens of Britain and how the world has changed. I have learned about countries that no longer exist, and also discovered modern-day countries I didn't know existed. Stamps have helped me learn about American presidents, the fall of Communism, World War 2, inflation in Germany and Hungary in the 1920s and the break-up of the USSR and Yugoslavia. I have learned about Indian and Chinese history just by studying their stamps. It's brilliant.

Stamps show us how the world has changed and also how it is changing.

It's not just history though because stamps also tell us about geography, art, culture and people around the world. Every country produces stamps that say something about their own national identity, their history or something else that makes their country special. So I suppose as well as being little pieces of history stamps are also little pieces of places. They can tell us so much.

STAMP COLLECTING IS FUN

So this is the real reason why I collect stamps. Yes, you will learn a lot of you collect stamps, but it is more important to do things because you like it.

You can collect stamps on your own. But one of the great things about collecting is doing it with other people. My sister also collects stamps and we go to stamp fairs together helping each other find what we're looking for. And when we're there we will talk to dealers and other collectors, who are always very encouraging and have interesting things to share about what they know and what they collect. You can also talk about stamps online with people. So it's not a boring thing that you have to do by yourself.

I am in a stamp club for young people called Kidstamps which is run by Stamp Active. I will write something about them in a few days. But if you go to any Stamp Active event, especially the free auction at Stampex, you will see how fun collecting can be. It's great to meet other young people who share the same interest.

It's also fun because stamp collecting doesn't have rules in the way some other hobbies do. You can do as much or as little as you want. You can collect when you want, and what you want. Stamps tell stories, and what is more fun than an exciting story?

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE

Some people collect stamps for their value. That's fine, but it isn't why I collect them. My stamps collection isn't worth a lot of money.

I think a lot of people believe stamp collecting isn't for them because it costs too much. Well, it doesn't have to.

Some stamps will cost an arm and a leg but most don't. You can go to stamp fairs and get very good deals. I have found that a lot of dealers are very happy to offer deals if you ask them. Of course it depends what you want to collect and I wouldn't recommend any young person should buy every new issue from Royal Mail or try collect expensive rare stamps. Stamps can be very affordable and you can get them in so many different places.

IT'S A GREAT WAY TO SPEND YOUR TIME

One good things about stamp collecting is that you can choose how much time you want to put in. When I am not so busy I like to go through my collection and think about what I might want to get next. I think about how to organise and display my stamps. I like to show them to other people, especially my grandma.

Stamp collecting lets you be yourself. I collect most kinds of stamps and I really like learning about history, but my sister is mainly interested in birds, butterflies and space. So our collections are very different. Whether you're interested in history, geography, art, science, nature or a particular country - stamp collecting is for you!