Topical But Not Typical: Thematic Stamp Collecting

Topical stamp collecting has been a past time for decades. Topicals are stamps with a consistent theme like trains, birds, sea life, etc. Though I do not partake in this type of collecting I respect its existence and its hard-won pursuit.

Beginners need to pay heed to the fact that such collecting is difficult because are you automatically limiting yourself to the field (or theme) in question. I've know topical collectors spending 6 months to get 1 stamp of a certain theme.

Intellectually it's not hard to appreciate the excitement of searching for a particular sub-set of stamps out there in the world and placing them in your ever-growing collection. I praise these collectors for their patience if not persistence in obtaining their objects of desire.

Topicals are often the most beautiful, artistic, colorful and valuable of stamps produced by countries around the world. Some countries create them solely for profit on the open collecting marketplace. Some purists mock their presence as somehow "reducing" the quality of collecting as a whole but this opinion is more stamp purist nonsense. Stamps are stamps. Collect what you will and learn what limitations or liabilties along the way.

The Teaching Environment: Clubs and Classrooms

The teaching environment for stamp collecting is by default a mentorship program. Meaning parents are a secondary support system. The true measure of success for stamp students solely rests with mentors insuring follow-up support from parents and stamp-peers. The basic definition of support from parents is positive encouragement and the procurement of necessary supplies to continue the hobby. The bonding of stamp-peers is also a valuable tool to assist the collector in approaching stamps in an non-academic setting. The trading of both stamps and ideas is a natural development of peer-bonding and becomes a prime catalyst to full engagement for stamp student to graduate to stamp collector.

Clubs and Classrooms are the best and most likely locations for the teaching environment of stamp collecting. Yet these traditional settings actually hold different approaches to how stamp collecting is presented to a student body. Take notice of the following:

Classrooms: Due to the academic setting of a school atmosphere--the mentor is a licensed teacher and will likely tailor their stamp teaching to topics, subjects, events, geographical locations, cultures, etc. that might be elements of normal classroom instruction or discussion. The good example would be a history teacher rolling out stamps that contain famous historical figures or battles or locations that he/her can expound upon in greater detail.

Clubs: Clubs are normally based out of libraries, community centers and churches and are either free-form and can simply focus on stamp collecting in the most basic manner: how to find stamps, how to mount stamps, how to id stamps, etc., or completely theme-oriented on one country such as Italy or topical like stamps with airplanes, birds, cars, etc. The club setting permits more time for students than a classroom, but this isn't always an advantage over classrooms since clubs tend to have more experienced participants who often add to the instruction.

Kids Need Stamps stand ready to help teachers and mentors, clubs and classrooms with stamps for every interested student. The informational segment attachments are an excellent resource to guide students in understanding the vast world releasing stamps to preserve their art, heroes, culture, religion and even athletic achievments. While the core ambition of Kids Need Stamps is to be clearinghouse of cost-free assistance to further one-on-one stamp instruction between parent and child--we recognize this ideal is always possible and wish to lend a caring hand to stamp teaching mentors from every walk of life.