I see a number of ladies posting on here, which is AWESOME!!. SO this made me wonder about what's the percentage of male vs female collectors? How about young vs old? Although I started collecting stamps around 12 yrs old, I have still collected stamps all of my life. Which is almost 40 more years...
I don't know what the percentage is, but the trend over the last years is more female stamp collectors. I have noticed it in the number of applicants at APS, the number of women at stamp shows and the number of women who are dealers. It would be interesting to know if anyone can come up with a ratio.
On the basis of an auction 3 out of 50 are female. You can speculate as to why, but they will increase. I have no problem with that. Interesting to add to the speculation is, that 3 out of five would offer items to a dealer to buy and 50% would be successful where males would only be 30% successful as they disperse differently - not a dealer.
I am the alpha gender, Female! I am 23 years old and I started collecting stamps when I was six with my grandmother. Before she passed, she let me keep her collection and I have been collecting since.
I am always amazed at the number of younger people actually collect stamps. In my stamp club of which about 20-25 gather monthly most are 60 plus of age, male and female. Maybe someone can guide me how to attract the adult young collector to stamp clubs ?
Well, I remember when stamp collecting was a children's trend in my country. During that period, so many children started doing it, and the percentage of stamp collectors raised considerably. I guess that things are always changing, and you can never really get exact statistics. Nor report the entire stamp collecting community to this community.
When I accompany my dealer husband to out of town stamp shows I note that only one out of ten are women. By age, adults only, about 70% are age 60 and over. About 25% are age 30 to 60, leaving only about 5% under age 30. My husband always brings a box of stock books for the kids, offering stamps from them at 10¢ each, $9.00 a 100. There are usually two or 3 kids going through these books, and often others waiting for a seat.
Every dealer buys collections, it's an integral part of the business, my husband says. In breaking down these collections, invariably there are many stamps that cannot go into their stock, usually because the values are too low to make it worthwhile. These are the stamps that go into the 10¢ box for the kids. Call it a contribution for the good of the hobby.
Your husband sounds like a wised-up stamp dealer. The part where children go through a box is good and gives the companying adult the chance to look for stamps too. I have found that chilsdren are a bit apprehencive and after looking at the stamps why not take a handfull or three from a box and give it to them. At home they have the freedom to divulge what they got and stamps they do not think they want can create communication with other collectors in an exchange.
Well, these statistics are interesting, but you could never be sure of how true they are. People keep changing, and that's why I never trust statistics.
The figures I gave were not statistics. They were estimates based on observation over many years. I'm a pessimist when it comes to statistics myself, but one's got to trust what one sees with ones own eyes.
I'm of the belief that if a kid gets stamps for nothing at a stamp show, that's what he'll value them at - nothing. But if Dad gives the kid a $5 bill to buy stamps, and he picks the ones he wants to buy out of the 10¢ bin, he'll value them a whole lot more.
Picking to pay is fine for the seller. The value for a kid is initially not monetary. The value of $5 does not mean buying one stamp but as many as possible for $5. As a kid the value lies in quatity of whatever theme and deminishes when catalogue value is discovered filling the gaps. Were I to have collected 1 stamp for $5 in my starting years I would now have a sizeable fortune in value not many stamp though which in part is ideal. Finance priorities dictate life which includes hobbies.
Oh, my bad then. Well, I have to agree that it's some nice information. You did a great job. Congrats'!
Our National Philatelic age are relatively large, the child didn't like collecting stamps, like to play computer games. I started collecting stamps from the age of 12. Has always insisted on.
Why do the elderly collect stamps ? Did most like you start at an early age ? Have the elderly now got more money to buy stamps ?
Well, back when video games weren't relesed in my country yet, kids were collecting stamps. And I have to agree that it's a nice way to learn about the past, countries, and also a good way to spend time.
