Stamp collecting club in Waterloo Region looks to keep hobby alive
Stamp collecting is a shrinking hobby, but one Waterloo Region group is hoping to pass on their passion to the next generation.
Alan Hills is the president of the Kitchener-Waterloo Philatelic Society, whose members study and collect postage stamps.
Hills has collected stamps for over 50 years, but has noticed a general decline in collectors.
“The major demographic of the society are people who are just newly retired and they were stamp collectors when they were young,” said Hills.
A shift in the way mail is delivered has resulted in fewer stamps being produced globally too. And given the club’s 89 year history, recruiting new members isn’t as easy as it once was.
“There’s not enough sex and violence in stamp collecting and stuff doesn’t blow up,” said Craig Pinchen, director of the society.
Craig Pinchen (left) and Alan Hills (right) show off part of their stamp collections on April 19, 2024. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV News)spencer tu
As collectors age out, the group is looking to attract younger people.
One effort is through their annual Stampfest, which takes place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Waterloo.
“Stamp collectors will exhibit various themes on frames,” said Hills. “Stamp dealers sell stamps to members of the public.”
They also have a booth dedicated to educating youth.
“We provide free stamps for children, free material, lots of advice and help in terms of how to collect,” said Pinchen.
Another way the stamp collecting community is looking to recruit more people is digitally.
“This is an example of crypto stamps” said Hills, showing his NFT stamp. “It’s a new trend and it might be a great stamp collecting activity for youth.”
While there is beauty in physical stamps given the history and education aspect, current collectors say they are doing what they can to ensure their hobby sticks around forever.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Affordability crisis could be reaching its peak in Canada, economist says
With Canada's annual inflation rate reaching the central bank's two per cent target, the country's affordability crisis could be peaking, according to an economist.
NEW Taylor Swift previously said she was uninspired to include politics in her music. Now, she's singing a different tune
In 2011, a young Taylor Swift said she was not inspired to sing about topics related to politics. Over a decade later, she's singing a different tune.
How to prevent lung cancer, regardless of whether you smoke, according to a doctor
More people who have never touched a cigarette are getting lung cancer, but there are ways to prevent it, according to a doctor.
Bride's family speaks as West Vancouver woman sentenced for driving SUV into wedding party
Sixty-five-year-old Hong Xu, who drove her SUV into a crowd of people celebrating a wedding at her next-door neighbour's house in West Vancouver on Aug. 20, 2022, has been sentenced under the Motor Vehicle Act for driving without due care and attention.
This airport landing is so challenging only 50 pilots are qualified to do it
Bhutan's Paro International Airport (PBH) is widely considered one of the most technically difficult plane landings in the world. Maneuvering onto a short runway between two 18,000-foot peaks requires both technical knowledge and nerves of steel.
Two people charged in murder of Halifax teen; police believe remains have been found
Halifax Regional Police believe Devon Sinclair Marsman, who disappeared in 2022, was the victim of a homicide and two people have now been charged in his death.
'Say it to my face': Singh confronts heckling protester on Parliament Hill
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh confronted a protester for calling him a 'corrupted bastard' on Parliament Hill on Tuesday.
Why it's 'very hard' to find work in Canada
Vacancies have steadily fallen since the glut of nearly one million open posts in 2022. At the time, one in three businesses had trouble hiring staff due to a labour shortage. Since then, vacancies have dropped.
Hezbollah hit by a wave of exploding pagers and blames Israel. At least 9 dead, thousands injured
Pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded near simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, killing at least nine people.