Why you should make your kids collect Indian Stamps

Parenting is something that not many give importance to. The future of your kids depends completely on how you raise them. Children learn from their elders and follow their guidance. It is always advised to guide children at the right time so that when they grow older they become responsible citizens. These days, there are various hobbies and skills that you can teach your kids. From drawing, to skating, the list is endless. Finding an interesting way to learn new things is also very crucial. That’s where a hobby like stamp collecting comes into the picture. I myself love collecting Indian Stamps and I plan to teach my kids too about the hobby. The reason for that is very simple, because the conventional educational system in India is extremely boring.

I remember when I was kid, I hated the textbooks completely. Most of the teachers would only read one chapter after the other and explain concepts. We used to comeback home and spend hours doing our homework but nothing used to go into our heads. Even during exam times, all we did was memorize everything without understanding the core concept.

Things changed drastically the moment I started collecting Stamps of India. I started looking carefully at the images that were depicted on all those Rare Indian Stamps. Then I slowly started reading about whatever was shown on a new stamp I got. Many a times, I also related what I was learning by collecting Old Indian Stamps with what I was learning at school. What really matters is the right kind of attitude more than anything else.

Now when I am a parent, I would want my kids to pursue the hobby of collecting Indian Stamps so that they are not just stuck in textbooks. Apart from that, the hobby allows you to make a few more good friends in life!

 

Find Your Escape Through Stamps in India

It all started with one postal stamp of India. A hobby that went on to become my best friend! Well, I understand it’s really difficult to personify a hobby, but that’s what exactly happened with me. Nobody would ever imagine how relieving collecting stamps in India can be. When there is no much going on in the real world, who wouldn’t seek an escape? Far away from boring reality, the imagery depicted on stamps in India, slowly take life. I always have a dream to visit different beautiful locations of our country, experiencing traditions that define us as Indians. Being brought up in a middle-class family, you don’t get too many chances to travel that far. The only opportunity you have is during school vacations when parents might make a plan to visit and explore a new place. But then, that happens only once a year. By collecting stamps in India, you can actually get transported to a whole new world. 

As they say, it’s all in your head! The moment you decide to imagine, you can go wherever you wish to. Stamps in India cover various interesting topics and collecting them can actually enrich your knowledge. It’s at least better than other pastimes like whiling away time on the internet or social media websites.  The first thing you need to do when you find a postal stamp of India, is read about whatever is depicted on them. The best part of researching this ways is that there is no time constraint. You are not preparing for an exam or something. Relax, take your own sweet time and understand concepts for actually understanding them and not for clearing your exams. Apart from that, when I started indulging myself in collecting stamps in India, I started opening up, talking to random people who are into the hobby, making more genuine friends!

How Rare Indian Stamps Got a New Life!

There was a time when I had no idea as to what I am supposed to do with all those Rare Indian Stamps that I found in my drawer. They stayed there, nobody really cared until they were there. Years passed by and they stayed there. Now when I think of them, I believe these Indian Stamps had life in them and they would have felt suffocated lying there, inside the drawer for so many years. But as they say, times can get lucky. I think both me and that complete collection of Indian stamps got lucky when I found them randomly on that fine day. Supposedly the second-hand table was bought by my dad and probably the earlier owner of the table had placed the collection of Indian stamps in the drawer.

There they were, reintroduced to the new world. Things have changed a lot. Nobody knew how long they were lying there. These stamps might have taken a deep breath when they finally got out from the drawer. I was blank. Everything started sinking in just like someone has hit jackpot. For the first 10 minutes I stood there looking at all those lovely Indian stamps. Then I slowly picked them and took it to my dad. My dad was surprised as well; he wore a bright smile looking at the stamps, something that I hadn’t seen too often. The next thing I started doing was segregating them based on different themes. For example, monuments, famous personalities, places, scientists etc. After segregating them, I showed them again to dad. He looked at them for hours together. He told me that some of them were rare Indian stamps that not many collectors would have. I suddenly felt even luckier. My Dad revealed that even he loved collecting Stamps of India when he was young. He used to get them from his dad, meaning my grandfather. From that moment, I had started a journey of collecting stamps, a journey that I still enjoy undertaking!

Factors that Collectors Miss while Collecting Colonial Coins

There are many collectors who randomly collect Colonial Coins. They don’t even know the history behind them or look at the specifics. A true collector will try to build his or her collection in a unique way. They will follow a theme and collect coins that fall into that specific theme. Colonial coins is one such theme that you can follow when it comes to Indian coins. Apart from Britishers, the Portuguese, Dutch and French also set up their colonies in India. You will find colonial coins belonging to each of these regimes as well. Most collectors will collect British coins when it comes to colonial coins. Very few know about the fact that many beautiful coins were struck by the French, Dutch and Portuguese as well. If you really want to be different, then you should have the eye and taste for it. Keep looking out; you never know when you will get really lucky in this hobby.

Apart from themes, there are several other factors that you need to consider if you are new to this hobby. The first thing is rarity. Always remember that antique Indian coins that are rarer have a greater value in the market. Why are some coins rarer than others? This is mostly because these Indian Antique Coins are struck in smaller numbers. Some rulers reigned for lesser number of years, due to which coins that are issued under them would obviously be rarer. Only if you keep updating your knowledge about the kind of coins that you are collecting, would you know which coins are rare and which ones are not.

Some experts also say that you should buy the book before you purchase a coin. This way you are also keeping yourself engaged in some way or the other. Apart from that, you wouldn’t want to be embarrassed when someone walks up to you and asks details about a coin from your collection.