Over the past six years, I’ve attended more shows and meetings than I can count. As I wander through an event, chatting with friends and acquaintances, one topic almost always comes up: the state of philately – more specifically, organized philately. I don’t claim to have special expertise, nor am I aware of any rigorous, long-term studies that shed light on the issue. Still, like many others, I form opinions based on anecdotal observation. My thoughts are no more inherently valid than yours.

Before discussing why organized philately matters and why it needs to be preserved and strengthened, we should ask: why does it seem that our numbers shrink year after year?

Our hobby isn’t immune to broader cultural and societal trends. If you’ve spoken with me recently, you’ve probably heard me mention Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam, first published in 2000. In his book, Putnam documents the decline in membership across many types of volunteer organizations in the United States – from religious congregations and fraternal orders to PTAs, veterans’ groups, bridge clubs and, yes, stamp clubs. His title refers to the sharp drop in bowling league participation, which has led to more people bowling alone – or not at all.

Putnam attributes this decline to a loss of social cohesion – what he calls social capital. The causes include:

• Generational change. The older, civically engaged “long civic generation” has been replaced by younger, less-involved cohorts, accounting for roughly half of the decline.
• Technological change in leisure. The rise of television and, later, the internet and screens has shifted time toward solitary entertainment and away from face-to-face interaction.
• Suburbanization and commuting. Urban sprawl and car dependence mean longer commutes and less neighborhood contact, weakening local networks.
• Work and family changes. More two-income households, greater time pressure and unstable employment leave less time for clubs and volunteering.
• Political and cultural shifts. Increased polarization and declining trust in institutions has eroded civic engagement and voter participation.

We’ve experienced some of this within our own club and with virtually every other philatelic organization. Moving programs online via Zoom has expanded our reach dramatically – an undeniable success. But there’s a trade-off : real-time, in-person contact is irreplaceable. What’s lost? Serendipitous discovery – the chance encounters, unexpected finds and unscripted conversations that enrich our experience.

If we accept that much of the hobby’s current state reflects larger social and cultural forces, then solutions may lie outside philately. Other fi elds facing similar challenges have found creative ways to adapt, and we can learn from them.

Once upon a time, a Wall Street philatelist might finish work at 4 p.m., stop by the club, sink into a chair with a cigar and a whiskey and chat about new issues or discoveries. That world is gone. Today, work ends later, commutes are longer, family responsibilities take precedence and leisure time is scarce. We can’t simply bring back the past.

What we can do is find new ways to foster interaction, through events, yes, but also by looking well beyond the boundaries of our hobby for ideas worth borrowing. The path forward may be one others have already walked; we should not be afraid to follow it.

Now, usually these dialogues in the CCP are really not dialogues: given the limitation of print, they are essentially one-way communiques. But we have new tools, and I encourage you to try them out. Over at our Substack, https://collectorsclub.substack.com/, we’ve opened up the chat feature. Go over there and have a look and have a say. We’ve opened a thread on this topic with this piece as the first post. What do you say?

 

 

–Lawrence Haber