When you visit a museum,
you’re really visiting an enormous
collection of cool stuff. Why not use your
free time to start your own collection?
Collecting is creative, it tells stories, it
teaches you about and surrounds you with
beautiful things, plus there are no limits
on what you can collect. Who knows? It could
be worth a lot of money some day.
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by Tali Toland
It’s as
easy as 1-2-3…
1.
Choose what you want to collect.
Here are some questions to
ask yourself before you start a collection: |
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- What do I like? What are my
hobbies/interests?
- Can I find the item easily?
- Can I buy or trade for them?
2.
Research. You
should learn about what you decide to collect. This
way you’ll know how to take care of it. Research is
also a good way to find out if you have a rare item.
Some cool websites for research are www.stamps.org/kids,
www.rocksforkids.com, www.conchologistsofamerica.org/kids,
www.insects.org and www.usmint.gov/kids.
3.
Upkeep and Display. Take the time to
catalog your collection (make notes about each item)
and figure out how to show it off. Think about how a
museum might display your collection. Maybe you can
display stamps in frames and hang them on the wall
(with mom and dad’s permission). You could store
items in a box or photo album. Just make sure you
have room to house your collection.
Tips for parents
The best collections for children are of
free or inexpensive items. This way they can do
everything themselves. Be supportive – if your child
asks to display his/her collection somewhere in the
house, make it happen. If you had a collection as a
child, share your collection (at least stories about
it) with your child. There are a few great reasons
kids should start collections. First, it gives them
a sense of ownership and responsibility. Second, it
helps develop their organizational skills. It also
helps them set goals and feel a sense of
accomplishment.
Books
 •
Beginner’s Stamp Collecting Fun Kit:
Everything You Need to Start a Fun & Fascinating
Hobby, Dover Publishing. $19.95. This boxed set
includes a book with information on stamps and how
to start your collection. It also includes an
activity book about labeling and displaying
your collection.
•
Collect This: A Cool Guide to Collecting
for Kids by Donna Guthrie and Christy Zarkin.
$6.99. With 96 pages of clever tips for the young
collector, this book gives kids tons of creative
collecting pointers, from starting a collection to
storing it safely. Peppered with lots of fascinating
factoids about wacky collections, this guide is
straightforward and fun.
•
Collecting Things Is Fun by Kimberlee
Graves and Michael Jerrett. $10.85. This paperback
book is great for readers of all levels. It includes
ideas for unique and practical collections, as well
as upkeep and storage information.
Cool Collection Ideas
•
Free: letters, used stamps, rocks,
shells, family photos/stories, old keys, riddles,
dried leaves or flowers, bugs
•
Inexpensive: marbles, buttons,
postcards, baseball cards, pins, bottles, small
tools, new quarters/coins
Cool Collections in Atlanta
To get an idea for your collection or to
see how varied collections can be, visit some of
these Atlanta area collections:
•
The World of Shells. Fernbank Museum
of Natural History. This collection explains how
shells are formed and used by animals. The
collection includes hundreds of shells of different
colors, sizes and textures. 767 Clifton Road, N.E.,
Atlanta. 404-929-6300.
•
The World of Coca-Cola Atlanta. This
collection features approximately 1,200 Coke
artifacts, as well as 23 exotic flavors of soda made
by Coca-Cola. 55 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive,
Atlanta. 800-676-COKE (2653).
•
Ancient Egyptian Art. Michael C.
Carlos Museum. This collection contains items
ranging from pre-dynastic times to the Roman Empire.
It includes 10 mummies, nine coffins and a variety
of other artifacts. 571 South Kilgo Circle, Atlanta.
404-727-4282.
•
William Weinman Mineral Museum. This
collection of gold, gemstones, minerals and dinosaur
fossils is the largest in the Southeast. 51 Mineral
Museum Dr., Cartersville. 770-386-0576.
•
Whitman Coin and Collectibles Atlanta Expo.
This special event will be at the Cobb Galleria
Centre May 26-28. Coins, currencies, supplies and
books will be for sale from coin collection experts.
There will also be a special program for young
collectors. There is no admission for this show,
which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more
information, visit www.whitmanexpo.com.
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