Outlook for Future In Philately

The saga of Indian Philately – both pre-Independence and post-Independence – has been a fascinating and romantic one. Generations of collectors have grown up savouring the joys, thrills and challenges the hobby has to offer and many have carried their abiding interest in Philately to adulthood and old age. The same cannot be said of the present generation. What with various distractions in the present-day world – TV and Cable, Computers, Internet and Video games, sports and highly competitive academic pursuits, the youth of today have less inclination to pursue a serious hobby like philately. In fact, many of the senior collectors even find it difficult to bequeath their precious and painstakingly nurtured collection to their young ones. Thus the outlook for future is uncertain.

One way to regain the lost ground is to promote Philately through websites and Internet. Video games related to philatelic themes need to be devised and put on popular websites to attract the younger generation. Many educative and intellectual games and exercises with stamps can be designed to stir the imagination and ignite the minds of children. Only time will tell what the future of the hobby will be with all such efforts put in to promote it.