(Submitted to NorthIowaToday.com by Mike Tickal of Mason City)
Is collecting DEAD? Yes and No. Collecting is changing. People used to collect stamps and coins as a form of self expression and in a minor way to learn. It used to be fun to have someone in a foreign country that you could send some stamps to and they would send you some from their country and you went out and learned about them. Not as many people do this anymore; with internet access it is easier to learn about stuff without getting actual items. People now seem to collect items that they will just enjoy. As in “I like seeing these sitting on my shelf” Down at Oak Leaf Collectibles, in Mason City, we are seeing a lot more people buying tangible items to collect than items they want to learn something about. We do still have collectors who come in to get stamp collection supplements and books for coins so it is not dead. There are just far fewer of them.||
