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The next generation.

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

Most youth programs in the philatelic hobby concentrate on young children, to make them
collectors, but there's now a program to develop future leaders.

"Y-P-L-F stands for Young Philatelic Leaders Fellowship." RUNS :04

Dani LEV-iss of New Jersey is in the current class, but in a new specialty, for designers.

"Previously, they only had the author track, exhibitor track, and dealer track." RUNS :05

But some parts of stamp collecting rely on visual design, such as decorated envelopes whose
artwork is called "cachets."

"In the designer track, throughout the year, I'll get to make about seven original cachets
of all different types, and design one stamp." RUNS :09

The American Philatelic Society program funds travel to stamp collecting events around the
country.

"You get to go to three shows, and then we get to go on a field trip to the American
Philatelic Center and the National Postal Museum." RUNS :07

Each participant has a sponsor, so most of the expenses are paid.

The Y-P-L-F program runs about a year, and includes ages 16 through 24.

"It's usually people who have a previous interest in the philatelic world and want to get
more mentorship and really want to grow in the community." RUNS :10

And that certainly describes Dani. Her late father was a dealer in first day covers, the
envelopes postmarked on the date a stamp first goes on sale.

"I've always been running around stamp shows, sleeping under the table, looking through
other dealers' stock." RUNS :05

One of the best parts of the program for Dani Leviss, though, is hanging out with other
young collectors.

"It's great to not have to start the conversation with 'You know what a stamp is?' and
then 'You know what a postmark is? Well, if you put all that together on an envelope
and some artwork, this is what it is.' So it's good to like have some people my age
that I don't have to start at like ground zero the conversation. It can start with
already some background knowledge." RUNS :17

I’m Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting,
visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.


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