Structured collecting of children's stamps thanks to the arrival of the children's stamp association (3)
The third part of this series of articles covers the children's stamp years 1980 – 2004. In 1980, a children's stamp association was founded, which not only changed its name over the years but also significantly expanded its collection items. After the children's stamp thank-you cards, collectors' attention was also drawn to other SKN issues, such as posters, sealing stamps, and SKN picture postcards. Due to this last item, the Maximum Card proved to be a logical subsequent expansion of the Association for Children's Stamps & Maximaphily.
1980
Through harmonious cooperation between 35 members of the 'Kontaktgroep Kinderbedankkaarten' and the association's board, the first inventory of 'children's stamp campaigns from 1924 by the collector for the collector' of 'children's stamp attributes' was completed in 1980. The exceptionally richly illustrated (570 illustrations) and 80-page brochure was published by the Association in an edition of 75 copies.
Over the years, the name, logo, and collectibles of the Association have changed and expanded considerably (email voorhetkind@kindmax.nl).
1986
The richly illustrated publication 'Dat kleine beetje extra' (350.000 copies) focuses on 60 series of children's stamps on the occasion of the release of the 60th series of children's stamps. All schoolchildren who participated in the stamp campaign receive a copy as a gift. All stamps from the 60 children's stamp issues are featured in color, with some interesting information per series.
The yellow, gracefully curved profile line of a child's face with a lock of hair connects (literally and figuratively) the three children's stamps with the three cultural subjects:
- lined paper (music & literature),
- colorful square (visual arts [painting + sculpture] & architecture),
- stage floor (performing arts).
The Rotterdam Philatelists Association organized a special exhibition, '60 Years with Stamps', on the occasion of the 60th children's stamp issue. The Amsterdam Committee for Children's Stamps also stimulated the sale of children's stamps with the DAM envelope and DAM stamp during the period 12–14 November 1986.
The Libelle poster 60 Years of Children's Stamps (70 x 48,5 cm) shows all 272 different children's stamps issued up to and including 1986. By now, the number has already risen to 445 children's stamps.
In 1986, this typographic door stamp was given free of charge to customers ordering children's stamps with the request to affix it visibly to their door or window, so that other schoolchildren would no longer have to ring the doorbell. As a tennis player in top form, Richard Krajicek is practically never late for a service return or a volley. But when he went out as a child with order forms for children's stamps and cards during the 1998 campaign, it turned out that other children had beaten him to it: “I don't remember why. What I do remember is: no matter how far I walked, in every street, people turned out to have already ordered.”
1990
On the occasion of the issuance of the 1990 children's stamps, the booklet 'Postzegels' was published. The philatelic story is taken from the book 'Kees de jongen' by author Theo Thijssen. Two former primary school pupils, acting as avid collectors, manage to purchase two stamps that they consider extraordinarily attractive due to their shape and size (Cape Triangle and Large Persian). Perhaps the 1990 75-cent children's stamp (nvph 1459, stamp collecting) played a role in giving a chapter from Thijssen's book as a gift to the young employees of the school campaign.
1991
Simultaneously with the release of the 1991 children's stamp sheet titled 'Playing Outside' (nvph 1483/85The poster 'Playing Outside in Stamp Land' was also produced, which advertised not only CD sales but also the 65th children's stamp campaign of 1991. Five singing children's choir members (led by Majel Lustenhouwer) from the five continents dance in a circle, playfully and cheerfully, atop a blue globe, upon which a jagged and wavy 'stamp cloth' floats.
1998
The informative text '50 years celebration schools campaign celebration!' on the 1998 stamp sheet refers to the year of the first 'For the child by the child' school campaign in 1948.
An inserted commemorative card with cancelled children's stamps, issued on the occasion of the official first sale of the 1998 children's stamps to business associates on November 11, 1998, has been enhanced with a genuine signature by graphic designer Max Velthuijs as a special feature.
1999
The 48-page booklet 'Nice, isn't it, such a joke , , ,' contains five short, exciting, and moving stories by children's book authors about children who do not have it easy. Tobias's 'experience' in this collection of stories could very well correspond with the theme of the 2024 children's stamp issue 'Together we give children superpowers!', in which resilience effectively combats and even eliminates the bullying behavior of others.
2004
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Kinderpostzegels, SKN a children's encyclopedia (112 pages) given as a gift to children in the Netherlands who helped as staff members of the 2004 school campaign.
Should a reader take an interest in one of the pictured items, acquisition is quite possible given my age.