Albums or Stock Cards

When my eight year-old daughter began to show an interest in collecting stamps, I considered getting her a beginner type world-wide stamp album. There was a moment when I considered opting for stock cards instead just as I was passing over the money. But I thought she may as well start out right. While she was on fire for the hobby on day one, by day 5 that fire was just a few sorry embers. Some time later she asked for one of the stock cards I had laying around to put in a few newly acquired stamps. Later still, on a day when I was ill, I had found that she had spent a goodly portion of the day arranging and rearranging her stamps in a few stock cards.

What I found was that the stock cards appealed to her more for several reasons. One, they made viewing and placing her stamps more fun and kid friendly without the worry. Two, they allowed for changing (or more accurately developing) her preferences. Every once and a while now I see her pull out her stamps and stock cards. She tries to tell me what her latest plans are but I admittedly don't really understand much of what she's talking about. But one thing is for certain, my daughter is building her collection her way and enjoying it more than I could have hoped for...developing a love for collecting stamps in a way I never could have taught her to.

Anyone have similar (or differing) experiences?

-- James the Web guy