Study suggests character-building
benefits for children who collect
but kids say they just want to have
fun
ITASCA, IL - After you've signed the kids up for soccer and installed their home computer, you might want to think about starting a collection for them.
A recent study of parents and children by Enesco Corp.), a leader in the gift and collectibles industry, suggests that children -- and their families -- benefit from the sense of responsibility, family values and self-esteem that building and maintaining a collection instills. But while parents value the special qualities they believe their children develop through collecting, most children surveyed say they collect just for fun.
The "Enesco Study of Children's Attitudes on Collecting" was commissioned by Enesco to better understand the collecting habits and preferences of children. The study was conducted by NFO Research Inc., a Greenwich, CT-based market research and public opinion polling firm in July and August 1996. Questionnaires were mailed to 3,500 households identified as having a child age 3 - 13 years old. Of those who responded, 1,626 households had a child collector and formed the basis for the study.
"While we were pleased to learn of the positive influences parents believe the collecting activity has on their children, perhaps the strongest message of the study is that, like anything else, if it's not fun, kids won't do it," said Shonnie Bilin, vice president of Collectibles Marketing for Enesco. "And when it is fun, kids can become very, very enthusiastic and involved."
Key findings of the study follow:
CHARACTER-BUILDING BENEFITS
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When asked what collecting has meant for their child collector, adult respondents agreed on some very significant benefits for the child -- and family. A vast majority (83 percent) said collecting has allowed the child to learn responsibility; 78 percent believe collecting has been a good activity for the family; 72 percent said collecting has helped to teach the child the value of money; and 68 percent said collecting enhances the child's self-esteem.
When asked to select one statement that best described how the adult feels about the child's collecting, the number one response (26 percent) was "collecting provides a focus for the child."
Parents also felt that collecting teaches the child to work or save for something (23 percent); collecting teaches the value of items (20 percent); collecting encourages the child to learn something new (14 percent); and collecting teaches the child responsibility (13 percent).
An overwhelming majority of parents (88 percent) agreed that they encourage their child's collecting.
KIDS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN
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While their parents perceive a range of benefits from collecting, children surveyed were most likely to say they like adding to their collections simply because they enjoy playing with or looking at the collections (46.4 percent). Twenty percent said they most enjoy watching their collections grow, while 13 said they like to find pieces to add to their collections. Child respondents whose favorite collection is collectible figurines and plates were most apt to say they like watching their collections grow (38.1 percent).
COLLECTION FAVORITES
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When asked what they collect, child respondents provided more than 30 different categories ranging from sports cards to dolls to bugs. Forty-two percent of the 1,636 child respondents said they collect sports cards, the most popular collectible item, according to the survey. Other popular collectibles include pogs (34 percent), stuffed animals (27 percent), dolls (24 percent), miniature cars (23 percent), action figures (23 percent), collectible figurines (18 percent), coins (18 percent) and building toys (17 percent).