Thousands of stamps will be available for young -- and young at heart -- collectors at the 20th annual Youth Stamp Fair sponsored by the Ventura County Philatelic Society and the Anacapa Middle School Stamp Club on Saturday, Oct. 16.

The free event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Dudley House at Loma Vista Road and Ahswood Avenue in Ventura.

In addition to boxes of stamps to search through, the event features a cachet (pictorial envelope) contest, stamp-related games, and stations to learn how (and why) to get stamps off paper, how to store stamps, how to determine watermarks and perforations, topical collecting (collecting stamps by subject matter rather than countries), collecting covers (the stamp collector's term for envelopes, especially those that have gone through the mail) and other subjects. Visitors can also make stamp bookmarks.

Those who enter the cachet contest will have their entries mailed back to them with a special pictorial cancel. Others who would like the cancel can bring self-addressed, stamped envelopes to the event or send a request to the Ventura County Philatelic Society at P.O. Box 7042, Ventura 93006.

Everyone who attends will receive a bag of stamp-collecting items, including information, a small stamp album, stamps and other items. Many door prizes will be given away.

"Stamp collecting is fun, relaxing and educational," said chairman John Weigle of Oxnard, a member of the Ventura County Philatelic Society and the adviser for the Anacapa Middle School Stamp Club. "It can be as inexpensive or expensive as you wish," he added.

Stamp collecting is known as the king of hobbies and hobby of kings because of the number of kings, queens and other high-profile people who have collected over the years.

Although the event is called the Youth Stamp Fair, it's open to anyone of any age who wants to learn more about stamp collecting, Weigle said.

For more information or to have questions answered, contact Weigle by e-mail at jweigle@vcnet.com.