It's raining outside, so I get to join the meeting ever so briefly.
I get to go to larger stamp shows about once a year. But, the smaller stamp bourses are few and far between where I live. However, I used to actually hold a table at some of the small bourses in Iowa and southern Minnesota. Never made too terribly much - especially compared to the coin guys who were at some of the same shows.
I did have a person come to me and offer this item for sale. At the time, I lived just West of Decorah, Iowa. And, my focus has been (for quite some time) on the 1861 US issue. Probably paid too much for it - and yet - I didn't because I still like it and I've since forgotten what I paid for it. (yes I could look it up).
Stamp Shows and Bourses
- Do you go to them?
You bet, but almost always only to the local shows. I made Sacramento in 2012 due to a windfall in cash, but almost always I'm limited by the choice "Buy Stamps or Buy Hotel Room"
- What do you look at in the exhibits?
When possible, I really enjoy reading the exhibits, but am almost always too busy to see them during show hours
- What do you look for at thedealers’ tables?
Depends on what I'm collecting at the time. This year it was Norway, last year it was Portuguese Colonies, in between I did Denmark, working from a collection I bought at last years show. [I bought Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Spain this year]
- Which meetings do you attend?
Almost never... No time
- Do you go to the awards dinner?
Always, even when not exhibiting.
- What else do you do at / get out of stamp shows?
I try always to run or volunteer at the 'stamps in your attic' type booth. I really enjoy the process of telling someone what they have, especially when I see them 'getting it'...
- Show us some nice pieces you picked up at a stamp show.
Finished up this page, as well as many more from the album.
Thanks, Rob and billsey, for your posts on stamp shows. I will add some of my experiences. Please feel free to add yours.
- Do you go to them?
I realized some time after I first exhibited that I loved going to stamp shows. And I would always go to the biennial Canberra show since I first became aware of it, before I was a club member even.
After my first exhibit at Canberra 2000, I learned the trick of planning vacations around stamp shows. There had to be something in it for the family too, though, back then.
And so I attended New Zealand’s CANPEX 2000 (Olympic escape holiday), Melbourne 2002 (family holiday and catch up with spouse’s childhood friends), Canberra 2004 (possession cleanout), Pacific Explorer 2005 (en route to USA), Sydney Stamp Show 2007 (visit to Oz with hubby), and COALPEX 2008 (vacation in Bay Area).
These days, I am spoilt with having PIPEX here in Portland every year, and even the NTSS show coming here in July/August.
- What do you look at in the exhibits?
I look at how the items are mounted and arranged, title pages, friends’ exhibits, my own if anyone wants me to walk through it with them, fun exhibits, those in the Court of Honor, those that interest me. Never enough time to see them properly.
- What do you look for at the dealers’ tables?
In Australia it was big ticket items or the “yellow dot” covers from the British dealers. I would make notes on what they had all brought, and generally could pick up one or more covers that would fill holes in my exhibit.
Here there just aren’t any items like that (APS Stampshow 2007 was an exception), so I have adapted by looking for minor shade or overprint varieties, and filling holed in my more modern collection.
- Which meetings do you attend?
I always attend the exhibitors (NAPE or AAPE) meeting, and the judges’ feedback forum, even when not exhibiting. Also, any meetings of clubs of which I am a member. I even attended an eUSC meeting at Melbourne ’02!
- Do you go to the awards dinner?
Yes. The one time I didn’t (PE05) I really regretted it.
- What else do you do at / get out of stamp shows?
Getting to meet other New Hebrides collectors, meeting and getting to know those who have traveled from elsewhere, including eUSC members. The easiest way to do this is to volunteer for set-up and pull-down.
- Show us some nice pieces you picked up at a stamp show.
CANPEX 2000 – a jewel of a cover was available, NSW postal agency 1899 cover to Canada.
Bourse at Santa Clara on our way back from Oz in 2007, this cover was a steal and I paid for it at once before the dealer could change his mind. 1908 French provisional on cover sent to a paleographer and archivist in France.
I think I've only been to one stamp show as an adult. They don't tend to have them in the area where I live. They are commonly situated in a hotel on Century Blvd leading to the airport, in an area of hotels, industrial parks and, beyond that, very disreputable neighborhoods. Who knows why they pick that locale? Perhaps because LAX is (more or less) centrally located in the West Los Angeles area, although not really. What with airport traffic and complete lack of scenery or points of interest I can't think of a worse place for a stamp show.
Anyway, the one I visited perhaps 15 years ago now was attended by one other person besides myself. There was a multi-frame exhibit there, and being unused to way the supports for the frames stick out at a diagonal into the walking area I banged into them several times. I don't even remember what the show was about...I gave up my perusal after getting the tenth ugly stare from the bourse sellers as my clumsy stumbles echoed around the room.
I sat down with one seller who had a box of "cheapies" as he called them. All modern stuff, postcards and the like. I told the seller that I was looking for "October 5" items, and to my surprise ran across one I didn't have, from 1982. I told the seller how delighted I was to find it--whereupon the price of a 25-cent item went immediately up to $2. Oh well.
Here's the item:
Thanks, guys, for your input. Sorry to hear that you have not enjoyed more stamp shows, jaywild. And glad your last stamp show was a positive experience, ipron. We did have a couple of young exhibitors at PIPEX.
THis year I decided to look for cheap covers that fit into one or more of my new cheap displays. And so I ended up with...
this Bermudua cover (A Bunch of Fives, Greetings to America by Letter, See the World from Cover to Cover)
this Spain cover (GtA, StW), and it is also a mourning cover, which was primarily why I bought it...
this Netherlands cover (GTA, STW, slogan cancels, small covers, mourning cover)...
and this Denmark aerogram (GTA, STW) was free in the kids corner!
It's good to see Matt posting here!
Since Garfield Perry is a show I have had the pleasure of attending a couple of times, I wondered if I had scans of a few items I've picked up there.
Here is one such item. Not terribly expensive (probably $5-$10) and philatelically note a big deal. In fact, I seem to recall that there were several illustrated covers for this correspondence with the same design in more than one dealer stock at that show.
I picked this one because of the addendum on the enclosure:
"Dear Sir, At the last meeting you were elected one of the Directors of the Association."
Therefore reminding me that if I am a member of an association or some other group that I should attend the business meeting. Especially if I do NOT want to be elected to something.
Best,
Rob
I have always kind of enjoyed the Brazil Dom Pedro issue and have most of them in used condition. But, since I prefer postal history..
I was able to find an inexpensive Dom Pedro on cover to England at Chicagopex one year. And, just made this page this past Winter. Adding any future Dom Pedro postal history is likely going to be more a matter of stumbling over a good deal than any actual pursuit, I am guessing. But, it gives you an idea of what I am happy to look at and consider at shows.
