The End Of The Chicago Philatelic Powerhouse .

Today woke up with the understanding that the huge influence of the city of Chicago to the worldwide stamp community is over . To explain it to all to the new collectors and philatelist. Chicago was a monster of expertise , knowledge and collections . Growing up in Chicago wasn't just stamp stores it was a Masters class to be part of it . The clubs, stamp shows ,bourses , and stamps store all mix together .
Growing up there with my one dollar album and 10 cent stamp packets I could mix with the best people of the philatelic community worldwide these people who where in Chicago was at the time EXPERTS TO THE REST OF THE WORLD .

Yesterday was the sale of "Bud " Henning 's collections and you can bet I was a buyer of his material . This gives me a proud claim to say all those major philatelist who made CHICAGO gigantic in the stamp community now have parts of their collections over the past 50 years moved on into my collection .

I'm sure that it was excellent, but there were people in New York who might disagree that Chicago was the center of the philatelic world. That's why the ASDA show was in New York every year for many decades, for one thing.

Never said it was the center .
We had London ,Brussels, Paris before 1910 as centers , then London in the 1920's-1940's . After WW11 it was New York . Then 1950's it was a fight between N.Y. and London . Today we don't have a center .

But Chicago grew after WW11 to be a power house .Those guys build collections and did research that resulted into the" experts" community , who had money and traveled the world to buy .

[qChicago was at the time EXPERTS TO THE REST OF THE WORLD .][/q]

This certainly makes it sound like "the center".

As a resident of neither NYC or Chicago the first place that pops into my head when the topic of the heyday of stamp collecting arises is Nassau Street and we know where that is/was. Those dealers and auctioneers were there for a reason. That was where the clients were. We COULD argue about grinders/subs/hoagies but that could mean fighting words.

Could you connect the sale of one collection to the "end of Chicago's huge influence?" I live in Chicago and never heard of Bud Henning. I also did not know that Chicago was considered by any to be a philatelic "powerhouse" - at least not outsized for the general size and overall cultural influence of Chicago compared to other big cities.

Phil - Bud Henning was Doug Henning's Great Uncle twice removed and is credited with inventing the counterclockwise wound toilet paper tube as well as a battery powered water fountain drinking feature for cats. He attended Saint Gaga's School for young girls (the only boy!) and went on to get a Doctorate from Harvard in Renaissance animal husbandry history. In his free time Bud was involved in charities for households with jewelry insecurity and unemployed beer delivery drivers. He leaves behind his beloved Cockatoo Pee-Wee and his pet ants.

PS: He loved stamps, especially stamps made of paper.

PPS: If you knew Bud you know that this satire would be appreciated so don't write angry letters to the editor.

grinders/subs/hoagies???

They are called "heroes".

From the perspective of someone from the Pacific Northwest ...

The Collector's Club of Chicago has published some fantastic books on philately over the years, many of which I own. If Chicago contributed nothing else to philately, that city would still stand out as a standard bearer for the hobby. Stating Chicago is/was a city of great influence and full of philatelic experts takes nothing away from NYC, London, etc. Arguing as much is without merit.

Brian