Boston Stamp Expo 2026 - Wrap Up Numbers?

Other than:




Profit, loss, and any others number out yet?

As to the attendance numbers, those shows NOT on the east coast seem better attended.

As for a next US international, any idea if one will happen or even if there is a crew to try?

That is abysmal attendance if accurate. Having the show in a top two most expensive State is a mistake unless you want to shut out "normal" people. If you removed locals from the number I wonder how much it shrinks.

In comparison, in Western MA at the Eastern States Exposition grounds the gun show draws over 25,000. The boat show draws over 35,000. The home show draws 100,000. This is in Hampden County (West Springfield) where you would park for free. The cost of lodging and meals is half and there are none of the extra taxes that Boston slaps on you. Your an hour from the ocean and an hour from the Berkshires. Less than an hour to Vermont and CT.

Locating these shows in places like Boston reeks of egalitarian legacy thinking. You don't make such a decision thinking for a split second about collectors with smaller budgets. You are catering to the wealthy and specifically deep pocket exhibitors.

They should have two shows, one for the bougie and the other for the rest of us.

As has been stated several times before, the show was in Boston for historical reasons; the 250th anniversary of 1776. It had nothing to do with elitism. It was going to be held with the history in mind all along. How could the hobby do anything else, realistically? History is part of the lifeblood of the hobby.

Let's not lose the important nuance here. As someone posted on the other board:




So let's just compare apples to apples. Boston was a decline from NYC, but a 10-15% drop over a decade in attendance is probably in line with other stamp shows over the same period. There are just fewer people going to stamp shows in 2026 than there were in 2016.

Frankly, I'm surprised Boston posted such robust numbers given the demographic changes in the hobby, the high cost of the show location, and the fact that certain countries stayed away from the show.

The largest USA show other than GASS is WESTPEX and has been WESTPEX for decades. It is of course a show on the wrong coast (west) according to the self important easterners.

And sorry, there is far more to US history than the town of Boston. As to the development of the USA, Philadelphia was a better choice.

I believe transportation, food, and lodging costs had an impact. For some it is a no brainer to go but for many (like me) I decided to just save the money and not deal with the hassle. For the same cost, most anyone could have paid for air fare from lodging savings in a more cost effective location.

But if the show can break even I see no issue with having the show. The hobby lost a lot of collectors (like those at the level to attend shows) in the last 10 years. I have no idea how much being international affects who comes. Someone said the show could have been done in a much smaller space.

The economic climate did not help.

Other than the FIP flap, was it a turning point for any aspect of the hobby? Crossposting?

Angore, ^^ p.s.

Crossposting - bad.
Postcrossing - good.

:-)

The Boston Massacre did not occur in Philadelphia. Lexington and Concord were not in Philadelphia. The Boston Tea Party was not in Philadelphia. Boston was the epicenter of all that occurred; Philadelphia was more convenient for congress to meet, but Boston was the spearhead.

From Google

"Over 2,300 international scholars and mathematicians organized a petition and boycott targeting the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City, Philadelphia, over the hosting of the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) from July 23–30, 2026"

So Philly might not have been a magic bullet either.

The trade off between low cost and attractiveness is that people from London or Paris or LA do not dream of visiting West Springfield.

To a certain extent, you want people who want to be in the area completely independent of the fact the convention is there.

They might bring significant other, family, BFF etc as two in a hotel is as cheap as one, and you can combine your hobby trip with a vacation of somewhere you wanted to go anyhow.

Half of the people will hate the destination for one reason, and half will hate it for a different reason. The third half will refuse to go because it was held there 30 years ago and though they did go then, they resent it being in the same place.

While competitive exhibits and education are purported goals, the real critical thing is getting paying exhibitors to show up. And getting the customers in front of them.

If organizations only see the companies as cash cows to squeeze, the milk will sour and run dry.

It is not easy planning a convention for several years from now. But the real bottom line is getting the dealers and the public engaged. Not champagne toasts in the VIP suites for board members (Not that that happened, I have no idea, but the idea certainly exists)