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)

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

Sure, blame the east coast and ignore the fact that the lower attendance shows on the east coast were the most recent shows and let's ignore the fact that show attendance at all levels if show have been falling for a long time.

"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 "

Sure. let's compare things that a higher % of people participate in that had shows in a lower cost location to a hobby that a much smaller # of people participate in that had a show in a high cost area and declare that it was cost and not fewer interested people as the cause.

Look, I have zero doubt the cost of Boston did dissuade some people, but stop with the silly comparisons.

WESTPEX a large west coast show started in 1960. Besides being large, it as top quality dealers, many of whom went to Boston Expo 2026 the next month this year. And yes some are international dealers.




As you also pointed out, revcollector, 2026 is the 250th year of this country. Not to imply bad mat, but 250 years ago was 1776, the year being celebrated and it was that year this country was described and started on several pieces of paper generally drafted in Philadelphia. The 250 years ago was not a celebration the locations you mentioned nor prior settlements which arose before 1776.

It still all began with Boston. Which was chosen more than ten years ago, since it took time to set up the proposal. Perhaps you should have been picketing the meeting where the decision was made with a big sign for Philadelphia.

I, for one, would appreciate a little more egalitarian thinking. They can pick Boston area or Philadelphia area and honor history while saving money for the majority of the visitors.

Compare and contrast Chicagopex out in Itasca, or downtown at the Drake. And a show at the Drake would still be relatively more affordable than Beantown.

If, instead, they want to accommodate the FIPpies so that they can rub elbow patches while sipping sherry or Champagne in the bar at a Michelin-starred restaurant, so be it. (If they can cover all of the expenses on their own.)

Wouldn't surprise me to learn that some number of them wouldn't mind if attendance topped out at 900.

This is very simple.

If your holding a convention for everyone you make it as affordable as possible. If you are pandering to the upper echelon you throw economy out of the window.

Even simpler now.

If your budget for the year to collect stamps is $1,000 or $3,000 or maybe even $5,000 (which I suspect most collectors and certainly newbies spend) you don't spend $1,000 or $3000 or $5000 on a Stamp Show trip.

PS: Is anyone serious when they say that people were aligning their Boston trip they waited 30 years for to go to the Convention Center.

In other hobby conventions, there is no such thing as competitive exhibits. Few go to just see the exhibits and that can be done online anyway. They often have other entertainment aspects that are less cerebral. I doubt many have black tie dinners to give out awards.

At this point, one could give collections free to new collectors given the glut of collections getting to the market.

All the outreach efforts reached a small audience and unless replicated elsewhere it will be a nice try.

My take is if Mystic can make a profitable business selling stamps at very premium prices, there is hope. They have been number 1 recruiter for APS. I just think there is a lot of baggage with the current model.

My real concern is about the suppliers of stamp mounts, etc.