Boston 2026 World Stamp Show

The World Show is a trip. My first was in 2006 in Washington DC. I was totally over-whelmed by the size & venue quantity. Planning is key, and I had not planned well. My second World Show was 2016 in New York City. I planned better and still somewhat over-whelmed by the magnitude & size. Both were multi-day visits. I am planning for Boston's World Show. Budgeting funds for certain potential buys, talking with vendors at the local shows who have presented themselves at the previous two, developing 'want lists' for different factions of the collection, planning for attendance to FDoI Ceremonies, etc.. If you have been to either the Boxborough or WALPEX shows, the World Show is another Universe - Galaxy of being. I'm planning on attending EVERY day, opening to closing. (I am chomping at the bit)

As you might be able to tell in previous posts, this is only held in the US once every ten years. It's a truly major experience where you can attend every day and still not see everything. Meeting collectors and dealers from all over the world was a great experience. Just don't get roped into working at that show; it's long hours and you'll never be allowed to step away for very long.

One memory was of going through rows of great exhibits and coming across the frame with the 1 cent British Guiana. Nothing to tell me that it was there, no guard standing next to it.

I worked 2016. Six days working with three days to see the show. It was great.

Looked that up... looks like the thief was "whacked" by Bulger:

In the 1970s, Barrett was convicted of stealing $400,000 worth of rare stamps from the Cardinal Spellman Museum at Regis College in Weston. A second conviction soon followed for burglary of safe-deposit boxes at the Parker House hotel in Boston.




WOW!

Just received my souvenir sheets of the Stamp Show design #1 labels. For a minimal donation I was sent three rouletted sheets and one artist signed (395 of 450) sheet. Pretty darn cool.

What the sheet of labels looks like:

The second souvenir sheet is now available:



https://boston2026.org/

Hey those are pretty nifty! Though am I reading the website correctly? Unsigned sheets are FREE + $5 s/h?

Yes, free with only S&H. Worth the $5. The packaging is very well done. I have the first two so far.

I am bumping this topic back to the top, rather than start a new one, since the information here is still relevant. Plus I think it might be worthwhile seeing how many people might be attending.

I have attended every World show since Chicago in 1986, and have already made a reservation for Boston, since I wanted to find a cheaper hotel room. I also volunteered to do some proofreading on the 2016 NY exhibition catalog. I would high recommend attending as there is something for everyone: Exhibits, dealers, world postal administrations, many of the rarities of the world on exhibit, and just the pleasure of meeting so many other people from around the world with the same interest as you.

I started attending shows in New York in the 1970s at Madison Square Garden, but that doesn't prepare you for the sheer size of a World show. Think football field jam packed with all things philatelic.

So I look forward to maybe meeting some of you, and look forward even to the discussion to come. If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to try and answer any as best I can.

Thanks for the bump, BYLee291. This will be my first World Stamp show- what would you say to someone hoping to come for all seven days to prepare? What should be done in advance to make it the best experience possible?

WheatCent: Are you a specialised collector, beginner, bystander?
No matter what:
1. Look at the website and take notes of the dealers present and what they are selling. Also check their websites for a general pricing idea (show prices might likely be higher due to costs).
2. Look at the website for the societies present and if there are any talks that might interest you.
3. Check if there are auctions and auction lots to examine at the show.
4. If you have a significant other, buy a nice present for him/her before you go to the show. You might return with an empty wallet so better prepare for the complaints...
5. Check with other people from you neighborhood that might also go. Find nice places for food (last time in Boston I basically seafooded my way through Faneuille Hall and adjacent places).
6. Check for other things to see in Boston while there.

Boston local here; happy to suggest things to do + places to eat + etc!

gvol21 I'd like to read your suggestions, especially if you have any good restaurants to recommend.

I've never been to a World Show but as far as visiting Boston...
My #1 tip is to not rent a car unless you're planning some pre-show or post-show site seeing out of town. It will be easier to walk or take busses/subways/trolleys and taxis/ubers/lyfts when in town.
My #2 tip is to wear comfortable shoes.

In-town sites to consider when not at the show, in no particular order: Fenway Park for a game, the North End (by some accounts the largest Little Italy in the US), the Museum of Fine Arts, the Freedom Trail, The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Charles Street or Newbury Street for shopping; Harvard and MIT (campus tours and various museums. I'm partial to the Harvard Museums of Natural History, Anthropology, and Comparative Zoology, which are all attached)

Out of town sites to consider that aren't far away: Minuteman National Park in Concord; Newport, Rhode Island mansions; New Bedford Whaling Museum; Salem, Massachusetts (Federal-period mansions, House of Seven Gables, witch related things, Peabody-Essex Museum); Cape Ann (Gloucester, Rockport, sea food and ocean views); Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Ogunquit, Maine and Provincetown, Massachusetts (artsy seaside towns, good food. Provincetown is a 1.5 hour ferry (the faster ferry) ride from Boston across the bay).

Thanks, WheatCent, I went for the last three days of the 1986 Chicago show, and it was just overwhelming figuring out what to do, running around trying to do and see everything. I live in New York, so 2016 was a dream, taking a week off from work and being at the show every day when it opened. I'll make comments based on popular things to do and add things in additional replies when I think of them. Linn's will start publishing event schedules closer to the show,

(1) Hotel: If you're from out of town and even thinking of going, make a hotel reservation now and change or cancel it later. The least expensive hotel across the street from the Convention Center is already booked up for now, and at over $200 a night, this is a major expense.

(2) Opening Day: There will be an opening day ceremony with various speakers and a program given out, if you're interested.

(3) First days: There will be a U.S. First Day ceremony almost every morning, around 10:00 am. Most people are there for the souvenir program, and after the ceremony, people rush to get on line to have their programs signed by the first day dignitaries. There will be other U.N. and foreign postal administration first days.

(4) Philatelic Passport: Linn's has produced a free philatelic Passport that has spaces for 99% of the postal administrations attending plus blank spaces for the other 1%. These will have inexpensive stamps you can purchase to obtain a show cancel at the booth. This is a major activity and a way to provide business for most of the smaller foreign post offices. It can be expensive to fill the Passport, but it is a nice souvenir, and a popular activity for the noncollectors attending. It can take a full day, maybe a day-and a-half, to actually complete this. Note that some foreign booths keep the Sabbath and are closed Friday and Saturday.

(5) Exhibits: There are around 4,000 exhibits covering every subject listed in my 2016 catalog, way too many to see even if you spent the whole week looking at exhibits. You can look in a Catalog and see what interests you. Toward the end of the week, the awards will be made, and you can walk around to see which ones got ribbons. There will also be a Rarities area where you may be able see the 1c magenta British Guiana, 24c Inverted Jenny airmail, whole sheets of the Columbians, John Lennon's boyhood stamp album, etc.

(6) Lectures, Society meetings: There will be a daily schedule of lectures, and most societies will have a membership meeting during the show.

(7) Dealers: Most of the major U.S. and foreign dealers will be present.

To be continued when I think of other things.