APS Stampshow Grand Rapids

Just returned and I thought it was a great show. Got to meet lots of good folks, filled a few album holes and I give it a thumbs up overall. Plus the host city was outstanding. Being from the larger city bout 3 hours SE I can recommend GR as a very pleasant city to visit, take in many sites and drink some very good beer anytime!

Doug

I concur. This was my first major stamp show and I had a blast. Filled some holes and found myself expanding areas of interest while picking through dealer stock. Some of the exhibits were top drawer. Could spend an hour orso just going through one multipane exhibit.I also got to meet with some great APS people and one of the RevCollectors from this board(Bart). First time for me in Western Michigan and I am loving it. Grand Rapids, beaches at Holland and Muskegon, and now currently on the bay in Traverse City. Been a great trip.

It was a fine show, and Grand Rapids is a very nice city. Clean, with friendly polite people, good food, and good local beer. It was very enjoyable meeting a few people from the board as well.
Bart

I'm always sad to miss the APS Stampshow, since it comes at a time of year I absolutely cannot take time away from the office. Maybe when I retire...

I sent you an email, you were there in spirit.

I am sorry I wasn't able to attend, perhaps next year

For the record, next year's StampShow is scheduled for Portland, Oregon, Aug. 4-7.

Earlier major shows include World Stamp Expo NYC 2016, May 28 (Memorial Day) to June 4 in NYC.

And the APS winter show - AmeriStamp Expo (in conjunction with the big local show) Jan. 29-31 in Atlanta

One complaint, the lack of dealers who accept cc/debit cards. They take checks but not the modern method of paymemt?! How hard is it to set up a square account on an iphone or ipad? Went out to small shops everywhere around town that had them set up. I guess I should have known the problem when I pulled out my phone to access my want list in Excel through OneNote. Heads almost exploded....

That doesn't surprise me in the least. It's a hobby dominated by people in their 60s-80s on both sides of the table. Heck, one of my favorite national dealers "doesn't do email", strictly phone or snail mail.

Is it any wonder there's difficulty attracting a younger demographic?

There was a panel discussion hosted by Linn's on the future of the hobby in which all of the panelists cited the need for dealers and others seeking to help the hobby grow to be Internet savvy and make use of the electronic media/tools that younger folks predominantly use nowadays. Interestingly, one dealer noted that he's getting many of his customers from the 35-50 year range as people come into a stage of their careers where they have disposable income and are looking for a relaxing hobby to relieve the stress of the job.

However, there seemed to be general agreement that, if the aim is to reach young folks who don't read magazines or print ads anymore, the dealers and others in the stamp community have to go where they are (Internet) and use the channels that they frequent if there's any hope of enticing a new generation to the hobby. We'll see if those words of wisdom fall on fertile ground.

My brief experience with the dealers at the show was also cash only - apparently they regard the fees that the CC companies charge and the extra effort vs just dealing in cash as just not being worth it. Good luck on that front as even we older geezers stop using cash and checks.

Most dealers don't do credit cards, but it's about money, not age. Not only do the banks usually take a cut, but it leaves a paper trail. Checks do as well, but those are accepted. Dealers always want cash whenever possible. And lots of collectors have electronic info these days. The dealer I worked for at the show does not have email either. And I seriously doubt it's because he can't use it. He just doesn't like it for some reason.

Well, that newfangled Interwebz WILL steal your soul.

Regarding credit cards, most of the large full-time dealers accept credit cards (both Eric and Richard do, as do some of the others I frequently buy from at shows).

If I were going to be a retail dealer, it would be a no-brainer to accept credit cards. The old guard "$50 per month fee + 3% of all transactions" is long in the tooth. You can get merchant card accounts for considerably less, some without monthly minimums. Accepting credit cards allows someone to make that impulse buy or "stretch" for an item, which as a dealer you definitely want to encourage.

In my case, were credit cards not an option, I wouldn't have been able to buy that huge hoard last November, as it cost more than the cash I brought to the show. The dealer made a mid 4-figure sale he wouldn't have otherwise.

That said, when I go to shows, I tend to bring my budget in cash. It opens doors and can seal deals. Say what you will about the ethics of dealers not declaring all of the sales revenue, but in my opinion that's an issue between them and the IRS. If paying cash makes it easier for me to buy something (or get a better price), I will avail myself of that option.

As it has mine - 20 years ago I didn't have my head buried in my iPad and iPhone while only looking up once in a while to see if there any other human beings present.

One other question - since I had not attended any first day of issue ceremonies before, I decided to devote a few minutes of my brief time at the show to attend the one for the Marshall Islands WWII sheet. The two folks from the APS did a nice job emceeing and it was interesting to meet them in their new capacities at the APS as well as the artist who apparently has done quite a lot of philatelic artwork (being newly back to the hobby, I'm still getting familiar with the prominent folks in the hobby).

However, I guess I was expecting someone from the Islands or who was familiar with some of the events depicted to also attend and relate some stories or relevant information. Maybe the logistics were too complicated or, unfortunately, there are few folks still alive like my father and uncles that participated in the war, although one veteran that was on Iwo Jima was recognized with a well deserved round of applause for his service.

For those folks who are more familiar with these ceremonies, I would appreciate any comments on typical participants, activities, program events, etc. since I am intrigued by the notion of attending more as time and space permits.

Yes CC have fees, but you can probaly make up for it in terms of additional volume and dollar of sales. I walked away from items because I didn't want to keep hitting up the ATM and carrying large amounts of cash. Cash on hand is a limitation you are putting on your customer.

That's why checks were invented, so people would not need to carry large amounts of cash to buy things.