Richmond, VA Stamp Show

Hello friends. I want to go to the stamp show in Richmond, VA in August. This will be my 1st time at one. Just wondering if anyone could tell me what to expect. Are there any exhibits or talks that I shouldn't miss? Would I be able to p/u a set of used Scott Catalogs for cheap?

Hi bored. One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to join a local stamp club if that is an option. There is nothing like getting together with a bunch of folks who are exited about a pile of little pieces of paper. And I am talking from experience, my first encounter with stamps was at a monthly meeting at a backroom in a Dutch Reformed Church in a small town in the Netherlands, not too long after the end of WWII.
By the way, in my opinion the best place to find cheap Scott's would be ebay. Or maybe your local library when they buy a new one.

Peter

Welcome to the forum.

There is lots to see and do at StampShow with dozens of seminars and presentations, exhibits, special exhibits, dealers, etc. If you are a beginner are relative beginner, there are talks and presentations designed just for you.

Page 710 of the July edition of The American Philatelist has a basic rundown of the show. The mag is available online this month for everyone - even non-members - http://blog.stamps.org/2017/06/30/c...0-july-2017/


The StampShow section of the APS web page will fill up more and more as we get closer to the show with lost of info. https://stamps.org/STAMPSHOW-SS

At the show, there will be a full 100-page program with a lot of info.

and here is a blog post that might help ... https://blog.stamps.org/2017/01/24/...-stamp-show/

good luck and have fun

You occasionally may see dealers with used catalogues. It is best to get off ebay.

I only started going to stamp shows about three years ago. Without knowing what exhibits will be shown, I recommend you at least take a glance at all of them. That's what I do. Those that pique my interest, I slow down and start paying close attention to each frame. I think getting someone else's "must see" recommendation could cause you to miss something that might appeal to you, but not to that someone else. Another approach would just to stroll through them all at first, making a note of the ones you want to look at more carefully.

As for used catalogs, I have always bought mine via Amazon rather than ebay. But sometimes you can find a better deal on ebay. It just depends, so it might pay to check them both. FWIW I only by the U.S. Specialized Catalog so my experience is limited to that.

I have found Betterworldbooks to be the best place for Scott catalogs. They are a consolidation point for public libraries. You should be able to buy a complete, albeit one at a time, one or two year old set for under $100. Some of mine look like new except for the Library numbers on the binder.

The APS does not have a list of the exhibits on their web site, but they do have a list of the meetings scheduled. If there is a talk that your are interested in, but are not a member of the society go anyway. The societies are always welcoming. Here is the link to a PDF with the meetings:
https://stamps.org/userfiles/file/s...Schedule.pdf

Welcome BORED , If you go to the Stamp show make it a point to sit in on the stamp auction there. Even if your not bidding ,find a section that interest you and try to attend it. Ask the person with the firm the approximate time for the section to come up for bid .
Sit with a copy of the auction catalog and a pen to record prices . Learn to listen to the fast pace of a auction and understand the flow in the room between the auctioneer and bidders . You will learn how everybody inter-plays between Agents sitting up front with the phone bidders staff and how a floor bidders all determine the finally price . It will take you a hour or so to get the feel and flow ,so that later you can feel comfortable in any future bidding you enter into .
The stamp auction room could be the most exciting part of any stamp show ,don't miss it .

If you're able to attend on the first day of the show, I think it *is* possible to find a set of used Scotts, or, at the worst, several volumes of a set. You just never know. Typically, it's a dealer who has upgraded his or her own set, but occasionally catalogs end up showing up with a collection that the dealer has acquired.

Things like that often tend to get snapped up quickly, so I think the first thing I would do is make the rounds of the dealer tables and see if any are being offered for sale. (My guess is that it would most likely be a dealer who is within driving distance of the show.)

The other suggestions for where to find a used set are all good. The advantage, if you could find them at the show, is being able to inspect them for condition and, of course, not having to pay shipping.

- - - - -

On to your other questions: I think there is often an adult beginner's class at the APS show. (Or at least, there used to be. I haven't been in a couple of years.) So do be sure to check out the show schedule, with an eye to the APS offerings.

Finally, and this is clearly just my opinion (as is everything I've written here), I think the APS summer show is the best stamp show in the country. It presents philately in the best light and a hobby to be proud of. (You'll be amazed at the number of specialties and specialty societies out there, too.) Most people are friendly, though please don't be put off if you encounter one who isn't.

If you live in that area, it may be that your local stamp club has a presence there, too, and you could chat with them about your particular situation. (Some local clubs are really good about welcoming newcomers, and some, to be perfectly honest, sadly do not seem interested.)

Don't get me wrong -- there are some great regional and local shows out there, too. But I think the APS are done very, very well. And it's great that you'll be able to attend!

And if you can't find a set of Scotts there, it may be that the largest branch of your local library has them. If they do, typically, the most recent set is in reference and doesn't circulate, but then they make the older sets available to be checked out. That might be a good way to get started if you don't have any luck with that at the show.

I will second Petert's suggestion to join a local stamp club. I just did last week and now I wonder what took me so long? Best decision I ever made to get more enjoyment out of philately and meet new people who share my passion for stamps.

We hope you will join us at the StampShow in Richmond. Make sure to get a program, each dealer is listed with their specialities and you will see a large list of specialty societies, and I suspect you will find a few that share your interests. It really does help you make the most of the time you have there.

Please stop by the APS Booth - our staff will be on hand to answer questions, not only about the APS, but the show in general. The APS Circuit Sales will have items to look at and buy while you are there and our Young Philatelic Leaders Fellowship booth will also be selling covers for $.25 and have some other great material that support our education programs. We have volunteers who staff the Stamp Buddy booth and are able and willing to help newcomers to the show get familiar with the settings and help get you acquainted with the bourse and programs.

We have First Day ceremonies planned with the U.S. Postal Service on Thursday, United Nations on Friday and the Marshall Islands on Saturday. Those are always well attended and very social events with people who love to share with collectors.

Our host chapter, the Greater Richmond Stamp Club will have a booth and it is an excellent club - I have been a member since 2016. We have representatives from many of the Virginia-area clubs at the show, so no matter where you live in the state, you'll meet a collector from nearby.




Thank you for the kind words! Our staff and volunteers are the heart of making this show a success. It's a total team effort and we are fortunate to get support from all over the country.




We have some excellent stamp clubs around the country. I've had the honor to be a guest at nearly 40 in the past 18 months and have joined every one. They vary in what activities they support and offer to members, but most welcome new members and new ideas if you're willing and able to help make them a reality. We do offer a list of clubs near you on the website at: https://stamps.org/Local-Clubs

If you have any questions, please feel free to post here or contact me directly at scott@stamps.org.

Hope to see you at the show!

Scott English, APS Executive Director

Thank you all for the excellent information.

I am really surprised how little the people here put in the knowledge and learning experience of a public stamp auction . I sat thru many auctions just to update my education ....how items are described and offered for sale, how bidding is handled and who won, how buyers act .