Attended First Stamp Show In 40+ Years

Met some generally pleasant folks, including a dealer who is a 92-year-old veteran of the Second World War. Now, my philatelic take-aways:

Saw for the first time mint stamps being retailed below face value (80%)

While I knew the margins in this business are brutal, today I witnessed it first-hand. I compared dealer offerings via my ebay app, then glanced through nearly-full, well-worn U.S. albums purchased for, say, $10.

While (obviously) ebay usually beats dealer prices, I did not mind making purchases from dealers when I could engage them for insight on related things I'll need to deal with in the near future, like junk silver, military paper ephemera, and way more.

Got some business cards, initiated some relationships, enjoyed the drive to get there, and walked away pretty happy with the whole experience.

If I could have bought Canadian mint for 55% face in my collecting years I would have (sadly, now that I think of it) spent my entire retirement plan on it. Now in this country you are lucky to get 55% on the high values. The global fanatics for matched plate blocks are in a state of (I hope not total) agony.

Glad you had a good experience. I also like to visit the local shows to visit with dealers and collectors alike. It's something I look froward too - to get out of the house for awhile and have some adult personal connections as opposed to being home with the kids all the time.

Mint U.S. postage has taken a beating. I've seen lots for 50% face at recent shows and some dealers talking about buying as low as 35% face.

we pay 30% facevalue in Denmark

It was probably 40 years ago also that I last went to a stamp show here in Cleveland. One of the things that still sticks with me is a display that someone had of the ENTIRE 1903 regulars with mint, used, blocks, covers, AND actual autographs of everyone on the stamps. This is something like he had in one of the frames. I'd think that a Martha Washington signature would have been really expensive, even in the 70s.



Anyone care to recreate the whole set today???

I have been collecting on and off since 1974 and have yet to attend a stamp show. That will all change in March when I attend KnoxPEx 2019 put on by the Knoxville Philatelic Society. It will be on the 2nd and 3rd and you can Google it for the location if you would like to attend. Hope to see you there!

Actually, although everything is relative, a Martha Washington signature would not have been all that expensive in the 1970's. The prices of historical Autographs started to climb along with those of stamps when inflation started to go crazy in the late 1970's and early 1980's.

I haven't attended a stamp show in ages, but I miss the stamp fairs at London Bridge Railway Station on weekends. The last time I was there was 30 years ago when I was a kid.

Sixty one years ago for me. One stamp show and I was hooked for life.

I have often thought I would have be better off on drugs and alcohol.

You can go anywhere and get cleaned up from those addictions.

Unfortunately there is no Stamp-aholics anonymous!!!

No patch to wear for addiction to licking hinges and mounts either!

I used to go to stamp shows with my uncle when I was young, starting around age 8 or 9. First FRESPEX in Fresno, then WESTPEX after I moved to Berkeley. That was always our special time together. My uncle's health prevented him from going after 1998, and he passed away in 2006. I still go to WESTPEX pretty much every year, though. The last one I missed was in 2007, because I was in Japan at the time.

First stamp show was in 1973, I was 13. My impression was that there were a lot of old, balding men with briefcases hunched over tables for hours at a time. Went to the St Louis Stamp Expo 2 weeks ago and the same scene except I have turned into one of the old men.

I am going for my first ever show this saturday - Plymouth show in Michigan.I am pretty excited about it,Also taking my 7 yr old daughter. I heard they are exhibiting the inverted jenny there.