Local Stamp Club Or Memberships Like APS

Hi - I am not a member of APS or ATA or any organization. Planing to join a local stamp club . What are the advantages of part of being a big league member like APS or should I just stick to my local stamp club? is it worth the money to join these big ones?

You can always join for a year to see if you think you are getting the value of the membership cost.

And if you are getting value from this community or other free websites, a small donation is always appreciated and helps keeps the site operating.
Don

Thanks 51STUDEBAKER.. What societies or memberships do you recommend for a newbie who hasnt decided to focus on a specific area yet? I am just collecting worldwide stamkps at the moment.I think ATA is not for me yet since I havent decided on a theme..

Hi,
In my opinion and if you are thinking of collecting/organizing as topicals (any topic), ATA would be worthwhile.

If you are going to interface with the hobby mostly online, visit the websites and scope out their digital priorities.
Don

APS offers the following benefits that may not be available at local clubs. Importantly, APS pro-rates its dues for those who join mid-year, so if you join, say, in June, you'll pay very little to try out the organization for the rest of 2019.
1. Monthly APS journal with high-quality articles covering the full spectrum of collecting.
2. Discounts for purchases at the APS StampStore, which offers worldwide stamps and fast fulfillment from APS' offices.
3. Access to the vast APS library for research. You can search the catalog online, request a copy of an article and have it in your in-box later the same day.
4. Monthly e-mail newsletter with updates about shows, dealers and educational programs.
5. Circuit books - Books of stamps sent to you to browse, select and buy in your own home, after which you forward the book to the next member on the circuit.
6. Access to low-cost specialty collectors' insurance through Hugh Wood, Inc.
7. Discounted pricing for expertization of stamps or covers.

For more information, see www.stamps.org.

It all depends on your collecting goals. At the stage that you appear to be at, the main issue is that you don't know what you don't know yet. You aren't yet aware of everything that is out there.

I would definitely recommend at least spending a year, or part of a year, in the APS, as it will give you some exposure to a broad spectrum of possibilities.

cjpalermo1964 & txstamp--thanks for the info and tips.

Hey Newbie,

Pretty good stamp show coming up in your area in a month. The Plymouth Show is pretty well attended and I think you might find it very interesting. It's put on by the West Suburban Stamp Club. More information can be found by googling Plymouth Show.

Hi there! If you're not ready to join a big organization but you still want to learn, I'd recommend checking out Linn's Stamp News (linns.com). They post a lot of very interesting articles that will allow you to dip your toe into a variety of topics without paying money. Though joining something like APS is certainly the ideal, there are other options out there for those not wishing to spend money. Good luck!

Hi Kcaramat- Yes- I am planning to attend the plymouth show. Also planning to join west suburban stamp club.

cl_arctos - will definitely checkout linns.Thank you!

In my opinion, it is always worth being a member of your National stamp Club be that the American Philatelic Society or the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada. National clubs offer a range of services for members some of which may be immediately useful and others not. It is also worthwhile to join a local stamp club because that is where you are going to meet like minded people in your community. An active local club is also a gold mine of knowledge which is generally freely shared among members. Specialist clubs (although very interesting) are often better left until you know what you are doing.
In addition to the foregoing, if you plan to exhibit at the national level, you must be a member of your national philatelic society.
GJP

Thanks gportch..do you need to be APS member to exhibit in local stamp shows?also do they all follow a standard criteria or each stamp show have their own rules on who or what they can exhibit?

Hello Aravind, I am the Executive Director of the APS (and a proud member of the West Suburban Stamp Club). I would encourage you to join the WSSC, they have a great newsletter and the members are knowledgeable and friendly. You've gotten a bit of encouragement from fellow APS members about the benefits. We would love to have you as a member and you can join online or we can get you in touch with one of our great staff here at the headquarters.

As for exhibiting, you are not required to be an APS member to exhibit at a local show. The Plymouth Stamp Show is a part of the World Series of Philately shows, meaning they are a national exhibit and the winner participates in the Champion of Champions competition at our annual StampShow each August. Shows vary in entry fees depending on membership, but you cannot be prohibited from competing. For example, APS members enjoy a discount on frame fees when they exhibit at StampShow.

We are loaning our Inverted Jenny exhibit to the Plymouth Stamp Show this year as part of their 50th Anniversary celebration and Ken Martin, our Chief Membership Officer will be at the show as a judge and APS President Bob Zeigler will be a guest at the show and a speaker at a couple of the events. Either of them would be glad to say hello and chat a bit about the APS.

One benefit to joining the APS is that we provide "On the Road" courses and Summer Seminar courses on exhibiting for all levels. If you do enter into the world of exhibiting, another organization to consider joining is the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors which has an informative quarterly journal on exhibiting and free consulting for beginner and intermediate exhibitors.

I welcome questions from collectors and members anytime. You can contact me at scott@stamps.org.

Scott

@ScottEnglish- Thank you for all the good info. Yes - I already attended a WSSC meeting and I liked what I saw. So I am definitely joining there.I am also planning to checkout the plymouth show.