Boston 2026 World Expo

mea culpa on the Subway inclusion. I did a stupid in including them with Mystic. As for the pricing, I do remember that $$ for his tables. He did have a large area. The prices you show do not seem appropriate for either the show or event stature. The differential between the 2016 show & the 2026 show seems highly unreasonable. (Then again, being an old guy, short term memory & all, I may not (probably NOT) recalling that 10-year-old discussion). {Going back under the covers to dream of a good show with some great acquisitions}

The point for the 2026 Show, for dealers, is it costs real money to be present on the floor.

That has always been true.

Am I the only one who is thinking a great injustice has been planned for the stamp community .

Some how this show divided into two totally different events . First I like all the seminars and group events for all collectors, sounds welcoming to every body . This is what we all understood as a stamp show .I would include the exhibit area . To see first class exhibits and see top level stamps .

Then comes the Bourse /dealer level .This is what needs to be addressed .


They need to put up a credit check security desk here . They will check to see if your CREDIT CARD can be max out at a five fiqure level or more then also your cash in pocket is good for $1000.00 .

They don't want peasants like me and you crownding up the aisles and wasting time of stamp dealers .Remember these sellers have a goal to reach . They need the hundreds of dollars buyers and the thosand dollars sales on your credit card .

People like me who are looking for the 5 cent 'PICK-YOUR-OWN " table and the $25.00 mixture box , maybe even charge a $100.00 country collection on my credit card have no reason to be in that room where a dealer needs a 4-8 thousand dollar sales each day .

"I've been to the last two Internationals. Washington was an overwhelming disaster for me. The NYC Show was better, as I Knew what to expect, never-the-less, I was still somewhat unprepared. I am hoping to overcome the unpreparedness as I have been planning for the last year"

I went to the International in Chicago in 86. My forst big show (I had never been to one i=of the APS shows at that time). The show was massive (much bigger than any show I have been to since). I only allowed myself most of one day (flying back from my parents, I booked the earliest flight with a long layover and arrived before the start of the show but had to leave a bit before closing to catch the rest of my flight home).

Washington was an overwhelming disaster for me
Well it was excellent for me. Surprisingly lots of "smaller dealers" which had material for me.
Good place for excursions into the wilderness (actually The Wilderness and Gettysburg). Also followed Vanessa L. Williams on her way to the sound stage as an added bonus on Saturday morning

On general note - having just gotten back into the hobby a few years earlier, I had a great experience at the international show in NYC in 2016 - bourse, exhibits, meetings, social interaction, special presentations (discovery of a missing inverted Jenny). Even drove all the way from Arizona to attend the entire week. I intended to go to Boston 2026, even booked a hotel, but my wife (who is not into the hobby) persuaded me to go on a cruise in Europe instead (which will cost me a lot more than buying a wheelbarrow of expensive stamps in Boston).

As others have pointed out above, the shrinkage in the bourse area from New York is significant. The booklet for the New York show listed over 160 names in the dealer section (including auction houses) with another 74 societies listed in a separate section. Omitting the societies and other non-dealers which inflates the list on the Boston 2026 website, the bourse now shows only 90 or so, including the half-day folks. To point out the obvious, many familiar names are missing, either due to dealers passing away/retiring or deciding to forego the expense.

An international show is a lot more than just the bourse, but given the fact that the dealers underwrite a considerable portion of the expense of the show with their booth fees, I wonder about the future. Given my age and the possibility that this might be the last big such show in the U.S., I will regret missing this year's show.

EVERY collector deserves to be in that room, regardless of how much they plan to spend. It's not a collectors job to worry about dealer costs or to underwrite the show at any more than they can afford. Some will find great items and some will not, just like always.

The show is suffering from a partial boycott from foreigners for political reasons (which may or may not be in place when the next US international rolls around), and from the excessive cost (due to both the location and length of the show).

12 and 5 is what I get for booths occupied for only the first and second half of the show, respectively -- subject to change and subject to my counting correctly. Most (many?) first half booths seem to be smaller stamp dealers who clearly don't want to be there endlessly but are willing to be there for a few days -- like they would at a smaller weekend show -- to do some selling. These may be stamp companies run by one or two people which may be a sign that these very long international shows could be shorter for such stamp firms to want to be there. The big firms, auction houses, and postal agencies can afford a show like this more easily than smaller companies can. And maybe they can staff booths for many days.

So maybe the first half of the show could be a little better for most average collectors like me -- if I were going, which I'm not. I remember international shows I went to having lots of postal agencies and so on which was fun to be involved with and got me interested in certain countries' stamps. That seems minimal this time, but maybe I missed them in the list I looked at?

*** Opinion Removed. ***

I hope the show does well but I imagine it will be one more step down the ladder stamp collecting is currently descending from major show to major show with each shrinking in turn. I've been to a few national shows and they are wonderful -- if you can afford them. And if travel is smooth and not anxiety-producing as it has become for many. But for me, I can't see going long distance just to patronize auction firms I can deal with anyway or large dealers I never buy from. I'd like to see the exhibits and hang out a little with other stamp collectors which can be fun, though I do see more than my share of old men in my life, anyway!

We are in agreement as that was my posted count previously.

I noticed that both PSE and PSAG will only be there for the second half.

The exhibitors use a lot of space at these shows.

I read all the above postings but still hold the opinion Boston EXPO 2026 , missed a important part in their planning .

They did not do anything for the BASEMENT BOURSE BUYER . --B.B.B.

You can not have a market place that stamp dealers are paying table fees and expenses that come close to $12,000 or $15,000 for a spot on the floor .

Can you understand what the stamp dealer who needs a $3,000 to $5,000 day says to a B.B.B. who is looking for a $10.00 stamp to complete a album page . There is not going to be a friendly exchange from the dealer.
The B.B.B. wants to enjoy his time and spend money to pick up his treasure but every table holds stamps that are equal to his annual stamp budget

Sorry but that is what I see EXPO 2026 heading to . A show place for the elite to social at .

There are 10x10 booths that cost $4000 for the entire show at the back. So there will be, if not basement sellers, than first floor sellers.