A visit to the biggest stamp show in the country!
Thanks to Write_On I've discovered some beautifully curated stamp shops like Send More Mail so when I heard about The American Philatelic Society Stamp Show happening at the Portland Convention Center this month, I was excited to check it out. It wasn't until I arrived, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights, that I realized that this was a BIG deal. It's the biggest show in the country and people had traveled from all over the world to attend.
I received a very friendly greeting at the info table and the seasoned vets weren't at all put off by my green questions. It's true there weren't a lot of young faces around, but they're working hard to change that and even had a whole section set up to attract a new generation of kids to the hobby.
I learned that stamp selling and buying is big business. The Harmer-Schau auction house was on hand with rows and rows of cardboard file boxes containing highly coveted stamps and letters. The mood was hushed and serious, which seemed appropriate once I learned that the auction the opening night had seen a single stamp fetch $40,000. I learned that it's not just stamps but envelopes too that can fetch into the several thousands for those that are historically significant. For instance, you can tell by postmarks if something was flown in a Zeppelin or a hot air balloon.
“I think most stamp collectors have collector personalities. Stamps are particularly easy and interesting to collect. Stamps can be collected by the thousands, for very little money. They are interesting on many levels. They are easy to store and enjoy. ”
My favorite part of the stamp show turned out to be the HUGE exhibit of Thematic Displays that were shown by individuals. Using stamps, letters, and photos these displays told different stories from every corner of the world. There was The History of NASA told through NASA Local Post Labels, 1967-1984. Another fascinating one was British Empire Anti-Communist Actions in the Jungles of Malaysia, 1948-1960. With exhibits and dealers from Ghana to Singapore to Israel, I now see how stamp collecting is an amazing gateway to studying history.
Another thing I learned was that although stamp collecting can get very expensive, it can also be very, very affordable. I saw people culling through hundreds and thousands of stamps that were being sold for mere pennies, but they were nonetheless beautiful artifacts, and for the design and typography lover, an amazing source of inspiration. For under $20 I came away with some "first day covers" (envelopes containing newly released stamps), old letters, and unused stamps that I'm looking forward to personalize my own letters. Though I won't likely make it to next year's show which takes place in Richmond, Virginia, I have definitely caught the stamp collecting bug and look forward to adding to my collection.
