American Philatelic Society executive director Scott English has signed a contract renewal, through August 2021. (English is shown at right at a first-day ceremony in 2016.)

Even though his initial contract was not set to expire until August of 2019, the APS Board of Directors offered him a two-year extension, with the new terms effective December 1, 2018. English tells The Virtual Stamp Club he signed the offer last week.

“It’s been an honor and privilege to serve the members of the APS and we’ve made significant progress over the past three years,” he said in an email. “I work with a great team in Bellefonte and we have a Board that has invested in a strong future. We’ve reduced the debt, started our modernization plan, united the hobby, and delivered member services more efficiently.

“We have some exciting plans for the next few years, including online education, increasing traffic at our stamp shows, growing our grassroots, and building an international audience through promotion of Chicago 2021.”

The latter edition of StampShow, in 2021, will be held at the same time and in the same venue as the American Numismatic Association’s annual show (Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL, August 10-14, 2021). Staging APS StampShow in conjunction with ANA’s World’s Fair of Money has been a goal of APS leaders for many years.

From the American Topical Association:
The American Topical Association has achieved 1st place in the 2018 CG International Philatelic Promotion Awards. The competition concluded at the International Stamp Fair Sindelfingen on 27 October 2018. It was conducted by Auction House Christoph Gärtner GmbH & Co. KG. The honor, consisting of stèle awards, certificates, and a cash prize, was presented for the best overall entry to promote philately. ATA’s entry included an issue of its journal Topical Time – edited by Wayne Youngblood – and its youth activity booklet The Magical World of Stamp Collecting – edited by Aimée Devine with contributions from MaryAnn Bowman. This is the first time the ATA has placed this high in the CG International Philatelic Promotion Award, having won second place in 2016. Your membership in ATA makes its participation in philatelic activities possible. Thank you for your membership support! Learn more about this award at here.

[press release]
The RPSC Appoints New Editor for The Canadian Philatelist

The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) is pleased to announce that Robin Harris FRPSC has been appointed to the role of editor of The Canadian Philatelist, its flagship publication. Founded in 1950, The Canadian Philatelist is the official journal of The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada. Members receive six issues yearly as part of their membership. Each issue of The Canadian Philatelist contains compelling philatelic articles, business and news of The RPSC, philatelic news, auction and events calendars, meeting notices and Society reports.

Robin is well known for his contributions to Canadian philately and the RPSC. He is the webmaster of the RPSC and editor of the Unitrade Specialized Catalogue of Canadian Stamps. Robin also writes the Around the World column for Canadian Stamp News and sat on Canada Post’s Stamp Advisory Committee. In addition he edits the BNAPS Elizabethan study group’s newsletter Corgi Times and has just won the John S. Siverts best Study Group newsletter award for a fourth time.
Robin has been collecting stamps for nearly 50 years. His interests include, but are not limited to: Canada, particularly the Elizabethan II era; Great Britain Machins; United Nations; and United States.

Ed Kroft FRPSC, President of the RPSC, praised the appointment: “The RPSC is pleased to have Robin as editor of our publication. I thank Herb Colling, our past editor, for all of his work and contributions. The RPSC encourages submissions to the journal from all philatelists.”

Those wishing to submit articles for publication are encouraged to contact Robin at editor@rpsc.org.

Information on The RPSC is available by: e-mail: info@rpsc.org, telephone 1-888-285-4143, on our website: www.rpsc.org, or from RPSC National Office, P.O. Box 69080, St. Clair Post Office, Toronto, ON M4T 3A1, Canada.

A new book from the American First Day Cover Society chronicles a collector’s love for the 8-cent Albert Einstein stamp of 1966. The Al Raddi Collection of Scott 1285 Albert Einstein FDCs shows 163 different first day covers for the Prominent Americans issue.

Each of the cachets is shown in color. Raddi, from Michigan, invites readers to send information about other cachets that exist for this issue.

The book starts with a brief biography of the scientist, and information about both the U.S. Einstein stamp and those issued by other countries.

The Al Raddi Collection s available as a .pdf download from the AFDCS for $8 ($6 for members) or a printout may be purchased for $15 ($13) postpaid. Either version may be ordered from the AFDCS website at www.afdcs.org/fdccatalogs.html. The printed version may also be ordered by mail from AFDCS Sales, PO Box 44, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0044.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization, with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status granted by the IRS. Established in 1955, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks, catalogues and its award-winning bimonthly journal, First Days. It also promotes first day cover exhibiting, both at its own Americover show and at other stamp shows.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at PO Box 16277, Tucson, AZ 85732.

[press release]
ATA Publishes “What’s First” Book

The American Topical Association has just published What’s First?, a 335-page book that pictures and describes the first stamp for more than 800 topics. From abacus to zebra, it is colorfully illustrated with stamp images and descriptions of the first time a topic appeared on a stamp.

Spanning two centuries, the book explores firsts for popular topics, such as cats and railways/trains, to more esoteric topics, such as handshakes and dominoes. It is fully indexed by topic and country/Scott number.

Written by Canadian playwright and journalist Jack Gray, the book will be appealing to topical collectors, as well as those with other collecting interests, and also to exhibitors. It makes an excellent addition to any philatelic library.

What’s First? is available in book and DVD format for $40 plus shipping (Book: US $4, Canada $25.25, other countries $35.75; DVD: US and Canada $1.50; other countries $3.50). Mail a check to ATA, PO Box 8, Carterville IL 62918-0008 or email americantopical@msn.com or call 618-985-5100. More information at www.americantopicalassn.org

The Jenny airmails may be among America’s best-known stamps, but little is known about the first day covers of those stamps. In fact, well-known philatelic author and researcher Ken Lawrence says there may be only one genuine FDC.

First Day Covers of 1918 Air Post Stamps — Or Are They? brings together in one volume four previously published articles, along with a new “afterword” essay by Lawrence and an introduction by aerophilatelic exhibitor Andrew McFarlane. The book is the latest publication from the American First Day Cover Society. Publication coincides with the centenary of both U.S. airmail service and the issuance of the first U.S. airmail stamps, depicting the “Jenny” airplane.

“It’s difficult to believe that after all these years there could still be so many outstanding questions regarding these Jenny ‘first day’ covers,” writes McFarlane. “I think it’s safe to say that many of these questions can now be safely put to rest” by this book.

First Day Covers of 1918 Air Post Stamps — Or Are They? Is available as a .pdf download from the AFDCS for $12 ($10 for members) or a printout may be purchased for $20 ($17) postpaid. Either version may be ordered from the AFDCS website at www.afdcs.org/publications.html. The printed version may also be ordered by mail from AFDCS Sales, PO Box 44, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0044.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization, with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status granted by the IRS. Established in 1955, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks, catalogues and its award-winning bimonthly journal, First Days. It also promotes first day cover exhibiting, both at its own Americover show and at other stamp shows.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at PO Box 16277, Tucson, AZ 85732.

In a blog entry, American Philatelic Society executive director Scott English has announced formation of a “Senior Leadership Team” comprised of three already-employed staff directors, and giving them broader assignments:

• Rick Banks transitions from Comptroller and Director of Internal Operations to Chief Administrative Officer. He joined the APS staff in 2004.
• Ken Martin goes from Chief Operating Officer to Chief Membership Officer. He went to work for the APS in 1995, and has been its shows and exhibition Director and executive director.
• Martin Kent Miller moves from American Philatelist/Philatelic Literature Review editor to Chief Content Officer. He was hired in 2017 and has since added the website and other digital and online efforts to his portfolio

The reorganization is part of English’s efforts to transform the APS into a viable 21st century collectors organization. In the past, the APS had as many as a dozen “staff directors” responsible for specific areas, all of whom reported directly to the executive editor.

[press release]
AAPE Announces Youth Grand Champion of Champions for 2018

Darren Corapcioglu was awarded 2018 Youth Grand Champion at the APS StampShow/ATA NTSS Awards Celebration in Columbus, OH, August 11. The award was presented by the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors (AAPE).

Darren’s thematic exhibit, “The Universe,” qualified by winning the Youth Grand Award at NAPEX 2018. He is 18 years old and lives in Germantown, MD. Darren also won the title in 2016 but improved his exhibit by the required 25 percent to be eligible. [He just completed his one-year Young Philatelic Leaders Fellowship; his biography is here and he is included in the recent Virtual Stamp Club radio feature on the 2017-2018 Fellows.] He has competed internationally.

The Reserve Grand Award was won by Amelia Kelbert from Calgary, Canada, with her thematic exhibit, “The World of the Monarch Butterly (Doneus Plexippus).”

The AAPE Youth Grand Championship is awarded annually at StampShow. This year, eight youths, ranging in age from 10 to 18 qualified and competed – each having won a Youth Grand Award at an APS World Series of Philately Show. The participants vie for 19 awards donated by WESTPEX, Collectors Club of Chicago, Pinnacle Stamp Club, American Topical Association, International Society of Worldwide Collectors, John Hotchner, Don Smith and Ken Martin.

This year’s judges were Mark Schwartz and Bill Schultz.

Other award winners are listed at www.aape.org.

by Lloyd A. de Vries, The Virtual Stamp Club

These notes are not meant to be comprehensive; for more detailed reporting, see Foster Miller’s live blogging from the meeting in The Stamp Collecting Forum. (This link takes you directly to those messages). Unless otherwise attributed, all views and observations are those of the author.

Some highlights — Shows:

StampShow 2022 will be held in Sacramento, Calif. Previously set are 2019 Omaha, 2020 Hartford, Conn., and 2021 in the Chicago area.

The American Topical Association, which is holding its National Topical Stamp Show in conjunction with APS StampShow this weekend in Columbus, Ohio, has asked to do the same next year, in Omaha. I believe the National Model Railroaders Association also will be meeting in conjunction with StampShow next year in Omaha. APS executive director Scott English said at this meeting that the Union Pacific Railroad is a sponsor of StampShow 2019.

2019 is the 150th anniversary of the “driving of the Golden Spike,” the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, or the ability to take a train from one side of the U.S. to the other. The Central Pacific Railroad headed east from Sacramento; the Union Pacific headed west from Omaha, and UP still exists as a company today.

English is going to Omaha next month to explore other community involvement for the show.

AmeriStamp Expo in Birmingham in February lost $45,000, even more than the most-pessimistic predictions. English hopes StampShow 2018 will make up most of that, but it won’t make up all of it.

English calls this weekend’s joint APS/ATA show “historic.”

“I believe there is no wrong way to get into stamp collecting,” he said.

Finances:

Treasurer Bruce Marsden reports the APS is financially strong. However, it has $4.1 million in “designated funds,” and he recommends the Board take a look at how that money is allocated. For instance, the “insurance fund” (for circuit sales, I believe) has about 10 times as much in it as is ever used.

The APS and American Philatelic Research Library, which owns the American Philatelic Center (“Match Factory”), have an operating agreement dating back to 2005. However, Marsden says most of it has never been followed: There is no lease, no rents collected, no certainty of which organization promotes rentals to outside groups. The operating agreement also predates the completion of the Library facilities. He recommends re-examining this agreement, too.

English does not recommend a dues increase. The APS raised dues by $10 twice in a five-year period, 2003 ($25 to $35) and then again in 2008 ($35 to the present $45). The latter had a strong effect on membership.

The average cost per member is about $40. Dues account for only about 21% of APS revenue. Eliminating the never-financially-successful AmeriStamp Expo winter show will save about $2 per member! No dues pay for American Philatelist, the journal: It is supported by its advertising revenue.

The APS has reduced its debtload by almost $2 million in the three years since English became executive director.

Library:

Chief librarian Scott Tiffney, subject of our current audio feature, says reference request and usage of the APRL is up. Donations of materials to the Library are also up, but he is trying to be more selective so as to speed the inclusion of new materials into the Library. (He talked about this in our interview.) About 37% of the donated materials are added to the Library’s holdings.You can search online for duplicate materials that are for sale.

85% of all issues of American Philatelist, the journal of the APS, are now available online through the Library, and Tiffney expects that to be 100% by late September.

There are also more philatelic exhibits online.

Website:

English said he does not apologize for calling the current APS website, stamps.org, “garbage” in an article that appeared in Linn’s Stamp News. (You can read it here.) He says it was good once, given the state of the art then and what the APS could afford, but it no longer is adequate.

Martin Miller, editor of American Philatelist, is the project manager on revamping the website. You will see changes shortly.

Sales Taxes:

Society attorney Kathleen Yurchak is keeping an eye on South Dakota v. Wayfair, a recent Supreme Court ruling that said states have the right to collect sales taxes from Internet merchants, even if they do not have a physical presence in those states. (Read more in Forbes as well as other publications.) English says there are 5,000 taxing jurisdictions in the U.S.

From my own experience, customers in White Plains, NY, pay city, county and state sales taxes, while those in nearby towns may only pay county and state.

Membership Survey:

All APS members for which the society has e-mail addresses were invited to take the survey, which was written by a professional firm. About 15% did, which is much higher than the usual response to online surveys of 3-4%.

54% of those responding collecting only stamps.
40% collecting stamps and covers.
The other 6% were dealers, advertisers and institutions.

The strongest responses were from the Southeast and Midwest.

77% read every issue.
More than 81% consider it a source of continuing philatelic education for them.
Less than 27% share it. Miller wants to change that: “The recruitment value of ‘AP’ is incalculable.”

Not surprisingly, the interest in online features increases as the age of the member (or, at least, the members’ length of time in the APS) decreases. Some members only do eBay and Facebook online.

85% of AP’s readers read the ads.
60% say they have discovered new dealers through reading American Philatelist.
63% are more likely to support an advertiser over a non-advertiser, that is, whom to patronize or give their business.

The survey respondents overall gave high marks to American Philatelist 3 the highest scores the analysis group had ever seen for an organization!

Miscellany:

There is an eBay seminar at StampShow at 3 p.m. on Friday; I believe someone from eBay HQ will present it. Based on the eBay seminars in the late 1990s at StampShow, this one may be mobbed!

Five dealers are participating in an eBay auction that will close during StampShow. It is a joint project of the APS and American Stamp Dealers Association. We hope to have a report on it after it closes.

Both English and APS president Bob Zeigler are left-handed.

This show marks English’ 3rd anniversary as executive director.

English called the “Stamp Soiree,” a high-donation reception this year being held in the Ohio State Capitol, the “Ziggy Experience.” At that, Zeigler put his head in his hands.

Zeigler will not be attending StampShow this year; his son is getting married this weekend in Seattle.

The American Philatelic Society is giving its highest award this year to John H. Barwis, Denise Stotts and Wayne L. Wayne Youngblood. Barwis is receiving the Luff Award for philatelic research. Stotts is being honored for her contributions to philately. Youngblood is cited for his service to the APS. L-R, Barwis, Stotts and Youngblood.

The Luff awards are considered the highest awards in U.S. philately.

The 2018 awards will be formally presented August 11 at the banquet of StampShow / National Topical Stamp Show in Columbus, Ohio.

The APS press release, with more details, is on the APS web blog.