Great American Stamp Show 2021 in Rosemont, Ill., near Chicago, August 11-15, was a very good show, especially considering the circumstances. With the threat of the continuing or even worsening coronavirus pandemic, many collectors decided to stay home.

Still, the American Philatelic Society, the organizer, had 2,500 registrations for GASS. That is several hundred more than APS StampShow 2019 in Omaha. APS StampShow was the predecessor to GASS. The APS would have expected 3,500 to 4,500 for a show in the Chicago area.

The photo shows some of those lined up to enter the show as soon as it opened on Thursday. About half of those attending the show wore masks. Many wore masks sometimes but not all the time. [You can click on the photo for a larger version.]

However, there are no reports of any of those who attended the show contracting the coronavirus as a result of going to Great American Stamp Show.

Whether the show would be held was uncertain until mid-May. Specific planning and arrangements normally begin at least a year in advance, with the show location booked as much as five years ahead. (2024 is already set for Hartford, Conn., for example, and the APS is looking at locations for 2025.)

The 2020 edition was canceled completely, with a “virtual” show instead.

Great American Stamp Show is co-hosted by the APS, the American Topical Association (which was also a partner in APS StampShows 2018 and 2019), and the American First Day Cover Society. All three organizations participated in the 2020 Virtual Stamp Show, but this was the AFDCS’ first time folding its Americover show and convention into the overall national show.

The photo shows about half the AFDCS booth on the second day of the show, Friday, which is usually the quietest day of any four-day show.

“This was our first time as co-host of the big U.S. national show, and it exceeded our expectations,” said AFDCS president Lloyd de Vries. “We picked up more new members than at any recent show, either the GASS predecessor APS StampShow or our own Americover show. First day cover exhibits also earned seven large golds at GASS!”

As part of their agreements with the APS to co-host the show, both the ATA’s National Topical Stamp Show and Americover had their own exhibit competitions. The ATA booth, like the APS and AFDCS booths at the front of the hall, is shown below.

However, “dealer participation for the show was well below what we could expect for a Chicago-area show,” APS executive director Scott English told The Virtual Stamp Club.

Having three stamp societies as co-hosts presented some challenges, such as scheduling the membership meeting for each at different times. Americover had been a three-day show, with the same basic schedule for years: the banquet on Friday night and general membership meetings in two parts, on Saturday and Sunday mornings. At GASS 2021, the AFDCS President’s Banquet was on Thursday night and a single membership meeting Friday morning. A few members missed them.

Also missing was the AFDCS’ usual pre-show tour of local attractions. Between the short lead-time and COVID-19 restrictions, it couldn’t be scheduled.

The show’s organizers vow to work out all the glitches before the next Great American Stamp Show in Sacramento, Calif., August 25-28, 2022. There should also be some new features.

“Our most critical goal for Sacramento is creating virtual access to those who cannot attend the show in person,” said English (left). The APS hopes to have some events live-streamed, and some of the exhibits displayed online. “Our Content Team will be piloting technology at the upcoming UNEXPO in Bellefonte to make sure we can execute the virtual experiences on a large scale.”

When first scheduled several years ago, the 2021 show was supposed to run at the same time as the American Numismatic Association’s “Money Show.” The latter was also held in the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, and did overlap GASS in part. The philatelic organizers learned that “coin shows and stamp shows can operate in the same venue with excellent results,” said English. “Dealers shared that many ANA members visited their booths and even made purchases. I am hoping we can work with the ANA to hold a similar event in 2025. Stay tuned.”