At a “town hall” meeting at the NAPEX show in suburban Washington, D.C., June 9, 2017, American Philatelic Society executive director Scott English talked about the diminishing membership, not only in the APS, but in stamp collecting organizations in general.
APS membership in 1988, when English graduated high school, was almost 56,000. Today, when his youngest child is graduating high school, it’s about 29,000. Membership is down about 900 for the year. “It scares me,” he admits.
English said he did “opposition research” before he took the job as executive director 22 months ago. He described that as “I know more about you than you do, and it isn’t all good.”
In this case, he found that the APS was disconnected and standing still. It’s still a problem, he said. “Our problem with the hobby is we love tradition.”
However, English — who was not a stamp collector before he took the job — disputes assertions that stamp collecting is dying, and decreasing organizational membership proves it.
“Stamp collecting isn’t collapsing, organized philately is,” he declared.
English told the collectors at the NAPEX session the APS may get involved in the Regency-Superior bankruptcy case. That was a large philatelic auction house and retail stamp seller with headquarters in Saint Louis. A major creditor has seized the assets of the firm, and those who consigned stamps and covers to Regency-Superior for sale may not be paid.
He said that while the organization itself was a consignor to R-S auctions and stands to lose money, the APS also wants to stand up for its members and other consignors. English says it is not fair that material that they own should be seized by this creditor, a bank. He has directed the APS attorney to look into the matter.
He also said that APS may get involved in seeking changes to bankruptcy law to protect future philatelic consignors. English said that in his past career in politics, he was at times involved in writing bankruptcy legislation.
English also disputed the assertion by the owner of Regency-Superior that the business failed because stamp collecting is dying. You can hear or read his comments in a Virtual Stamp Club radio feature (podcast).
On other subjects:
- APS will be redoing its website to make it mobile-friendly and Google-friendly. Right now, it’s neither, and only 2% of its visits are from mobile devices (and he suspects that’s just himself and COO Ken Martin).
- AmeriStamp Expo 2017 in Reno was on target for revenue, off target on expenditures, and resulted in a loss.
- On finances, English deferred to APS Treasurer Bruce Marsden, who said APS/APRL finances are probably the healthiest they’ve been in the past 5-6 years.
English gives “all credit” to Robert A. Siegel Auctions for getting the most possible for the American Philatelic Research Library for the recently-recovered inverted Jenny airmail stamp. “That stamp should have sold for about $180,000,” English said. “It’s probably the most expensive reperfed stamp ever!”- A small shopping center is going into the vacant space right next to the American Philatelic Center, with six retail spaces. Its architectural style was influenced by and will be consistent with the APC.
The world’s oldest stamp dealership, Stanley Gibbons, has put itself up for sale, according to a report by the 
Henry B. Scheuer’s article titled “Kansas-Nebraska Overprint Stamps: Why, Where, and When They Were Initially Sold” was selected as the 2016 winner of the United States Stamp Society/Barbara R. Mueller Award for the best article published in a single year of The American Philatelist. The award will be presented at the APS StampShow Celebration Banquet 2017 on August 5 in Richmond, Virginia.
The American Philatelic Society is recognizing Ed Andrews, Jack Congrove, Dawn Hamman, Ed & Judy Jarvis, and David McNamee for National Service to Philately, and Ed Laveroni, Sharon Newby, Gerald Nylander, Guy Purington, Roger Rhoads, Charles Shoemaker, Norm Shufrin, Roger Skinner, Tim Wait, and Ann Wood for Local Service.
5192 (49¢) Delicioso booklet stamp – Tamales
RICHMOND, B.C. – Canadian Paralympic and Olympic greats unveiled the final two Canada 150 stamps June 1 at a special ceremony honouring Canada’s athletes and the country’s success in hosting the Paralympic and Olympic Games.
Canadian Paralympic legends Arnold Boldt and Lauren Woolstencroft unveiled a stamp celebrating Canada’s achievements in the Paralympic movement and our country’s role as host of two Paralympic Games – in Toronto in 1976 and Vancouver in 2010. Boldt is a six-time Paralympian who won eight medals in high jump and long jump, including seven gold. Woolstencroft, a former para-alpine skier and the first Canadian winter Paralympian to win five gold medals at a single Games, is featured on the Paralympic stamp.
Canadian high-jump legend and Olympic silver medallist Greg Joy, along with Joannie Rochette, Olympic bronze medallist in figure skating, unveiled a separate stamp commemorating Canada’s success as a three-time host of the Olympic Games: the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal, the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The Olympic stamp features a triumphant Alexandre Bilodeau after winning the men’s moguls event in Vancouver and capturing Canada’s first Olympic gold medal on Canadian soil.
Left to right, Canadian Paralympic legends Arnold Boldt and Lauren Woolstencroft unveiled a stamp celebrating Canada’s achievements in the Paralympic movement and Joannie Rochette, Olympic bronze medallist in figure skating, and Canadian high-jump legend and Olympic silver medallist Greg Joy unveiled a separate stamp commemorating Canada’s success as a three-time host of the Olympic Games. Photo by Flora Gordon/Canada Post.
CFB WINNIPEG – Canada Post May 31st unveiled its latest Canada 150 stamp by uniting legendary players who wore this country’s flag as members of Team Canada 1972 with proud Canadians who take the Maple Leaf to the skies as members of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
On Sunday, May 28th, Israel Post issued a My Own Stamp souvenir sheet commemorating U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Israel. It consists of 9 Israeli flag postage stamps with the USA flag and official photos of the visit.
An Aboriginal elder of the Kungarakan people and member of the Iwaidja tribal group, Tom is the first Indigenous man to hold the position of Chancellor of any Australian university – a title he took in 2014 when appointed the sixth Chancellor at the University of Canberra. From 2004 to 2010, Tom was the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission, and also served as Race Discrimination Commissioner for most of that time. Tom is co-chair of Reconciliation Australia and a director of the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre. In 2013, he was named ACT Australian of the Year, and in 2012 made an Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of his work as an inspirational advocate for human rights, social justice and distinguished service to the Indigenous community.
Of Irish and Yankunytjatjara descent, Lowitja is a member of the Stolen Generation. After years of petitioning, Lowitja became the first Aboriginal woman to be accepted into nursing training in South Australia, and finally graduated in 1954. Lowitja continued her active involvement with Indigenous issues by joining the Aboriginal Advancement League to agitate for the rights of Aboriginal people to enter professions and take up apprenticeships. She joined the federal Department of Aboriginal Affairs following the 1967 referendum and for seven years she was the most senior Aboriginal person in public office. Lowitja’s contribution to her community has been recognised with an Order of Australia (1976), Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1983), Australian of the Year award (1985), and a Companion of the Order of Australia (1999). Lowitja is the first and only Aboriginal Australian to address the UN General Assembly.
A leader and land rights activist, Galarrwuy first came to prominence in 1970 when he acted as an interpreter for the first litigation on traditional land rights in Australia. The case was instrumental to the passing of the Aboriginal Land Rights (NT) Act in 1976. Galarrwuy’s work has focused on advocacy for traditional land owners to set terms for the mining of Aboriginal land in a way that allows the communities to achieve self-determination and economic independence. In 1978, Galarrwuy was named Australian of the Year, and in 1985 was made a Member of the Order of Australia. In 1997, the National Trust named Galarrwuy an “Australian Living National Treasure”.
IQALUIT, NUNAVUT – Nunavut’s Premier, its Commissioner and the Speaker of the legislative assembly unveiled a stamp May 30th that commemorates the creation of the territory of Nunavut in 1999 and celebrates the people who call it home.
