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Americover 2011 Heading Into The Final Turn
for Indianapolis August 5-7
The show is being held at the Wyndham West Indianapolis Hotel. Admission and parking are free. The bourse hours are Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but at Americover shows, the events begin with breakfast and run well into the night.
In fact, the day before the show opens, Thursday, August 4, there's a tour of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum and a hog roast. And after the show closes Sunday evening, some of those attending the stamp show will dine and be entertained at a Beef 'n Boards performance of "Church Basement Ladies 2: A Second Helping."
Among the highlights during the show are the largest collection at any one venue all year of first day cover dealers, the largest cachetmakers (new issue FDC producers) bourse of the year, a seminar with Betty J. Brown of the U.S. Postal Service's Stamp Fulfillment Services (which includes the FDC processing unit), a World Series of Philately national-level exhibition of rare and unusual first day covers, and the announcement of the winners of the annual AFDCS Cachet Contest, complete with visual displays.
Because producing first day covers is a "hands-on" activity, it's only natural that Americover 2011 has a youth area, where young people can make their own FDCs.
Former American Philatelic Society executive director Bob Lamb will staff an edition of the "Stamp In The Attic" program at Americover 2011, where people who have inherited or found collections can bring them for a quick evaluation, and possible referral to one of the dealers at the show. There is no charge for the service, and both stamps and covers, as well as first day covers, will be evaluated.
The annual meetings of the American First Day Cover Society are being held during Americover 2011. Also meeting at the show are the American Ceremony Program Society (Chapter #58), The Virtual Stamp Club ( #84), Art Cover Exchange ( #79) and the 7-1-71 Affair (#50).
Even when the dealers bourse and exhibits close down for the evening, Americover 2011 will continue. The President's Banquet, where the winners of the Cachet Contest, will be announced, is Friday evening. The Cachetmakers Bourse is Saturday evening, followed by an informal "deli buffet," for cachetmakers and others. Sunday, after the show closes, there's the trip to Beef 'n Boards.
There may still be some tickets for the Speedway tour and hog roast, banquet, post-Cachetmakers buffet and Beef 'n Boards. Ask at the show table or e-mail showinfo@afdcs.org.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, a hospitality suite operated by the Claude C. Ries (Southern California) and Robert C. Graebner (D.C./Maryland, Virginia) chapters will be open, complete with munchies, beverage, camaraderie, and a silent auction.
The exhibit emphasis at Americover is on first day covers, and all three divisions (Postal, Illustrated Mail and Display) of the General class of exhibits may be represented in the exhibition, as well as One-Frame and Youth exhibits.
As a WSP show, the winner of the Grand Award at Americover 2011 will be part of the Champion of Champions competition at Stampshow 2011. Ralph Nafziger, winner of the 2010 Grand with "The 3-Cent Oregon Territory Issue," will represent Americover this summer in Columbus, Ohio.
Americover this year has a new Grand Award trophy, a nine- by eight-inch crystal pyramid sponsored by the Ries Chapter.v In addition, if six or more competitive single-frame exhibits are entered, the Curtis B. Patterson Award recipient for the best single-frame exhibit will be invited to enter the APS Single-Frame Champion of Champions competition at AmeriStamp Expo in 2012.
Collectors are coming to Americover 2011 from all over the country, and will be flying to Indianapolis. The Wyndham West offers a free shuttle from the Indianapolis airport, as well as to and from area shopping malls.
More information on Americover 2011 is available on the AFDCS Web site, www.afdcs.org or by e-mail from showinfo@afdcs.org.
 The hog roast at Americover 2004, which will be repeated this year. |
 VSC members Rollin Berger and Foster Miller at the Americover 2004 hog roast. |
 A prototype of the new Americover Grand Award. |
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