Things You Need to Know to Enjoy a Stamp Show

by John M. Hotchner

As the new stamp show season is now upon us, I am thinking that a short check list might be in order for those who want to get the most out of a pleasant afternoon looking at exhibits and/or trolling the bourse. This presumes you have discarded the idea that stamp shows are overwhelming — too much commerce, too many people, too expensive …

While those are not irrational feelings, planning what you will do ahead of time can bring order to the apparent chaos, and there will eventually come a time after you have successfully gone to a few shows when you may even feel comfortable "winging it." That said, I still plan ahead because there is generally too much to do for the number of hours I have available.

How to do that? Here is my ten-step guide:

1. What’s Happening? Check the show website or preshow publicity to see what dealers will be present, and their specialties. One of your favorites from mail order, or the Internet may be among them, but even if they are all new, this gives you a hint as to what among your wants may most likely be found. If there is no preshow publicity or website (!!!!), spend a few minutes on arrival looking through the show program — which will normally list dealers and their specialties, exhibits, attending societies and the presence of a U.S. Postal Service or other postal booths.
   
   
2. Homing In On Your Wants: Knowing what the dealers have, go to the show with a specific idea of what you are seeking. And be prepared to convey your wants to the dealers in a few words or sentences. If what you are looking for lends itself to such an approach, back that up with a want list. The more specific you can be, the more dealers you will be able to talk with to see if they have your wants. And you will save yourself needless meandering through stock that is not likely to yield results. Remember also that sometimes the value of a show is not in what you buy, but in the contacts you make with one or more dealers who did not bring what you are seeking to the show, but have it back at the shop, or in stock at home.
   
   
3. Supplies? New Issues? Give some thought to collecting supplies that you may need, and new issues that may be available from a USPS or other postal booth. If you are not lucky enough to have a stamp store in your area of residence, shows can be a good place to replenish your stock of hinges, stock cards, glassines, etc. Similarly, your local post office may not have the latest commemoratives, but a show USPS booth should have those and more.
   
   
4. Checking The Exchequer: Have in mind an idea of what you can afford to spend. Lucky is the collector who can afford to buy whatever appeals. I am not in that class. So, I know what my limit is, and I spend a bit of time before the show looking at the catalogue and at ads in the philatelic press to get an idea of the range of prices for what I’m seeking. This saves me the otherwise inevitable time wrestling with myself over whether item X is being offered at a good price or not.
   
   
5. Pricing And Discounts. Recognize that dealer pricing of material is an inexact science. It may be affected by such considerations as the dealer’s purchase price, how many of the item are in stock, condition variants, and the effort and time needed to ready the material for sale. Thus, stamp show buying is more like car shopping than going to a grocery store to buy a loaf of bread. In the latter case the price is probably set and invariable; don’t even try to negotiate. Make a small purchase from a stamp dealer and the same rule often applies. But the more you buy, the more you will be expected to ask the question, "What can you do on these?" by which the dealer understands you expect a discount. Depending upon the answer and how badly you want the material, you may negotiate further if you are comfortable doing that.
   
   
6. The Art Of Negotiation: Be warned: Negotiating is an art that involves reading other people, and we learn over time. The object is to arrive at a mutually satisfactory price for what you want, not to be able to crow later on that you took the dealer to the cleaners. At any point in the negotiation, the dealer is entitled to say, "No, no further discount." This is especially likely when the dealer has priced conservatively and/or posted on their table a list of discounts according to total purchase. And if you are not comfortable negotiating, you just pay the asking price. No one will think any less of you.
   
   
7. Selling As Well As Buying? Suppose you are going to the show with the objective of selling material to dealers you’ve identified, or trading for items you want. Dealers have to replenish their stocks, but as simple as it sounds you need to remember that they can’t pay you retail for what they take in from collectors. If they did, how would they ever make the profit they need to stay in business, and make a living? Have a firm idea of what you want for the material and be prepared to state it. Some dealers will make an offer, but others take the stand that they are not running a free evaluation service, and will expect you to name your price, just as they have to do when selling.
   
   
8. When To Go? If crowds bother you, consider mid to late-afternoon as (usually) the best time to go to a show. The trade-off is that the dealers’ stocks will have been picked over by the crowds earlier in the day. But, you will get more individual service, and sometimes a dealer who did not make a lot of sales earlier will be more interested in negotiating just to have some good sales for the day.
   
   
9. Society Booths: If there are society booths, plan to take a few minutes to check them out. Most will have descriptive literature about their organization, their specialty area, "how to" pamphlets, and their latest published literature. Yes, those manning the booths will want you to join, but all you really need to do is take a membership form and think about it. Meanwhile you will learn a lot about what is happening in the philatelic world by hearing about what grabs their enthusiasm.
   
   
10. Stamp Exhibits: Last, but by no means least, allocate at least half an hour to walk the stamp exhibit aisles. You can hone in on specific exhibits of interest using the strategies in #1 above, but you never know what may catch your eye, and start you thinking in new directions. So, giving yourself the chance to be entertained and inspired is a productive use of your time.