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Getting out of the House.

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

Hard though it may be to believe, the end of this worse-than-usual winter is in sight,
and stamp show season is under way. From now through the spring, summer and into the
fall, there’s a national or regional show almost every weekend, sometimes several of
them, each in a different part of the country. Most of these have exhibits as well as
dealers, and specialist stamp societies and local clubs hold their meetings at them.

There are also dealer-only shows, called “bourses,” which range from the large ones
run by the American Stamp Dealers Association in major metro areas  to the small ones
with half a dozen dealers held once a month in Elks Clubs and similar venues.

Why go to a show when you have the Internet? First, it’s more fun to see stamps in
person. Also, the most expensive and the LEAST expensive stamps aren’t usually sold
online.

Finally, you’ll meet collectors with similar interests. I’ve seen friendships and even
partnerships formed when two collectors with the same specialty find themselves sitting
next to each other at a dealer’s table. You’ll also pick up advice and suggestions at
a show...sometimes answering questions you didn’t even know you had.

There’s a good chronological calendar of shows at the American Philatelic Society’s
website, stamps-dot-org under Events and Shows... and you can sort or filter it by your
location.

I'm Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting,
visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.

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