June
at the APC
Finally, Spring is here! For those
of you who know me, this is an understatement. If I had my way
church bells would chime, parades would be held in every town,
a national holiday would be proclaimed, and newspaper headlines
would exclaim: “No more snow!” Well, that’s
my personal opinion, anyway. At the APS, Spring means something
entirely different. It is during this time that we are putting
the final touches on June activities at the American Philatelic
Center.
Saturday, June 21, hobbyists will
descend upon the APC for a variety of special activities. This
is the first of our Summer Saturdays at the APC. The Library,
Circuit Sales, and the Headsville Post Office will be open for
business from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday the
local Mt. Nittany Stamp Club will host Scopex, its annual show
featuring about a dozen dealers and sixty-five frames of exhibits.
Also on June 21 we will dedicate
the St Louis Patio (1 p.m.) as well as the Mary Ann Owens Thematic
Reference Collection (2 p.m.), to be followed immediately by
a reception for those in attendance. I also would like to welcome
collectors from throughout Wisconsin, who will be making a specia l
bus trip not only to visit the APC but also to remember Mary
Ann Owens who was active in the Wisconsin Federation of Stamp
Clubs. The St. Louis Patio and Mary Ann Owens were highlighted
in the recognition issue of The American
Philatelist last month.
On Sunday evening June 22, we will
welcome participants and instructors for the beginning of our
annual Summer Seminar, a week-long event filled with philatelic
learning experiences. It’s not too late to join your fellow
philatelists for this annual philatelic happening. We also are
pleased to announce that former Postmaster General Benjamin Bailar
will be the speaker for Thursday evening’s closing banquet.
‘Survey
Says’
Over the past few months I been providing a synopsis of various
results from the APS Stamp Collector Survey. This month I would
like to focus on “why” we collect stamps. As you
know, our survey included both members and non-members. “Why” we
collect stamps is no different for either group as a whole, but
we found that there was a significant variance for one subset
of collectors: those under fifty years of age differ in their
reason as to why they collect stamps. Here are a few examples:
• Twenty-five percent of all
of those surveyed indicated that “history” was
a major reason why they collected as compared to 48 percent
for those under age fifty.
• Thirty-three percent of
those over fifty emphasized that
a major reason they collected stamps was because of the “relaxing” nature
of the hobby (compared to 10 percent of all
those surveyed). This same group also enjoys the hobby
because they find it challenging and intellectually stimulating
(14 percent versus 5 percent of all those
surveyed).
• The general population of
respondents (20 percent) emphasized that they collected stamps
for the “overall enjoyment” as compared to 7 percent
for those under fifty years of age.
• Each group seems to be almost
equally captivated by the artwork and beauty of stamps as well
as the opportunity to learn about other countries and people.
• Those under
fifty are more inclined to cite the “hunt and
discovery” aspect of stamp collecting as a major motivator
in their interest in the hobby.
Help Us ‘Raise
the Roof on the APC’
Twice a year we come to the general membership with a fund-raising
appeal, in the spring and at dues renewal time. Our spring appeal
will be out shortly. While contributions are welcome for all
aspects of APS and APRL programs and services, our focus this
year is to ask your help in securing the resources needed to
re-roof the undeveloped portions of the American Philatelic Center
complex. Full details will be presented in a special mailing
to the membership. Your support is most appreciated.
StampShow
2008
Now is the time to plan on joining us, August 14–17, in
Hartford, Connecticut, this summer for StampShow 2008. Once again,
it will be the philatelic event of the year — dealers eager
to buy and sell, fantastic displays of philatelic material, meetings
and-seminars covering all aspects of the hobby, three first day
ceremonies, beginning activities for all ages, advice on the
collection you found in Uncle Charlie’s attic, social functions,
the APS General Membership Meeting, and much more. The July issue
of the AP will feature the show schedule, the bourse, the exhibits
(both philatelic and literature), and other featured activities.
Visit www.stamps.org for the latest show information.
Be sure to pack your philatelic
want list along with your comfortable shoes. See you at the show!
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