Time to get ready for APS Stampshow in Hartford, Conn.

Stampshow, the largest stamp hobby show and exhibition in the country, is just days away.

Staff members of the American Philatelic Society have been working countless hours during the past few months to ensure an optimal experience for all who attend.

This year Stampshow will take place Aug. 21-24 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Conn.

Members of the Linn’s and Scott catalog editorial staffs will be attending. Please stop by booth No. 825 to chat with us.

As an added enticement to visit us, we will have copies of the August issue of Linn’s Stamp News monthly available to give away.

If you are not a subscriber to Linn’s, this would be a great opportunity to see what you are missing.

For most who attend the show, the focal point will be the bourse, or sales area, where dealers from all corners of the United States and from around the world will have stamps, postal history and other philatelic items to tickle just about any collecting fancy.

To maximize your purchasing success, we recommend that you come with an up-to-date checklist and a game plan for the dealers you wish to visit.

Spend some time in advance reviewing the show floor plan to determine the locations of your favorite dealers.

Of course, dealers aren’t the only attraction at Stampshow. 

Numerous philatelic societies will have information booths set up. If you are a member of one or more participating groups, stop by their tables and chat with fellow collectors who share your interests.

Sign the attendance book (if one is available) and consider manning the booth for an hour or two. The other booth staffers will be grateful for the assistance.

And, as in years past, there will be several official first-day ceremonies. 

The United States Postal Service will issue its Hudson River school commemorative forever stamp Thursday, Aug. 21 at 11 a.m.

When you have some down time, wander over to the exhibit area. There you will have the opportunity to view dozens of carefully researched and thoughtfully presented exhibits on myriad subjects.

You are certain to find at least one subject that will be of interest.

To pique your curiosity, here are the titles of two exhibits that will be competing for awards: “Free Holland — Liberation by the Allies” and “Sweden — The Medallion Series, 1910-1919.”

And don’t forget that the winning exhibits in the past year’s World Series of Philately will be vying for the coveted title of Champion of Champions.

Each of these incredible displays was the grand award winner at one of the APS-sanctioned WSP shows held around the country.

This brief summary of events brings to mind the first Stampshow I ever attended: the 1999 show in Cleveland.

I had joined the Linn’s editorial staff just five months earlier and had never before attended a major stamp show. 

To say that the experience was amazing is putting it mildly. There was so much to do and see that I hardly knew where to begin.

To learn more about the show, make hotel reservations and so on, point your web browser to following link on the APS web site: http://stamps.org/STAMPSHOW-SS.

If you have not made hotel reservations, we understand that the initial block of reserved rooms at the show hotel has sold out.

However, rooms are available at other hotels close to the convention center.

We extend best wishes for an exciting, fun and successful show to all who will be attending. We hope to see you there.