ASDA group formed to engage others in organized philately

The president of the American Stamp Dealers Association would like to see more collectors and dealers involved in organized philately.

In a report to ASDA members published in the June issue of The American Stamp Dealer and Collector magazine, Mark Reasoner announced that a task group he proposed last year is now forming, and “additional members would be welcome.”

Last year Reasoner announced plans to create a hobby-wide task group to recruit Internet-only collectors and dealers into organized philately.

Plans for the task group grew from concerns that a new generation of stamp buyers and sellers who transact business on the Internet aren’t involved in the hobby’s key organizations — and may not be aware they exist.

Reasoner proposed forming a group charged with gathering and evaluating ideas for bringing the Internet dealer and collector “into the mainstream.”

In his new report, Reasoner said a group chaired by Bob Prager of Gary Posner Inc., will solicit ideas from the philatelic community.

Working with Prager will be Florida collector and Internet dealer Alan Bush, American Philatelic Society director-at-large Steve Zwillinger, and APS technology committee chair Clark Frazier.

Reasoner adds that the United States Postal Service has been asked to assign a representative to the task group, but hasn’t yet responded.

“The initial focus of the task group will be to solicit ideas from across the philatelic community,” Reasoner wrote.

He encourages anyone with ideas to send them to him at reasonerstamps@yahoo.com, and he will forward the suggestions to the task group.

The ASDA represents all segments of the stamp-hobby marketplace, promoting stamp collecting and the stamp industry.

Additional information about the ASDA is available at the association's website.