Great American Stamp Show Aug. 10-13 in Cleveland

By Molly Goad

Great American Stamp Show, the annual philatelic convention co-hosted by the American Philatelic Society, American Topical Association and American First Day Cover Society, will take place Aug. 10-13 at the Huntington Convention Center, 300 Lakeside Ave. in Cleveland, Ohio.

The four-day show is free and open to the public. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Highlights include a bourse (sales area) of more than 75 dealers from the United States and overseas offering stamps, postal history and supplies; a cachetmakers’ bourse; more than 800 frames of competitive exhibits; and meetings and seminars covering a wide array of topics. Kewriga Auctions will be the official show auctioneer.

The grand-award winners of exhibitions at World Series of Philately shows held during the past year will compete in the Champion of Champions competition.

Dozens of societies will have a presence at the show, and most will have a booth in addition to hosting meetings and activities.

More than 60 societies will participate in the show, ranging alphabetically from the American Air Mail Society to the Zeppelin and Airship Collectors; covering topics and subjects such as polar philately, Christmas stamps and seals, military postal history, penguins on stamps, plate number coils and Scouting; and focusing on different countries and areas, including the Canal Zone, Czechoslovakia, France and colonies, Germany, Haiti, the Philippines, the United Nations, the United States and more.

Attendees will be able to meet fellow society members and join those philatelic groups that cater to their interests.

Among the rarities to be displayed at the show are the U.S. 1918 24¢ Jenny Invert, a 1962 4¢ Dag Hammarskjold invert, and a George Washington free frank.

Also, the display “Classic Stamps of Britain and the Empire” will be shown through an exchange program organized by the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society and the Royal Philatelic Society London.

The U.S. Postal Service, a co-sponsor of the show, will have a large booth with current U.S. stamps and other products for sale.

Several ceremonies are scheduled during the event.

All of the following first-day ceremonies will take place on the stage next to the USPS booth on Thursday, Aug. 10: Life Magnified, USPS, 10 a.m.; Body, Mind, Soul, United Nations Postal Administration, 1 p.m.; Faroe Islands 1,000th Stamp, Posta Faroe Islands, 2 p.m.; and 100th Anniversary of the cacheted first-day cover, Inter-Governmental Philatelic Corp., 4 p.m.

The following first-day ceremonies will take place on the stage next to the USPS booth on Friday, Aug. 11: Thinking of You, USPS pane of 20, 11 a.m.; Boston 2026 World Expo promotional label, 1 p.m.; and Martin Mörck’s 1,000th Stamp, 2 p.m.

Also on Friday, the Rattlesnake Island Local Post will unveil stamps that will be released on Sept. 10 to mark the 210-year anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie. The artist, Beth Gregerson, will be on hand for the 3 p.m. event.

For more information about the show, including preregistration, visit the show’s website.

Connect with Linn’s Stamp News: 

    Sign up for our newsletter