New venue for Jan. 16-18 Sarasota stamp show

By Linn’s Staff

The Sarasota Philatelic Club will present the Sarasota National Stamp Exhibition Jan. 16-18 in a new location at the Sahib Shrine Event Center, 600 N. Beneva Road (at Circus Blvd.), in Sarasota, Fla. The change in venue is due to major renovations taking place at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, the show’s location in previous years.

Hours will be 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Parking is free, and the $5 admission cost is good for all three days.

The show will include a dealer bourse (sales area) and more than 150 frames of exhibits. New and youth collectors will have access to a learning center, and the show will offer free appraisals.

The eighth annual articles-only literature competition will be held at the show. The competition is co-sponsored by the American Philatelic Society Writers Unit No. 30, the society of philatelic authors and editors.

Peter McCann will serve as chief judge for the literature exhibits. Other judges include Thomas Lera and Pat Walker.

The Sarasota National Stamp Exhibition is an American Philatelic Society World Series of Philately exhibition. The multiframe grand award winner will qualify for the APS Champion of Champions competition at the Boston 2026 World Expo May 23–30, in Boston. Mass.

The single-frame grand award winner will be eligible for the single-frame championship at the Chicagopex show Nov. 20-22, 2026, in Itasca, Ill., near Chicago.

The exhibit judges for the Sarasota show will be headed by Edwin Andrews and will also include William Fort III, David Ball, Andrew Kelley and Ronald Lesher.

Convening societies at the show include the American Air Mail Society, American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors, Bermuda Collectors Society, Cuban Philatelic Society, Florida Postal History Society, Germany Philatelic Society Chapter #23, United States Philatelic Classics Society, United States Possessions Philatelic Society, Philatelic Society of Puerto Rico and Universal Ship Cancellation Society.

Numerous presentations will take place throughout the show. Juan Riera will present two sessions, both on Friday, Jan. 16. The first talk, “Goodyear Blimps in South Florida,” is sponsored by the American Air Mail Society and will take place at 11 a.m. This will be followed by “U.S. Navy Airships in Southern Florida and Western Cuba” for the Universal Ship Cancellation Society at noon.

Later on Friday, at 2 p.m., Philip Leber will present “Post Office Department vs. the Telegraph: 100 Years of Competition for Communications Supremacy.”

On Saturday morning, Steven Berlin will give a talk titled “Rare and Unusual Interruptions of Mail” at 10 a.m., while Kathy Johnson will present “Exhibiting Your Town” at 11 a.m.

Also on Saturday, as part of the general meeting of the U.S. Possessions Philatelic Society, Cuban Philatelic Society and Sociedad Filatelica de Puerto Rico, Octavio Cabera will present “Postal Stationery of the U.S. Intervention in Cuba 1898-1902” at 2 p.m.

Both show hotels in Sarasota, the Comfort Inn, 5931 Commercial Way and Magmolia Pointe, 5965 Brookville Blvd., have a show rate of $179 per night and can be reached at 941-342-8778 or 941-500-4700, respectively. Both hotels offer free parking and complimentary breakfast.

For additional information about the 2026 Sarasota National Stamp Exhibition, visit the show website at https://sarasotanationalstampexhibition.com.

Connect with Linn’s Stamp News: 

    Sign up for our newsletter