St. Petersburg, Fla., celebrates centennial of club

Philatelic Foreword by Jay Bigalke

A Florida stamp club will mark its centennial anniversary in February. The St. Petersburg Stamp Club will hold a centennial celebration at the Baypex stamp show Saturday, Feb. 25, at Banquet Masters, 13355 N. 49th St., Clearwater, Fla.

The club began in 1923 as the St. Petersburg Stamp and Coin Club with just 10 members. After five years, the club dropped the “Coin” from its name and boasted a membership of approximately 1,000 members.

The club started a library in 1928 that now has more than 10,000 items in its reference collection.

In 1931, the club held its first stamp exhibition. Included were exhibits of stampless covers, covers autographed by wives of presidents, blocks of four of the 1893 United States Columbians and more.

In 1933, an example of the 1918 24¢ Jenny Invert (Scott C3a) was displayed at the exhibition.

In 1937, the club became Chapter 137 of the American Philatelic Society.

Over the years, the club has had 12 different meeting locations. Since 1981, it has met at the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in downtown St. Petersburg (401 N. Fifth St.). Club meetings on the first and third Wednesdays at 1 p.m. include stamp talks, and every Saturday morning at 10 a.m., there is a stamp bourse (sales area). Philatelic auctions are conducted every third Saturday at 11 a.m.

For more information on the club, collectors can visit online or email spstamps@gmail.com.

A special thank-you to club member Joe Chinnici for information included in this article.

I wish the club continued success for another 100 years and more.

Connect with Linn’s Stamp News: 

    Sign up for our newsletter
    Like us on Facebook
    Follow us on Twitter