Stamp Insider www.nystampclubs.org January / February 2008 Lighthouses & Philately
• Retaining Members • A New Harry Potter Tale • Morison Pavilion Opens • Youth Contest Winners
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S ta m p . . P . U.S. Postage: Still a Bargain...... 8 h c i n la I George McGowan’s Collecting: t s, el ie Insider ic Societ WW II Comes to Newfoundland...... 10 www.nystampclubs.org Jim Hannah the Frugal Philatelist: ‘Cold War’ Stamps...... 12 Editor Arthur P. von Reyn: Albert W. Starkweather Retention Efforts Help Clubs Thrive...... 14 5520 Gunn Hwy. Apt. 1406, Tampa, FL 33624-2847 813-962-7964; [email protected] About the Cover www.starkweatherdesign.com This mosaic created from Stony Point light- Associate Editor house in Henderson Harbor, NY, contains Heather Sweeting 4,800 stamp images. (More on page 6). 14329 Victory St., Sterling NY 13156-3172 315-947-6761; [email protected] John S. Babbitt: Lighthouses — Part I...... 18 Florence Wright: Contributing Editor A New Harry Potter Tale...... 24 Daniel A. Piazza P. O. Box 76846, Washington DC 20013-6846 Morison Pavilion Dedicated...... 26 301-313-0287; [email protected] Texas Youth Art Contest Winners...... 30 Advertising Manager Remembering David H. Proulx...... 32 George McGowan Stepex 2007 Award Winners...... 33 P. O. Box 482, East Schodack, NY 12063-0483 Daniel A. Piazza’s Stamp Stories 518-479-4396; [email protected] Stamps for the Olympics That Weren’t.... 34 Webmaster Robert Finnegan’s Youth & Philately: Thomas M. Fortunato The ‘Love’ in Philately...... 38 28 Amberwood Place, Rochester, NY 14626-4166 Glenn A. Estus’ First Day Coverage: 585-225-6822; [email protected] The Benefits of AFDCS...... 39 Financial Ruth L. Sabo’s Exploring Deltiology: John J. Nunes Leap Year Postcards...... 40 80 Fredericks Road. Scotia, NY 12302-5727 Communications: Black Baseball Pros...... 41 518-399-8395; [email protected] Club Pages...... 42–65 Subscriptions / Secretary Shows & Bourses...... 66–67 Ronald K. Ratchford Heather Sweeting’s The Last Words: 1105 Union St.. Schenectady, NY 12308-2805 No Stamp Left Behind?...... 70 518-374-3776 ; [email protected] Advertiser Index...... 69 Subscriptions, Copyright, Advertising Rates, Deadlines Stamp Insider™ is published six times per year by the Federation of New York Philatelic Societies for the Federation of Central New York Philatelic Societies, Inc., a non-profit organization, at 1105 Union St., Schenectady, NY 12308-2805. Subscriptions: $7.50 per year; inquire of Subscriptions. Stamp Insider is sent free to members of participating clubs. Content ©2007 Federation of Central New York Philatelic Societies Inc.; Design ©2007 Albert W. Starkweather / Design on Demand. Stamp Insider and the magnifying glass logo are trademarks of the Federation. Any portion of this publication may be reproduced without prior consent, provided credit is given. Written expression or opinions of the writers are their own and not necessarily those of the Stamp Insider or Federation. Some product names and images may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation, without intent to infringe. Every effort is taken to ensure accuracy, but validity is not guaranteed. Articles by readers are encouraged. Manuscripts cannot be returned without a large SASE. Electronic submissions are preferred. Dimensions (In inches) Per Insertion Contract Per Year Save Small Business Card (2 1/5 × 1) One-Year Contract Only $ 70.00 — Super Business Card (3 × 2 1/4) One-Year Contract Only $140.00 — 1⁄2 Page (4 1⁄2 × 3 7⁄16) $ 55.00 $270.00 $60.00 Full Page (4 1⁄2 × 7 1⁄2) $ 75.00 $400.00 $50.00 Full Page Inside Front or Back Cover $ 85.00 $450.00 $60.00 Full Page Outside Back (4 1⁄2 × 7 1⁄2) $150.00 $800.00 $100.00 Centerfold (two full pages) $160.00 $810.00 $150.00 Editorial & ad deadlines for the two months following are Feb. 1, April 1, June 1, Aug. 1, Oct. 1, Dec. 1 President’s Viewpoint John J. Nunes 80 Fredericks Road, Scotia, NY 12302-5727 518-399-8395; [email protected]
Stamp Insider Finances have completed the year-end accounting and projection for the Stamp Insider’s 2007 in- I come and disbursements. An accurate accounting of the journal and the Federation’s fi- nances is necessary to maintain our nonprofit status. The Insider’s income exceeded expenses by $620.71, or a little more than five cents per copy; 11,850 copies were distributed. We did not require support from our remaining Federation funds of $1,150 nor did we receive any assistance from the Northeast Association of Stamp Dealers (NEASDA), as we did in 2006. Norman Cohen, our publisher and benefactor, continued his contribution to the Fed- eration through in-kind services of $7,804.17. This is the difference it costs us to print in color and to mail some issues in bulk shipments to show promoters. Otherwise the cost of the publication would go from its current $1.11 per issue to $1.83 per issue. The Stamp Insider’s officers, editor, and staff contribute their time and talent pro bono. 2005 Summary: The Insider realized a profit of $504 or seven cents per copy was realized. We distributed 7,200 copies. 2006 Summary: The Insider had a $1,901 deficit or 17 cents per copy. The shortfall was met from the Federation’s treasury and by a NEASDA donation. We distributed 11,100 copies. 2007 Summary: We raised the rates for advertisers and subscribers for the first time in 12 years with the January–February issue. A profit of $620.71 or a little more than five cents per copy is expected. We distributed 11,850 copies. We will maintain our present fee structure through 2008. Our advertisers helped support maintaining the cost to member clubs. Income and expenditures, which include the Federation Web site that is not part of the Stamp Insider, were: 2007 Income 2007 Expenditures
Advertising $10,800.00 Printing $7200.00 Club Subscriptions s2,799.50 Lettershop 480.00 Subscribers/Advertising 156.00 Envelopes 924.00 Postage 4166.43 Web Site 60.00 Editor’s Expenses 176.03 Secretary’s Expenses 120.05 President’s Expenses 8.28 Total $13,755.50 Total $13,134.79 Thanks to the advertisers, clubs, subscribers, our editor, publisher, editorial staff, and reporters for supporting this beneficial aspect of philately in the Empire State.
4 Stamp Insider $Millions in U.S. & worldwide stamps, covers & collections from 10¢ to $Thousands filling more than 60 tables in congenial, relaxed ballrooms! MetroExpo DC, Jan. 18-20, 2008 Hilton Washington at Dulles, Herndon, Va. 13869 Park Center Rd. (McLearen Road /Rte. 28)
Retail Hours: Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-4
you’re invited TWO GREAT SHOWS! MetroExpo NY, Feb. 22-24, 2008 Midtown Holiday Inn, 440 W. 57th St. Within walking distance or a quick cab ride to scores of New York attractions! Retail Hours: Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-4 PLUS: Dealers-only bourse: Fri. 10-Noon For Show Info., Covers or Cards Elaine Dunn: 800-635-3351, [email protected] For dealer space in New York or DC
Dick Murphy, 508-393-9732, [email protected] John Nunes, 518-399-8395, [email protected] Editor’s Perspective Albert W. Starkweather 5520 Gunn Hwy 1406, Tampa, FL 33624-2847 Ô 813-962-7964; [email protected] Think Collaterally, Act Philatelically! hen I was casting about for a back- Wdrop for this month’s cover, I recalled an image my father had taken of the Stony Point lighthouse in Henderson Harbor, NY a couple of years ago. The problem was that it was too strong and would overpower the page and was not philatelic. However, there was an easy answer to both problems: convert it to a mosaic where a bunch of small images — in this case of light- house stamps — build a representation of the cropped original. In this case I chose 39 stamps to create a 60 × 80 array of 4,800 images. The task was relatively easy, as I used MacOSaiX — a freeware program for Macintosh OS X. A ‘Capp’ital Idea Ruth Sabo’s column on Leap Year and Sadie Hawkins Day brought back fond memories of my favorite cartoon strip when I was a lad — Li’l Abner. Until I read Ruth’s column, I had no idea that cartoonist Al Capp had created the event. The original strip is reproduced below. Political and irreverent, Capp poked fun at corrupt politicians and political systems. His Senator Phogbound was the archetypal southern politician, while Lower Slobovia was Siberia thinly disguised. Some of Capp’s creations generated long-running fads, in par- ticular the self-effacing Schmoo which would do anything to please humans. The Schmoo became a merchandising phenomenon, showing up on all sorts of kitsch. One of the most interesting characters was Abner’s mother, Mammy Yokum, who often declared: “Good is better than evil because it’s nicer.” For more, see www.lil-abner.com. Albert W. Starkweather, Sr. photo Sr. Starkweather, Albert W.
6 Stamp Insider John J. Nunes Presents Great Venues 4UBNQTt1PTU$BSETt$PWFSTt&QIFNFSB 4VQQMJFTt'SFF"ENJTTJPO1BSLJOH RS Stamp Show 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday, February 3 Also May 4, August 3 & November 2 Eagles Club #52, 1200 Buffalo Road (Route 33), Rochester, New York Thruway Exits 45 or 47; take I-490 to Exit 7A (Rt. 33 East); go 1.7 miles east to the Eagles Club on the left Capital District Stamp Show 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday, January 20 March 16, April 20, May 18, June 15, July 20, August 17, October 19, November 16 & December 21 New Location! This year’s Capital District Shows will be at Holiday Inn Express, 946 New Loudon Road, U.S. 9, Latham, New York Northway (I-87) Exit 7; go east to Route 9; 1/4 mile north on left Mania Shows Post Card Mania 10 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sept. 20 & 9 a.m.–4 p.m., September 21 Post Card Mania 10 Coming Sept. 20–21, 2008 Clarion Hotel, 3 Watervliet Ave., Albany, New York Cover Mania 10 10 a.m.–6 p.m. February 16 t 9 a.m.–4 p.m. February 17 Clarion Hotel, 3 Watervliet Ave., Albany, New York Berkshire Paper Mania 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday, June 29 Also July 27, August 31 and November 30 New Location! Jewish Community Center, 16 Colt Road, Pitts eld, MA Two-day Mania shows on Saturday and Sunday NunesNook 80 Fredericks Road, Scotia, NY 12302-5727 tt) E-mail [email protected] Pondering Philately George T. Fekete 111 Dale Road, Rochester NY 14625-2009 585-381-6233; [email protected]
U.S. Postage: Still a Bargain he other day some folks were all worked up about the cost of mailing a letter. I figured that, Tif this was such a big deal in their lives, they have way too much time on their hands. The U.S. constitution mandated establishment of a post office and post roads in 1789, but it wasn’t until July 1, 1847 that the first United States postage stamps were issued. Combinations of the five- and 10-cent stamps (Scott #1 and 2) paid a variety of rates at the time. For a nickel, a half ounce letter would be delivered within a 300-mile radius; the same letter would be delivered beyond a 300-mile radius for a dime. If granny lived on the west coast, a half ounce letter to her from upstate New York cost 40 cents. There was also a two-cent rate for a drop letter left for an addressee to be picked up at the same location. The rate for delivery of a half ounce letter from one location to another on the Pacific coast, effective August 14, 1848, was 12.5 cents. To put this in perspective, I calculated what these rates would be today, adjusted for inflation. The easiest rate comparison to internalize is what we recognize today as the first class rate for a half ounce letter sent locally or between locations within a 300-mile radius. Adjusted for inflation, postage today for such an item would be $1.83. If the addressee were beyond the 300-mile radius — and not out west — the rate would be $3.66. You can double those numbers for a letter weighing more than a half ounce and less than an ounce. If drop letter service were still available today, you would pay 73 cents for it. But that’s not the whole story. Delivery in the examples I just gave take no more than a few days to arrive at their destinations today. In contrast, letters in the early days often took weeks to get from one place to another. Delivery on the longer routes could take weeks. Completion of the Panama Canal and improved overland routes reduced delivery time to the west coast to three weeks early in the 20th century. The USPS commenced operation on July 1, 1971. The five-cent rate of 1847, corrected for inflation, would have been 35 cents in 1971 — but the actual rate was eight cents! And delivery was markedly improved in terms of reliability and transit time. It’s not too surprising that the eight-cent rate of 1971, corrected for inflation, is (drum roll) 41 cents today, which is precisely the cost of a first-class stamp. Since official U.S. government Consumer Price Index calculators only go back to 1913, I used Tom’s Inflation Calculator (www.halfhill.com) for my calculations because it em- ploys a combination of official sources, including the 1913–2007 U.S. CPI values, for the years 1666–2050. Hmm … I suppose anyone that would take the time to research and write a piece like this just might have a little too much time on his hands.
8 Stamp Insider MAIL SALES Topicals Engravings, Varieties, in Award Winning Varieties. Topicals, Worldwide Please check the appropriate varieties of interest: _ Animals _ Aviation Items for _ Boy Scouts _ Bridges Award-Winning _ Concorde _ Energy _ France & Colonies _ Lions Collections _ Medicine _ Mountains WRITE FOR CURRENT _ Music _ Olympics LISTS AND BID SHEETS _ Personalities _ Presidents _ Rotary _ Space OR _ Spain & Colonies _ Sports VIEW ON OUR WEB SITE _ United Nations _ Waterfall E. JOSEPH McCONNELL, INC.
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Y F L T E H T E A M L A I T I C P H 1IPOFr'BY [email protected]r www.ejmcconnell.com Syracuse Stamp, Coin & Collectibles Show Central New York’s largest philatelic show. Dealers to buy, sell, trade stamps, coins, covers, post cards, paper collectibles. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. February 10 Holiday Inn Thruway Exit 35 — Carrier Circle Next Show at the Same Location: April 13 Contact Ed Bailey P. O. Box 2338, Syracuse, NY 13220-2338 Phone 315-452-0593
January / February 2008 9 Collecting George McGowan P. O. Box 482, East Schodack, NY 12063-0482 518-479-4396; [email protected]
One Stamp — Three Ways The original SS Caribou stamp, Scott #146, left, was followed by Scott #164, center, and the watermarked Scott #173, right. World War II Comes to Newfoundland n June 1927, the Newfoundland Minister of Posts and Telegraphs proposed a set of stamps Ito replace the pictorial set of 1923–1924. Whitehead Morris & Co. was asked to prepare a 13-stamp set, with two more added later. It became known as the 1928 Publicity Issue. The two-cent carmine stamp (Scott #146) featured the new steamer SS Caribou. Operated by the Newfoundland Government Railway, the Caribou was assigned the run between North Sidney, Nova Scotia and Port-Au-Basque, Newfoundland, which took about eight hours. In 1929. Messrs. Dickinson & Co. secured the contract for printing Newfoundland stamps. Whitehead & Morris refused to hand over the printing plates, forcing Dickinson to get new dies and plates. Perkins & Bacon was asked for assistance and helped with engraving and printing. The old designs were followed as close as possible, but there are many differences. The two-cent Caribou of this set became Scott #164. In 1637, by Royal Patent of King Charles I, a coat of arms was granted to Newfound- land. On January 1, 1928, it was decided to revive the use of the coat of arms and it was to be watermarked on all stationery, paper, and documents. In 1931, this watermark was first used on Newfoundland stamps. Thus, we have the watermarked issue of 1931 and the two-cent Caribou became Scott #173. The pictorial issue of 1932 replaced this set. We now jump ahead to 1941–1942. Germany had long planned a U-boat attack on North American shipping, and with the declaration of war on December 7, 1941, the first victim was the steamer Cyclops southeast of Cape Sable, Nova Scotia. Over the next few months, U-boats sank a total of 44 ships in Canadian waters alone. As for the significance to Newfoundland, none had more impact than the sinking of the Caribou on October 14, 1942. Newfoundlanders are seafarers and accustomed to shipwrecks and natural disasters, but this was different — a calculated and deliberate act. The Caribou left North Sidney about 8 p.m. on October 13 and was escorted by the minesweeper Grandemere. About 3 a.m. on October 14, the crew of U-boat 69 sited the two vessels, believing they were a freighter and a destroyer. At 3:30 a torpedo struck the Caribou amidships. Of the 237 aboard, 136 perished — 57 military personnel, 49 civilians and 30 crew members. The Burgeo took over the former route, but eliminated night sailing. The HMS Viscount sank U69 in February 1943 with all hands lost.
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‘Cold War’ Stamps his isn’t about U.S. or USSR stamps, but Trather the troops in the long-running bloodless dispute between Argentina and Chile over territorial claims in Antarctica — that cold war. In the 1940s Argentina and Chile began issuing stamps to publicize their overlapping claims. The United King- dom also claimed most of the same area, but that’s another story. It often is assumed that Antarctica al- ways belonged to everyone, but it’s not that clear-cut. The Antarctic Treaty of 1959 didn’t dismiss the claims. It only set up a forum to discuss them every 10 years. The Argentina– Chile Antarctic postal war can be traced in stamps through the decades. Many of these are also topical map stamps. Aw, you’ve already guessed it! These claim stamps of Argentina and Chile are available for under $1 each. As a group, they form an interesting mini-collection. It is not possible to tell exactly how many stamps there are, however. That depends on such decisions as whether to include watermark differences (Argentina Scott #562–564). Some don’t relate nearly as di- rectly to the claims as others. Look up Argentina #620 and 621. The first is definitelyin , but the second? Is #621 a soldier or a civilian in the battle? It’s your call. Chile answered Argen- tina’s #562–564 with Scott #247–248. Then in 1958 Chile used the IGY as an opportunity to try a one-two punch (#305 and 310). More stamps from both countries await your search. The Antarctic claim stamps provide a fine opportunity to sharpen your abilities in dig- ging information out of a stamp catalog. If you decide to collect these stamps, you and you alone will decide what’s in and what’s out. Your tools are good lighting, a decent magnify- ing glass and catalogs such as the applicable Scott volumes. Hint: Don’t forget to check the written descriptions of multi-stamp issues where only one value is pictured. A nice Antarctic territorial claim mini-collection falls well within all but the most re- stricted of stamp budgets. With very rare exceptions, there are no specialized album pages available for you decide collections like this. Instead of being a drawback, though, it can lead directly to the pleasure of designing your own layout. But that’s another topic. Chile Scott #247–248; Argentina #594 and 813.
12 Stamp Insider Harmer–Schau Auction Galleries, Inc. BUYrSELLr"6 ION TUBNQTrQPTUBMIJTUPSZrQPTUDBSETrFQIFNFSB Official Auctioneer
Watch for Ou 6QEBUFE"Vƹ on & Show Schedule! $POUBDU0VS/PSUIFBTUFSO3FQSFTFOUBUJWF5PEBZ John J. Nunes [email protected] 518-399-8395 H www.harmerschau.com S Retention Efforts Help Clubs Thrive Making a Good Impression Ensures Return Visits By Arthur P. von Reyn ost clubs experience the phenomenon of a visi- Mtor who comes to just one meeting and then vanishes for good. If this is a frequent occurrence, it is likely visitors don’t get a good impression of your club, particularly because they aren’t receiving the special attention they deserve. My experience as a guest typically has been signing the register, having my presence acknowledged during the business session, and then being asked to stand up and state my collecting interests. While I don’t have a problem with that, I do know there are some Proper handling of the introduction of visi- collectors who don’t like to stand up before a tors ensures the vitally-important first im- pression of an organization is favorable. group of strangers. Why not avoid that situa- tion by collecting the required information beforehand and announce something like: “Jane Doe is visiting with us today for the first time and collects rabbit topicals. Is there anything else you collect Jane?” She can then expand on her interests if she wishes or let it go at that. Too many clubs leave visitors to sink or swim once there presence has been acknowledged. The introductory process should be taken one step further by having a hospitality committee that assigns a buddy to the visitor for at least the entire first meeting and, if that individual re- turns, a few more. This buddy should have the responsibility of explaining what the club has to offer and introduce the guest to other club members who share collecting interests. Identifying and Retaining Wayward Members While having a newsletter and variety in programs goes a long way towards keeping your members coming out, sometimes regular attendees seem to disappear from the face of the earth. According to an often-quoted Why Customers Quit survey that purportedly first appeared on a company’s bulletin board years ago, but lacks substantiation,! the reason customers (i.e., your members) disappear is: • 1 percent die • 3 percent move away • 5 percent other friendships • 9 percent competitive reasons (high dues?) • 14 percent product dissatisfaction (few activities?) • 68 percent bad customer experience (indifference by other members?) Continued on Page 16 1 A PowerPoint presentation by Rita Hodgins, Michigan University Extension Service Agent, Up- per Peninsula Region, refers without attribution to these and other statistics quoted here.
14 Stamp Insider Saratoga County’s Most Interesting Collectibles Headquarters Azusa Stamps and Collectibles Visit Our Store at 3 Curry Road P. O. Box 745 Round Lake, NY 12151-0745 (518) 899-3027
[email protected] www.azusacollectibles.com
• Qualified estate appraiser Thursday & Friday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. • Philatelics Saturday 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Additional Hours by Appointment • Comic books • Sports / Non-Sports cards *Want Lists Filled • Paper ephemera *U. S. Mint and Used Stamps, First Day Covers, Plate Blocks, • 30+ years experience and Booklets and Booklet Panes, store ownership on Long Back-of-Book, Possessions Island and in Round Lake and Trust Territories • Insurance appraisals *Canada and Provinces • Dealer Member American *Israel mint tabs *Vatican mint *United Nations Philatelic Society (#94747) 28 years Also a Selection of: • Member Ephemera Society Great Britain, including Channel Islands • Member Long Island British Colonies Postcard Club. France and Colonies Germany and Colonies • Comic book seminars and Other European appearance on TV’s Asia, Central and South America Antiques Show and Sell Program Full line of stamp and cover supplies • Show promotions and An old fashioned personal service store with appearances a comfortable atmosphere and free coffee. And we’re air conditioned!
To Saratoga Springs 6I-87 < Route 9
Exit 11 Round Lake Road / Curry Road
Azusa To Albany Retention Efforts — Continued from Page 14 Although this survey may be of dubious origin, there is certainly a ring of truth to its presumption. So, when a long-time or short-time member ceases coming to meetings, is it because your organization gives an impression of indifference? Clubs can avoid the appearance of being indifferent by taking roll at every meeting and observing who is not present. When an individual misses a second meeting, it is time to find out what happened. It is likely that particular member didn’t die or move away, so this is a chance to investigate. Perhaps the missing individual is no longer able to drive at night and needs a ride; is sick and would appreciate a visit; or, can’t abide the program presenters who ramble on and on. Other commonly cited statistics in customer service circles, which may or may not have any concrete basis, are: 96 percent of dissatisfied customers don’t complain; if the problem is resolved, 50 to 74 percent will be retained — that figure jumps to 95 percent if the problem is resolved quickly. These numbers aside, it remains a fact about the only way you’re going to discover there’s an issue with a member is through personal contact. Become More Proactive A quick resolution is possible by taking a more proactive approach. Establish a telephone committee to call members before each meeting. Assign each committee member only enough members to call so the task can be accomplished in about 10 minutes, this would usually be about eight or so members. Instruct volunteers to report any problems to the chair so they can be resolved quickly. Don’t forget another often-quoted customer service adage, “a customer with a bad ex- perience will tell nine others.” There is considerable truth to this, I have personally heard about far more bad experiences collectors have had at vari- ous clubs versus the good ones. A Great Resource for Building Your Club There’s a great resource every philatelic organization should have — the Stamp Club Handbook by Elaine Durnin Boughner, published by Amos Press in 1983. Although this publication appeared before personal computers became a mainstream item, most of the information is as pertinent today as it was back then. According to Angie Nolte at Amos Press, the handbook is long gone and there are no plans to reprint it. However, copies are occasionally offered on the Internet and often found languishing in club libraries. I strongly suggest your club officers acquire a copy and use it!
Arthur P. von Reyn of Dallas, TX, is president of the Texas Philatelic Association, Inc. This article originally appeared in the July–August issue of The Texas Philatelist, the TPA’s journal.
16 Stamp Insider Buffalo Stamp Club Presents BUFPEX 2008 Buffalo’s Oldest & Largest Stamp Show Exhibition, Bourse & More 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, March 1 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, March 2 MARCH 1 2008 Honoring the 50th Anniversary of the ‘Nautilus’ Submarine Exploration Free Admission, Parking & Door Prizes — Lunch Available Both Days VFW Leonard Post 6251 2450 Walden Avenue, Cheektowaga, New York
90 Galleria Mall VFW
H Nagel Dr. Thruway Exit 52 < Walden Avenue Dick Road (Rt. 277) Union Road
Semi-Annual COLLECTORS’ SHOW/EXPO 2008 ".o1.4BUVSEBZ'FCSVBSZùtù".o1.4VOEBZ'FCSVBSZ
To Lewiston Prime Outlets ELKS LODGE NO. 346 Mall 1805 FACTORY OUTLET BLVD. 190 H Elks Lodge NIAGARA FALLS, NY No. 346 (just off the Thruway directly behind the Prime Outlets Mall) Rt. 62 Niagara Falls Blvd. To Buffalo To $0*/4t$633&/$:t45".14t1045$"3%4 Factory Outlet Blvd. #6:t4&--t53"%&t"113"*4"-4 < Niagara Falls, NY Sponsored by Niagara Frontier Coin Club Robert Moses Pkwy. t Bourse Information Call: Bridge (716) 754-8205 or 633-4104 To Grand Island
January / February 2008 17 Lighthouses & Philately Part I of IV —Ancient Wonders of the World By John S. Babbitt hilately is just one of the Pmany ways collectors can enhance their love of light- houses by collecting items that have a lighthouse stamp and / or cancel. The avenues of collecting are unlimited. What is a lighthouse? According to Webster, it is a tall structure with optics that displays a continuous or intermittent signal for the purpose of guiding navi- gators and ships safely through treacherous waters. All lighthouses have the same basic parts: foundation, tower, lens, lantern room, and windows. The design of the lighthouse depends on the politics and technology of the time: need, light-source, cost, location, availability of materials. Each lighthouse has its own signature: At night the lights differ in their color, rate of flash, and frequency of flash. To make a lighthouse more recognizable during the day they were painted in distinctive col- ors or patterns that would set them apart from one another. Maritime history is full of disasters that beacon lights might have prevented. The most dangerous part of a voyage is the last few miles as the ship approaches and searches for land. Early in Maritime History villains set up false lights to lure ships onto jagged rocks. Survivors were killed and thieves would make off with the goods on board. Two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were lighthouses — the Pharos of Alexandria (above) and the Colossus of Rhodes (on page 20). Around 300 BC, on the island of Pharos, at the entrance to the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt arose the world’s first lighthouse, the Pharos of Alexandria. A magnificent masonry structure between 350–400 feet high, it was the tallest lighthouse ever built. It took its name from the island upon which it stood and guarded. It is impossible to know exactly what it looked like, but accounts by ancient historians, early drawings, and imperfect rep- resentations on stamps and coins gives us an idea. The structure was commonly thought to have been made in four sections. The first level was believed to be have been horizontal and made of marble with many windows. Level two was octagonal and also made of marble and equipped with windows Continued on Page 20
18 Stamp Insider Big Box of Stuff
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For Worldwide Postal History Cash Paid and Historical Letters. We seek 19th century or earlier, but will consider anything pre-1960, including family correspondences and WWI, WWII soldiers’ and war- related mail, individual letters, diaries, ship logs, documents, manuscripts, broadsides, and accumulations of all kinds. We also buy postcards (Pre-1940 U.S. & Worldwide). Also: stampless covers and autographs. Free appraisals, quick decision, and we pay you immediately! We also cover all postage costs. www.fredschmitt.com 8:)*4503:0/1"1&3
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January / February 2008 19 Lighthouses — Continued from Page 18 to light the interior. The third level was cylindrical con- sisting of brick plastered to match the marble. It held the circular stairway to the lan- tern room — an open space surrounded by white marble columns topped with a dome. Atop the dome was a statue of Poseidon or Zeus. In the lan- tern room, a great fire blazed at night that could be seen far out to sea. To keep the fires burning at night, 300 slaves lifted great quantities of wood to the lantern room. Not only did the structure serve as a guide for ships, but it also was a watchtower for the city. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, it last- ed about 1,600 years before being toppled by an earth- quake in 700 AD. In 1307 another earthquake turned the tower into ruins. Many countries around the world have de- picted the “Mother of Lighthouses — Alexandria’s Pharos” on stamps. Each nation portrays the lighthouse somewhat differently depending upon which authority the artist has chosen. The Colossus of Rhodes was a huge statue of the Greek sun god Helios. The bronze sculp- ture stood at the entrance of the port of Rhodos for approximately six decades. It also was de- stroyed by an earthquake — in 224 BC. The right hand of the statue held a basin containing a fire. It has long been believed that the Colossus stood in front of the Mandraki harbor, one of many in the city of Rhodes, straddling its entrance. Given the height of the statue and the width of the harbor mouth, this picture is rather impossible than improbable. Moreover, the fallen Colossus would have blocked the harbor entrance. Recent studies suggest that it was erected either on the eastern promontory of the Mandraki harbor or even further inland. The Roman Empire was interested in safe passage to its colonies as well and built more and more lights along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. These lights could be seen from up to one to three nautical miles. After 500 AD the lights fell into disarray as the Vikings plundered the coasts.
To Be Continued
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January / February 2008 21 J. K. Rowling’s fantasy series has inspired a new generation of readers. Har¡y Pot¤e¥ and ¤he Magic Stamps By Florence Wright rains have chugged their way across the pages of many books, from The Little Engine Tthat Could and Thomas the Tank Engine for children to Taking of Pelham One-Two-Three and Murder on the Orient Express for older readers. And in some cases, postage stamps have emerged to commemorate trains in literature. More recently, a series of books has caught the attention of readers of all ages — the Harry Potter stories by J. K. Rowling, and a train plays a somewhat significant part in the episodes. “A scarlet steam engine sat waiting next to a platform. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Ex- press. A wrought-iron archway had the words ‘Platform Nine and three-Quarters’.” (Quoted from chapter six of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.) The train figures prominently in the seven books as it carries secondary-level students to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where they will learn the finer points of becoming skilled wizards. The popularity of these books has inspired several postal administrations to issue Harry Potter stamps. The most recent was a set issued by British Royal Mail, each stamp depicting a cover of each of the seven books. The train is featured on the first stamp, which depicts the cover on the British edition of the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philoso- pher’s Stone (retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the United States). Ever since the 1997 publication of the first book, several postal authorities have is- sued Harry Potter stamps, including Australia, Belgium, Benin, Congo, Isle of Man, Ivory Coast, Republic of China, Singapore, Taiwan, Tajikistan, and Transnistria (a republic of Moldova). A few picture the famous train, either on a stamp, or in the design of the border or souvenir sheet. In 2004 the Isle of Man issued a set of eight Harry Potter sheets of five stamps each with scenes from the book Prisoner of Azkaban, the third in the series. The Hogwarts Express Continued on Page 24
22 Stamp Insider 7h[OekH[WZo \eh9el[hCWd_W5
Alan Stamps: Mark Processi Tom Harris Dave Allego William Hart John Amberman Bill Hatton Azusa Stamps: Tom Auletta Bill Johnson Tom Baron Bruce Johnson Ed Bailey Joan Kay Bare Cove Associates: Dwight Wahr Terry Kuzinski Bell, Book & Candle: Bunny Moses Peter Leslie Black Pearl Philatelics: Phil Smith Prestige Covers: Jim Littel & Paul Zipp Fred Boatwright Barry Mann Robert Borden George McGowan Brittania Enterprises: Mike Mead Dan McGuire Frank Buono NunesNook: Dr. John J. Nunes Cartophila: Jose Rodriguez Bob Patkin Suzanne Christenson August Peano Civil War Round Table Denny Peoples Conquistador Stamp Co.: Guy Creiger Postal Stationary.com: Phil Stevens Cover Connection: The Leszaks Steve Resnick Coverman: Alan Tohn Doug Richards Paul Cook Les Rosen Lynn’s Covers: Lynn Culkowski Larry Sell Guy Dillaway Stuart’s Stamps: Stuart Geisler Elywn Doubleday, Anne Sell, United States Postal Service & Bruce Hazelton Doug Weisz The Excelsior Collection Richard West Gil Fitton Whit’s Covers: Dave Whittle Nancy Foutz Stafford Willis Al & Joyce Greco World Wide Classics: Joseph Rudnick Brewster Harding & Bruce Nelson Ron Yeager 10 a.m.–QN'FCtBN–4 p.m. Feb. 17 Clarion Hotel, 3 Watervliet Ave., Albany, NY Just Off I-90 Exit 5, 4 Miles East of Thruway Exit 24 CONTACT JOHN J. NUNES, 80 FREDERICKS ROAD, SCOTIA, NY 12302 ttt&."*-/6/&4/00,!"0-$0. Harry Potter — Continued from Page 22 train is shown on the five 40p stamps. In the border of the sheet is a white circle with the number “9#/¢” — the number of the imaginary platform at Kings Cross Railway station in London, where the student wizards boarded their special train for school. The Isle of Man set also includes maxicards where the train is again seen behind the stamp. Sometime in 2003, a traveler at Kings Cross station chuckled to see that number on a placard over an arch outside the station. It was uncertain if it was there long ago and gave Rowling the idea for her book or if someone nailed it up after the first Harry Potter book was written. Recently, with the release of the movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Singa- pore Post released its Harry Potter stamp collection, consisting of sheets of stamps based on each of the movie versions of the Harry Potter books. There are 10 minisheets with stamps. One mini sheet, designed for the Sorcerer’s Stone book, shows a steam locomotive — the Hogwarts Express — on the border of the sheet, which overflows into the upper row of four labels. The stamps are in the second row, and are all a single design and are not train related. The issue date was June LARGEST PHILATELIC & DELTIOLOGIC AUCTION IN UPSTATE NEW YORK 6, 2007. I find the most spectacular sheet Held Every February / May / August / November — Free Catalog is a special issue souvenir sheet with two www.btradeco.com r [email protected] stamps and two labels — one with the train (518) 465-3497 coming toward a determined-looking Harry B. Trading Co. with his arm extended across the sheet. 114A Quail St., Albany, NY 12206-2405 A few other Harry Potter issues of Tajiki- stan, Transnistria, and Mauritania show- R.J. ASSOCIATES ing the Hogwarts Express and other scenes Stamps & Covers Dealer have been declared “unauthorized” and #VZJOHt4FMMJOHt"QQSBJTBMT 4QFDJBMJ[JOHJO64 5PQJDBMT (FSNBO illegal for use as postage. One stamp in a RONALD J. YEAGER sheet of four from Tajikistan depicts Har- 10#PYt#SBEGPSE 1" ry and the train conductor on the station t&NBJMDSZ!BUMBOUJDCCOFU platform. A cartoon drawing of the train sits in the center of a souvenir sheet of nine stamps from Transnistria.
Author’s note: Although the Harry Potter books were intended for children, there are many adult fans, including Yours Truly. Don’t be afraid to pick up one — or more — of the seven in the se- ries, and enjoy reading some good books. Once you accept that fantasy is the reality in these Hawkeye Philatelics tales, you should have no problem reading some 128 Western Ave., Altamont, NY 12009-6230 e-mail: [email protected] well-crafted stories. Also, if you like the Harry Specializing in serving beginner and intermediate Potter issues don’t be afraid to collect what you collectors with O. U.S. / Canada / BC recent want — stamps, labels, souvenir sheets, or the commemorative, regular, S/S, revenue, fancy cancels, PNCs / on cover, WW U pick, packets, & supplies. ones deemed “unauthorized.” That’s what the hobby is all about. — FHW
24 Stamp Insider Escape Winter’s Humdrum HVgVhdiVCVi^dcVa E]^aViZa^X:m]^W^i^dc AN APS WORLD SERIES OF PHILATELY SHOW February 1 to 3, 2008 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Sunday SARASOTA MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM 801 N. TAMIANI TRAIL, SARASOTA, FLORIDA More 5IBO%FBMFSTt 1BHFTPG&YIJCJUTt 6414t UNPA Show Chair Sy Bricker 941-907-6604 [email protected]
The Stamp News U.S. REFERENCE MANUAL t#BOLOPUFT1BSU 4DPUU QBHFT JODMVEJOHIFMQGVMJEFOUJmFST TFDSFUNBSL CXJMMVTUSBUJPOT QPTUBMIJTUPSZNPSF t#BOLOPUFT1BSU 4DPUU QBHFT JODMVEJOHIFMQGVMJEFOUJmFST TFDSFUNBSL e CXJMMVTUSBUJPOT QPTUBMIJTUPSZBOENPSF United States t$PMVNCJBOT5SBOT.JTTJTTJQQJT Reference Manual "OJOEFQUITUVEZPGCPUIQPQVMBSJTTVFTJOQBHFT t641SPWJTJPOBMT "JST #BDLPG#PPL QBHFT JODMVEJOH1SPWJTJPOBMTJOEFQUI TPNFFBSMZ"JST -PDBMT 1PTUBHF%VFT BOE0GmDFTJO$IJOB t)PVTFEJOQFSTPOBMJ[FE3FGFSFODF.BOVBMSJOHCJOEFS XJUITQJOFJOTFSUZPVSOBNFPOUIFGVMMDPMPSDPWFS From the Philatelic Library of: 8JUIBQBHFTPSEFS We’ll print your name here!* 1MFBTFQSJOUDMFBSMZUIFOBNFBTZPVXBOUJUUPBQQFBSPOUIFDPWFS
'PS7JTB .$BSE %JTDPWFS"NFS&YQSPSEFST DBSEFYQJSBUJPO$IBSHFTNBZBQQFBSPOZPVSTUBUFNFOUBT1IJMBUFMJD$PNN$PSQ 4FOE$IFDL .POFZ0SEFS PS$IBSHF$BSE%BUBUP Stamp News, 42 Sentry Way, Merrimack, NH 03054 Phone: 800-635-3351, Fax: 603-424-7556, Email: [email protected]
January / February 2008 25 Pavilion Dedication Gordon Morison cuts the ceremonial coil held by APS Deputy Executive Director Ken Mar- tin and former Postmaster General Benjamin Bailar to open the Gordon and Mary Morison Pavilion. Gordon poses with granddaughter Annie, daughter-in-law Patty, granddaugh- ters Megan and Katie, daughter Linda, son Keith, and Mary’s sister Ruth Kitchener. Dedication Celebrates a Shared Philatelic Life By Daniel A. Piazza crowd of about 100 people gathered on a blustery fall afternoon to watch the dedica- A tion of the Gordon and Mary Morison Pavilion at the American Philatelic Center on October 20 and to celebrate “a life shared together in stamps.” APS past president Janet Klug spoke first, remembering the combined Nordia–Aripex– AmeriStamp show at Tucson, Arizona in January 2001. She forced back tears as she described the first day ceremonies for that year’s 34-cent love stamp, during which Gordon singled out Mary from the audience and told her how much he loved her. She died only 18 months later. Charles J. Peterson, secretary of the American Research Library, spoke about Mary’s nu- merous contributions to the hobby as “a strong philatelist in her own right.” She was a char- ter member (1955) and vice president (1981–1984) of the American First Day Cover Society; served as president of the Rochester Philatelic Association (1960); and was one of the first spouse-members to join the APS when that class of membership was introduced. Later in the program, Gordon said of his wife that “She was more of a collector than I was or will ever be.” Former Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin Bailar (1975–1978) regaled the assem- bly with tales of his days working with Gordon at the U.S. Postal Service. He recalled Mori- son’s skillful handling of delicate negotiations with Russia over the Apollo Soyuz 1975 joint stamp issue and recounted the touching story of a philatelic item lost and found. Bailar sold his personal stamp collection when he became PMG in order to avoid any conflict of interest. The loss of a die proof of the 1938 half-cent Franklin was particularly painful for him. Knowing this, Morison quietly bought the item back and surprised Bailar by returning it after the latter left office. Gordon and Mary met as students at Syracuse University and married the week after her 1954 graduation. They lived in Rochester, where both worked for Gannett newspapers. Mary wrote “Stamp-O-Rama,” a philatelic column in the afternoon daily Times–Union. In 1971, Gordon was hired by the U.S. Postal Service to head the stamp program and they moved to
Continued on Page 28 Barbara Boal / APS photos
26 Stamp Insider TREASURE�CHESTS EACH FILLED WITH A FANTASTIC ASSORTMENT OF STAMPS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
FIVEIVE VALUES TO CHOOSE FROM! BRONZE 0,1,080 &$7$/2* 9$/8( )25 SILVER 0,1,080 &$7$/2* 9$/8( )25 GOLD 0,1,080 &$7$/2* 9$/8( )25 WORLDWIDE ONLY! PLATINUM 0,1 &$7$/2* 9$/8( )25 TITANIUM 0,1 &$7$/2* 9$/8( )25
YOU CHOOSE THE AREA! WE CHOOSE THE STAMPS! PLEASE CHOOSE FROM THE FOLLOWING AREAS: • AFRICA • ASIA • BRITISH • BRITISH AMERICA • BRITISH PACIFIC • EUROPE (EAST OR WEST) • SCANDINAVIA • WORLDWIDE • 19TH CENTURY WORLDWIDE • 19TH CENTURY BRITISH
$// /276 :,// %( &867200$'( :+(1 25'(5(' ($&+ /27 :,// %( 81,48( /276:,// &216,6721/<2)67$036 0,17 25 86(' 6(76 6,1*/(6 12 025( 7+$1 %/2&.6 2) 2) $1 ,7(06289(1,5 6+((76 &$1 %( ,1&/8'(',)<28 '(6,5( $// 67$036 $5( 6&277 /,67(' ,'(17,),('($&+ /27 :,// &217$,1$683(5 6(/(&7,217+( /$5*(5 7+( /27 7+(025( (;7(16,9( 7+($662570(17 81,7(' 67$7(6863266(66,21681,7(' 1$7,216 127 ,1&/8'('
7HUPV 3+21(0$,/)$;25(0$,/25'(56 3/($6(0$.(685(7263(&,)<:+,&+$5($ $1':+$7 6,=(/27 <28$5(,17(5(67(',1 6$7,6)$&7,21*8$5$17(('25021(<5()81'('XSRQUHWXUQRIPHUFKDQGLVH:,7+,1'$<6 3$<0(17 0867$&&203$1< 25'(59,6$0&RU'LVFRYHU$&&(37(' &5(',7&$5'25'(560867 ,1&/8'(1$0(21&$5'(;3'$7($OO&+(&.60867 %('5$:12186%$1.6 1< 5(6,'(176$''VDOHV7$; %URQ]H6LOYHU*ROG3ODWLQXP7LWDQLXP $//25'(56$''6+,33,1* +$1'/,1* 432 West 54th St., New York, NY 10019 Tel: (212) 489-8130 ~ Fax: (212) 581-8130 E-Mail: [email protected] STORE HOURS: Monday-Friday 10AM-4PM & Thursday 10AM-7PM shop online at: www.championstamp.com Dedication — Continued from Page 28 the Washington, DC area. He become Assistant Postmaster General for Customer Services in 1978, a post he held for 21 years under nine postmasters general before retiring in 1992. Despite his protestations to the contrary, Gordon is an accomplished philatelist who has mounted award-winning exhibitions of Icelandic postal stationery and the postal history of Bradford, County Pennsylvania. A firm believer in the importance of quality philatelic exhibitions, he chaired the Rochester Philatelic Association’s 50th anniversary exhibition in 1963, originated the idea of the APS “World Series of Philately” and, as president of the RPA, U.S. Honors Soccer hostedThe U.S. the first 1968 honoredAPS convention soccer onat Rochester.a stamp issued Most for recently the 1992 he was Olympics executive Games director in ofBarce the- Washingtonlona, Spain. 2006 Women’s World soccer Philatelic was Exhibition,depicted on a apopular stamp andfor the financially 1996 games successful in Atlanta. interna- tional show that placed organized philately on a sound footing for the next decade. The Morison Pavilion will house the Headsville post office that served customers in rural West Virginia from 1860 to 1914. From 1971–2006, it was displayed inside the Con- stitution Avenue entrance of the Smithsonian’s Mu- Douglas Weisz U.S. Covers seum of American History. (Mary Morison would have passed by it weekly on her FDCs, Flights, Events, way to work as a volunteer Postal History & Stationery in the museum’s philatelic division.) Currently only P.O. Box 1458 the board-and-batten walls McMurray, PA 15317-4458 are installed in the Pavilion. 773-914-4332 Once temperature, light, and www.douglasweisz.com humidity levels meet Smith- [email protected] sonian standards, the rest will be shipped to the APS on long-term loan. There are plans to operate a contract Swamy & Susan Iyer postal unit with its own post- STAMPS & COVERS WANTED mark out of the display. Sources: “Mary Morison 1932– USA & Worldwide 2002,” obituary in First Days (September 2002); “Gordon Buying • Selling • Appraisals and Mary Morison Pavilion to We will visit you to buy your collections! be Dedicated October 20 at the American Philatelic Center,” P. O. Box 697, Pittsford, NY 14534 October 12, 2007 APS press [email protected] • www.siyer.com release; “History & Archives Phone/ Fax: 585 - 223 - 8561 of the Rochester Philatelic As- sociation,” w w w .r p a s t a m p s .o r g / Member: ISJP a r c h i v e s /i n d e x .h t m l , accessed De- cember 4, 2007.
28 Stamp Insider P C S Byron Sand eld 6440 North Central Expressway, Suite 316 • Dallas, Texas 75206 For Appointment: 214-361-4322 • e-mail: [email protected] Buyer of Carriers and Locals
72L3 N Y Well stocked in Postal History, U.S., Classics, Revenues, and Locals Xboufe;!Tqfdjbmj{fe!Dpmmfdujpot Xijmf!xf!mjlf!up!cvz!qfdjbmj{fe!dpmmfdjpot!boe!sbsjjft!joejwjevbmmz-!xf!ep!cvz!nbufsjbm! pg! bmm! zqft/!Npt! pg! pvs! cvzjoh! dpnft! gspn! uif! efbmfst! xipn! npt! pg! zpv! lopx-!boe!xf!qbz!uifjs!qsjdft!bufs!uifz!cvz!gspn!zpv-!uif!dpmmfdps"!Tp!Ê!epftoÖu!j! nblf!tfotf!up!dbmm!vt!1st!boe!difdl!pvs!joufsftt@!Jg!xf!dboopu!qfstpobmmz!wjtj!zpv bu!zpvs!ipnf!p3df-!xf!xjmm!ibwf!pof!pg!pvs!usvtfe!bttpdjbuf!efbmfst!ep!tp!up!hjwf!zpv! 1st! dmbtt! tfswjdf! xijdi! qfpqmf! ibwf! dpnf! up! fyqfd! gspn! Rvbmjz! Jowftpst-! Mue/- nz! 1sn! tjodf! 2:7:/! Dbmm! xji! dpo1efodf! bt! xf! bsf! nfncfst! jo! hppe! tboejoh pg!BTEB-!QUT-!DDOZ-!BQT!\Mjgf!Nfncfs^-!VTTT-!VTQTT-!boe!puifst/ Up!Nblf!b!Dpoßefoujbm!Bqqpjounfou-!Qmfbtf!Dbmm!Nf!Bu;! Spcfsu!Nbslpwjt-!Qsftjefou Rvbmjz!Jowftpst-!Mue/ Q/P/!Cpy!9:2!R Njeemfupxo-!OZ!21:51.19:2 956.454.1616
January / February 2008 29 THE POSTAL HISTORY OF THE POWELL BROS. LIVESTOCK EMPORIUM
1 2 3 4 FROM THE COLLECTION OF NORMAN ALAN COHEN 5 6 7 48 Pages In Full Color t 8 / ñ 11 t $20ºº Postpaid “… a unique and superb example of how to create and preserve postal history.” Youth Stamp Design Contest Winners Stamp Insider By Jane King Fohn “… an impressive book with a number even students from New York State were among the 38 winners in the Texas Philatelic of full-color images.” SAssociation’s 2007 Youth Holiday Stamp Design Contest. There were 146 entrants in Texas Postal History Society Journal the 19th event, which received financial assistance from the Texas Postal History Society. Entrants drew a stamp design combining a philatelic and holiday themes for Christmas, “… a worthwhile addition to any Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, or the winter holiday that their family recognizes. San philatelic library.” Antonio Philatelic Association members and Esplanade Gardens’ residents from an as- sisted living campus in Converse, TX participated in the voting. The Texas Philatelist First Place winners included Jessica Scoones of Deansboro, Star Light, Star Bright [1] in the 11-year-old group. ORDER FORM Second Place winners included Morgan Evans of Clinton, The Living Room at Christmas [2], in the 8-year-old group. 4&/%50)BMJGBY5SBEJOH -UEr10#PYr%BMMBT 59 Third Place winners included Christopher Moore of Brooklyn, who explains that his Please send me copies of The Postal History of the Powell Bros. Livestock Emporium at $20.00 entry “is about Santa testing his reindeer while the elves are making toys …” [3] in the each postpaid, plus $1.81 Texas sales tax, if applicable. 8-year-old group; Monica Blunt of Deansboro, who sketched a Hanukkah stamp [4] in Name Phone the 9-year-old group; Joshua Moore of Brooklyn, Christmas Garden [5] in the 11-year- old group; and David Bashe, 16, of Rensselaer, Beware of Possessed Snowman [6], in the Address 12–16-year-old group. City State ZIP Honorable Mentions included Sahir Jaggi, 12, of Cohoes, whose artwork included the symbols of four major holidays — Diwali, Ramadan, Hanukkah, and Christmas [7], in R Check R Credit Card # the 8-year-old group. R Money Order Expiration Date / Veri cation Code* Scoones, Bashe, and Jaggi were winners in the 2006 TPA contest. Adult leaders who encouraged club members to participate included Janet E. Collmer of St. Mary’s School * Last three digits of seven numbers in card signature block Stamp Club, Clinton, for the ninth year; and Deborah I. Friedman of the William K. San- ford Town Library, Loudonville, for the third year. Card Name & Billing address More information about the contest and the Texas Philatelic Association may be found if different from mailing info at TPA Web site — www.texasphilatelic.org.
30 Stamp Insider Cardholder Signature THE POSTAL HISTORY OF THE POWELL BROS. LIVESTOCK EMPORIUM FROM THE COLLECTION OF NORMAN ALAN COHEN 48 Pages In Full Color t 8 / ñ 11 t $20ºº Postpaid “… a unique and superb example of how to create and preserve postal history.” Stamp Insider “… an impressive book with a number of full-color images.” Texas Postal History Society Journal “… a worthwhile addition to any philatelic library.” The Texas Philatelist
ORDER FORM 4&/%50)BMJGBY5SBEJOH -UEr10#PYr%BMMBT 59 Please send me copies of The Postal History of the Powell Bros. Livestock Emporium at $20.00 each postpaid, plus $1.81 Texas sales tax, if applicable. Name Phone Address City State ZIP R Check R Credit Card # R Money Order Expiration Date / Veri cation Code* * Last three digits of seven numbers in card signature block Card Name & Billing address if different from mailing info
Cardholder Signature Remembering David H. Proulx avid H. Proulx, 70, of Baldwinsville, who died November 6, was one Dof the most active stamp collectors/dealers of this generation. He was a close personal friend of mine for the past 15 years. During that time we hiked more than 1,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail; cruised in South America; toured the APS facility and his Post Mark Collectors Club Muse- um and Research Library in Bellevue, OH; attended various stamp shows on the east coast; traded stamps and stories and even family stories and Proulx secrets over our once-a-week breakfast. Dave graduated from Plattsburgh’s St. John’s Academy in 1954 and from SUNY Platts- burgh in 1958. He was an extremely well-liked and respected biology teacher at Baker High School in Baldwinsville for 34 years. Prior to his teaching career, he served in the Army and Air National Guard, retiring with a rank of major after 23 years. He and his wife actively supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York. During retirement he continued to be active with his extensive philatelic interests. What didn’t he collect? I can’t think of anything. He collected all foreign stamps, U.S mint and used, revenues, FDCs, naval covers, specialized covers (e.g., Medal of Honor auto- graphed covers), precancels and perfins, stampless covers, New York State postcards, all varieties of postal history, and much more. He was an active dealer at shows for many years, but switched to eBay sales more than seven years ago. Beverly, his wife of 44 years, will undoubtedly continue this process into the foreseeable future. He was a lifetime member of the Syracuse Stamp Club, having served as vice president and president. He was a longtime member of the Empire State Postal History Society. He served as director and secretary of the Post Mark Collectors Club, and currently was the very active curator of its museum. He was a published author in postal history with a book on Onondaga County postal history to be completed shortly by his family. He recently was invited to serve as a postal history consultant to the Smithsonian Institu- tion in Washington, DC. He is survived by his wife; two daughters, Michelle (Jef- ferie) Wilson of Phoenix, NY; Kimberly (Paul) Clewell of Al- tanta, GA; two sons, Michael of PA and Steven of Rochester, NY; and seven grandchildren. He will be missed dearly by his family and the entire phil- atelic community; and by me. — Allen Swift
32 Stamp Insider Swiss Hotel Posts Exhibit Takes Grand at Stepex 2007 wiss Hotel Posts, a single-frame exhibit Sby Harlan F. Stone of Woodside, NY, took the Grand and Gold Awards at the Elmira Stamp Club’s 32nd annual Stepex 2007 on October 12 and 13 at Big Flats American Legion Post. Stone, grandson and namesake of the 1941–1946 U.S. Su- preme Court Chief Justice, specializes in the stamps and postal history of Switzerland. His multi-frame exhibit, Switzerland 1862–1883: The Perforated Sitting Helvetia was the Champion of Champions at the Amer- ican Philatelic Society’s 2005 World Series of Philately in Grand Rapids, MI. Reserve Grand and Gold Awards went to another well-known and experienced phila- telic exhibitor, Alan Warren of Exton, PA for Denmark: The Christian X Issues of the 1940s on First Day Covers, a five-frame, 90-page exhibit. Warren is also an active philatelic author, including a recent article, Collecting First Day Covers, for the Stamp Insider. Eleven gold, three silver, and two bronze medals were awarded to the 16 exhibits in com- petition. The judges were William Bauer of Unadilla and Maris Tirums of Albany. Not in competition and accorded Court of Honor status was the futuristic and colorful seven-frame exhibit, Space…The Final Frontier, by Conrad Novick of South Glens Falls. Sixteen adult ex- hibitors (no youth exhibitors) were represented with 17 different exhibits filling 52 frames. Gold Awards — Winners, besides Stone and Warren, were Kurt Laubinger of Macedonia, OH for his five-framePolitically Inspired Cachets of Bruce R. McIntyre, 1936–1940; Sheldon Gos- line of Ithaca for two exhibits, U.S. Philately, 1861–1867 (six frames) and Dr. Kilmer Provisionals and Other Binghamton Precancels (three frames); William J. Hart of Shrub Oak for his single- frame New York State RFD Hand Cancels; Douglas N. and Nancy B. Clark of Marstons Mills, MA for their three-frame Postage Verified; Thomas M. Fortunato, Rochester for his five-frame The Diversity of Ceramics and Ceramic Materials; Robert P. O’Carr of Marstons Mills, MA for his single frame Down to the Sea in Trains, Postal History of the Cape Cod Railroad, 1850–1859; Stephen L. Suffet of Sunnyside, NY for his single-frame Usages of the United States 8¢ Airmail Stamp of 1944; Ann Triggle of Clarence for her single-frame Postal History of Clarence, NY. Hart’s exhibit also received the Empire State Postal History Society Waterford Clock Award for the best exhibit of New York postal history. Silver Awards — William L. Howden of Allegany for his three frames of mourning covers, Mournfully Yours — Worldwide; Gordon Stratton of Corning his two-frame 1934 National Parks Issue and Other Issues Included with the 1935 Special Printings; and Eleanor Steeb of Rochester for her five-frameEverybody Must Get Stoned (But Not Bob Dylan’s Version). Continued on Page 35
January / February 2008 33 Stamp Stories Daniel A. Piazza P. O. Box 76846, Washington DC 20013-6846 301-313-0287; [email protected]
Stamps for the Olympics That Weren’t n 1979, the U.S. Postal Service announced a dizzying array Iof stamps and postal stationery for the 1980 Moscow sum- mer Olympics — six stamps and four postal stationery pieces. Soon, however, the program descended into controversy. A dispute with the International Olympic Committee prevented the USPS from using the Olympic rings. The en- tire issue —10-cent decathlon single (Scott #1790); se-tenant block of four 15-cent values featuring running, swimming, rowing, and equestrianism (1794a, pictured); 10-cent domestic rate postal card with a sprinter (UX80); 31-cent airmail depicting the high jump (C97); 22-cent international aerogramme portraying a discus thrower (UC52); 15-cent domestic rate stamped envelope with soccer players (U596 in two sizes); and a 21-cent airmail postal card of a gymnast (UXC18) — featured overlapping five-point stars instead. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on Christmas Day 1979 was followed by President Jim- my Carter’s declaration of a boycott against the Moscow games in protest. Postmaster Gen- eral William F. Bolger stunned philatelists on March 11, 1980, declaring that the USPS would honor the boycott by withdrawing the stamps and stationery from sale later that day. It was the first time since 1861 that issued U.S. stamps were removed from sale for political reasons. Bolger’s move touched off a speculative frenzy. Dealers paid as much as seven times face value for the 15-cent stamps. Gimbel’s in New York City was selling the 31-cent airmail in sheets of 50 for $45! The Washington Post reported that postal inspectors and the U.S. attor- ney’s office were investigating a congressman-philatelist from Tennessee on charges he had used his connections to purchase thousands of the stamps after the embargo was in place. The stamps were re-released through the Philatelic Bureau on August 4 as suddenly and unexpectedly as they had been withdrawn. Bolger said that the move was meant to honor “the fine men and women of the U.S. Olympic team who [had] sacrificed months and years of training.” It seems more likely, however, that he was responding to political and philatelic pressure to end the bubble. The Los Angeles Times, which had reported the Gimbel’s story, had run an editorial on June 13 attributing “lust” for the stamps in part to “the Postal Service’s own greed” in issuing a “batch of … mail-associated gizmos … aimed at raking in revenues.” Today none of the 1979 Olympic issues catalogue for more than $1.50 in mint condition.
“U.S. Withdraws Stamps on Olympics in Moscow,” New York Times March 12, 1980; “Olympic Stamp Values Surge,” Los Angeles Times June 12, 1980; “Stamping out Philatelic Inflation,” Los Angeles Times June 13, 1980; “The Quillen Stamp Collection: Postal Inspectors are Investigating his Purchase,” Washington Post August 2, 1980.
34 Stamp Insider Stepex — Continued from Page 33 ,INCOLN #OIN AND 3TAMP #O )NC #OMPLETE ,INE OF #OIN Bronze Awards — Gary 3TAMP 3UPPLIES Bernhardt of Big Flats for 7E "UY 3TAMPS #OINS his single-frame The History 0ICTURE 0OST #ARDS /LD %NVELOPES of U.S. Precanceled Stamps 0AN !MERICAN %XPO and Leland Stewart of Corn- -ATERIAL #OME )N AND ,OOK ing for his three-frame First !ROUND Christmas Stamps Issued from &REE 0ARKING 129 Countries. 7EST 4UPPER 3T Seventeen ballots were AT 0EARL 3TREET cast for the most popular ex- "UFFALO .9 hibit. The voting was spread )N THE 4HEATRE $ISTRICT among nine exhibits, with seven votes cast for Political- ly Inspired Cachets of Bruce R. McIntyre 1936 –1940, giving Kurt Laubinger a plurality of four over the next two high- est vote getters. Stepex 2007 commem- Bell, Book and Candle orated the legacy of the Buying & Selling Beecher family, prominent Quality Postcards 19th century reformers most Bunny Moses notably of Harriet Beecher Brookshire Drive Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Schenectady, NY - Cabin, with a show cover and -- program featuring Stowe and her half-brother, the Rev. Thomas K. Beecher of Elmira. The cover with picto- Wjtju!pvs!Xfctjuf!gps!Gjstu!Ebz!Dpwfst rial cancel on the Harriett boe!Qptubm!Ijtupsz/ Beecher Stowe stamp issued Foufs!dpvqpo!dpef!ged21!xifo!zpv!sfhjtufs!up! by the U.S. Postal Service sfdfjwf!b!21&!ejtdpvou!po!zpvs!gjstu!qvsdibtf/ June 13, 2007 and cachet Pvutuboejoh!tfswjdf!boe!tfmfdujpo picturing Thomas K. Beech- xjui!ofx!jufnt!beefe!xfflmz/ er may be ordered at $2 each Xbou!mjtut!xfmdpnf/ plus self-addressed stamped Kfcc]i\\($/''$)))$.(/+ envelope from Robert D. 8e[i\n#D`b\ 9fYGXkb`e Barron, 147 W. Gray St., Apt. G%F%9fo(/- 812, Elmira, NY 14901. — Alan Parsons >\fi^\kfne#D8'(/**$')/-
January / February 2008 35 Mystic’s Stamp Buyers Come Highly Recommended! “Your representatives were cordial, polite, efficient, and packed everything with record speed. Thank you for making my experience with your company a pleasure. I will certainly recommend your service to anyone who has a collection to sell!” D.E. – Cincinnati, OH Best of All – We Pay More! hen it’s time to sell your stamp collection be sure P Accumulations and mixed stamps to call Mystic. The reason is simple... (they don’t need to be organized) W P Postage lots Mystic Pays More P First Day Covers As America’s most active stamp buyer, Mystic has the experience to value all of your stamps. You’ll get top market prices for them all – not just the gems. It’s Always Easy to Deal with the Best! We Pay More for Your Stamps Mystic makes selling your stamps easy. You don’t even Call 800-835-3609 have to sort your stamps – we’ll take care of it. And Mystic pays fast. We back our offers with a check “on the spot.” Name ______Don Sundman Street ______We’re looking for the following… Collector and President City/State/Zip ______P High-quality stamps, both U.S. and worldwide Mystic Stamp Company P Rare stamps, both U.S. and worldwide Phone Number (include area code) ______P Award-winning collections P United States P Worldwide P Collection P Accumulation P Entire stamp dealer stocks, store inventory, show dealer and mail order Approximate value ______dealer stocks Based on ______P United States stamp collections Brief description of stamps ______P Worldwide country or topical collections ______P Error stamps ______Mystic Stamp Company Attention: Buying Department 9700 Mill Street, Camden, N.Y. 13316-9111 Phone: 1-800-835-3609 Fax: 1-800-385-4919 Mystic BA881 [email protected] We Pay More For Your Stamps *ENNY Copyright © 2007 by Mystic Stamp Company, Inc. )NVERT 0LATE 7ORLD´S 'REATEST 3TAMP 2ARITY "LOCK Mystic’s Stamp Buyers Come Highly Recommended! “Your representatives were cordial, polite, efficient, and packed everything with record speed. Thank you for making my experience with your company a pleasure. I will certainly recommend your service to anyone who has a collection to sell!” D.E. – Cincinnati, OH Best of All – We Pay More! hen it’s time to sell your stamp collection be sure P Accumulations and mixed stamps to call Mystic. The reason is simple... (they don’t need to be organized) W P Postage lots Mystic Pays More P First Day Covers As America’s most active stamp buyer, Mystic has the experience to value all of your stamps. You’ll get top market prices for them all – not just the gems. It’s Always Easy to Deal with the Best! We Pay More for Your Stamps Mystic makes selling your stamps easy. You don’t even Call 800-835-3609 have to sort your stamps – we’ll take care of it. And Mystic pays fast. We back our offers with a check “on the spot.” Name ______Don Sundman Street ______We’re looking for the following… Collector and President City/State/Zip ______P High-quality stamps, both U.S. and worldwide Mystic Stamp Company P Rare stamps, both U.S. and worldwide Phone Number (include area code) ______P Award-winning collections P United States P Worldwide P Collection P Accumulation P Entire stamp dealer stocks, store inventory, show dealer and mail order Approximate value ______dealer stocks Based on ______P United States stamp collections Brief description of stamps ______P Worldwide country or topical collections ______P Error stamps ______Mystic Stamp Company Attention: Buying Department 9700 Mill Street, Camden, N.Y. 13316-9111 Phone: 1-800-835-3609 Fax: 1-800-385-4919 Mystic BA881 [email protected] We Pay More For Your Stamps *ENNY Copyright © 2007 by Mystic Stamp Company, Inc. )NVERT 0LATE 7ORLD´S 'REATEST 3TAMP 2ARITY "LOCK Youth & Philately Robert Finnegan 10 O’Neill Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820-1154 607-432-8141; [email protected]
The ‘Love’ in Philately uring my years as a youth advisor I have tried to cor- Drelate the fun in stamp collecting with various activi- ties relating to the students’ expectations in their relative classrooms. Writing, an enterprise sometimes shunned by a struggling student, is a critical ingredient at every grade level. With that in mind, a great activity during this time of the year that can connect the writing experience and the child’s inter- est in philately easily can be created. I simply get out my excess U.S. material and spread the stamps on tables from which I have the students search for the many Love stamps that have been issued, beginning with the eight-cent Scott #1475 issued in 1973. Over the years the U.S. Postal Service has produced many renditions. It took USPS another nine years to produce another Love stamp, this time decorated with various flowers spelling out the word love (Scott #1951). Over the years the USPS produced other interesting issues relative to the concept of love. The Love You, Mother! and Love You, Dad! issues of 1987 that came in booklet form should be in the pile as well. After discovering the many different issues that have been produced and their beauty, I discuss when these stamps might be best used for postage. With Valentine’s Day in the offer- ing, I encourage the students to think of one particular person — mom, dad, a grandparent, an aunt or uncle or just a real good friend — to write a short letter to. When they bring a letter in at our next meeting I pro- We are launching two pilot vide them with an envelope to be addressed and a recent programs in 2008 — a Preschool Love stamp to use in mailing Curriculum and a Project in this special letter to that spe- cooperation with Pennsylvania 4-H. cial someone. I have had chil- dren try to affix used stamps Watch for details! they have found in their col- e-mail, write or call for details: lections for this activity, and [email protected] that is obviously a no-no. As you can see, I captured 117 Court St., Suite A their interest in stamps and Elkland, PA 16920-1447 conned them into doing Phone / Fax: 814-258-5601 some writing as well.
38 Stamp Insider First Day Coverage Glenn A. Estus P. O. Box 451, Westport, NY 12993-0451 '*345%":0'*446& [email protected], 518-962-4558
The Benefits of AFDCS f you collect U.S. first day covers, you prob- Iably should join the American First Day Cover Society if you are not a member. The AFDCS — www.afdcs.org — has about 3,000 members, making it one of the larger specialized U.S. stamp societies. ArtCraft Recently, it conducted a membership poll to crown The Cachetmaker of the (20th) Centu- ry. The winner was ArtCraft at 33 percent, fol- lowed by Dorothy Knapp at 31 percent, Lud- wig W. Staehle at 16 percent, and the House of Farnam at 12 percent. All four began pro- ducing cachets before World War II. ArtCraft House of Farnam and the House of Farnam still exist; the latter now is owned by Artmaster, another FDC company. ArtCraft and House of Farnam pro- duce engraved cachets — ArtCraft usually in black and House of Farnam usually in color. Dorothy Knapp Neither Knapp nor Staehle used engrav- ing, but their cachets have more color and feature original drawings. Knapp worked for Fleetwood in the 1940s and 1950s as well as drawing her own cachets. Staehle worked under his own name as well as designing for other cachetmakers, including Fluegel . AFDCS holds a national annual conven- tion — Americover, maintains an historical archive, and publishes a journal, First Days, Staehle / Fluegel every six weeks (eight issues a year). AFDCS New York State chapters: Metropolitan FDC Society, Benjamin Green, 66-15 Thornton Place, Rego Park, NY 11374; Rochester Philatelic Association and the Art Cover Exchange, Joseph Doles, 105 Lawson Road, Rochester, NY 14616-1444; Ebony Society of Philatelic Events & Re- flection, Eugene Robinson, 112-45 178th St., Jamaica, NY 11433-4117; and the Long Island Cover Society, Nick Capozzi, P. O. Box 2095, Port Washington, NY 11050-2095.
January / February 2008 39 Exploring Deltiology Ruth L. Sabo 51 Island View Rd., Cohoes, NY 12047-4929 518-785-1330; e-mail [email protected]
Leap Year Postcards Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November; All the rest have thirty-one Excepting February alone: Which hath but twenty-eight, in fine, Till Leap Year gives it twenty-nine! t is hard to find someone who didn’t learn Ithat little ditty as a grade-school student. Most of us know that every year divisible by four becomes a Leap Year, including 2008. Leap Years have an extra day, February 29. The extra day is necessary because the solar year (the time it takes the Earth to rotate once around the Sun) is 365.242 days. If we failed to add the extra day every four years we would be swimming in November and skiing in August. However, 365.242 is a smaller number than our correction, which averages out to 365.25 days per year, so we need to skip a Leap Year now and then. The early Roman calendar had 355 days with the addition of a short month once every few years to keep holy days and seasons at the right time of year. Finally in 1582, after numerous intervening adjustments, Pope Gregory X111 reformed the 365-day calendar to what most of the world follows today — adding a day every four years but deleting Leap Years in centennial years except for those divisible by 400. Hence the year 2000 was a Leap Year. Legend tells us that the fun part of the extra day began in the fifth century when St. Bridg- et complained to St. Patrick that men were too slow to propose marriage to women, and the women should be permitted to do the asking too. Reportedly she followed her own sugges- tion, but St. Patrick turned her down. He relented a little, the story goes, by allowing women to propose to men once every four years — on Leap Year Day. There is a well-known U.S. 32-cent stamp commemorating this day and lots of wonderful postcards. In recent decades February 29th sometimes is called Sadie Hawkins Day, a tradition started on November 15, 1937. Sadie was the very ugly daughter of Dogpatch’s mayor, Hek- zebiah Hawkins, in Al Capp’s Li’l Abner cartoon strip. To help her get a husband, the mayor declared Sadie Hawkins Day, where she could chase the town’s eligible bachelors and the one she caught would have to marry her or face a fine. Colleges soon started having Sadie Hawk- ins dances, usually in November, which is when Capp drew that strip. Because the idea was so similar to that of women proposing to men on February 29, many people blend the two together and call the February Leap Day, Sadie Hawkins Day. Enjoy these great postcards!
40 Stamp Insider Communications Share your opinions! Send to: Albert W. Starkweather 5520 Gunn Hwy 1406, Tampa, FL 33624–2847 e-mail [email protected] The First Black Pro Baseball Player read with interest the article from the I Steuben Stamp Club about Jackie Rob- inson — an excellent article, although to state that “… Jack Roosevelt ‘Jackie’ Rob- inson became the first Afro-American ever to play on a major league team” is not en- tirely accurate. When I read that statement, I asked our Adirondack Stamp, Post Card & Ephemera Club youth member, Justice Hunt, who is also our resident baseball expert, and he said that he thought there Walker and Claxton were other black players prior to Robin- son. This led me to do some research on the subject. This is what I found: While Jackie Robinson was the man who broke the baseball color line forever, there had been other African Americans to play in the major leagues outside of the Negro league. The origins of the color line, sometimes called the Gentleman’s Agreement, began in 1868 when the National Association of Base Ball Players decided to ban “… any club in- cluding one or more colored persons.” However, this rule, which predated the infamous Jim Crow laws, was not always strictly followed. In 1884, Moses Fleetwood Walker became the first black to play full time in the ma- jor leagues. Walker, a catcher, played in 42 games for the Toledo Blue Stockings, had 152 at-bats, and got 40 hits in his only season in major league baseball. In 1889, Fleet, playing with Syracuse in the International League, became the first African American in that league. In 1916, Jimmy Claxton temporarily broke the professional baseball color line when he pitched one game for the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League. Claxton was introduced to the team owner by a part-Indian friend as “a fellow member of an Oklahoma tribe.” A candy company — Zeenut — quickly produced a baseball card for Claxton, the first black to appear on a card. Within a week, a friend of Claxton dis- closed that Claxton had both African American and native American ancestors, and he was fired. There is no taking his accomplishment away from Jackie Robinson, but it should be not- ed that there were others who also made the attempt and paved the way at an earlier stage. Conrad Novick, South Glens Falls Walker photo from the National Baseball Hall of Fame Walker
January / February 2008 41 Glens Falls, New York Adirondack Stamp, Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 1st & 3rd Fridays most months at Post Card & a location to be announced. Conrad Novick, 96 Feeder Dam Rd., S. Glens Falls, NY 12803-5419 Ephemera Club [email protected], 518-793-3648 Directions — Call Joe Kopczak before 9 p.m. at 518-761-0020
Club’s Show Is a Success e are proud to report that the club successfully held the first stamp show —GlenPex — Wthat the north country area has seen in a period of about six or seven years. At the mo- ment of this writing we are recuperating. The club was also fortunate to be able to add two new members to its roster. Doc Hanson provided the two show cachets, which are available signed for $4 each or $6 for a set of two, postpaid, from Adirondack Stamp Club, c/o Con- rad Novick at the address listed above or by e-mail to [email protected]. PayPal is accepted. Please specify if you want them signed or unsigned by the artist. It has also been a busy two months for our youth club members. Youth member Andrew All entered his exhibit HockeyMania at Champex in Burlington, VT, where he received the exhibitor award with felicitations, and at Syrapex in Syracuse, where his exhibit earned the youth award. Youth member Justice Hunt spent his time preparing activities for the youth table at GlenPex. We are proud of the work both have exhibited toward our hobby. And, the hunt still continues for a new club home.
Dr. Joseph Y. Rudnick, second from left, ex- amines an offering by Phil Smith, right. The GlenPex youth table, right, was manned by Justice Hunt, left. Photos by Glenn A. Estus, left, and Conrad Novick, right
42 Stamp Insider Buffalo, New York Meets at 7:30 p.m. twice monthly on Fridays except June, July, and August at VFW Leonard Post, 2450 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga, Alfred Carroccia, 152 Windmill Road, West Seneca, NY 14218-3776 [email protected], 716-674-0302
Autumn Stamp Festival a Huge Success he Autumn Stamp Festival on November 17 at the VFW Leonard Post was a huge success. TAll 11 dealers reported strong sales and were happy with the turnout, the largest in the the bourse’s three-year run. Dealers were busy the entire day and the club hospitality table also was busy answering questions and appraising collections brought in by the public. As a result of public response and favorable dealer feedback it was decided to continue the Festival in its present format. The absence of a Buffalo area November show also was a major factor in the decision. We hope to attract other dealers to participate in the one-day bourse. Bufpex 2008 Planned Bufpex 2008 will be held on March 1 and 2 at the Leonard Post. Buffalo’s oldest and largest stamp show is the hallmark event of the Buffalo Stamp Club. The two-day exhibition and bourse will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the polar exploration by the submarine Nautilus. A show cover with cachet and cancel will be available. The bourse will have 11 dealers and the U.S. Postal Service. In addition the Leonard Post will open its kitchen to those who want to order from its menu. The exhibition will comprise 20 frames with exhibitors competing in competitive and non-competitive classes. The club is beginning to accept applications for exhibits. An application or information can be requested from Bob Meegan, 8 Nye Hill Road, East Aurora, NY 14052. Holiday Celebration The club celebrated the holidays with refreshments and good cheer after the monthly auc- tion on December 7 at the Leonard Post. A good time was had by all as the conversation ranged from philatelic to non-philatelic. As is the custom the Club holds only one meeting during December and then breaks for the holidays. Meetings resume on January 4.
A Lockport Plimpton This Plimpton-issue envelope from 1887 was used by the manufacturer of brass and iron beds in Lockport to mail a circular. The cover is from the extensive collection of Gerald Wiley of Watertown, NY, a member of the Empire State Postal History Society. Gerald Wiley collection
January / February 2008 43 Hamilton, New York Meets at 7:45 p.m. on the 1st Monday September–June at Hamilton Public Library on the Green, 13 Broad St. Braden Houston, President, 2063 Spring St. Hamilton, NY 13346-2259 [email protected], 315-824-2237
Philately by the Letter ur November meeting program was titled Alphabet. Several members were asked to Ocome up with a short presentation using the letters D, E, or F. Bob Betz shared the cover he prepared for the 70th anniversary of Amelia Earhart’s last flight and her mysterious disappearance as she attempted to make the final leg of her around- the-world journey. Already having covered 22,000 miles Earhart had 7,000 miles left. The next stage was from Lae, New Guinea to Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean. The rest is history. Braden Houston’s subject was the Dead Letter Office, renamed the Mail Recovery Center or MRC and how approximately 57 million pieces of undeliverable mail are processed annually. Correspondence is destroyed and most items of value are auctioned off to the public. The two main offices of the MRC are located in Atlanta, GA and St. Paul, MN. Frank Lee gave us clues as to the notable person depicted on U.S. Scott #796. This is an interesting history as it leads up to the first child born in the Americas to English parents. She was born into a short-lived colony on Roanoke Island, in pres- ent day North Carolina. Yes, you have it … Virginia Dare. Finally, Shib Pixley’s topic was titled, “Definitive, Di- minutive and Experimental.” Was the use of smaller sized stamps such as Dolly Madison, seashells, windmills, Indi- an head penny, etc. a success for the USPS? Our conclusion was a very resounding No!
Space Exhibit Conrad Novick of South Glens Falls explains his space exhibit to an attendee of the Employee Day event at the Central Office of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation on October 4. New York DEC staff photo New York
44 Stamp Insider Poughkeepsie, New York Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 1st & 3rd Tuesday at the Friends Meeting House, corner of Hooker Avenue & Whittier Boulevard Cliff Foley, 3 Short Court, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590-3515 [email protected], 845-297-1875
Gems Can Be Found on eBay he variety of material that winds up on TeBay is amazing. While covers from dis- continued post offices pop up from time to time, those from villages and towns no lon- ger in existence are gems that can be had at rock bottom prices. A case in point is eBay 300110430408, “Matteawan NY fancy advertising and can- cel — nice collectible advertising cover. Vandewater & Peck. Civil War era. Cover hinged on reverse.” This clean cover with a three- cent 1861 issue and a lightly struck but readable “Matteawan N.Y. June 23” circular date stamp was described as being hinged on reverse. The corner card listed Vandewater & Peck, a manufacturer of leather goods located in Matteawan. The opening bid was $4.95 and the sale price was $17.55. The village of Matteawan, located in Dutchess County, was founded in 1709 along with the village of Fishkill. Both villages prospered during the Revolutionary and Civil wars as manufacturing and industry dominated the area. However both villages were incorpo- rated into the City of Beacon in 1913. Most of the buildings from the earlier era were de- molished during the urban sprawl of the 1960s and 1970s. This cover is a perfect example of postal history from a village no longer in existence — an excellent addition to the postal history of New York State. — Alfred Carroccia Regular Club Column Cliff Foley, whose name appears at the top of this column, will be the regular correspon- dent for the Dutchess Philatelic Society beginning with the March–April issue. Other Federation Clubs Dansville Area Coin & Stamp Club, Putnam Philatelic Society of Carmel, and St. Lawrence International Stamp Club of Massena are members of the Federation of New York Stamp Clubs. Their contacts are: Susan Edwards, P.O. Box 574, Dansville, NY 14437-0574, [email protected]; Drew A. Nicholson, 18 Valley Drive, Pawling, NY 12564-1140, [email protected]; and Patrick R. Rourk, 3 Morton St., Norwood, NY 13668-1100, [email protected].
January / February 2008 45 Elmira, New York Meets at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7) the 3rd Tuesday at Five Star Bank Community Room, 351 N. Main St. (rear entrance); Stamp circuit available Alan Parsons, 809 Holley Road, Elmira, NY 14901-1212 Elmira Stamp Club [email protected], 607-732-0181 Thanks To Club Exhibitors elated thanks to five club members who exhibited at Stepex 2007 in October: Gary Bern- Bhardt, Thomas M. Fortunato, Sheldon Gosline, Lee Stewart, and Gordon Stratton. Fortu- nato, a non-resident member, would have been one of the show judges except for a conflict in dates. Instead he supported us with a five-frame exhibit. An exhibiting report is on page 33. Thanks to judges Bill Bauer of Unadilla and Maris Tirums of Albany, Conrad Novick of South Glens Falls for rigging a cinder block base to hold up two exhibit frames arriving with short legs, and Cheryl Edgcomb and Stamp Camp USA for a youth program on Saturday. Stepex 2008 will be October 17 and 18 at the American Legion Post, South Olcott Road, Big Flats. We need more club members to exhibit. Start preparing now and make it a priority. Approximately 30 club members and guests enjoyed good food and company at our annual awards banquet on November 3 at El Monte Inn. In addition to a report on Stepex and presentation of award plaques to exhibitors Gary Bernhardt and Gordon Stratton, we heard an interesting talk by member Marlin Stewart on 20th century Canadian stamps printed with aniline ink, including actual examples passed around for all to see. Programs Jan. 15 — Auction night Feb. 19 —Slide program: The Doctoring of Postage Stamps — Philatelists Beware! New Members: Two new members have joined the club since the end of September. We welcome Thomas O’Hara of Elmira, who collects U.S. and Soviet Union, and Peter Kanze of Waverly, who collects 1932 to 1945 worldwide and World War II postal history. Meeting Notes October — 22 attended. Workers at Stepex were thanked; Al Parsons asked for and received suggestions for next year’s show. Don Dolan gave his quarterly treasurer’s report and, as auc- tion manager, displayed the lots received for the November Super Auction and made a pitch for additional lots. The meeting concluded with the APS slide program What Are Revenues? November — 24 attended. Gosline, attending his first meeting, was introduced along with Peter, who had joined at the start of the meeting. Parsons presented Sheldon with his Stepex 2007 award plaque for his two gold medal exhibits. He also announced that Lee Stewart was recovering from heart bypass surgery. The annual Super Auction lived up to its name. Auc- tioneers Dolan and Mike Breed, assisted by teller Judy Stewart and lot facilitator Autumn Rose Lester, called 36 lots, selling 21 for $290. The three club lots brought $87 and with the club’s commission on the remaining lots, added $107.30 to its treasury. Thanks to Kanze for his donation of a large box of worldwide covers selling for $45 after spirited bidding.
46 Stamp Insider APS Unit 28 . P. H . . S S . EMPIRE STATE www.esphs.org E Meets twice annually FOUNDED POSTAL HISTORY Membership info: George McGowan P. O. Box 482, E. Schodack, NY 12063-0482 1 SOCIETY [email protected], 518-479-4396 9 6 7
Small Towns Provide Many Interesting Items By Glenn A. Estus any small towns provide postal historians with a multitude of interesting items. The MTown of Newcomb in Essex County is no exception. Situated in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, the Newcomb post office was established on April 8, 1863 and in continuous operation since. The township is located in the southwestern section of Essex County having been formed in 1828 from what was then parts of Moriah and Minerva townships. When Newcomb was at its peak in population in 1950 there were only 1,212 residents. Today the population is about 500. This small post office used three interesting cancellations at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1914 the post office certainly kept different hours than today. Notice the hour des- ignation in the unusual magenta hand cancel. It is difficult to read, but the stamp was cancelled at “6 AM.” In 1921 the post office used a black hand cancel that read “NEWCOMB, N.Y. / M.O.B.” M.O.B. stands for “Money Order Business.” Many small post offices of that era used hand stamps that tried to imitate machine cancels of the larger post offices. Newcomb was no exception as evidenced by the 1924 hand cancel. There is a similar hand cancel with eight bars used in 1922. Some readers may have postcards and postal cards from small New York towns during
Backdrop from Google Earth; Gerald Wiley Collection postcard this era. Don’t neglect to turn them over and check out the cancellations.
January / February 2008 47 R L G E A N K Geneva, New York I E F S Meets at 8 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at the Sawdust Café, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station S James Darnell, 136 Lock St., Clyde, NY 14433-1117 T B A U [email protected], 315-923-7355 M P C L
Open House Nets New Member t our November 14 meeting we held an open house to which prospective members Aand the general public were invited. The result of which was the addition of one new member — Chris Deys of Newark. That brought our membership total to 29, more than half of which are also American Philatelic Society members. That also increased our total of new members added in 2007 to five. Merit Badge Counselor Certified — We are proud to announce that FLSC member Ger- ald Harris recently was certified as stamp collecting merit badge counselor for the two Boy Scout troops in Newark. Club Brochure — We also have produced a new, four-page, informational brochure pro- moting club membership. It includes our mission statement, meeting and dues informa- tion, membership benefits, brief club history, and color photographs of club activities. Produced by club Secretary James Darnell, copies will be made available to area libraries and distributed during special cancellations as well as future open houses. Memorial Flag — On Veterans’ Day weekend our club sponsored a memorial flag honor- ing all our club’s military veterans, past and present. It was part of the Veterans Field of Honor at Seneca Lake State Park in Geneva in which more than 2,000 flags were flown in honor of America’s veterans. Stamp Insider Youth Columnist Praised aryAnn Bowman, Youth Activities Manager for the APS Chapter Activities Commit- Mtee, commended Stamp Insider Youth & Philately columnist Robert Finnegan in her column in the fall 2007 CAC Newsletter. Finnegan, a retired Sidney Elementary School teacher, remains active with the in- school stamp club he organized for students in grades three to five. The children meet three or four times a month and are invited to the Tri-County Stamp Club’s May meeting. “Robert Finnegan regularly writes a youth and philately column. I enjoy reading about what others are doing,” Ms. Bowman wrote. “It often motivates me to try different activi- ties and approaches.” She then cited four specific examples of activities that are part of the learning process — introducing topical collecting, how to obtain stamps, “Encouraging the Truly Young Collector,” and learning about stamp design. “Do you have stamp activities that you use with youth? I’d like to hear from you!,” she wrote. Her address is MaryAnn Bowman, P.O. Box 1451, Waukesha, WI 53187.
48 Stamp Insider Albany, New York Incorporating Women’s Seal and Stamp Club Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday at Bethany Reformed Church Community Center, 760 New Scotland Ave. Maris Tirums, P. O. Box 5475, Albany NY 12205-0475 [email protected], 518-438-1657
Ray Major and John Traver Present Programs n November 13, Ray Major of Central New York spoke to us on the match portion of Omatch and medicine stamps, also known as private die proprietary stamps. Ray pointed out that the enormous cost of the Civil War caused the government to tax almost everything. There was so much taxation going on the the government could not keep up with the production of tax stamps, so they allowed certain companies to, at their own expense, print their own stamps. This produced some very nice collectibles, with beautiful engravings and historical significants. The Revenue Act of 1862 was finally repealed in 1883. On November 27 John Traver enter- tained and informed us on collecting used United States souvenir sheets. John has a very nice collection of these seldom seen items. Most souvenir sheets were never intended to see service, so acquiring used copies is very difficult. Beginning with the White Plains sheet of 1926, and up to the present, John educated us on the pitfalls and joys of finding postally used examples, and gave us a very nice presentation. John Traver Programs January 8 — Telegraph Spoofs Used as Early Junk Mail by Steve Prigozy January 22 — Pandas on Stamps by Vicki Miller February 12 — Maps on Stamps by Joseph Y. Rudnick February 26 — U.S. Classic Stamps by John Lange Western Monroe Group Joins Federation he Western Monroe Philatelic Society, based in Spencerport has joined the Federation Tof New York Philatelic Societies. The club, which has 16 members, meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday, except July and August, at Ogden Farmer’s Library, 269 Odgen Center Road. The contact person is Gary Musante, 107 Sherwood Drive, Brockport, NY 14420; phone 585-637-9091; e-mail [email protected]. George McGowan photo
January / February 2008 49 STANWIX Rome, New York
STAMP Incorporating Community Stamp Club Meets at 7 p.m. on the 4th Thursday except
FORT July and August at Rome Municipal Building, Second Floor Fort Stanwix Stamp Club, P. O. Box 734, Rome, NY 13442-0374 CLUB 315-339-1019 Lavinia A. Tilton — 1932–2007 avinia A. Tilton, 75, treasurer of the Fort Stanwix LStamp Club, died unexpectedly on October 22, 2007 at her Blossvale home. She was an avid stamp and coin collec- tor, as well as being active with many area collectors clubs and community organizations. She was born October 4, 1932 in Port Byron, NY. Her husband, George W. Tilton, died in 1973. She was a former employee of an insurance agency. Tilton was also a member of the Rome Collectors Club, Utica Coin Club, Tri-County Coin Club in Hamilton, Rome Kiwanis Club, Rome Little Theatre, Zion Episcopal Church, and the Celiac Support Group of the Mohawk Valley. She was an officer in many of the organizations, treasurer for the church, and recently began teaching cro- cheting to residents of the Stonehedge Health and Reha- Lavinia A. Tilton bilitation Center in Rome. On October 4, 2006, she received the first Wayne N. Palmer Memorial Recognition of Excellence for her community service. The award was established in memory of the late Wayne N. Palmer, associate professor emeritus of mathematics at Utica College. She is survived by a son, William Tilton of Santa Fe, NM; two sisters, Ethel Tucker of Titus- ville, FL and Rebecca Sanderson of Hazel, TN; and a brother, Robert Alcock, in Tennessee. Memorial contributions may be made to the National Foundation for Celiac Aware- ness, P. O. Box 544, Ambler, PA 19002-0544.
Hash Assumes Secretary–Treasurer Role Patricia A. Hash of Rome has assumed the dual role as secretary–treasurer of the club. She joined the organization two years ago and was elected sec- retary in late 2006 — a position formerly held by Lavinia Tilton who had remained treasurer. One of Ms. Hash’s key jobs will be to administer the annual Fort Stanwix day cover sale. She is a generalist collector. Program Schedule The club will set its program schedule for the rest of its 2007–2008 year at its meeting on January 24.
50 Stamp Insider Fulton, New York Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 3rd Wednesday except July and August in members’ homes; contact John A. Cali for location John A. Cali, 613 W. 4th St., Fulton, NY 13069-3104 [email protected], 315-592-4441
Deadlines Are Amusing his page is being written after our November meeting and Thanksgiving, but before Tour planned December Christmas event. It seems strange to have to write a page be- fore something happens, but such things occur frequently. Deadlines do amuse me. Programming was very interesting for some of us. We viewed, individually, the DVD on Benjamin Franklin, which was very informative. Our December plans may find us joining others and then again maybe not. Weather plays its games in this area during winter all the time. We can only make plans, which due to the early deadline are not completely known. Did you know that a stamp club existed in Fulton before ours? This will be an interest- ing challenge for those who read this page and others who are familiar with the area. We are here to educate and serve the community at large through educational program, as was mentioned in the last issue. This area has a need and it must be properly channeled. Luring New Members Through the Newspaper By Judy Routson any people now get their news and information via the Internet, but millions still Mread the newspapers, especially weekly community editions. Philatelic organizations should take advantage of these smaller reader-friendly newspapers to publicize activities and encourage membership. Not everyone has the opportunity, as I do, to promote our hobby through a weekly column, but it’s something I’ve been doing for years. As a Boonville Herald columnist, I attempt to incorporate philatelic information as much as possible. Readers sometimes call with questions about stamps or covers they’ve acquired. Occa- sionally a caller inquires about club membership, which I always encourage. It’s how I met Irma, who became a dear friend. After she called, we realized that we lived within several miles of each other. Until she became ill, I usually picked her up and we attended either the Fort Stanwix or Utica club meetings together. The newspaper is also how Phil, a North Country reader, became one of the newest members of the Utica club. When he called me for information, we agreed to meet in Boonville and travel together to his first meeting. My husband reminded me that because of a brief announcement in the Pennysaver under community events or meetings or something similar, I joined the Utica club, and now he has joined. That makes at least four people who have joined the club because of newspapers! So, philatelic friends, never underestimate the power of print. Send announcements and/or photos of your club meetings to your local newspaper. The results may surprise you.
January / February 2008 51 Ithaca, New York Meets from 7:30–9:30 p.m. on the 2nd & 4th Wednesday in Room 384, Morrison Hall at Cornell University Yoram B. Szekely, 104 Klinewoods Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850-2229 [email protected], 607-257-5346
What’s on Our Minds, Part 6 The Decline in Club Membership By Yoram B. Szekely uch has been said in recent years, in the philatelic press and elsewhere, about the Mdecline in the membership of stamp clubs and the fact that it is indicative of the overall decline of interest in stamp collecting in the United States. This view is only par- tially correct. The good news is that after several decades of decline, starting in the 1990s the Internet has given philately a second lease on life. It has made possible a tremendous upswing in stamp sales and auctions and a rapid spread of philatelic information via a large and fast growing number of specialty web sites. All of this on a global scale, and as a result the overall number of collectors is probably greater than it has ever been. Unfortunately, this growth has done little to reverse the decline in organized philately, including memberships in national organizations, local stamp clubs and storefront deal- erships. In fact, Internet-based philately is increasingly supplanting organized philately, driving the way the hobby is practiced to become ever less social and ever more solitary. Our own club is no exception. Over the past 20-odd years our membership has shrunk by more than two-thirds, from 73 in 1985–1986 to 13 in 2006–2007. As members died, moved away, or lost interest they were not being fully replaced by new members. The major shift appears to have occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when membership fell from forty-three (1985/86) to nineteen (1994/95). The low point was in 1999/2000, when we had only nine members. During this time we tried, unsuccessfully, various ways to attract new members. Information posters were placed in the local stamp store and in the Cornell University building were we meet. A weekly notice appeared in the local daily newspaper for many years. About 10 years ago we tried to publicize our club and stamp collecting generally to the retiree community, who presumably has the leisure to take up a new hobby, by holding a club meeting at the newly opened Kendall at Ithaca retirement community, complete with auction and multi- frame display. The results were disappointing and certainly not worth the effort invested: several residents attended but none joined as members. Likewise, having a presumed potential pool of more than 25,000 students at Cornell University, Ithaca College, and TC3 community college turns out to be no help at all. Be- cause of the demands of school and a growing number of competing leisure activities, such as sports, popular music and video games, there are far fewer young stamp collectors these Continued on Page 56
52 Stamp Insider Leatherstocking Cooperstown, New York Stamp Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 1st Tuesday except February Club and March at the Tillapaugh home, 28 Pioneer St. Ellen Tillapaugh, 28 Pioneer St., Cooperstown, NY 13326-1049 [email protected], 607-547-5646
Club To Resume Meetings in April n order to avoid potentially hazardous winter driving for our members, we will not be Imeeting during February and March. We will resume our regular schedule in April and have replaced the missing meetings with an expanded schedule in July and August. Virtual Valentine Mail By Heather Sweeting reating a virtual collection for reference and research is easy on the wallet. I use online Cimage and auction listings searches to find postally related items. I have thousands of pictures of New York State post offices and hope someday to compile them into a PowerPoint presentation. I also have saved pictures of mailmen, delivery vehicles, covers, and Mr. Zip. Since Valentines Day is soon upon us, I thought I would share some of the interesting Valentines post cards relating to mail in my virtual collection. One of my favorites shows a winged cupid holding a letter with a stamp, and bears the text “To My Own Dear Valen- tine With Love / If you collect such stamps as these, As long since I’ve suspected; I hope you’ll prize this one above all others you’ve collected.” Can you believe it? A Valentine’s card made specifically to give to your favorite philatelist! A second card is a reply card of sorts stating in part “return the attached coupon by next mail.” A third bears a boy and girl “caught in the act of mailing” their Valentines. I hope this will inspire you to start your own virtual collection. Just pick a subject, get a big hard drive, and right click your mouse to save the image! You can even turn your favorite pho- tos into a desktop background or screen saver on your computer to brighten up your day!
January / February 2008 53 Plattsburgh, New York Meets at 1 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month in the second floor meeting room of Plattsburgh Public Library, 19 Oak St. Glenn A. Estus, P. O. Box 451, Westport, NY 12993-0451
StampClub
NorthCountry [email protected], 518-962-4558
Why People Collect Stamps ecently the American Philatelic Society commissioned a survey of stamp collectors, in- Rcluding those collectors who currently do not belong to the APS. On page 36 of the docu- ment presented to the APS Board of Directors there is a report on why people collect stamps, which the data collectors found is “mostly the same for APS members and nonmembers. They do it to explore history and geography, appreciate artwork and beauty, stimulate their minds, relax and basically have fun.” (www.stamps.org/Almanac/SurveyReport.pdf) Appreciating History When you live in an area like ours that is rich in history and a player on the world stage from at least 1609 through 1815, you begin to appreciate history. Even after 1815, the Plattsburgh area figured heavily in the military history of the United States. The Plattsburgh Barracks (now the site of much regional redevelopment since the closure of the Plattsburgh Air Force Base in 1995) was the site of the Plattsburgh Idea, a forerun- ner of the modern Reserve Officers’ Train- ing Corps (ROTC). Why do I mention this in a column for stamp collectors? Because I recently found a postcard from the Camp of Instruction, Plattsburg, N.Y. The writer says “Great place to camp, clear water, no mosquitoes, good drinking water & cool nights.” It seems the writer was at the Camp of Instruction learning to be a potential officer in the U.S. Army. If I wasn’t a stamp collector would I have even looked at the cancel on this post card? Visit www.dmna.state.ny.us/forts/fortsM_P/plattsburghBarracks.htm for more about the barracks, whose origins date to just after the War of 1812. During World War II it served as a training camp for naval officers and an Army Air Force Convalescent Hospital. Meetings Programs for January 12 and February 9 will be announced by newsletter.
54 Stamp Insider EAN A Olean, New York L R O E
Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd Monday at the Elks Club, 209 W. A
State St. (Entrance is from the parking lot on the 2nd Street side) S T
A
M
Jack Searles, 733 Front St., Olean, NY 14760-2851 B
U P
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[email protected], 716-372-1070 C
The Origins and Growth of Rural Free Delivery By Bill Howden icture post cards I acquired for their pho- Pto views that were sent to RFD addresses prompted this article. Today we take home delivery of mail for granted, but once upon a time, there was no home delivery. Today’s city dwellers owe their home delivery to sob- bing Civil War widows, while rural dwellers owe home mail delivery to the establishment of Rural Free Delivery (RFD). Until 1863, all mail had to be picked up This 1905 card features both an RFD cancel and a received postmark. at the area post office by the recipient. By the middle of the Civil War, so many women were receiving death notice mail and, of course crying and wailing in the post offices of cities, that postmasters could no longer take it and pressed for home delivery within city limits. This was instituted in 1863 in 43 cities. All rural people, as well as those living in settlements smaller than a city, continued having to walk or ride — sometimes for miles — to their post office for mail until the institution of RFD on October 1, 1896. The first RFD routes were established in West Virginia, and based on the towns of Uvilla, Halltown, and Charlestown. There were more than 80 routes in 29 states by the end of 1896 as RFD rapidly spread throughout the nation. Originally, each RFD route was served by a horse-drawn wagon, but as time passed, needs and regulations eventually allowed a variety of conveyance vehicles — from motor- cycles to the automobile and all manner of trucks. By the 1960s, there were 32,000 RFD routes nationwide serving 34 million customers. Urban growth, improved roads, and the explosion of RFD resulted in a major reduc- tion of post offices. In 1900 there were more than 76,600 post offices nationwide. That number dropped to 52,641 by 1920, and by 1960 had dropped to 35,238 existing post offices, which handled 63.6 billion pieces of mail. RFD post cards dating from the early 20th century often illustrate important steps in development of mail delivery, including the addition of route numbers — “RFD #2,” for example, indicating the formation of an additional route. Many RFD routes had their own
Gerald Wiley collection straight-line cancellations.
January / February 2008 55 Oswego, New York Meets at 6 p.m. on the 4th Monday except July and August at Faith United Church, 12 Mark Fitzgibbons Drive Leigh LeClair, 212 Murray St., Oswego, NY 13126-4032 [email protected] , 315-342-5653
Club Celebrates President’s Birthday he November meeting kicked off with a celebration of President Leigh LeClair’s birth- Tday. Plans were made for the annual holiday party. Future meeting topics will likely include using a Signoscope to detect watermarks, creating a pictorial cancel for the club’s 60th anniversary in 2008, and identifying Chinese stamps. Now for something sweet. Oswego Candy Company, often called the Ox-Heart by locals, was next to the Oswego Armory at the corner of West First and Utica streets. It operated for more than 70 years before it was destroyed by fire. Ox-Heart was well known for its chocolate- covered cherries, chocolate croquettes, and large metal tins — later glass jars — of peanut but- ter. This cover dated June 11, 1910 on the invoice provides a colorful example of their famous cherry logo. It was sent to E. C. Jones of Gardiner, ME and included a $22 invoice, marked paid, for 20 boxes of chocolate croquettes, five boxes of pralines, three boxes of coffee, 10 boxes of “Our Leaders” (I’m not sure what that is),and two boxes of chocolate peanut fudge.
Ithaca Stamp Club — Continued from Page 52 days than in previous generations. Even the few who stick with it are typically forced to set it aside during their college years due to time pressures and inability, in most cases, to bring their collections to campus. It is no surprise, then, that in the last two decades no more than two or three Cornell students, and none from the other colleges, attended our meetings, and even they stayed for less than one year. As for the future, again the picture is mixed. It is unlikely that memberships ever will return to the levels of a generation ago, for all the reasons cited. At the same time, clubs probably will not disappear altogether. They provide collectors a forum for personal interaction with other collectors as an alternative or as a supplement to solitary collecting. It is a platform where information can be exchanged, experiences shared, knowledge acquired, and one’s own col- lecting put in perspective. Human nature being what it is, we hope there will always be some who value such interaction and are willing to do what it takes to ensure that it continues.
56 Stamp Insider Rochester, New York www.rpastamps.org Meets at 7 p.m. on the 2nd & 4th Thursday at Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church, 1200 S. Winton Road Joseph Doles, P. O. Box 10206, Brighton Sta., Rochester, NY 14610-0206 [email protected], 585-621-3012
Club Announces Early 2008 Programs he first four meetings of the new year have been announced by Vice President and TProgram Chairman Dave Bombard. Silent auctions are always part of the evening’s program. Each member is allowed up to seven lots with an additional donation lot. Jan. 10 — U.S. Inverts by RPA member Ada Prill Jan. 24 — Zeppelins on Cover by Terry Blum; review of auction lots; Terry is past president of the Western Monroe Philatelic Society, which has just joined the Federation of New York Stamp Clubs. Feb. 14 — TBA by RPA member Mark Scheuer Feb. 28 — V-Mail by RPA member Joe Doles New Lighting Update Auxiliary lighting was supplied by Dave and Diane Bombard and Joe Doles. The lights have been placed at the APS circuits table and the silent auction tables. Everyone seems to enjoy being able to see the items they may be interested in buying.
ROPEX Cancels Submitted for Approval The show cancels below have been submitted to the USPS for approval. The cancels de- signed by Joe Doles and L. Kelly Armstrong represents each day’s theme.
January / February 2008 57 DY S TA TA C M E P Schenectady, New York N C E L
H U SCHAU-NAUGH-TA-DA Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 1st Monday
C B
S at Union Presbyterian Church, 1068 Park Ave. Ronald K. Ratchford, 1105 Union St., Schenectady, NY 12308-2805
O 0 [email protected], 518-374-3776 RG 93 ANIZED 1
Vale Cemetery Sesquicentennial Postmark n Sunday, October 21, 2007, a special postal station was established in the historic Ocaretaker’s home of Vale Cemetery in Schenectady. One hundred fifty years earlier on that same day, a large ceremony was held for the consecration of this then-new rural cemetery. There has been much growth of the city over the last century and a half. Vale Cemetery is surrounded now by heavily populated portions of the city. The pictorial postmark depicts the caretaker’s residence, which dates to the 19th cen- tury. The accompanying post card shows a view from about a century ago. The cemetery contains the burial site for numerous prominent persons including the noted electrical engineer and theoretician Charles Proteus Steinmetz, who was honored on a 1983 postage stamp. View cards with the pictorial postmark are available from Vale Cemetery, 907 State St., Schenectady, NY 12307 for $2 each and a sase, our choice, or a set of four different cards for $7 and a sase.
58 Stamp Insider Staten Island, New York Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 1st & 3rd Monday except July and August at the Rev. Paul Kroon Center of Messiah Lutheran Staten Island Church, 195 Jefferson Blvd., Annadale, Staten Island Philatelic Society Charles R. Carlson, 30 Hopping Ave., Staten Island, NY 10307-1219 [email protected], 718-984-7880
The APRL Solves a ‘Facsimile’ Mystery ur meetings have been sparsely attended so far this Oseason. A few of the regulars have not made it yet, and we need their dues to pay the ‘rent’ to the church for the use of our meeting room. That does not mean we have not been busy, nor have the meetings been dull. One member bought some newspaper stamps from the widow of a former president of the club. Beautiful stamps, with a few gum and condition problems, but beautiful on their faces. The only problem is that each was marked fac- simile. The colors were good and the engraving was great. All the stamps are obviously the products of an intaglio pro- cess, but why facsimile? The member called the APS’ Amer- ican Philatelic Research Library and talked to a nice woman in the library, who said, “Wait a minute,” and in less than a minute was back to him with a book in her hands. Two days later, the book was in his mailbox, sent via the USPS signature confirmation service (with stamps!). The Flawed Facimile book was all about a German forger who made reproduc- A flawed $10 facsimile news- tions of many of the rare and early U.S. that collectors even paper stamp offered on in the 1880s could not afford, but was an honest counter- eBay for $9.95 buy it now plus $1.75 shipping. feiter, and marked all of his works with facsimile. Ted has another product from the same forger, a beautiful Official State Department $20 stamp, similarly prominently marked facsimile. The State Department stamp was also pictured in the book about newspaper stamps. Scott does not mention the facsimile stamps in its cataloguing of either the officials or the newspaper stamps. While the woman at the APRL at the APS, knew the stamps in a flash and had the book at arm’s length, it would not seem inappropriate to me for the existence of these forger- ies to be mentioned in our national catalogue, especially since the facsimilies seem to be as common, or maybe more common, than the originals. It might even save calls to the APRL, which solved Ted’s question in the few beats of a heart. When you get your APS dues notice this year, why not add a few bucks and become a member of the APRL? The service is remarkable, and well worth the few dollars they ask, and is supporting one of the most useful philatelic resources in the country.
January / February 2008 59 tamp Clu S b n Canisteo, New York e Meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday except July, August, October b
u at Kanestio Historical Society Building, 23 Main St., Canisteo
e
t Sue Babbitt, 1990 Square Woods Drive, Canisteo, NY 14823-1250 S [email protected], 607-698-2062
The Demise of A Stamp Club ike today’s many civic, Lsocial and religious or- ganizations stamp clubs are on the decrease. It was not uncommon 20–25 years ago for collectors to purchase stamps and sup- plies in local department stories. As an early collector I looked forward to the friendly and personal touch offered by a gentleman at the First Meeting Souvenir Sibley’s store in downtown The Steuben Stamp Club held its first public meeting on Columbus Day, October 12, 1987, at the YMCA building Rochester. Closer to home in Hornell. Former member Willett McCarty and Dan Mil- was a stamp and coin aisle in liman, who was then managing editor of Stamps maga- our local Woolworth’s store zine, organized the first meeting. A special cachet was in Hornell. produced, was canceled on that day, and was given to As an educator in a local each one in attendance. school system I operated a Ben Franklin Club for a good many years. These fifth graders were excited about collecting stamps, but I could not get them to have their parents bring them to an evening meeting. Today when I attend a stamp club meeting in the area the group is made up of the older generation. Youngsters today have so much to offer them in their free time that sadly com- puters and video games have won out over the joys of stamp collecting. The Steuben Stamp Club is just one of many small clubs across the country that has struggled to increase its membership over the years. Unfortunately we have not won the battle and as our older members have passed on or moved away we have not found new members. As a result. the Steuben Stamp Club would possibly be holding its final meeting on December 10, 2007. At that meeting the remaining members were to decide to dissolve the club or to meet maybe once or twice a year to share philatelic adventures. — John S. Babbitt
60 Stamp Insider Syracuse, New York www.syracusestampclub.org Meets at 8 p.m. the 1st & 3rd Friday at the Reformed Church of Syracuse, 1228 Teall Ave.
Allen Swift, P. O. Box 593, East Syracuse, NY 13057-0593 Organized 1919 [email protected], 315-457-3201 APS Chapter 50 Syrapex ’07 A Huge Success n November11, the curtain fell on Syrapex ’07 — a huge success by all accounts. Many Onice exhibits surfaced at the last minute, which added some excellent viewing to the mix. Attendance at the show was good, and the dealers were generally very pleased. More than 50 people attended the banquet. Dr. Elizabeth Fowler, a Syracuse University Art professor, deliv- ered an impressive audio/visual presentation on the life and works of Louis Comfort Tiffany. Winning exhibits, respectively, were 160 Years of Corning, NY Postal History by Alan Parsons, The Polish Postal Services of World War II by Phillip Poplaski, Lincoln on U.S. Stamps and Stamps of Great Britain — Plate Numbers by Ed Bailey, and The 1954 Liberty Series and Its Uses by Paul Davis. In Youth Exhibits, Hockey by Andrew All took first place, followed closely by Electronics & Com- munication by Jeremy Steele. Show attend- ees voted Washington 2006 by Rick Erat the Exhibit winner Alan Parsons, left, and run- most popular exhibit. ner up Phil Poplaski. The show cover displaying a Tiffany stained glass window is still available for $3 and a #10 sase to the SSC address shown above. Member James Shatell and former member Claude Boisnier ran the Kids Corner. Dave Proulx It is with great sadness that we report the death of Dave Proulx, past president and vice president of the club and one of the finest stamp dealer/collectors in the area. See his obituary on page 32. Programs Most of next year’s programs have been established and the year looks to be as exciting as 2007. Once again auctions will be dominating the scene. A new, and we believe better, three-cent box of stamps will be made available at meetings. Jan. 4 — Auction, including a donation lot of beautiful Scandinavian albums Jan. 18 — Stampo Feb. 1 — Downtown Syracuse Postcards by Mike Ammann Feb. 15 — Show & Tell — U.S. or foreign revenue or other B.O.B. item Feb. 29 — Auction
January / February 2008 61 Sidney, New York Meets at 7:15 p.m. except July and August on the 3rd Monday at Sidney Civic Center, 21 Liberty St. Robert Finnegan, 10 O’Neill Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820-1154 [email protected], 607-432-8141
‘Penny Sale’ Benefits Treasury he club had its second annual Penny Sale in December and all proceeds went into the Tclub’s treasury. It was interesting to see the members’ duplicates as well as the varied interests that the members seem to have. Linn’s Stamp Poll Members are reminded that the January program will involve voting on the annual Linn’s Stamp Poll. We will have illustrations of all the various definitives, commemoratives, and postal stationery issued by the U.S. Postal Service during 2007. Also at the meeting we will have a Show and Tell time in which each member is asked to bring in one philatelic item that they would like to share and inform the members about. Over the years we have had some very interesting items brought in and it serves the membership well. Machins Program: The February meeting will be a program by Bill Bauer entitled The Machins. Those interested in British stamps will find Bill’s presentation of interest. Field Trip Planned: The club is interested in taking its first field trip in a number of years. The club will be discussing a future trip to the American Philatelic Society in Bellefonte, PA later this spring. School Club Begins Year: Sidney Elementary School Stamp Club will begin its phila- telic year in January as Bob Finnegan, Tri-County Stamp Club treasurer, again will meet with third to fifth grade students three or four times a month. The club plans on hosting the children during its May meeting. Youth Philately Seed Money Available rganizations or schools planning new or expanded activity in support of stamp col- Olecting by youth this year may qualify for limited funding from the British North America Philatelic Society. Now in its third year, the Society’s program offers financial grants to encourage philatelic activity among children and young adults. In 2007, the program funded 17 different programs in the United States and Canada. Grants ranged from $65 to $400. In some cases the grant was accompanied by a supply of sev- eral thousand stamps for distribution. Programs supported included a number of new school stamp clubs, a first day cover design contest, and youth activities at several stamp shows. Application forms are available from www.bnaps.org or from Bob Dyer, British North America Philatelic Society, 1708 Granada Court, Petaluma, CA 94954. The deadline for applications is May 1, 2008.
62 Stamp Insider M STA A M S Troy, New York P E C
Meets at 7 p.m. on the 1st & 3rd Wednesday except June, July, L L
C
and August at M.J.’s on the Avenue, 499 2nd Ave., North Troy U
N
B
U Terrill S. Miller, P. O. Box 335, Troy, NY 12181-0335 T [email protected], 518-869-6872 R . OY, N.Y
Club Produces Victorian Stroll Covers or the 25th annual Troy Victorian Stroll, the Uncle Sam Stamp Club produced two Fcovers commemorating the event — one depicting Queen Victoria and the other a traditional Santa Claus. Covers are available at $2.50 each from Uncle Sam Stamp Club, Victorian Stroll Covers, P. O. Box 335, Troy, NY 12181-03350. Enjoyable Programs On October 3 we enjoyed Steve Gray’s presentation on the Cook Islands. He began col- lecting at the age of 6, mainly U.S. at that time, but soon moving to foreign as well. Today Steve specializes in French and British Colonies before 1940. At Competition Night on November 7 first place went to John J. Nunes forPolish POW Posts, second to Peg Kosin- ski for Canadian Flights, and third John Mangione for U.S. Postal Stationery. On Nov. 21 our own John Mangione spoke about his Italian back of the book air mail, postage dues, parcel post, authorized delivery, and express mail. On the same night, we congratulated Peg Kosinski on her 54th wedding anniversary. Club Member Dies Ralph T. Purdy, 74, of Rotterdam died on November 16, 2007. He retired from the U.S. Army, having served in Germany from 1951 through 1953 and in Korea from 1960 through 1963. He served with the National Guard from 1976 through 1993. Purdy was a federal technician at the Schenectady Armory, from where he retired. He was a past Master Ma- son and a member of Uncle Sam and Schenectady stamp clubs. Memorial contributions may be made to Rotterdam EMS, 2007 Cardiff Road, Schenectady, NY 12303. Programs January 2 — Winter auction January 16 — Zeppelin Mementos by Jim Danner February 6 — Special Delivery Forerunners by Bob Markovits February 20 — Pandas on Stamps by Vicki Miller
January / February 2008 63 &36 "5 5 Utica, New York * & $ 3 Meets at 7 p.m. on the 1st Tuesday except July "
( and August at New Hartford Town Library, 2 Library Lane Stamp circuits available 4 5 # Jerome F. Wagner, 160 Proctor Blvd., Utica, NY 13501-6119 " 6 . 1 $ - 315-732-0219
Christmas Dinner Members and guests of the club enjoyed the annual Christmas dinner meeting at Casa Too Mucha restaurant in New Hartford on December 4. From left, front, Katie Popyack, Jerome Wagner, Larry Griswold, Gerald Cunningham; middle, Martha and Francis Ko- larits, Edward Jordan, Wayne Turkowski, Janet Colmer, Judy Routson, Louise Beyer; back, Edward Hacker, Phil Beyer, Keith Routson, James Geer, and Arthur Baker. Club Returning Home or its next meeting on January 8, the club returns to the Community Room of the newly Fremodeled New Hartford Public Library. The club is donating $50 each to St. Margaret’s House, our interim home during remodeling, and the library for use of their facilities.
Catalogue Talk Wayne Turkowski explains to club members and guests how to use the Scott U.S. Specialized Stamp Catalogue computer software on CD-ROM at the Novem- ber meeting. Judy Routson photo, bottom
64 Stamp Insider Cheektowaga, New York uffalo Family Life S Meets informally at noon Tuesdays at the Masonic of B tam y p le C
Community Center, 2379 Union Road l l u
a b
John L. Leszak, 2379 Union Rd., Cheektowaga , NY 14227-2234 V [email protected], 716-854-0222
Masonic Signers of the Constitution f the 40 signers of the Constitution (Scott #798, #2360) 28 either were Freema- Osons at the time, have some evidence of being Masons, or later became Masons. Nine men were Freemasons at the time of the signing, they include: Gunning Bedford, Jr., John Blair, David Brearly, Jacob Broom, Daniel Carrol, John Dickinson, Benjamin Franklin (Scott #1 and many more!), Rufus King and George Washington (#2 and so many more). Six signers later became Freemasons. They include William Richardson Davie, Jr., Jonathan Dayton, James McHenry, John Francis Mercer, William Patterson, and Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer. Masonic membership has been attributed to the following signers of the Constitu- tion, but Masonic historical records are sketchy and conclusive proof of their Masonic membership still requires more concise documentation: Abraham Baldwin ( #1850), Wil- liam Blount, Elbridge Gerry, Nicholas Gilman, Alexander Hamilton ( #1053 and others), Thomas Jefferson ( #1055 and many more), John Lansing, Jr., James Madison ( #3545 et al), George Mason ( #1858), George Read, Robert Morris ( #UX92), Roger Sherman, and George Wythe ( #UX108).
January / February 2008 65 New Haven Philatelic Society Shows 4th Sunday Collectible Shows & Bourses Stamp, Card & Coin Dealers January 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 12–13 — Toronto, ON Free Admission and Parking t Refreshments Available Unipex stamp show, Rameses Temple Shrine Club, 3100 +BOVBSZt'FCSVBSZt.BSDIt"QSJM Keele St. Saturday 10–5, .BZt+VOFt+VMZt"VHVTU Sunday 10–4. Bourse. E-mail: Annex YMA, 554 Woodward Ave., New Haven, CT [email protected] 18–20 — Washington, DC 1-95 Exit 50 (Woodward Avenue Exit); take right at end of exit; white building less than 1/4 mile on right side. Metropolitan Stamp Contact Brian McGrath 203-389-2863, [email protected] Expo, Hilton Washington See our web site: www.nhps1914.org Dulles Airport, 13869 Park Center Rd., Herndon, VA. Friday and Saturday 10–6, Sunday 10–4. John J. Nunes, Stamp, Coin, Postcard 518-399-8395, e-mail: & Collectibles Show [email protected]. 19 — St. Catharines, ON SUNDAY Hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. New Location! January 27 ¥ February 24 St. Catharines Stamp Club’s 59th Cathex show, Gran- March 16 ¥ April 27 ¥ May 25 tham Lion’s Club, 732 Ni- June 22 ¥ September 28 ¥ October 26 agara St. One day only 10–5. 14 dealers. e-mail: November 23 ¥ December 7 [email protected] 20 — Latham Free Admission & Parking! New Location! Harvey D. Morin VFW Post 2940 Contact: Victor Drajem Capital District Stamp 965 Center Rd., West Seneca, NY phone: 716-656-8080 Show, Holiday Inn Express, 946 New Loudon Rd. 10–4. Bourse. John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, e-mail: Suburban Stamps, Coins [email protected] 27 — New Haven, CT & Collectibles New Haven Philatelic So- Always Buying ciety 4th Sunday Collect- tt ibles Show, Annex YMA, 554 Woodward Ave. 10–3. Open: Monday–Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Bourse. Brian McGrath, 203- Saturday 9 a.m.–1 p.m. 389-2863, [email protected] 27 — West Seneca ,SFJTDIFS3PBE Stamp, Coin, Postcard & /PSUI4ZSBDVTF /: Collectibles Show, Harvey Just off Taft Road 1⁄2 mile east of Rt. 81 D. Morin VFW Post 2940, 965 Center Rd. 10–4. Bourse. .BSL4[VCBt&EXBSE#BJMFZ Victor Drajem, 716-656-8080
66 Stamp Insider February 3 — Rochester LED Illuminated Magnifiers The only magnifier on the market that uses multiple LEDs RS Stamp Show, Eagle’s for perfect uniform illumination. (U.S. Patented) Club, 1200 Buffalo Rd.10–4. Bourse. John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, e-mail: Pocket Magnifying Glass [email protected] 3x, 6x & 10x 3–4 — Niagara Falls with integrated LED Niagara Frontier Coin Club lamp illumination Collectors’ Show/Expo ’06, Elks Lodge No. 346, 1805 Used by stamp, coin, jewelry, gun, and miniatures collectors. Factory Outlet Blvd. Stamps, Also great for reading those small detail areas of your map, coins, postcards. Saturday especially in low light conditions. 10–5, Sunday 10–4. Frank Call toll free: 1-866-543-2832 http://www.Lifatec.com Munzi, 716-633-4104 LiFaTeC USA LLC, P.O. Box 914, 12 Railroad Street, Jordan, NY 13080-9732 10 — Syracuse Syracuse Stamp, Coin & Collectibles Show, Holiday Inn, Carrier Circle, Thruway APS BNAPS exit 35. 10–5. Bourse. Ed Bailey, 315-452-0593. 16–17 — Albany Cover Mania 9, Clarion Ho- George McGowan tel, 3 Watervliet Ave. Saturday Covers and Stamps 10–6, Sunday 10–4. Bourse. John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, [email protected] U.S., UN, British Colonies, Topics 22–24 — New York City Metropolitan Stamp Expo, Midtown Holiday Inn, 440 P.O. Box 482 [email protected] W. 57th St. Bourse, U.S. East Schodack, NY 12063-0482 (518) 479-4396 Postal Service. Friday noon–6, Saturday 10–6, Sunday 10–4. John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, [email protected] 24 — West Seneca Stamp, Coin, Postcard & "UY y 3ELL y 4RADE Collectibles Show, Harvey D. Morin VFW Post 2940, 965 Center Rd. 10–4. Bourse. Victor Drajem, "IG ±%² #OINS 3TAMPS 716-656-8080 24 — New Haven, CT New Haven Philatelic So- 2$ "OX ciety 4th Sunday Collect- -UNNSVILLE .9 ibles Show, Annex YMA, 554 Woodward Ave. 10–3. Bourse. Brian McGrath, 203- %RNEST ,EWIS 389-2863, [email protected]
January / February 2008 67 LeljlXcL%J%JZfkk)(' Maynard Sundman :fm\ij8cnXpjNXek\[ Dies at 92 Norman Cohen Maynard Sund- P.O. Box 29543 F. man, 92, owner Dallas, TX 75229-0543 of two of the world’s largest stamp and coin businesses — WANTED Littleton Coin Co. and Benjamin Harrison on cover — Scott #308, 622, 694, t-POH*TMBOEQPTUBMIJTUPSZ Mystic Stamp Co. — Frank Braithwaite died October 31, 2007 56 Morewood Drive Smithtown, NY 11787 in Littleton, NH. [email protected] He started his Sundman first stamp business in his parent’s Bristol, CT home in 1935. He and his late wife, Fan- %PZPVMJLFUPESBXPSQBJOUBOE NFFUQFPQMFGSPNBMMPWFS nie, founded Littleton Stamp Co. in 1945 and 5IF"SU$PWFS&YDIBOHFNBZ later its successor, Littleton Coin Co. Unlike CFGPSZPV8SJUFUP+PF%PMFT competitors who advertised in stamp publi- -BXTPO3E 3PDIFTUFS /: PSHPUPPVS8FCTJUF cations, the business sought a wider market XXXBSUDPWFSFYDIBOHFPSH through consumer newspapers and maga- zines. Sundman offered merchandise on ap- proval. In 1974, he purchased Mystic, trans- Join the American First Day Cover Society ferring stamp operations to Camden, NY. • Get a unique perspective on stamp collecting Mystic is one of the world’s largest stamp • Learn about first day cover collecting • Enjoy FIRST DAYS magazine collecting firms with 175 employees. Littleton • Contact us today! Coin Co. employs 350. The two firms handle AFDCS, P.O. Box 16277, Tucson, AZ 85732-6277 more than three million orders per year. Phone 520-321-0880 • Website www.afdcs.org In 2002, the National Postal Museum established the Maynard Sundman Lecture BUR3Z]V_RAaNaR>\`aNY6V`a\_f Series through a donation by his sons, Da- A\PVRafEN[a`G\b vid and Donald. The philatelic Sundman Join today and receive the biannual journal — lectures feature talks by authors of recent EXCELSIOR! and the quarterly Bulletin books on stamps and stamp collecting. George McGowan, P. O. Box 482, East Schodack, NY 12063-0483 Sundman was a life member of the APS and www.esphs.org t APS Unit 28 the American Numismatic Society. Sundman is survived by his wife, Doro- 0RINT 7EB $ESIGN thy; three sons by his first marriage, David M., !LWAYS $ELIVERED ON 4IME Littleton president; Frederick W.; Donald J., Design on Demand Mystic president; and several grandchildren. !LBERT 7 3TARKWEATHER Donations may be made to the Littleton 'UNN (WY 4AMPA &, ASTARKWEATHER STARKWEATHERDESIGNCOM Regional Hospital Charitable Foundation, WWWSTARKWEATHERDESIGNCOM 600 St. Johnsbury Road, Littleton, NH 03561. Photo Courtesy National Postal Museum
68 Stamp Insider Twelve Monthly Issues $25/year (USA only) SUBSCRIBE TODAY 888-698-0734 www.journalofantiques.com
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Advertiser Index American First Day Cover Society...... 68 Metropolitan Expositions...... 5 Art Cover Exchange...... 68 Bunny Moses...... 35 Azusa Stamps and Collectibles...... 15 Mystic Stamp Company...... 36–37 B. Trading Co...... 24 New Haven Philatelic Society Shows...... 66 Bejjco of Florida, Inc...... 21 Niagara Frontier Coin Club...... 17 Big “E” Coins & Stamps...... 67 Nunesnook...... 7, 23 Frank Braithwaite...... 68 Nutmeg Stamp Sales...... Inside Back Cover Buffalo Stamp Club Bupex 2008...... 17 Park Cities Stamps...... 29 Champion Stamp Co...... 27 Philatelica, Ltd...... 32 Norman Cohen...... 68 PostalHistoryStore.com...... 35 Cover Connection...... 19 Quality Investors, Ltd...... 29 Design on Demand...... 68 R. J. Associates...... 24 Empire State Postal History Society...... 68 Sarasota Natl. Philatelic Exhibition...... 25 Henry Gitner Philatelists, Inc...... 11 Schmitt Investors, Ltd...... 19 Halifax Trading, Ltd...... 31 Stamp Camp USA...... 38 Harmer–Schau , Inc...... 13 Stamp Insider...... Back Cover Hawkeye Philatelics...... 24 Stamp News...... 25 Swamy & Susan Iyer...... 28 Suburban Stamp, Coins & Collectibles...... 66 Journal of Antiques & Collectibles...... 69 Syracuse Stamps, Coins & Collectibles...... 9 Lincoln Coin and Stamp Co...... 35 Vidiforms Company...... Back Cover LiFaTeC USA LLC...... 67 Virtual Stamp Club...... 24 Steve Malack Stamps...... 21 Washington Press...... Inside Front Cover E. Joseph McConnell, Inc...... 9 Douglas Weisz U.S. Covers...... 28 George McGowan...... 67 West Seneca Shows...... 66
January / February 2008 69 The Last Words Heather Sweeting, Associate Editor 14329 Victory St., Sterling NY 13156-3172 315-947-6761; [email protected]
No Stamp Left Behind? he No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has created many demands on the Teducational system in our country. There is no question that it has caused much change in the educational world. Creative teaching has been abandoned in lieu of teaching to the test. There are practice tests, practice essays, test taking skill sessions, and even pep rallies for the tests. I wonder what would happen if we applied some NCLB ideas to the USPS, Congress, or other governmental agencies? What if every senator had to pass a test on immigration law before giving an opinion on the subject? What if every presidential candidate had to pass a test on U.S. history? Under NCLB, each state must measure every public school student’s progress. What prog- ress has the USPS made in delivering mail, turning a profit, etc? Did it operate in the red? Did it meet all its customers’ needs? What progress has your club or philatelic organization made in the past year? What progress have you made with your collection this year? NCLB states that parents have timely information and testing data about the schools their children attend, whether they are performing well or not, for all children, regardless of their background. Are your deliveries on time? Are some post offices doing a better job than others? Are small post offices more welcoming and helpful to the customer than large postal centers? What data exists regarding mail delivery? How long does it take for you to receive a locally mailed letter? In the event of a school’s continued poor performance, parents have options to ensure that their children receive a high-quality education. Children can transfer to higher-per- forming school. Should club members consider joining with a neighboring club or merge clubs if membership is dwindling? Should clubs consider inviting those with other inter- ests, such as post cards or coins, into their fold? A school that has not made adequate progress for two consecutive school years will be identified as needing improvement. School officials must develop a plan to turn around the school. If a school fails for four years, the district must implement corrective actions, such as replacing staff or restructuring. (Wow, I can see a lot of applications for this one in the political and business worlds!) Should well-functioning post offices be given raises or bonuses for meeting high quality standards? I recently completed my dad’s collection of Sarawak stamps with an eBay purchase. By Left Behind standards, after four years of looking, I should have restructured the album page and omitted the space for that stamp. If that didn’t work I should have abandoned that country for a better performing one. Now that the country is complete I can happily abandon the country and move on to another obscure place like Southern Rhodesia.
70 Stamp Insider We’re Buying!
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