CSN has officially launched its Third Annual Cover Contest, pitting clubs and collectors against one another in a fun competition focused on philately, design and postal history.
All philatelic organizations – at the local, regional and national levels in Canada and abroad – are invited to submit a cover promoting National Stamp Collecting Month, which takes place this October.
For the second year in a row, an “individual” category will be open to collectors, who can submit a cover to vie for top bragging rights among individuals.
“The competition continues to grow year over year, and CSN is eager to see even more covers come in the mail before this October,” said CSN Publisher and Editor Mike Walsh.
“This year, we’re putting out a call to clubs across the country plus some in the U.S. and overseas. The more the merrier—but with the contest going worldwide, get ready for some competition.”
Altogether, there are six prizes (three for both categories), and both clubs and collectors are permitted to submit more than one design.
The Calgary Philatelic Society won the first-place prize in the club category of the 2019 CSN Cover Contest.
SEPT. 25 DEADLINE
All covers must be mailed to and received by CSN by Sept. 25, complete with a postmark to prove the deadline date was met.
The designs can promote their club, their individual hobby or the month-long philatelic celebration of National Stamp Collecting Month, which has fallen to the wayside since its inception about 40 years ago.
All submitted entries will be posted on canadianstampnews.com on Oct. 1. People around the world will then be invited to vote for their three favourite submissions from clubs and collectors throughout October.
On Nov. 1, CSN will announce the three club covers and three individual covers that received the most votes. The top three covers in each category will win $100, $50 and $25, respectively.
Harvey Shuter’s cover, which won last year’s individual category, invites people to collect stamps and join a stamp club.
TWO YEARS RUNNING
In last year’s cover contest – the first to feature collectors’ covers – Toronto’s Harvey Shuter won the first-place prize in the individual category.
The club category was topped by the Calgary Philatelic Society, which was followed by the Waterloo Region Stamp Club in second place and the Kelowna and District Stamp Club in third.
In CSN’s first cover contest, held in 2018, the Kelowna and District Stamp Club took home the top honours.
For more information, visit canadianstampnews.com/2020covercontest.