Following two successful virtual shows during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.K.-based Philatelic Traders’ Society (PTS) is set to host its first in-person Stampex since September 2019.
The February 2020 Stampex was cancelled to accommodate the London 2020 international exhibition, which was then postponed due to COVID-19 until 2022 (and changed its name to London 2022). Stampex is typically held at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, where it’s set to return on Sept. 29-Oct. 2 “with an exciting new look and feel,” according to organizers.
PTS officials have “been working hard behind the scenes to strengthen and reshape the physical show with new ‘zones’ and additional concepts to really bring all aspects of collecting to life,” reads a PTS newsletter published on Aug. 3.
Some of the show’s events will also be available online, similar to the Virtual Stampex shows last October and this March.
An “opening day pass” for the in-person show is £10, but organizers are also offering a £5 “online pass” for people who wish to virtually attend some of the show’s offerings, including livestreamed Stampex Talks, other exclusive video content, show tours and a digital version of the show guide and PTS Collector Handbook.
All submissions – due Aug. 31 – must be scanned or photographed at 300 dots per inch and all submissions must be uploaded digitally via the Philatelic Traders’ Society website.
DESIGN CONTEST
Last year, the PTS launched its first PTS Collector Handbook, which featured philatelic articles on a range of topics, including competitive exhibiting, plus adult puzzle pages and a children’s competition.
The PTS mailed about 10,000 handbooks worldwide, according to a recent statement it issued. They were included inside the Gibbons Stamp Monthly magazine, sold on the PTS website and mailed to members of the Royal Philatelic Society London.
This year, the handbook will be combined with the Stampex show guide and distributed at Stampex. Organizers have teamed up with Graham Beck, of the Exploring Stamps podcast, and are inviting people around the world to submit original artwork for a design competition. The winner’s design will grace the publication’s cover, and the winner will receive what the PTS describes as “a super cool prize” from Exploring Stamps.
To participate:
- design your original artwork;
- scan or photograph the artwork in high resolution; and
- enter online via the PTS website here.
Entries must be submitted by Aug. 31.