By the time you are reading this column, we will have released a comprehensive readership survey to more than 1,500 readers who are on our email list.
I am hoping you are one of them. If not, I would urge you to email or call me (my direct line is 905-646-4820) for a copy of the survey. The opinion of every collector on the future direction of Canadian Stamp News matters to me and my entire team.
It’s been a while since CSN has reached out to our readers with an in-depth survey, seeking your input on everything from how much time you spend, on average, reading CSN, which columnists you regularly read to what you would like to read more of, or, even less of.
The new year is a special one for CSN, as we celebrate the magazine’s 40th anniversary in 2016. The first issue came off the press in 1976 with the issue date of June 28-July 12. Publisher Don Thomas decided it was time that Canada’s philatelic community had its own magazine.
Prior to CSN, stamp collectors were receiving their philatelic news and articles through Canada Coin, Stamp and Antique News, which had been publishing since 1968. The mid-’70s were prosperous times for the numismatic and philatelic hobbies. In fact, there were occasions when CSA News hit 88 pages with four colour covers.
On June 19, 1976, Thomas announced CSA News would be ceasing publication. Instead, the next issue would mark the start of Canadian Coin News (previously called Canada Coin News from 1963 to 1968) and the launch of Canada’s first news magazine devoted to the stamp hobby. The first issue of Canadian Stamp News coincided with the ‘76 Stampex and the upcoming Capex show.
“The newspaper has the support of top-ranking members of the philatelic community,” Thomas wrote in his column. “They have given us both moral and financial endorsement.”
Those were the heydays of our hobby, as many collectors have shared with me since I joined the CSN family in July 2013. In fact, the first issue of CSN was 96 pages and even featured advertising from major retailers, such as a full-page ad from Simpsons promoting a sale on stockbooks, stocksheets and glassine envelopes.
Those were the days of large crowds at stamp shows and numerous Canadian stamp dealers owning retail stores in small to large communities. Yes, a lot has changed but the spirit and importance of our hobby needs to stay vibrant.
That’s why it’s so important for us to receive your feedback on the future editorial direction of your Canadian Stamp News. So if you haven’t received the survey by email, let me know and I will be sure to get a copy of the survey to you.