TimG
Member 
Posts: 163
What I collect: Worldwide
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Post by TimG on Sept 13, 2023 16:06:05 GMT
I joined my local stamp club this month. It was the first time I had ever done that and it was quite the experience. We met in the cafeteria at a local high school. I didn't know what to expect when I arrived. I just followed a group in, but the first thing I had to do was sign in. I had pre-registered for membership online and paid the annual fee, but quickly discovered that there was a disconnect between what happened online and the fellow who oversaw membership. I ended up having to sign in as a visitor and filled out another membership form (which got quickly recognized later on in the meeting). From the sign in table I wandered over to one of the many auction tables where I met a small group of newbies like myself, being led around by a very hospitable club veteran. He explained how the various auctions worked and like this forum, invited us to ask him questions any time. I then went to the circuit book table to have that whole process explained by another amiable fellow. I looked around at all the stamp possibilities and recognized that most of my stamp needs could be met right here in the club. I had the blessing of meeting another newbie and we talked until the general meeting began - about 1.5 hours from when I arrived. This was followed by the auction. There were over a hundred estate and club member lots available and I left half way through, but plan to be back in two weeks when they meet again. Overall, it was a great experience and a very interesting gathering of people who had been part of that club for many years. Some questions you might respond to are these... - Are you part of a stamp club?
- How have you experienced your local stamp club?
- How does your club welcome new people?
- How well does your club meet your stamp needs?
- What is the best thing about your club?
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hdm1950
Member
Posts: 1,619 
What I collect: I collect world wide up to 1965 with several specialty albums added due to volume of material I have acquired. At this point I am focused on Canada and British America. I am always on the lookout for stamps and covers with postmarks from communities in Queens County, Nova Scotia. I do list various goods including stamps occasionally on eBay as hdm50
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Post by hdm1950 on Sept 13, 2023 17:02:17 GMT
Great post TimG . I have never belonged to a stamp club but am considering visiting one here in Toronto that does meet not that far from me. Your positive experience encourages me to at least go see. I do not see me joining expecting to acquire very many stamps but various presentations would interest me. I did recently join the British North America Philatelic Society. At this point I am not a specialist in any fields covered by their study groups but their journal BNA Topics has some interesting articles that may be enough to renew membership when the time comes. I am more of a generalist but belonging to clubs/societies could wet my appetite to dive deeper. The Stamp Forum is actually the first on line philatelic group I have ever belonged to. It has been a positive experience. It would be nice for more members to be more active but I fully understand that it is a hobby, not a job. The total number of forum members is quite sizeable but the core group of posters is probably less than 50. |
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stainlessb
Member
qaStaHvIS yIn 'ej chep
Posts: 4,652
What I collect: currently focused on most of western Europe, much of which is spent on France, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain Queen Victoria
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Post by stainlessb on Sept 13, 2023 19:07:22 GMT
Are you part of a stamp club? Yes Sacramento Philatelic Society
How have you experienced your local stamp club? Meetings are not convenient, but I volumnteer for the spring and fall shows. The people are quite nice and there is a very wide variety of interest.
How does your club welcome new people? From the few meetings I have attended, anyone that looks "new" (or lost) is greeted by one or more folks, and the circuit table is also nearest the door, so whoever is behind the counter is somewhat the default receptionist.
How well does your club meet your stamp needs? It is not so much about serving my needs as just supporting the local community.
What is the best thing about your club? Friendly folks!
I also belong to APS and did volunteer for th eGASS last year that was held here, both for APS,a nd then for SPS.
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madbaker
Member
Posts: 695
What I collect: (Mark) General worldwide collector (to 1975 or so) with a soft spot for Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia.
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Post by madbaker on Sept 13, 2023 19:29:13 GMT
Hi TimG, Your club sounds fantastic and much larger than mine. While I live in Victoria BC, I'm still a member of the Regina Philatelic Club and have been a member since 1995 or 1996. We have Zoom meetings once a month over winter so I can still participate and give a presentation once per year. We're small - maybe 30 members, with a dozen or so attending the meetings (twice per month, September through June) The club meets my needs for connection over time; I've been friends with some of these folks for a very long time. However, I'm 57 now and still one of the youngest members, which is distressing. My club is much like TSF in the context hdm1950 mentioned - participation. We may have 30 members but only 4-5 members present anything, ever. I've known some of these folks for 20 years and don't know what they collect or how they collect. I would say we're friendly to new members but not in an organized way. I want to send your post to our club members as a way to get more organized about welcoming new folks. I'd love to experience your 'first meeting'. Our meetings are general chit-chat, then a presentation or activity, then a small auction (penny lots, often selling for under $2.) Twice a year we get circuit books from the RPSC and we run a show in February. -- There are clubs in Victoria and I intended to join but I noticed that the meetings for both clubs are on Friday evenings and a decent bus ride from where I live. I love this hobby so much, but not enough to choose it over doing the traditional Friday night 'bowl of chips and a TV show' with my wife. Does anyone else have a club meeting on Friday evenings? |
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vikingeck
Member
Posts: 3,271
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Sept 13, 2023 19:50:28 GMT
The Aberdeen club meets Thursday evenings , twice a month Sept till April, and alternate Friday mornings over coffee. Just had our first of the season last week.
I’m the scheduled presentation next Thursday, with Mail in Wartime. But need to search out stuff for the Friday morning trading activity in a couple of days .
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,369
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Sept 14, 2023 11:13:59 GMT
The local club here meets at 7:30 and over 30 minutes away. This is too late for me. I wish that they early hours or on the weekend.
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jpotx113
Member
Posts: 460
What I collect: USA, Germany, Croatia, Slovenia, Machins, misc. WW
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Post by jpotx113 on Sept 14, 2023 17:07:34 GMT
I live out in the boonies. The nearest club is 91 miles away in College Station. I'd love to be a member, but it's not practical.
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nickmang
Member
Posts: 51
What I collect: ww used definitives and commemoratives
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Post by nickmang on Jan 18, 2024 3:28:38 GMT
Does any know of any English stamp clubs in the Laval area
Just north of Montreal, Quebec
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