The American Philatelic Society (APS) is the largest nonprofit stamp collecting and organization of philately Philately is the study of stamps and related items. Philately is distinct from stamp collecting which does not usually involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps. For instance, the stamps being studied may be very rare or exist only in museums in the world,[1] with almost 44,000 members as of 2007[update] from 110 countries. Both the membership and interests of the society are worldwide.[2]
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History
The society was founded on September 14, 1886 in New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment. As host of the United Nations headquarters, it is, originally named the "American Philatelic Association", and the following day elected John K. Tiffany as its first president.[3] Voting membership was granted to 219 individuals who paid Two bits for the privilege.[2] The organization's name was changed to its present name for a few months in 1897, then back, then permanently in 1908. Society membership reached over 4,000 in 1940, and included US President Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt , often referred to by his initials FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States. He was a central figure of the 20th century during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war. Elected to four terms in office, he served from 1933 to 1945 and is the only U.S. president to have served more than two terms and his Secretary of the Interior The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries. Ministries of the Interior correspond to the Department of Homeland Security in the US cabinet Harold L. Ickes Harold LeClair Ickes was a United States administrator and politician. He served as Secretary of the Interior for 13 years, from 1933 to 1946, the longest tenure of anyone to hold the office. Ickes was responsible for implementing much of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" and is the father of Harold M. Ickes, who was deputy. At the 1942 APS convention, board member Donald Lybarger argued for the creation of a central office near the geographic center of the philatelic community, but not be in a large city. When he was elected APS President in 1943, he was able to turn his vision into reality. At the 1944 APS convention it was announced that the APS would accept applications for the position of Executive Secretary. H. Clay Musser of State College, Pennsylvania State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre county. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 38,420, and roughly double that total lived in the borough plus the surrounding, was selected and the APS office was established there on April 1, 1945. As a testament to their leadership, the APS became the US representative to the Federation Internationale de Philatelie in 1947.
By the mid-1990s, the expanded services, staff and the American Philatelic Research Library had outgrown the facility in State College. A study determined that because of high local real estate values, it was not cost effective to expand the existing building. A search of alternatives identified a property ten miles from State College that was basically sound and could be acquired for a reasonable amount. In 2002, after much discussion, debate and soul searching, the APS committed millions of dollars to purchasing and renovating what was known as the Match Factory in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania Bellefonte is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population in 2007 is approximately 7,000 . It is the county seat of Centre County with the courthouse located downtown on the square. The town features many examples of Victorian architecture, as. The American Philatelic Center was dedicated in June, 2004.
Philatelic services
APS headquarters in the renovated Match FactoryThe APS offers several services to its members:
- The American Philatelist - monthly magazine
- StampStore - online stamp buying
- member sales circuits via mail
- American Philatelic Research Library
- Insurance for stamp collections
- American Philatelic Expertizing Service
- Accreditation of Judges and National Exhibitions
- Educational opportunities
- Member Code of Ethics and a Complaint Process
Members
APS membership includes over 1600 commercial stamp dealers and about 700 local stamp clubs. In addition, some 200 specialty societies are affiliated with the APS. Individual membership reached a high of 60,000 in 1991,[1] but declined substantially since then. Throughout its' history, the APS has struggled with the issue, concerned for the future of the hobby.
Events
The organization has two national events each year: APS AmeriStamp Expo is held each Winter and APS StampShow is scheduled in the Summer. Both shows rotate to different locations around the country. The Summer event is the largest annual national show with 150 dealers, 10,000 pages of exhibits, meetings of more than 25 national societies, and over 100 educational seminars. Local stamp clubs host smaller shows, some several times each year.
Honors and awards
The society honors those who serve notably in the field of philately. The American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame honors those now-deceased philatelists who have served philately. In addition the society honors living distinguished philatelists for their contributions to the field with the Luff Award.
Controversy
Around 1970, numerous newly independent countries realized that issuing stamps was an excellent source of revenue. Because the stamps were sent to other countries, there was little risk of the stamps actually being used for postage. Historically, a country issued stamps to commemorate an event or honor a national figure, but these new nations created stamps that appealed to popular collecting themes, such as Disney, Scouting, airplanes or space. Instead of releasing a single stamp, they would create a set, with values ranging from a penny to five dollars. The APS was appalled, and created the “black blot” program. The society published a monthly magazine for members, and began to include a list of new stamp issues that were judged to be overpriced or unnecessary. A country with high illiteracy and a marginal postal service did not require 100 different stamps each year. However, many collectors rebelled at being told to reject some stamps, and the program was eventually dropped.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Healey, Barth (1991-09-08). "Stamps". New York Times The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851 and published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"—named for its staid appearance and style—is regarded as a national newspaper of record. The Times is owned by The New York Times Company, which publishes 18 other. http://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/08/news/stamps.html?sec=&spon=&&scp=2&sq=American%20Philatelic%20Society&st=cse. Retrieved on 2009-03-31.
- ^ a b Rogers, Cathy: [1] Wisegeek.com, What is the American Philatelic Society?
- ^ "Brief History of the American Philatelic Society". http://www.stamps.org/Almanac/alm_History.htm. Retrieved on 2009-04-21.
External links
Categories: Philatelic organizations | 1886 establishments | Non-profit organizations based in Pennsylvania
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