Review of Stafford Stamp Show

The Stafford Stamp Show returned to the County Showground on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th November. We go to most of these, which are held every six months.

We were there for only the Saturday. I heard Friday was even better but what can you do when you're at school?

Stafford is a pretty big fair. This time there were 39 dealers there, including the Cannock Philatelic Society, which sells albums for the Air Ambulance Charity. They had a stall by the main door selling albums donated by various dealers, which was great because not only does it make them very visible, they were also very welcoming people!

After my review last week, you're going to be asking the obvious question: Was it different to Stampex? Well, obviously it is and it shouldn't try to be Stampex. It probably isn't a helpful question because Stampex is the PTS's big event of the year while Stafford is a large local fair. But as I tried to review Stampex on how well it achieved the aims set out on its website, I will be fair and do the same for Stafford. Unlike the PTS, which has very details aims for Stampex, the Stafford Stamp Show website keeps things pretty simple. It says: "Our aim is simple: to continue delivering a high-quality, welcoming event for dealers and collectors alike, staying true to the spirit of the fair." There are three points there: high quality, welcoming, and "the spirit".

High Quality?

Yes, I think it is. Some of the well-known dealers that you see at Stampex and the big national fairs were there: BB Stamps, Bill Barrell, The Glasgow Stamp Shop, Philangles, John Curtin... you know, all the familiar faces.

There was a lot more variety that you see at Stampex. But variety I mean the kinds of stamps available. There was a lot more that I was interested in and a lot more that was around my budget level. Yes, there was some very interesting older British, but I also found a lot of USA, Germany and Europe more generally. There was a specialist in old postcards and someone into lower-priced Victorian stamps - which Heidi was very interested in. Near the main entrance a dealer called Kevin Noble is the perfect person to go to if you know exactly what you want or you have spaces to fill, and it doesn't seem to matter what countries you collect - he has it all! I think the quality of a fair isn't just in the number of dealers but getting the right mix of dealers so there is something for everyone. My dad bought a German collection and a Swiss album so he can finally organise his modern Swiss stamps! My mum bought some Austrian and Hungarian stamps that she found interesting, Heidi enjoyed the thematics and older British while I managed to find a few things I liked too.

The venue is pretty good as well. It's quite large and I didn't manage to get around everybody but it also doesn't feel overwhelming. The way it is set up is great - you go through the doors and the local philatelic club is there to welcome you, then you come to Kevin Noble and then you're straight into the main hall.

There is a cafe there which I noticed seemed to be a good place for collectors to meet up and socialise. There are a seating area in the corridor, which is also a good idea. Overall, I would say the quality was good because there is a great mix of really knowledgeable dealers, great options for buying all kinds of stamps from rare to space fillers, a pretty good main hall and a very welcoming team near the main entrance. I know they're not official welcomers but they do make a difference.

Welcoming? I've mentioned the Cannock Philatelic Society but they're just one group. What about everyone else, especially the dealers? I spent some time talking to dealers but I'm not the world's biggest talker. I would say I felt welcome at every stall I visited and dealers were often trying to show me things they thought I might find interesting.

Heidi spent a lot of time talking to dealers about Victorian stamps and covers, and my dad was talking to Paula Cant and then Bill Barrell about all kinds of things. I could see that the dealers there are happy to listen to collectors. The atmosphere is welcoming and that is because I think most dealers are actually very welcoming people. But it's fair to say the set-up also helps - there are far more seats around the stands at the Stafford Stamp Show than Stampex, for example, so you're more likely to sit down and talk with people. The layout of the building also helps give it some atmosphere that I don't think there really is on the upstairs level at the Business Design Centre.

It also seems that I am becoming famous and I don't know if I like it! A lot of people recognised me from this website, which of course shows that people are reading it. You may not think so, because I like to write and I can be very opinionated, but I am not all that confident talking to people. I get a bit shy sometimes. But thank you to people who come and say "Hello, are you Xanthe?" because it does help me feel welcomed. Do I think Stafford Stamp Show is welcoming? Yes. I think it is harder for a larger fair but it manages it quite well. The venue definitely helps and so does the Cannock Philatelic Society, but also overall the dealers are welcoming and they know how important it is. Having a good mix of different kinds of dealers with different interests and stamps for all budgets also helps people feel welcome who are new to collecting. I also think that the Show is trying hard to ensure that it IS welcoming and that the layout of the show is not accidental.

"The spirit" What exactly is "the spirit of the fair" that the Stafford Stamp Show is so excited about? It's difficult to say. But I think it is fair to say that Stafford seems to have a sense of identity and purpose, and it is big on trying to be welcoming. I hope the dealers enjoyed the event as much as I did. It seemed very busy so I would guess most would have had good business. I was there for most of the day but unfortunately I didn't get around everyone. Perhaps next time I will have a plan to see as much as possible in the time I have.

I think Stafford is a good place for all kinds of collectors. I only saw one other young person (she looked about 15 or 16) but that is not unusual. I met plenty of people who definitely value young people into stamps and told me this. If you're new to collecting then I'd say it is the perfect fair because you're going to find something that interest you and dealers who will encourage you (especially the Cannock PS). If you're a more experienced collector, I'd also say it's pretty good and there was a lot of high-end, high quality material to look at too.

I also found dealers were very happy to do deals and offer discounts, which is one reason why stamp fairs are better than ebay. So, if you're the kind of collector who buys everything online, why not come down to a fair and try it out for yourself?

It's pointless to compare Stafford with Stampex because they're very different events with obviously different purposes. But where they are similar is that both have massive potential to be very important events for collectors in the future. HEIDI'S REVIEW OF THE STAFFORD STAMP SHOW

I have been to the Stafford Stamp Show many times before. It is always a very friendly place where you can find a lot of interesting things.

You can also have lots of interesting conversations with people! I talked with a dealer about forgeries. This was absolutely fascinating and I learned quite a lot. I had never thought about why forgeries might be collectable and even valuable, or why you might find a forged cancel on a genuine stamp.

I was looking for some Falkland Island stamps and fortunately I found a dealer who had quite a lot of Falklands stamps and covers. I bought some that I liked.

I also talked with a dealer from SK Philatelics about Victorian stamps. I think this is my favourite subject to talk about. He had a lot of old GB stamps from 1840-1880 period, some of them not all that expensive. He had a box of very interesting pieces and I bought some of these for a reasonable price.

Every piece is different, and tells you something about a different time. It's not just about the stamps. One I didn't buy but I thought was interesting was this postcard. It was written as a Christmas card although there is nothing very exciting on the other side. Someone has written in red pen "Please deliver on Christmas Day". That got me thinking. Were there deliveries on Christmas Day back in 1906? Or was this an unreasonable request?

Since I have got home I have looked into this and found out that there were Christmas morning deliveries at that time and that this continued until the 1960s! In the early 1900s there were special advance-posting schemes in places like Manchester and Liverpool that allowed people to send items ahead of time specifically targeted for Christmas Day delivery.

I also bought a Penny Red with an exceptional Maltese Cross cancel. I was also given this catalogue, which is so amazing to read. I just thought it was another catalogue but it is absolutely packed with brilliant things and so much information. Even if you don't buy anything, you can learn so much.

I thought that Stafford is a very friendly environment where you can have lots of friendly conversations. Not everything was expensive and there are all kinds of stamps so there is something for every kind of collector. For example, I was looking at some interesting Ireland and Hungary stamps with my mum, and thematics and British Commonwealth with my dad.

There were a lot of people there throughout the day and the place seemed very busy. I think it had a good atmosphere and I really enjoyed myself. It's a really good place to buy stamps but I would also say that it's a great place to look at stamps and find out more about philately. People are happy to talk to you and explain things.