|
Why not join a stamp club?
If you collect stamps you
can add to your enjoyment of the hobby by joining a stamp club. Stamp clubs
give their members opportunities to meet like-minded people and share
information about the hobby.
Club
members are like you
Many collectors hesitate
before visiting a club because they may regard themselves as 'only' beginners
or for other reasons. All members of stamp clubs were beginners once. They
are people from all walks of life who, just like you, enjoy collecting
stamps. Most are more than willing to share their knowledge and experience
with you.
Members of stamp clubs cover the full range of stamp collectors -
those with a very limited stamp budgets to those able to spend larger sums;
collectors of modern issues and those with only 'classic' pre-1900 stamps;
those who may never display their material in public to others who regularly
display at national exhibitions. All value the benefits of membership in
their stamp club and the friendships and contacts it can bring.
What can stamp
clubs provide?
Above all stamp clubs
offer the friendship, knowledge and experience of their members who can advise you on all aspects
of collecting including:
- identifying stamps;
- where to get stamps;
- how to store and mount your collection;
- ideas on new collecting areas.
Most stamp clubs offer:
- displays or visiting speakers;
- newsletters or magazines;
- an opportunity to obtain stamps at reasonable prices
through their exchange books or sales;
- access to catalogues and books on stamps; and
- other special services such as purchasing schemes for
books or accessories.
Meeting
times
Many clubs meet once a month
during the evening but there are an increasing number who also provide
regular daytime meetings. Your enquiry could be just the one the club needs
to arrange a special meeting that will suit you. Why not ask?
Meetings
Clubs try to provide a wide
range of interesting subjects for meetings to suit the large spread of
interests of their members. There are sure to be meetings of interest to you.
Displays
or speakers
Stamp club meetings often
include displays of stamps which can range from a few items from a number of
members to an extensive collection by one speaker. To ensure a full range of
topics over time many clubs invite speakers from other clubs to display
material.
Special club competitions are sometimes held and assessed by popular vote or
by a trained judge. In either case those who display or observe gain useful
insights on how collections can be mounted and obtain information of use for
their collecting.
Newsletters
Most clubs produce
newsletters of a high standard for their members. These provide information
about club activities and stamp happenings in the region and provide articles
of interest to members. Some larger and specialist clubs produce
world-renowned newsletters providing a major benefit in belonging.
Exchange
books or sales
Most clubs have exchange
books which enable members to sell their duplicate stamps or to buy stamps at
reasonable prices. For some collectors, particularly in remote areas, the
books provide the only regular access to stamps they may want.
Many clubs also provide the opportunity to sell and buy stamps through
special sales. These could be held at regular meetings or at intervals
throughout the year. Some clubs also provide 'dealers' meetings where a stamp
dealer is invited to attend.
Reference
library
Clubs frequently have a
reference library. This may consist only of a few catalogues and some
magazines or it may be an extensive collection of reference books and
magazines. If the club library is not able to assist someone in the club will
know where to seek help.
Junior
Clubs
Many stamp clubs exist
specially for younger collectors. In addition, other clubs welcome younger
collectors or provide special activities for them.
For details please contact your local stamp club or:
Philatelic Youth Council (PYC), P O Box 2979, AUCKLAND
Phone 07 987 6543 or E-mail stampman@xtra.co.nz or their web page at http://www.nzpf.org.nz/youth/youth.html
Specialised
Clubs
In addition to local clubs
there are a number of specialised clubs which can help you enjoy new
collecting interests. These include clubs for postal history, thematics and
air mail. For information on such clubs please contact the NZ Philatelic
Federation as described below.
How to find
a stamp club
Stamp clubs (sometimes
called philatelic societies) exist in most areas.
Details of stamp clubs near you can be obtained from:
NZ Philatelic Federation, PO Box 58 139, Whitby, Porirua 5245
Phone 04 234 7218
E-mail secretary@nzpf.org.nz OR at the Federation web site http://www.nzpf.org.nz .
|