Stampex is a twice yearly British stamp show held at the

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(BDC) in Islington, London, every Spring and Autumn. The show is organised by the

Philatelic Traders Society The Philatelic Traders' Society Ltd. (PTS) is a trade association for stamp dealers and philatelic traders which was established in Britain in 1929 and continues to this day. Activities The Society acts as a trade association on behalf of ph ...

(PTS) through their company ''PTS Stamp and Coin Exhibitions Limited'' and has been running for many years.

Elements of the show

The show consists mainly of stands from stamp dealers who are members of the PTS but specialist

philatelic Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is possi ...

societies often hold meetings in conjunction with the show. Other important parts of the show include a youth area run by the Stamp Active Network, formerly the National Youth Stamp Group, and a large stand from Britain's

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where recent British stamp issues are on sale.

Souvenirs

Admission is free of charge and visitors usually receive a modest philatelic souvenir of some kind. At the Spring 2009 show a postcard was given featuring unadopted artwork by stamp designer Jeffery Matthews for a proposed 1979 Welsh Assembly stamp issue. These souvenirs have become collectable.

History

Stampex has not always been at the BDC. For many years it was located at the

Central Hall, Westminster The Methodist Central Hall (also known as Central Hall Westminster) is a multi-purpose venue in the City of Westminster, London, serving primarily as a Methodist church and a conference centre. The building, which is a tourist attraction, also ho ...

when it was organised between the PTS and The Junior Philatelic Society (now the National Philatelic Society). The

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was stolen from Westminster Central Hall while exhibited as part of a "Sport with Stamps" display during Stampex in March 1966. Stamps worth an estimated £3m were left behind. The trophy was subsequently recovered.

Other British shows

There is no other regular national show competing with Stampex in the UK, although many smaller shows take place and an FIP endorsed international show takes place in London every ten years, with the next being the London 2020 International Stamp Exhibition (delayed until 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic). The name has been adopted for stamp shows in other countries, for instance Hong Kong StampexHong Kong Stampex 2020.
Hong Kong Philatelic Society. Retrieved 3 October 2021. and Adelaide Stampex, however, none are connected with the British version.

References

External links