WESTPEX^® 2012

Stamp Show

December 12, 2011

WESTPEX Sponsors Awards for Youth Champion of Champions Event

Recognizing the future of the hobby of stamp collecting and exhibiting lies in encouraging new young collectors, the WESTPEX Stamp Show joins the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors in their national Youth Champion of Champions event. Once again WESTPEX has donated cash awards for the age 8 to 18 competitors in the event. The competitors are youth grand award winners from nationally accredited shows that have met AAPE youth exhibiting requirements. Their exhibits are judged at a national show venue and are awarded medals, certificates and ribbons and special sponsored awards in numerous categories.

WESTPEX provides the Youth Champion of Champions Grand Award, the Reserve Grand Award for the runner-up and the Traditional Award for the best traditional exhibit. In addition WESTPEX provides awards for Philatelic Write-up, Flora and Fauna Award. Excellence in Presentation Skills, Progress Award, Entertainment Award and the Judge's Choice Award.

To allow these young exhibitors to experience the total effect of the competition and awards presentation, WESTPEX once again has donated a sum of money to allow the competitors and a parent or sponsor to attend the awards banquet and ceremony. Just as the adults receive their exhibit awards and recognition at local, regional and national show award banquets, these young exhibitors, too, can enjoy their moment of appreciation and congratulations by the attending audience. The grant for $1250 is the second year at this level, but WESTPEX has been supporting the AAPE youth program for many years.

WESTPEX is proud to participate, along with other national sponsors, in this AAPE effort and event to promote exhibiting among young collectors. From these young champions, there someday may emerge a Champion of Champions in the World Series of Philately.

OOPS!  WESTPEX Is Still A Three-Day Event!

Through an unfortunate bit of proof reading, the WESTPEX ad in the November issue of The American Philatelist announcing the availability of the 2012 prospectus and entry form for exhibits had incorrect dates for the event, suggesting it was a one-day show.

Rest assured, WESTPEX is still a three-day event with a full compliment of exhibits, dealers bourse, meetings, seminars, Youth and Beginner area, and awards dinner.  The correct dates for the show are Friday through Sunday, April 27-29, 2012.

In fact, pre-show events include an APS course on "Understanding and Identifying U.S. Grills" on Wednesday and Thursday April 25 and 26 and a Schuyler Rumsey auction with viewing starting Wednesday April 25. See their respective websites www.stamps.org/On-the-Road-Courses and www.rumseyauctions.com for additional information. For hotel reservations, meeting schedules and other show information, see the WESTPEX website www.westpex.org.

Just remember, WESTPEX, the premier stamp show in the U.S.A., is always a three-day fun-filled philatelic event.

U.S. Grills Course at WESTPEX 2012

Have you ever wondered about grills on stamps, their purpose and identification? Would you like to learn how to identify them and perhaps discover a third copy of the famous U.S. Z grill stamp? The opportunity awaits you at the WESTPEX Stamp Show on Wednesday and Thursday, April 25-26, 2012.

The American Philatelic Society will offer a two day course titled "Understanding and Identifying U.S. Grills" taught by an expert in U.S. material and APS instructor Richard Drews. With a special arrangement with WESTPEX, Inc., the cost for participants who are APS members is $45. For non-members, the cost is $145. The difference in cost is an incentive to join the American Philatelic Society to share in its monthly publication, The American Philatelist, and to take advantage of its Sales Circuits, website StampStore, Insurance Plan, and Expertization Services, all for an initial annual membership cost of $48.

Apply for the course at the APS website www.stamps.org/On-the-Road-Courses or by calling Gretchen Moody, Director of Education, 814-933-3810.  Their website is also linked to the WESTPEX website, www.westpex.org.

The WESTPEX Stamp Show will be held Friday through Sunday April 27-29, 2012 at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront Hotel at 1800 Old Bayshore Highway, Burlingame, CA, just one mile south of the San Francisco International Airport, take the Millbrae Avenue turnoff from Highway 101. 

This is a World Series of Philately exhibition with over 300 frames of stamps, postal history, and postal stationery in competition. There is a bourse of 75 national and international stamp dealers.  In addition there are three days of free meetings and seminars by specialty societies and stamp study groups, along with a Youth and Beginner area and a Boy Scout Merit Badge program. The show admission is $5, good for all three days. Hotel reservation information is available at the website www.westpex.org.

WESTPEX is proud to present this APS course at a greatly discounted price and to offer the opportunity to visit the premier stamp show in the U.S.A.