Jim Forte is the owner of two stamp businesses (Jim Forte Postal History and Stamps Plus) and has been an APS member since 1979. A great introduction to Jim and his businesses is given in the article "Visiting Stamp Shops Around the World – Article #2", By Chris Dorn, who concludes the story by saying "I have found a few very nice items in the on-line auction, and I will continue to visit Jim whenever I am in town, and I hope to make it out to one of their stamp shows one of these days, too.". APS interviewed Jim Forte to learn about his experience of being a member of the APS for almost 50 years and his thoughts on recent events in the hobby. 

Read the interview below: 

Q: How does it feel to be a member of APS for over 25 years?

A: I am actually closer to being a 50 year member than a 25 year member. That makes me feel old. I have been buying and selling stamps since the mid 1970's as a teenager. I gave up on the real world and went into the stamp business full time in 1985.

Q: What services have you used at APS and why?

A: My primary interaction with the APS has been the shows as both a dealer and visitor. Very rarely I have borrowed books from the library. I have not done this more because the works I would now borrow are published overseas, and the APS holding of these are slim. I have also used the mailing list a few times.

Q: Favorite memory of your time with APS?

A: In the old days, the APS had a reception on the Wednesday before the summer show. I most remember the reception at the New England Aquarium before my fist show in 1979 and the riverboat cruise in Pittsburgh a few years later.

Q: How has your connection with other collectors changed since you joined APS?

A: I have met hundreds of collectors and fellow dealers at the APS shows. I have made lifelong friends. Most of these relationships started before 2000 when I took a booth at the shows. It has been slower since. I was ahead of the curve on the internet and gave up shows by 2000.

Q: Has your knowledge of the hobby changed since joining APS?

A: In 43 years, my knowledge has grown both by own my research and the people I have met in my philatelic travels. I have learned enough to know there is more that I do not know than what I have learned.

Q: Each year what events do you look forward to at APS? And Why?

A: I enjoy the yearly summer show. I no longer make every show, but I still get to many. I also enjoyed the winter show when they were on the calendar.

Q: What are your hopes for the future of APS, the hobby, and your businesses ?

A: I am very positive about the future of stamp collecting. I firmly believe that on the human genome there is a collecting gene, and those that have it must collect something. A percentage of those collectors will always choose stamps. The technological solution of print to order album pages has made many collectors become serious about the hobby. It makes a huge difference when you can print pages as you get the stamp instead of spending hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars on pre-printed albums.

I am less sanguine about the future of organized philately. Despite lots of collectors buying lots of stamps, stamp clubs, stamp shows and the philatelic press are all facing challenges. The new collectors learned about the hobby online. There never received advice or guidance about what to collect and how to collect. I believe the APS is working on reaching these new collectors.

visit the Stamps Plus websie  visit Jim Forte Postal History

Are you an APS member and want to share your experience? please send an email to tosipova@stamps.org.