I write this column with a very full heart at the end of my first month as your editor in chief. I have already received kind comments from many of you welcoming me to my new role; your support is appreciated more than you know. Creating this issue was a humbling experience, more than any other issue I have helped to put together. Allow me to explain.
Gary Loew (who retired in January of this year) developed the concept of a “Stamp Basics” issue a year ago or more. When it came time to begin putting the pieces together, we reached out to the experts who appear as authors in this issue. Every single one graciously accepted our request, setting aside other projects to work with our timeline, answering copious follow-up questions, and taking my phone calls to ask “one final thing, can you …?” I especially thank Richard Judge, who stepped up at the final hour to write an extremely thorough overview of overprints, and also gracefully handled a shipping delay of his stamp images (a philatelic editor’s worst nightmare). I also want to thank John Barwis, whose consultation at an early stage provided insight into the analytical aspects of stamp production. Senior editor Jeff Stage and graphics specialist Chad Cowder put an enormous effort into producing the issue, developing a strong design out of the vision that Gary put on paper so many months ago. Finally, this issue would not have been possible without the support and advice of many of my colleagues at the APS, whether on the editorial team or not. It truly takes a village to publish a magazine.
In this issue
The “Stamp Basics” issue begins with an introduction by Gary to the concept of the issue. I urge you to begin there, page 216, for some essential background. I will let Gary do the rest of the talking on the issue. However, there is an exciting connection that I was pleased to notice: four of the contributors in this issue are also teaching courses at Summer Seminar 2022 this June.
Meet four of the authors from this issue at Summer Seminar!
- Wayne Youngblood: “Stamp Technology”
- Ron Lesher: “Collecting the Back of the Scott U.S. Specialized Catalogue – Revenues”
- Charles Posner: “A Methodology for Researching Postage Stamps”
- Mike Girard: “Kansas-Nebraska Overprint Stamps”
Summer Seminar is a once-a-year week-long event held at the American Philatelic Center, where nearly a dozen philatelic experts teach hands-on courses on a variety of philatelic topics. I can say with confidence that people come to Summer Seminar expecting to learn from an expert in the field – and that does happen – but more importantly, they leave with lifetime friendships, connections that help them climb to a higher level of collecting, and insights from within and outside of the classroom. Summer Seminar fosters a spirit of sharing and community and I cannot recommend the event enough. Learn more and register at stamps.org/SummerSeminar.
Even more on catalogs?
We were overwhelmed and amazed by your responses to the January Stamp Catalog Special Issue. For those of you who wrote about your own favorite catalogs that you wished we had included, for those who wondered why different countries weren’t part of our coverage, for those who shared how useful you found the reviews – your feedback is very valuable to us. The wheels are turning and we are already planning ways to incorporate your suggestions into future issues of both The American Philatelist and the Philatelic Literature Review. (I would be remiss if I did not mention that the contents of the Stamp Catalog issue are quite similar to those published regularly in the PLR. If the catalog issue spoke to you, consider subscribing to the PLR at stamps.org/library.)
In this issue, we published a small sampling of your responses in the “Letters to the Editor” section. However, I am keeping a growing list of catalog topics to cover in the future. If you would like to add to the list – or, if you would like to be a contributor yourself of a catalog review – I encourage you to reach out to me at [email protected], subject line “Catalogs,” to discuss the idea.
Please keep your feedback coming and share your views. Remember: if you wish to see an always-improving American Philatelist, you – our readers and APS members – must become a part of this exciting journey. Reach out with your questions, concerns, and suggestions. Write a letter to the editor ([email protected].) More importantly, volunteer to participate. This is your American Philatelist. My email is [email protected]. Letters by regular mail are always welcome and will be responded to in kind.
Call for writers
The American Philatelist depends on our members, who provide much of the content of this magazine. I’d like to encourage more members to join our roster of philatelic writers for The American Philatelist, Philatelic Literature Review, and stamps.org website. If you have an idea, please send your article idea, an outline and a brief description of what would make it interesting to our audience. The editorial team considers articles on any philatelic topic, but is especially interested in topics on U.S. and worldwide modern (late 20th and 21st century) philately. Send your proposal by email to [email protected] or mail to The American Philatelist, c/o Article Submission, 100 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte, PA 16823. For more information about APS writing guidelines, visit aps.buzz/writeap.