Updates for The Great American Stamp Show (GASS) 2025 and the German-American Salon at Boston 2026 (1/10/2025)

A number of updates for these shows have been posted recently by the American Philatelic Society and the Boston 2026 Organizing Committee. The most important piece of information to convey too Germany Philatelic Society members is that entries for regular exhibiting at both GASS 2025 and Boston 2026 (but not the Salon) are now OPEN. Second, hotel reservations are also open for GASS at the show hotel. If you are doing a single frame exhibit, it is imperative to get your entry in as soon as possible. There are only slots for a maximum of 10 single frame exhibits in each of the show’s sections: APS, ATA, and AFDCS. These slots were filled quickly in previous years. If you intend to stay at the show hotel, rooms have booked quickly in previous years. We urge members to get their exhibiting entries and hotel reservations as soon as possible to avoid any disappointment. Keep an eye on our website for updates between issues of the Specialist. We will make regular updates.

     Great American Stamp Show 2025

The Germany Philatelic Society is in the process of planning for our National Meeting at GASS (https://stamps.org/great-american-stamp-show). We expect to offer exhibiting awards, some in conjunction with the Germany Colonies Collectors Group. There will be a general meeting of the Society as well as a board meeting. The appropriate 25 and 50 year member medals will be given out at our general meeting, plus the Blizel Award for the best article in the German Postal Specialist in the preceding year. We hope to offer a dinner at the show, likely on Thursday, as we have many members in the Chicago area. Planning is in process for this proposed event. We plan to have a member’s table at the show, in conjunction with the Germany Colonies Collectors Group. We wish to offer talks and seminars at the show. If you are interested in giving a talk or seminar at the show, please contact the Convention co-chair, Ken Gilbert, at conventions *at* germanyphilatelicsocietyusa.org. If you have any questions about the GPS at GASS, please use the same contact address.

     German-American Salon 2026

We are in the early stages of planning for this show. It will also be our National Meeting for 2026. Note that Bulletin 2 for Boston 2026 was just released (January 2025) by the organizing committee. See https://boston2026.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/BostonBulletin2Final.pdf.

This bulletin contains the information for exhibiting at the show. This show will be under FIP rules. That’s the world-wide federation for philately. Those rules differ from rules in the US, and they should be read carefully. They are often stricter. There is also a rule regarding number of frames. There are three types available: One frame, five frames, and eight frames. To exhibit at this show, you must have received at least a vermeil at a World Series of Philately show. To show eight frames, you must have received at least a large vermeil at an FIP show. Note that medal levels are stricter for FIP exhibiting. For example, a Large Gold in the US is 90-100 points, while it is 95-100 points under FIP rules. There are other differences. The deadline for exhibit entries is September 30, 2025.

There is also information on exhibiting at the Salon in Bulletin #2. There is one difference in the information given. The GPS will be covering the frame fees for the exhibitors! There will be a total of 50 16-page frames available. The concept here is “Klein aber Fine” (Small but Fine). We strongly prefer one frame exhibits. They may be extracted from a larger exhibit. The GPS will be responsible for filling 25 of the 50 frames. These do NOT have to be specifically German-area exhibits. Since the ArGe USA/Canada, a working group of the Bund Deutscher Philatelisten, has been an important part of the Salon, there have been a number of US and Canadian area exhibits in past Salons as well as topical and display class exhibits, All entries for the Salon will come through the respective organizations (the GPS and the BDPh) and will be forwarded on to the Boston 2026 Exhibition Committee. Do not enter the Salon directly. Salon exhibitors will NOT be allowed to mount their own exhibits. They must either be given to the Commissioner for your country or taken to the Bin Room (where exhibits are stored pre-show) before the show. At present, we do not have an application for the Salon. This will be forthcoming, likely in the March issue of the Specialist (and on the GPS webpage before that). We hope for wide participation from all of our members. We will likely limit entries to two per person, unless more are needed. If you have an questions, again contact us through the conventions email address. Note that show medals will be given for all slain entries as well as GPS medals, but no other awards will be made, nor will the Salon exhibits be judged. Ken Gilbert is chairing the Salon Exhibition Committee for the GPS. Any questions may also be addressed to the convention email address.Information for GASS 2025. Posted 1/10/2025.

November 2024 Update for the Great American Stamp Show

More information will becoming out soon about GASS. See the APS webpage for more info.

Exhibit forms will soon be available for both the philatelic and literature exhibitions. Exhibits may be entered in one of three sub-shows: National Topical Stamp Show, AmeriCover, and APS StampShow. Get your entries in as soon as possible. GPS will have the following philatelic exhibiting awards (if applicable): GPS large medals as per the show medal level awarded; the President’s Grand Award(GPS Grand Award) [GPS Members Only]; the Chris Hunt Award(GPS Reserve Grand Award); GPS One Frame Grand Award; and the Herman L. Halle Research Award for Best Exhibit Research. We will also award the George A. Blizil Memorial Award, the annual award for the best article published in theGerman Postal Specialist in the preceding year at our General Membership Meeting.