WISCOPEX '04

Exhibits a big part of WISCOPEX ’04

Stamp exhibits competing for awards in five categories are expected at WISCOPEX ’04, April 24-25, 2004, in Iola.

Verna Shackleton of Appleton, exhibits chairperson, sent notices in November to all member clubs in the Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs. Collectors interested in exhibiting may obtain a prospectus and entry form from her at 425 N. Linwood Ave., #110, Appleton, WI 54914. She can be reached by phone at (920) 734-2417 and by e-mail at corosec@sbcglobal.net with the subject line WISCOPEX.

The deadline for submitting an entry form is March 17, 2004.

Exhibits constitute the main way for philatelists to share their hobby with their fellow collectors and the general public, Maurice Wozniak, WISCOPEX ‘04 general chairman, said.

"Exhibits showcase the hobby," he said. "Whether a rudimentary display from a beginning collector, a single frame exhibit that focuses on a single aspect, or an expert’s comprehensive exhibit on a lifetime concentration on a specialty, they reveal the appeal of stamp collecting and can generate a new-found interest in viewers. The exhibition is the lifeblood of a stamp show."

Entries are being sought in five categories: Open Competition in eight collecting specialties, vying for the Best of Show award; Youth Competition for collectors 18 years old and under; Champion of Champions for exhibitors who have won Best of Show at a Federation club’s annual show or the Open Competition at WISCOPEX, or the WFSC member receiving the highest award at MILCOPEX; Single-Frame Competition, with a maximum of 16 pages in a single display frame; and Display Class, in which up to one-third of the material may be non-philatelic.

Judges will be Greg Schmidt, Vern Witt and Claude Giralte, with Brian Liedtke as apprentice.

Awards will be announced at a banquet Saturday night. The program at the dinner also will include a talk on philatelic exhibiting.

Contrary to the usual arrangement, the federation itself, not a member club, will play host for this annual Wisconsin philatelic exhibition.

Besides exhibit activities, WISCOPEX ’04 is expected to feature a bourse of 20 dealers selling a variety of stamps and supplies, cacheted show covers with a theme cancel, door prizes, and special hobby-related events for philatelists and non-collectors. Also on the bourse floor will be a United States Postal Service counter with current U.S. stamp products.

The show will be held in the Iola Old Car Show Activity Center, 130 Jenson Dr., on the east side of the village of Iola, just off Hwy 161 near Krause Publications.

Krause, publisher of the biweekly Stamp Collector and the Krause-Minkus line, calls itself the world’s largest hobby publisher. Chet Krause, the company’s founder, maintains significant collections of automobiles and steam-powered farm machinery in Iola, and the Old Car Show itself, held every July, is one of the largest in the Midwest. In addition, Jones Publishing Co. of Iola is a significant hobby publisher.

"Iola definitely is the Wisconsin community hobbies made famous," Wozniak said. "It’s appropriate that stamp collecting, ‘the King of Hobbies,’ present a major show here."


Awards, a talk and gifts for all part of WISCOPEX ’04 dinner

Besides the announcement of awards, the dinner at WISCOPEX ’04, April 24-25, 2004, in Iola will include two additional features for stamp collectors.

The show will be held in the Iola Old Car Show Activity Center, 130 Jenson Dr., on the east side of the village of Iola, just off Hwy 161 near Krause Publications.

Dinner activities will begin in the meeting room at the center, immediately after the close of the bourse on Saturday at 5 p.m. A full-service cash bar will be open before the meal, which will begin at 6 p.m.

An informal buffet dinner will include broasted chicken, sirloin tips, sliced "smoke pit" ham, mashed potatoes, California mix vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower and carrots), crab salad, coleslaw, rolls, butter, coffee and milk and chocolate cherry cake.

A range of exhibit awards will be announced by Verna Shackleton, exhibits chairperson. In addition, the Dealer Recognition Award, Hall of Fame inductees, and the WISCOPEX Club Award will be presented.

A philatelic lecture and table favors have been added to the dinner program.

Mary Ann Owens, a former Wisconsin resident living in Brooklyn, N.Y., will round out the evening with a talk, "How I Struck Gold With Stamps." Mary Ann, who has assembled several exhibits that have won gold medals in national and international competition, also was a member for several years of the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, which screens and recommends stamp subjects and designs for the United States Postal Service. Her talk will concentrate on her experiences in collecting and exhibiting.

Each attendee will receive a selection of philatelic gifts.

To make reservations for the dinner, send a check for $15 each, made out to WISCOPEX ’04, to Maurice D. Wozniak, N8275 County Road G, Iola WI 54945. To ensure a seat, reservations must be received by April 9.

Collectors interested in exhibiting at the show may obtain a prospectus and entry form from Verna Shackleton, 425 N. Linwood Ave., #110, Appleton, WI 54914. She can be reached by phone at (920) 734-2417 and by e-mail at corosec@sbcglobal.net with the subject line WISCOPEX.

The deadline for submitting an entry form is March 17, 2004.

The five exhibit categories are Open Competition in eight collecting specialties, vying for the Best of Show award; Youth Competition for collectors 18 years old and under; Champion of Champions for exhibitors who have won Best of Show at a Federation club’s annual show or the Open Competition at WISCOPEX, or the WFSC member receiving the highest award at MILCOPEX; Single-Frame Competition, with a maximum of 16 pages in a single display frame; and Display Class, in which up to one-third of the material may be non-philatelic.

WISCOPEX ’04 is expected to feature a bourse of 20 dealers selling a variety of stamps and supplies, cacheted show covers with a theme cancel, door prizes, and special hobby-related events for philatelists and non-collectors. Also on the bourse floor will be a United States Postal Service counter with current U.S. stamp products.

Contrary to the usual arrangement, the federation itself, not a member club, will play host for this annual Wisconsin philatelic exhibition.


Cachet, cancel celebrate WISCOPEX ’04 theme

By Maurise Wozniak

A full-color cover cachet of fishermen in a boat and a pictorial cancel featuring a fishing lure will help to emphasize the theme of WISCOPEX ’04, "The Lure of Hobbies."

The theme for the show, April 24-25 in the Old Car Show Activity Center, 130 Jenson Dr., Iola, was chosen to reflect the location, in a central Wisconsin community that hobbies made famous.

The cachet, designed by Jay Bigalke of Readfield, Wis., features a pair of fishermen in a boat. "WISCOPEX ’04" is above the cachet at left, while "The Lure of Hobbies" and the date and place of the show extend across the envelope below. A muted fishing bobber in the water fills in the address portion of the cover.

Bigalke, a student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, won the American First Day Cover Society "rookie of the year" award in 2002 for his Legendary Baseball Playing Fields -- Ebbetts Field cachet, part of his line of "FPMG Cachets."

The special cancel features an artificial lure attached to a fishing line, with "WISCOPEX ’04 Station" above and "The Lure of Hobbies" below. The circular date stamp is at left.

Fish stamps from the 2004 Pacific Coral Reefs pane will be used on the covers.

Each cachet will cost $1.50 at the show or by mail. Collectors who will attend the show only Saturday but want both cancel dates may pay the fee for the cachet and leave a No. 10 addressed and stamped envelope at the Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs table.

Mail orders should include a check made out to WISCOPEX ’04 for the total fees for the number of covers ordered, along with a stamped and addressed No. 10 envelope. Send orders to Maurice D. Wozniak, WISCOPEX ’04 chairman, N8275 County Road G, Iola WI 54945.

WISCOPEX ’04 is expected to feature a bourse of 20 dealers selling a variety of stamps and supplies, competitive exhibits, hourly door prizes, and special hobby-related events for philatelists and non-collectors. Also on the bourse floor will be a United States Postal Service counter with current U.S. stamp products.

Contrary to the usual arrangement, the federation itself, not a member club, will play host for this annual Wisconsin philatelic exhibition.

Collectors interested in exhibiting at the show have until March 17 to do so. To obtain a prospectus and entry form, contact Verna Shackleton, 425 N. Linwood Ave., #110, Appleton, WI 54914. She can be reached by phone at (920) 734-2417 and by e-mail at corosec@sbcglobal.net with the subject line WISCOPEX.

The dinner program will begin in the meeting room at the show site immediately after the close of the bourse on Saturday at 5 p.m. A full-service cash bar will be open before the meal, which will begin at 6 p.m.

Besides the presentation of exhibit awards and other honors, Mary Ann Owens, a former Wisconsin resident living in Brooklyn, N.Y., will speak on "How I Struck Gold With Stamps."

Each dinner attendee will receive a selection of philatelic gifts, and one will win a SoftPro EzGrader, a computer software program that measures the perforations of any stamp and provides an exact grade based on the centering of its image.

To make reservations for the dinner, send a check for $15 each, made out to WISCOPEX ’04, to Maurice D. Wozniak, N8275 County Road G, Iola WI 54945. Reservations must be received by April 9.

Iola is in Waupaca County, 2 � hours drive from Milwaukee or Madison and just over a one-hour drive from Oshkosh, Appleton, Green Bay or Wausau. The village is the site of the annual Iola Old Car Show in July and the home of two hobby publishers.


Practice show skills at WISCOPEX ’04

By Maurise Wozniak

Getting as much as you can from a stamp show requires some advance preparation. WISCOPEX ’04, which will be held April 24-25, 2004, in Iola, has something for everyone, and you can use it to sharpen your skills for show attendance.

For many collectors, the retail bourse is the main attraction of any stamp show. On the sales floor you will find stamp dealers who may specialize in various aspects of the hobby. At smaller, regional shows you may be familiar with them all. If you’re a good customer, some dealers may even bring some offerings to fit you and your specific collecting desires.

As of March 1, 13 dealers had signed up for the WISCOPEX ’04 bourse, and at least seven more tables may be filled by show time.

Dealers are a great source of information on the hobby. Especially if they’re not busy with other customers, they are usually eager to explain items in their stock or answer questions.

The chance for conversation like this is an overlooked feature of stamp shows. Also, you should talk with fellow collectors – at the lunch table, for instance, or while waiting to see a dealer’s wares or looking at exhibits.

Exhibits constitute the main way for philatelists to share their hobby with their fellow collectors and the general public. While you may feel awed or puzzled by some elaborate exhibits, you also may find some among the five categories of judged exhibits at WISCOPEX ’04 that pique your interest in the hobby.

Exhibit awards are announced at a banquet Saturday night. This is another opportunity to talk with fellow collectors. The program at the dinner also will include a talk on philatelic exhibiting by Mary Ann Owens, who has had several medal-winning exhibits, even on the international level.

Tickets for the dinner are $15 and must be ordered from Maurice Wozniak, N8275 County Road G, Iola WI 54945, before April 9.

An unusual feature at WISCOPEX ’04 is a series of short talks on various aspects of philately. At these sessions, you’ll be able to learn from expert collectors and ask questions.

Many stamp shows have other tables on the bourse floor to serve collectors’ interests. At WISCOPEX ’04, you’ll find:

-- The sponsoring Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs, which will offer show-canceled cacheted covers for sale. In keeping with the theme of the show, "The Lure of Hobbies," the pictorial cancel features a fishing lure, and the cachet shows two anglers in a small boat. Also at the Federation table, you can get tickets for hourly philatelic door prizes. You’ll be able to get information on the area stamp clubs that make up the statewide Federation, and the booth is another excellent place to talk about the hobby.

-- A Postal Service station offering more current stamp products than might be available at most small post offices.

-- Tables featuring the people and firms that made Iola "the community hobbies made famous." Krause Publications will have tables for its stamp products as well as the many other books and periodicals that made it the world’s largest hobby publisher. Jones Publishing will feature its Teddy Bear and Doll periodicals. Chet Krause, founder of the company that still bears his name, may offer tours of his old car collection, which will be sold this summer. The Iola Old Car Show, which attracts more than 100,000 visitors every July, will have a display.

-- A booth where youths and other stamp collecting novices can get information and hands-on practice. A workshop leading to a Boy Scout merit badge on stamp collecting will be held Saturday afternoon.

-- A literature table where you can pick up flyers on forthcoming shows and other information.

-- A concessions area offering beverages, snacks and luncheon selections both days of the show, with the tables and chairs providing another way to relax and discuss stamps.

The free show will be held in the Iola Old Car Show Activity Center, 130 Jenson Dr., on the east side of the village of Iola, just off Hwy 161 near Krause Publications.


This is the current list of dealers who have committed to participating in WISCOPEX ‘04 in lola on April 24 & 25, 2004.

Alroy Stamps (Albert L. Lenz) - P.O. Box 68037, Schaumburg, IL 60168

B. H. O. Postal History (Roger H. Oswald) - 2514 Sheridan Place, Manitowoc, WI 54220-3750

W.H. Burdick (W.H. Burdick) - P.O. Box 441, Mountain Home, AR 72654

Cook’s Stamps (George A. Cook) - 2020 Michael Lane, Ames, IA 50010-9480

Green Bay Stamp Shop (Peter Adamini) - 1566 W. Mason St., Green Bay, WI 54303

Lake Edge Stamp Service (Robert T. Voss) - 5333 Kevins Way, Madison, WI 53714

North Bay Stamps (Roy Gensch) - P.O. Box 510812, New Berlin, WI 53151

Wm. B. Robinson (Wm. B. Robinson) - P.O. Box 12492, Green Bay, WI 54307

Stamp Baron (R.M. Poeschl) - N128W17741 Holy Hill Road, Germantown, WI 53022

The Stamp Shack (Ray Vedder) - 5398 Riverwalk Drive, Kings Mills, OH 45034-9705

Stamps ‘N’ Stuff (Jerry Koepp) - 7190 Hickman Road, Des Moines, IA 50325-4405

University Avenue Stamps (Dennis Lemke) - 6801 University Avenue, Middleton, WI 53562

Robert Wilman (Robert Wilman) - 1600 5th St. S W #8, Willmar, MN 56201


WISCOPEX’04 Schedule of Events

 

By Maurise Wozniak

Saturday

10 a.m. - Show opens

10 a.m. - Lecture: Modern U.S. Varieties, Gregg Greenwald

10:30 a.m. - Lecture: Revenue Stamps in the Museum Auction, Gregg Greenwald

11 a.m. - Lecture: Stamps That Glow, Wayne Youngblood

12 noon - Lecture: Taxonomy of a Thematic Collection, Art Schmitz

12:45 p.m. - Final check-in and seating for Annual Business Meeting

1 p.m. - WFSC Annual Business Meeting

1 p.m. – Boy Scout Merit Badge Workshop

1 p.m. _ Lecture: Patents and Essays for the Prevention of Stamp Reuse, Dan Undersander

3 p.m. – Judges’ exhibit critique

5 p.m. - Show closes

5 p.m. - Social hour

6 p.m. - Awards dinner (Speaker, Mary Ann Owens, "How I Struck Gold With Stamps")

Sunday

10 a.m. - Show opens

10 a.m. - Wisconsin Postal History Society meeting

2 p.m. - Lecture: Inside the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee, Mary Ann Owens

5 p.m. - Show closes



Latest update: June 14, 2005