Countdown Mode

The hard working Show Committee for the Plymouth Show will be busy this week putting the finishing touches on this year's show.  Since I have been a part of the West Suburban Stamp Club, I have marveled at the way this show comes together every year.  There is a core group that plans the the show, and everyone in the group has various areas they are responsible for.  And of course, the membership of the club comes out in full force during the show to assist with set up, tear down, refreshments, etc.  It's the proverbial, "many hands make the work light."  It is with both sadness and excitement that we know this is the show's 42nd year, and its final one at our current venue, Central Middle School in downtown Plymouth, Michigan.  Due to rising costs, the committee needed to find a new venue that wouldn't "break our bank."  Next year, we will be at the Hellenic Cultural Center in Westland, Michigan, not far from the current venue. 

The show will take place on Saturday, April 30 from 10:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. and on Sunday, May 1 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.  There will be many things to do at the show, but one of the features that will be much different this year is our youth area.  The old way was that we dumped bags and bags of stamps on a table for youth to sort through and they could take a bag of stamps home with them.  What usually happened was that old folks sat around the table picking through stamps, which was not a very  enticing prospect for youth.   This year, there will be no stamps strewn about the "mature" juniors to peruse.  The program will take on more of a seminar format, much like the American Philatelic Society's Stamp Saturday.  There will be adult and junior volunteers who walk the participants through the basics of stamp collecting.  They will leave the experience with the basic knowledge, the basic tools of the hobby (tongs, magnifiers, etc.), AND a certificate worth $5.00 that they can spend at any of the 40 plus dealers at the show.  If you have children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews, or friends under the age of 18 that have any interest in stamp collecting, please e-mail us for further details.  I would like to personally thank club members Rich Potchynok, Joe D'Onofrio, and Tim Strzalkowski for pushing this idea forward.  Way to go, guys!

So, if you have some spare time this Saturday or Sunday, come on down to the show.  Look me up and I'll show you around.  I'll either be at the club table or walking around with a walkie-talkie strapped to my waist.  The reluctant philatelist never rests........