We just wrapped another Great American Stamp Show in Cleveland, Ohio. Thank you for being a part of the show for those who attended. We welcomed approximately 2,500 total visitors to the show, considerably higher than Sacramento's attendance of 1,600 in 2022.

We’ve shared stories and videos in the APS News Section, newsletter, and YouTube page. Our Media Team is looking for your personal stories from GASS 2023, so please share them at MediaTeam@stamps.org.

At the show, I announced that I had agreed to stay with the APS through December 2026. In March, I informed the Board I planned to leave at the end of my contract period in December 2023. When I joined the APS, I was supposed to stay for four years with a top goal of eliminating the $5.4 million debt that consumed more than $650,000 a year in payments. I was proud to make the final payment of the debt in December 2020 - fifteen years ahead of schedule!

In 2021, I agreed to stay to lead the APS through the pandemic and prepare us for what comes next. We’re financially stronger than we’ve been in decades, and though the pandemic challenged us, we stood strong in the hobby. We did not eliminate services, staff or ask you to pay more to be a member of the APS. Few other organizations can make that claim. I am proud of the work of our staff and the APS and APRL Boards. We worked harder and smarter for our membership and the philatelic community.

Our newly-elected President, Cheryl Ganz, persuaded me to stay. Cheryl is an energetic leader; we’re fortunate to have her leading the APS Board of Directors. I am humbled and grateful for her support and the support of all the APS and APRL Boards members. We are far from done; we’ve only just begun!

Now our work needs to be relevant to the modern collector. The pandemic showed that philately can use technology effectively to reach collectors anywhere in the world. Technology cannot replace the social aspects of the hobby, but it can create a 24/7 connection that meets the needs of modern collectors. We should bring the hobby together for education and socialization, regardless of where the collector is. To advance those goals, we created a new set of core values for the APS and APRL:

Our Shared Commitment to the Collecting Community:

Collecting Matters: We fight for our members to collect safely by demanding strong ethics.

Every Stamp Should Have a Purpose: We work to ensure every philatelic item is used for its highest purpose in philately through collections, research, education, or combatting fraud.

Stronger Together: We open every door to collectors. Our common interest means nothing without community.

Through All Things, Teach: We connect the generations of knowledge to the collectors of the future.

No Boundaries: We leverage technology to increase access within our community.

Remain Relevant: We rise to meet the changing needs of collectors and collecting.

Our next step is developing a business plan to give life to those values. Here are some early action items we announced.

APS Annual Membership: During our joint APS/APRL Board meeting, I announced that we planned to keep the annual membership at $45 for the sixteenth year. We increased dues to $45 in 2008 and have held the line ever since. Adjusting for inflation, our membership is $31.50 in 2008 dollars. Your support of our APS services, such as Expertizing, Circuit Sales, StampStore, and education programs, is critical to running those programs. Thanks to those who trust us to serve them through these programs.

Digital Membership Cut: We will also cut our Digital Membership from $45 to $35 annually. In our membership survey, more than half of former members and those considering joining said they would take a digital membership for $35 a year. We also want to promote our membership more aggressively to international members, and the digital membership is more affordable than ever.

New Digital Magazine: In the first quarter of 2024, we are launching a new quarterly digital magazine for new and non-traditional collectors. Entry-level collectors will learn about the basics and collecting know-how that will empower them to become better collectors. Younger, non-traditional collectors will be represented and celebrated. Thanks to the support of APS members, we will be able to launch the magazine at no cost to readers for the first two years.

We look forward to welcoming this underrepresented demographic to our hobby.

Stamp Chats: We relaunched Stamp Chats this year, and the response has been great. Our Education team is finalizing the schedule for the rest of the year. If you have a presentation in mind, please fill out this form.

There is more to come. Our staff is working hard to evaluate every program, take user feedback, improve our services, and aggressively promote collecting and the APS worldwide. If you have thoughts and suggestions, I am always glad to hear from you. Please contact me at scott@stamps.org. I am honored to serve as your Executive Director, and thank you for all you do for the APS and the hobby!