The Georgia Federation of Stamp Clubs extends an invitation to stamp collectors across the Southeast to attend Peach State Stamp Show '96. Held in Gwinnett County for the past few years, Peach State is moving to Athens, Georgia, and the beautiful, newly constructed Athens Classic Center, which is located at 300 N. Thomas St. The center is near downtown Athens and just blocks away from the historic area of the campus of the University of Georgia. Click here to view map.
Something for Everyone
No matter how little or much you know about stamp collecting, there will be something at Peach State for you. This year's show will debut a new feature--guided tours of a stamp show. A veteran guide will take you through the exhibit area where you'll learn about competitive exhibiting. You'll also have a chance to learn about buying and selling stamps in a dealer bourse (area of a show where dealers bring their stock to sell to the public). Your guide will also describe what goes on in the other areas of the show, as well as answer any questions you have.
Exhibits
This year's show marks
Peach State's inaugural year as an APS national show, meaning the grand
award winner of the show exhibition will qualify for the APS Champion of
Champions exhibit competition at Stampshow 97 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This
year's exhibition is full and exhibitors and their exhibits can be viewed
by clicking here. To view the jury, click here.
Over 2500 pages of philatelic exhibits will be on display, including John Hotchner's collection of auxiliary mail markings (including one surviving piece from the crash of the Hindenburg) and Ken Lawrence's Walt Disney collection. Also on exhibit will be one of the finest collections of Confederate war material, including examples of the many clever ways mail was prepared and mailed in the South during the Civil War.
Show Theme
If you're interested
in history, you won't want to miss PSSS '96. This year's show theme salutes
Georgia founder James Edward Oglethorpe on the 300th anniversary of his
birth and is an official event of the Oglethorpe Tercentenary.
A theme-related souvenir cover and pictorial postmark has been produced, and the designer of both will be available Saturday morning to autograph covers. A limited number of autographed covers will be franked with the 1933 James Oglethorpe, 1988 Georgia, and 1985 Abraham Baldwin stamps will be available. (To order by mail, send $5 to Peach State Stamp Show '96, P.O. Box 51, Lexington GA 30648.) Also, there will be an exhibit of first-day covers of the James Oglethorpe stamp, a display about Georgia's founder, and an educational program. (To learn more about the Oglethorpe Tercentenary, click here.)
Free Color Poster
Every person attending Peach State will receive a copy of a brand new, full-color poster issued to mark the James Oglethorpe Tercentenary. Contemporary paintings and engravings from his era have been been used in this tribute to Georgia's founder. After claiming their poster, show attendees can then apply a stamp and have the Oglethorpe Tercentenary postmark applied to create a very special collectible suitable for framing.
Show Bourse
Stamp and postal history dealers from as far away as Texas will participate in a dealer bourse at PSSS '96. A list of dealers and their specialities will be posted soon. (If you are interested in a dealer booth, fill out a bourse contract and return immediately.)
USPS Peach State Station
The U.S. Postal Service will staff a special philatelic station at PSSS '96. Not only will a wide variety of commemorative and other stamps be available, but postal employees will have the special Oglethorpe Tercentenary pictorial postmark for canceling mail or souvenir items.
Society Meetings and Educational Seminars
This year's show will feature a series of educational programs, including an American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors seminar, a presentation on Olymphilex '96 by show chair Nancy B. Zielinski Clark, and an A.P.S. seminar on judging postal history. Additionally, Peach State will host the annual meeting of the Georgia Postal History Society (hosted by president Douglas N. Clark), the regional meeting of the Mobile Post Office Society (hosted by president Fred MacDonald), plus an organizational meeting of the Germany Philatlic Society in anticipation of a Southeastern regional meeting this fall.
Youth Activities
Adult volunteers will
be on hand both days to provide badge counseling to Boy and Girl Scouts.
Additionally, an adult-supervised youth area will be open throughout the
show. Here, youngsters will be given "goodie bags" containing
obtain free stamps, educational and philatelic materials, stamp trading
cards, and stamp coloring books. Also, there will be fun galore, with Geo-Safari
electronic games, puzzles, and other activities to not only keep kids busy
but to also provide an introduction to the hobby of stamp collecting.
Tara Built from Stamps
This year's Peach State will feature a special exhibit of a miniature southern plantation created with postage stamps by two Eagle Scouts in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. This unique creation was on display at Olymphilex '96, where it proved to be the most popular item in the Savvy Center.
Publicity
We've launched a major publicity campaign through a series of ads in Linn's--plus our first-ever Peach State billboards located on the two major highways into Athens. Additionally, there have been mass mailouts to stamp collectors, schools, historical societies, and other organizations (including area Boy and Girl Scout councils).
Admission and Parking
Admission to the show is free. There is a city-operated parking deck directly across the street, plus abundant metered street parking (free on Sunday).
Hotel Accomodations
The Athens' Days Inn History Village Inn is located just 3 blocks from the Athens Classic Center and is providing special rates (including taxes) of $44.40/single and $59.50/double for out-of-towners attending PSSS '96. Call April Cain Monday-Friday at 1-800-634-3861 (706-546-0410) to take advantage of the PSSS '96 rates.
For More Information
If you have any questions about PSSS '96, e-mail show chair
Nancy Zielinski Clark (phone 706-743-5044)
or Ed Jackson (phone 706-542-2736),
