(APS# 0218-020653)

Greater Richmond Stamp Club

Our History

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May 1929 -The first stamp collector’s club in Richmond was the Virginia Philatelic Association, founded Sept. 3, 1897.  It operated until the Spanish-American War “decimated its ranks”.  The first president was Franklin L. Kerns, and another member was August Dietz, Sr., a local printer and recognized expert on the Confederate postal system.  He had just begun publishing the Virginia Philatelist magazine, which became the official organ of V.P.A.

             In 1924 August Dietz began publication of the Southern Philatelist magazine, and a few years later he sought to revive a stamp collecting club.  The Richmond Stamp Club held its first meeting May 28, 1929, with August Dietz as president for the first two years.  There were forty charter members.  The club met weekly.  Activities included monthly auctions, plus annual exhibitions at a post office or library.  Other popular social events were the annual dinner featuring a renowned guest speaker, and annual picnic.

             Sometime after 1947 several RSC members formed the Carriage House Stamp Club due to “discontent with treatment” at RSC meetings.  In 1960, Richmond Stamp Club sponsored the first VAPEX (Virginia Philatelic Exhibition) stamp show and bourse.  VAPEX continues today at Williamsburg.  In the 1960’s, several RSC members formed the Virginia Postal History Society (VPHS), still active today.  The club changed from weekly meetings to bimonthly meetings in 1981.  In 2005, RSC merged with Carriage House Stamp Club, changed the name of the combined group to Greater Richmond Stamp Club, and now meets once per month.

             The Richmond Stamp Club survived the Depression and several periods of war.  Today, with 80 years of continuous existence and despite a general decline of hobbies such as stamp collecting, the Greater Richmond Stamp Club continues to actively provide service to members “for their mutual pleasure and benefit”.

to get more information please contact: M.T. Anderl (Pres.),  email: anderlmt@aol.com