"Where" can I present my exhibit ??

There are several levels of philatelic exhibiting and nearly every stamp show will have a philatelic exhibition but this presentation will focus on exhibiting at our annual November AAPEX stamp show.

•If you are interested in pursuing to create and present your exhibit at the 2026 AAPEX, you will need to submit an entry form by Oct 14^th so that your exhibit can be listed in our 2026 AAPEX Program.

•Please find the AAPEX 2026 Exhibiting Prospectus here for the entry form and details.

•AASC Members interested in exhibiting, also meet about once a month to work on their exhibits at the AADL Mallett Creek Branch.

“How” to Start Exhibiting

Now we finally get to the subject of just HOW do we get that IDEA for one’s exhibit ?? … and THIS is where the FUN starts !!!

TELL A STORY

Developing a good philatelic exhibit starts with identifying a specific, focused story you can tell using stamps, covers, and postal history. The best ideas balance your personal passions with the availability of philatelic material.

• Take a look at your stamp collection and decide

  • What kind of material do I have?

  • What stamps do I like to collect?

  • What are my favorite stamps?

    • A certain country? A certain topic or function of stamps?

What subject do I find fascinating? a hobby, profession, or favorite historical person or event ?

Then combine this passion with available material and start narrowing down that broad interest into a specific, story-driven topic.

Start with Personal Passion (Topical/Thematic)

•Identify Personal Interests, a Hobby or Profession: A chemist might focus on pharmacy stamps, while a music lover could focus on composers. If you love typewriters, space, birds, or chess, start there.

•Look at Your Own Collection: Identify a "topical" or group of stamps that already share a common theme. For example, items that make you smile, such as animals, space, sports, or transportation, and pick a specific, manageable sub-theme (e.g., instead of "Birds," choose "Parrots" or "Birds of Prey").

•Pick a "First Time" Topic: Explore "what's first" in a topic, such as the first stamp to feature a typewriter.

•Start with a Story: The best ideas are those that fascinate the collector and offer a unique, visual narrative rather than just an accumulation of stamps. The goal is to engage viewers emotionally and share a narrative, such as the development of a technology or a personal travel experience.

Narrow the Scope

• Avoid Overly Broad Topics

  • Instead of "The Olympics," focus on "The 1936 Berlin Olympics" or "Running, Throws, and Jumps".

  • Instead of "birds," focus on "penguins of the Antarctic" or "owls of the world." A specific theme is easier to manage, particularly for a first exhibit.

• Clothesline Exhibits:

  • Clothesline exhibits are often recommended to start with a 4-page (i.e. a “clothesline” of 4-pages across a frame) or even a one-page exhibit to tell a complete, concise story without getting overwhelmed.

• Focus on the Journey:

  • Thematic exhibits should follow a chronological, or logical flow, such as "The History of the Typewriter on Stamps“.

• Identify a Hidden Story (Traditional/Postal History):

  • Follow a Single Item: Select a single, interesting cover or stamp and research its story—where it went, why it was sent, and how it was used.

  • Focus on a Specific Postmark: Collect a particular cancellation type, such as "socked-on-the-nose" cancellations.

  • Study a Rate or Route: Choose a specific postal rate, rate period, or route to document.

• Leverage Available Resources

  • Join a Study Unit: Join a group like the American Topical Association (ATA) or a specific study unit (e.g. Graphics Philately Association) to find checklists, ideas, and mentors.

  • Look at Old Exhibitions: Review the American Philatelic Society for inspiration from past award-winning, one-frame exhibits to understand how they told their stories

Identify Potential Material

• Go Beyond Stamps:

  • A high-scoring exhibit includes varied philatelic material, such as postmarks, covers (especially First Day Covers), postal stationery, trade cards (ads) and postcards.

• Include Rare/Unique Items:

  • Seek out items that show a high degree of difficulty to obtain (not necessarily expensive), such as proofs, essays, and original artists' drawings.

• Consult Checklists:

  • Use resources like the American Topical Association (ATA) checklists to see what exists for your topic.

Create and Refine the Initial Structure

• Develop a Title: Create an unambiguous, clear title that explains the purpose and scope of your story.

• Create an Outline: Write a brief plan detailing the sequence or progression of the story, which can be included on the title page.

  • Create a logical outline of your story, identifying how you will tell it from beginning to end.

• Create a Prototype Page: Start by creating a one-page exhibit to get a feel for the process

Key Advice: Make sure the subject is something you love, as you will be spending a lot of time researching it, and remember that an exhibit is a "careful selection of choice pieces," not your entire collection.

Tell a Story

• Telling a compelling story involves transforming a collection of stamps and/or other philatelic materials into a structured, engaging narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

  • It requires selecting items that support the theme, providing concise, informative text, and organizing the material logically to guide the viewer through the story

• Try this

  →

  read the text of your exhibit pages without any stamps.

  • If the text tells a story and is engaging = good exhibit

    • Read your exhibit pages out loud to hear how it sounds (esp if it’s been rewritten many times)

• If the text reads like a catalog or a table of contents without text = not good

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