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News Bulletin No. 31

Celebrants at a Jubilee Fair

This year the international fair Collector in Prague is celebrating its 10th anniversary. There are fifteen exhibitors who have never missed an annual event, and the organizers have prepared a special award for them this year as a thanks for their faithful participation during the entire ten years of the fair's existence and for not having hesitated to sign up for the premiere event in 1998, when nobody had any idea yet of how things would develop. Receiving awards will be Mr. Stefan Jopke and Mr. Hinrich Osterloh (Aix-phila, Germany), Mr. Dimiter Monev (Bulphila, Bulgaria), Mr. Yevgeniy Nikiforov from Russia, Ms. Leone Caola-Madzia (United Nations Postal Administration), Mr. Marián Jobek from Slovakia, Dr. Janusz Konopka (Profilex, Poland) and the Czech exhibitors Mr. Jiří Bouček, Mr. Jiří Stošek (Filatelie Hobby Prague), Jindřich Holna, Mr. Robert Chaloupka, Mr. Ladislav Likler (Collectors Club od Curious), Mr. Karel Mařík (Mineral & Gem Collection), Mr. Roman Repka (Numismatika Zlatá koruna), Mr. Zdeněk Šroubek (Qarta) and also the Czech Numismatic Society.

Veraphil in Prague for the First Time

Participating for the first time at this year’s jubilee Collector fair, to be held at the Prague Exhibition Grounds from 14 to 16 September, will be the Swiss philatelic firm Veraphil. Founded 25 years ago in Basil, it specializes mainly in stamps from Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Naturally, its attractive offerings will include letters from both countries.

Austrian Mint: Ever Growing Interest

In recent years, the Austrian Mint has been a regular exhibitor. It is commercially successful at the fair, and according to a statement made last year by the mint’s director of marketing, Franz Artmüller, each year they are seeing increased interest both among those who want to invest in coins and among those who come to add to their collections. The Austrian Mint has an 800-year history, and especially in recent times it has won many awards and honors. Among other things, it is entered in the Guinness Book of World Records for minting the world’s largest gold coin, weighing 1000 ounces (31.103 kg). The coin is made of 99.99% pure gold and has a diameter of 37 centimeters.

More Exhibits of Minerals and Precious Stones

Minerals and especially jewelry made of natural materials and precious stones have been a part of the fair since the very first annual event, but this collector’s field has only really caught on at the Collector fair in recent years. Because of the great interest among buyers – mostly women – there are larger numbers of exhibitors every year. Last year, visitors and exhibitors alike were shocked by the cheap prices of amethyst geodes up to a meter across from Brazil and of other minerals from all over the world. Jewelry was offered by exhibitors not only from the Czech Republic but also from Germany, Hungary and Poland.

Exhibitors Are Coming Back

The organizers have received applications from several other exhibitors. Again exhibiting in a joint stand will be Vojta Postal History Auctions from Austria, Peter McBride from the United Kingdom and Studio Filatelico Paolo Gazzera from Italy. Wim van der Bijl from the Netherlands is already preparing new items to bring to Prague, and also returning after two years are the brothers Georgi and Otari Kaouslidis from Thessaloniki, Greece. Also among those ordering stands is the Belarus Postal Authority.