Welcome to the website for the international fair for postage stamps, coins,
phone cards, minerals, and the hobby and art of collecting – the largest
gathering of collectors of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe.

Sběratel.info

News Bulletin No. 45

26. 05. 2009 | New Website, Soon Also in Chinese | Czech Mint To Present Half-Kilo Platinum Medal at the Trade Fair | Fair Collector in Bratislava | The Swiss Post Already Published Their Postmark, the Cypriot and Austrian Post Their Postcards, and the Finnish Have Done Both | How Much Does a Visit to the Trade Fair Cost? | Two Important Messages to Our Exhibitors |

New Website, Soon Also in Chinese

As you can see, we have launched a complete re-design of their website.
The fact that these pages are now more intuitive and user-friendly is surely welcome; in addition to the traditional Czech, English, and German versions, all basic information is now also available in Italian, Spanish, Russian, French, and Dutch. Polish and Chinese will soon follow.
The new website not only contains up-to-date information on the trade fair itself, but (in the Czech version) also provides entertaining information on collecting as a pastime in general.
We thus continue our efforts to introduce those who have not yet fallen under the spell of this passion to the collector's world. We would also like to further enhance the international flavor of the Collector trade fair event, in terms of both exhibitors and visitors.
Please bookmark this page, so that you'll have easy access to the new material that we post every Monday, and to the directory of this year's exhibitors (which will be continuously updated).

Czech Mint To Present Half-Kilo Platinum Medal at the Trade Fair

The Czech Mint, a long-time exhibitor at the Collector trade fair, plans to present a half-kilo investment medal made from platinum at this year's trade fair, which depicts the St. Vitus Cathedral (see the illustration). This medal, with a diameter of 85 mm, will be issued in September in an edition of 400 pieces (in standard quality). The author of the medal, priced at about CZK 400,000, is Vladimír Oppl. Aside from this medal, the Czech Mint will, for the first time, sell their set of circulated 2009 coins (in proof quality), which will be issued in an edition of 2,500 pieces.
The fact that this year's Collector is slated for an earlier date than usual has caused some headaches, not only at the Czech Mint, but also at the Czech Post, which used to have their new stamps on sale on the first day of the trade fair. Let's hope that both exhibitors will work it all out by September 3rd. Unfortunately, after the exhibition hall on the previous fairgrounds burned down, we had no other scheduling options at the Letňany Exhibition Center, given that the site there hosts exhibitions and trade fairs every weekend.

Fair Collector in Bratislava

The organizers of the international Collector trade fair in Prague will have their own exhibition stand at the Collectors' Days, held on June 5/6th at the exhibition ground in Slovakia's capital city. They'll serve parties who might be interested in exhibiting, as well as visitors from the public at large. Visit our stand and get promotional items, notepads, posters, and leaflets.

The Swiss Post Already Published Their Postmark, the Cypriot and Austrian Post Their Postcards, and the Finnish Have Done Both

The Swiss Post, which participates in the international Collector trade fair every year, has already made public their special cancellation postmark, which will be available to philatelists in Prague. The Austrian and Cyprus Postal Services have made haste as well, and have already sent us a specimen of their traditional trade fair postcards. The Finnish Post, which is returning to the trade fair after six years, also has their postmark and postcard ready. In the picture you see also a stamp booklet with the stamps Sauna which will be used in Prague.
As soon as we receive cancellation postmarks or stationary from other participating postal services, we will publish them on this website.

How Much Does a Visit to the Trade Fair Cost?

The single-price daily pass for entry to the Collector trade fair sets you back 80 crowns (3 Euros), while a permanent pass for all three days of the event costs 200 crowns. Minors up to 18 years of age and women traditionally enjoy free entry - which is our way of promoting the pastime of collecting among young people and women who, according to sociological surveys, are not exactly the keenest collectors.
For the rest, it is up to you, the visitor, how much you want to spend on additions to your collection. The offer from which to choose will, in any case, be stunning. Prepare yourself for 220 traders, postal administrations, mints, and sellers of minerals, jewelry, historical postcards, phone cards, and many many other items. The trade fair, which will be held at the Prague Exhibition Center PVA Letňany, will be open to the general public on Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Two Important Messages to Our Exhibitors

Some of our exhibitors have again had the dubious pleasure of being contacted by Expo Guide, a firm that seeks to exploit your inattentiveness and trust. Following the lead of the Austrian Construct Data Verlag AG, a company that until two years ago raked in the dough by offering listings in their FAIR Guide catalogue at extortionate rates, Expo Guide, a firm apparently hailing from Mexico (?!), is now attempting the same. They are offering registration in their so-called internet directory www.expo-guide.com on outrageous financial terms and an oppressive contract that is all but impossible to cancel. The worst aspect of the whole affair is, however - and please pay careful attention here - that the order form for registration in their catalogue appears, at first glance, as if it had been sent by us, the organizers of the trade fair. Of course, we are in no way affiliated with the nefarious practices of Expo Guide, we do not know them, and - as all our exhibitors know - we use our own form for listings in the trade fair catalogue (which this year can be found on the back side of the registration form, or at www.sberatel.info).

But now on to something more pleasant: We have issued a leaflet for visitors with basic information concerning the trade fair in Czech, English, Russian, German, Polish, Italian, and French. Upon request, we will gladly provide you with a stack of these leaflets, free of charge, for you to distribute at your stores. Also, if you are interested, we will be happy to include a poster in English and Czech and postcards in Czech.