Great American Stamp Show (GASS)

Hartford, Connecticut, will be the host city of the Great American Stamp Show (GASS) next Thursday, August 15 through Sunday, August 18. The United States Postal Service sponsors the event, which features over 80 dealers, stamp exhibits, first-day ceremonies and many seminars. Admission is free, and the event will be held at the Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd., Hartford, CT.

I will be there exhibiting a one-frame (16 pages) exhibit of the 1938 Presidential series first-day covers, and a five-frame (80 pages) exhibit of Presidential Inauguration Day Covers. Co-incidentally, today, August 9, is the 50th anniversary of President Nixon’s resignation and the swearing-in of Vice President Gerald Ford. I have covers in my exhibit postmarked on that day commemorating both events, including a cover postmarked the day before, when President Nixon announced on National television that he would resign the next day.¹ The exhibit, which is only a small part of my collection, consists of envelopes postmarked on the Inauguration or Swearing In day for all presidents, from President Hoover in 1929 through President Biden in 2021, and includes some related material.

Most of what I am exhibiting has little monetary value. People may think stamp collecting is an “expensive” hobby – and it can be – but I believe most collectors spend very little and end up assembling fascinating collections. An example is my inauguration day covers, most of which can be purchased for under $20.00. However, I do have three items that I believe have some value. I have a 1929 Inauguration cover autographed by outgoing President Coolidge and incoming President Hoover. I also have a 1945 envelope postmarked when President Truman was sworn in on the evening of President FDR’s death on April 12. The envelope incorporates a printed photo of President Truman, stating he is the 33rd president. President Truman autographed that cover and also crossed out the 33 and wrote 32. It seems he always contended that he was the 32nd person to serve as President since Grover Cleveland was counted twice as he served two nonconsecutive terms. It turns out that this cover is one of only two known written documents by Truman. The other one was in the Forbes Magazine collection. So, this cover also has historical significance.

A third item I am proud of that is valued above $20.00 is a typed presidential oath autographed by President Eisenhower. This item is significant as it is dated January 20, 1957. The official inauguration was on Monday, January 21, 1957. Since the constitutionally prescribed inauguration day in 1957 fell on a Sunday, the official ceremonies and swearing-in were deferred until Monday. However, Ike was sworn in at noon on January 20, 1957, at a private ceremony. This also occurred for President Reagan’s and President Obama’s second terms, of which my exhibit has covers documenting these historic events.

One other unusual cover I have is for a lesser-known swearing-in ceremony. It seems that when President Obama was sworn in for his first term in 2009, Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed the words in the oath he asked Barack Obama to repeat after him. Chief Justice Roberts came to the White House the next day to readminister the oath to ensure there would not be a challenge to the incorrect oath. This was done privately, although it was reported at the time in some newspapers. That second oath ceremony in 2009, along with the private ceremony on the Sunday before the official Inaugural ceremony for President Obama’s second term in 2013, made President Obama only the second president to be sworn in four times; the first being FDR, who was sworn in for four separate terms.

My collection provides immense enjoyment, knowledge of presidential succession, friendships through meetings at stamp shows and correspondence, and relaxation away from daily pressures from a myriad of sources. I highly recommend stamp collecting in any of its many forms. A friend and fellow CPA and philatelist is James ‘Jim’ Matthews, who collects stamps from dead countries, i.e., countries that issued stamps that no longer exist. Here is a link to an article I previously posted about the pleasures of stamp collecting. My blog includes links to an article about Jim’s collection and the stamp that Warren Buffett tried to corner the market in, unsuccessfully.

Stamp collecting is a great hobby and one that I wholeheartedly recommend. Further, if you find yourself in the Hartford area next week and plan on attending GASS, email me and maybe we could connect there. For more details on additional GASS information, please click here.

GASS is co-hosted by the American Philatelic Society, the American Topical Association and the American First Day Cover Society. All are fine organizations with great journals to which I belong. If you want an application to any or all of them, email me and I’ll send them to you.