Svaz českých
filatelistů
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Chinese coins in
Prague for the first time
This year, the organisers of the trade fair will be welcoming for the
first time the company China Gold Coin Inc. from the People’s Republic of
China, which will be presenting the new production of commemorative coins
of Chinese mints at Collector. CGCI was founded by the People’s Bank of
China in 1987 as the only firm authorised to trade in gold and silver
commemorative coins. Chinese coins made of precious metals have become
highly sought after around the world, and the gold and silver so-called
Panda coins in particular have become one of the main investment coins on
the global market. Chinese mints also react to current events. This
January, for example, the mint in Shanghai issued gold and silver
commemorative coins for the World Championships in Football in 2006. The
silver coins were minted in a run of only three thousand, an each one
weighs a kilogram.
Novices in the
field of philately
Amongst the exhibitors in the field of philately, this year for the first
time new firms are appearing. For example, Rolf Folkerts and G.A.Vogel
from the Netherlands, who are bringing an extensive supply of postage
stamps and postcards with more than 500 motifs to Prague.
Austrian mint for the second
time
After last year’s success, the separate stand of the Austrian mint is
returning to the Prague trade fair. Last year, the gold investment coins
Vienna Philharmonic provoked deserved interest. This year other gold and
silver collectable coins and medals will be added.
Filatelie Burda at the trade
fair
Filatelie Burda from Střelice near Brno is one of the regular exhibitors
at the trade fair Collector. This year they will once again offer
interesting philatelic material at the fair. Since 1999, Richard Burda has
also been organising written auctions twice a year and achieving sales
success of around 80 percent. The printed auction catalogues are naturally
also available on the firm’s Internet pages.
Larger stand for minerals
Two of the largest Czech mineral traders – the firms of Jiří Špalek from
Kladno and Luboš Poděbradský from Krupka – will be significantly expanding
their stand this year in comparison with last year’s. According to their
statement, they were pleasantly surprised during their premiere last year
by the great interest in jewellery made of precious stones and products
made of pearls and corals and in rare and decorative minerals and fossils.
Successful telephone cards
The Prague trade fair Collector is one of the largest events in Europe in
the field of telephone cards. Exhibitors from the Czech Republic have
learned to exhibit at it, as primarily have those from abroad, who have
predominated over recent years. This trend will continue this year, as
many exhibitors from Bulgaria, Russia, Germany, Japan, Spain, Croatia and
other countries have already registered.
UNPA at every annual event of
Collector
The Postal Administration of the UN has not been absent from a single
annual event of the trade fair Collector. And even this year – a year of
great importance for the UN and all mankind – it will offer interesting
stamps, souvenir sheets and postcards. On Sunday 18th September, UN Day
will be declared at the fair, and a special postmark will be available at
the Czech Post Office stand. A mere one month later – on 24th October –
the whole world will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the foundation of
the United Nations and sixty years of world peace. On this day in 1945,
the UN was founded in San Francisco by fifty-one states.
Filatelie Podskalský returns
Mr Petr Podskalský has an unassuming philately shop on Plzeňská Street,
far from the centre of Prague. But inside he has nothing but interesting
philatelic material. Neither does he suffer from a lack of customers. He
resisted for six years and refused to participate in the trade fair. Only
last year did he first join the ranks of exhibitors, and this year he was
one of the first to submit an application. And what’s more, he has got a
larger stand. “I underestimated the trade fair during the first year,”
says Mr Podskalský, “but when I participated for the first time last year
I gained many new clients and contacts. This year I also know what I
should prepare for the trade fair, and so I also ordered a larger area.“
Russian stamps back at the
trade fair
The publishing and trading centre Marka, which is entrusted by the
Ministry of Communications and Information with the issue of and trading
in postage stamps of the Russian Federation, is returning to the trade
fair Collector following its first participation last year. Last year,
Russian stamps enjoyed great success with visitors, and this year is
expected to be no different. As evidence of this, one need only look at
the pictures of souvenir sheets that Marka will be offering, amongst other
things, at the trade fair.
Telephone card collectors are
already looking forward
This year, Frank Heuer from Braunschweig, who operates the Internet portal
frutti69.de., will once again take his place amongst exhibitors in the
field of telephone cards. But at the trade fair he will not only be
offering cards from the entire world, but also banknotes, military badges
and lids from tubs of coffee whitener.
Italian Post at the fair
This year for the first time, the Italian Post will be participating at
the International Trade Fair Collector, which will be held in Prague from
16th to 18th September. At its stand, it will offer Czech and foreign
philatelists very interesting collecting material. These will be, for
example, stamps from the years 2004-2005, postal stationeries, FDC,
philatelic cards, postcards, folders, 2003/2004 year books, year copybooks
ans stamps models made of thin gold.
Czech Mint with new items
The Czech Mint, which has participated at the trade fair regularly since
2003. In its issue plan this year, which includes 30 stampings, there are,
for example, commemorative medals for the 60th anniversary of the UN, the
60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the 650th anniversary
of the coronation of Charles IV as Holy Roman Emperor and also an
investment medal on the occasion of the first anniversary of the accession
of the Czech Republic to the European Union - a gold medal in a run of
only 50 with a diameter of 90 mm and weighing exactly one kilogram.
Loyal exhibitors return
The vast majority of exhibitors who have been participating at the trade
fair for many years will naturally be returning this year. These include,
for example, the Prague firm Alkado, which represents the firm Safe in the
Czech Republic, Michel, Importa, Peak and Hawid, Filatelie Pytlíček from
Semily, Filatelie Karlin, Artphila Praha, Trevor Pateman and Peter McBride
from Great Britain and many more. And this time we refer only to the field
of philately.
Czech Numismatic Society
The Czech Numismatic Society, which has 39 branches throughout the entire
Czech Republic, is once again holding the aegis above the department of
numismatics. Its experts will be at the Collector trade fair to help
everyone with advice and consultations. Visitors will thus have the unique
opportunity of utilising this free service for the valuation of their
collector’s items. The organisers of Collector are preparing a press
conference jointly with the CNS shortly before the start of the trade
fair.
Aix-phila with greater
participation
Last year the famous philatelic firm from Aachen significantly expanded
its participation at Collector. And this year it will be even bigger. Aix-phila,
which in addition to an extensive offer of philatelic material is known as
an organiser of large philatelic auctions, has participated at the
Collector trade fair every year since the first event in 1998.
Philatelic press at trade fair
The largest Czech philatelic magazine, Filatelie, traditionally has a
stand at the trade fair. The magazine is published monthly with a print
run of six thousand, and it is an indispensable and useful aid for all
philatelists in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Once again this year, the
important German magazine Briefmarken Spiegel, which also traditionally
participates in all important philatelic events in Germany, will have a
stand at Collector.
Swiss Post returns to Prague
Last year, the Swiss Post was at the trade fair for the first time. Its
stand received attention as a result of the beautiful stamps of the summer
and autumn collection including a postage stamp made of real Swiss wood.
The commemorative sheet issued exclusively on the occasion of our trade
fair and containing the special block Veloland Schweiz was also very
popular amongst collectors. This year, the Swiss Post is returning to the
trade fair Collector and is preparing many surprises for visitors.
Surprise from Cyprus
The Cyprus Post, which will also be exhibiting for the second time this
year, has promised a surprise for every visitor who stops at its stand.
Last year, the guests from Cyprus also enjoyed great success amongst
visitors. Cypriot stamps are not very well known in our country, and their
artistic quality surprised many collectors.
After a pause of one year, back
at the trade fair
The Korea Stamp Corporation, which represents the postage stamps of the
DPR Korea around the world, is returning to Prague for the Collector trade
fair after last year’s absence. For the trade fair, the company has
prepared not only postage stamps but also FDC, maxicards, postcards and
other material.
Large exhibit of mints
Every year in its large exhibition, the firm Schoeller Münzhandel from
Vienna offers collecting and investment coins from series issued by the
world’s mints. This year will be no exception. As director Elmar Schmid
has confirmed for us, this year visitors will have the opportunity to buy
new items from the following mints: Mint of Finland, Perth Mint, British
Royal Mint, Monnaie de Paris, Hungarian Mint, South African Mint, Royal
Canadian Mint, Royal Australian Mint, Münze Österreich, Swissmint and Mint
of Norway. Moreover, in its exhibit it will present the numismatic
collection of the international football federation FIFA. Schoeller
Münzhandel is highly active in the Czech Republic, and it has a customer
centre here.
Royal Dutch Mint Independently
This year for the first time, Royal Dutch Mint will participate with an
independent exhibition. The coins and medals minted in Utrecht are
surprising by virtue of their uniqueness. The mint was founded in 1567 and
is one of the oldest Dutch institutions. As a result of its
professionalism, the mint significantly reinforced its position during the
launch of the euro. Between the years 1999 and 2002 it minted 2.8 billion
euro coins. During these years, coin production was on average six times
higher than the usual minting of guilder. The production of commemorative
coins and medals is also significant.
Chinese telephone cards at the
trade fair for the first time
A collector of telephone cards from the People’s Republic of China will
participate in the Prague trade fair for the first time. Mr Wei Xu is
evidently the greatest expert on telephone cards in China. Those who are
interested in telephone cards undoubtedly know him from the Internet as
Chinajka. To sum up, card collectors have good reason to look forward to
Collector.
Everyone’s going to Prague
At this year’s trade fair Collector all the important manufacturers of
aids for philatelists and numismatists will come together. All of them are
also expanding their exposition – Schaubek Verlag, Leuchtturm Albenverlag,
Lindner Falzlos and Prinz Verlag. This year Davo Uitgeverij is also
preparing for the trade fair. And naturally one cannot omit Safe, Michel,
Importa, Peak and Hawid.
San Marino for the first time,
Portugal for the third time …
This year for the first time the postal and numismatic administration (AASFN)
of San Marino will be participating at the trade fair. Its stamps, coins
and telephone cards, mostly issued in short runs, are amongst the most
sought after in the world. The Portuguese Post Office will be exhibiting
for the third year in a row at Collector. Last year it enjoyed great
success in Prague with a stamp issued upon the occasion of the accession
of ten new countries to the European Union and with stamps celebrating the
European Championship in football. As the director of the philately
department, Luis M. Andrade, confirmed for us last year, the post office
has great interest in cooperating with philatelic traders and collectors
in the Czech Republic and the entire Central European region. And our
trade fair is ideal for this purpose.
First appearance of mints from
Spain and Romania
This year for the first time, the Royal Mint of Spain and State Mint of
Romania will make presentations at the trade fair. The Spanish mint is
also entrusted by the government with the printing of banknotes, postage
stamps, passports, identification cards and other products. It has two
production plants in Madrid and Burgos and is one of the largest mints in
Europe. The present Romanian mint was established in Bucharest in 1935 by
royal decree, and it ensures the production of coins for regular
circulation and commemorative coins, medals, orders, insignia and
jewellery made from precious metals.
WWF day at the trade fair
This year at the trade fair Collector, World Wild Fund For Nature (WWF)
Day has been announced for the first time, and this will be on Saturday 17
September. So far, two hundred and ten postal administrations throughout
the world have issued more than 1440 stamps with the panda emblem. The
licence fees which come from the issue of the stamps constitute an
important revenue for the fund for the realisation of projects for
wildlife protection throughout the world. In the stand of the Czech Post
Office, on this day a special postmark and R-sticker will be available,
and at the stand of the Swiss firm Groth AG, which is implementing the WWF
project in philately, black proofs and stamps with overprints will be
available. At 14:00 there will be an autograph signing session by the
authors of Czech stamps with the theme of nature of Mr and Mrs Knotek.
Telephone cards from Japan and
the Caribbean
After several years, the firm Maxicard Collectors, represented by Bruce
Labentsoff, who lives in Japan, is returning to the trade fair Collector.
Bruce is one of the largest dealers in thematic telephone cards from Japan
and Asia. Mrs Monique Salmon from France, who specialises in telephone
cards from Cuba and another twenty Caribbean islands will be repeating her
participation from last year at the trade fair.
Kremnica mint with new items
The Kremnica Mint from Slovakia will be exhibiting at the trade fair
Collector for the fourth time in a row this year. This year it has
prepared many new mintings – commemorative coins and medals. This year,
for example, it issued gold, gilded and silver medals on the occasion of
the historical Bush-Putin summit in Bratislava. But the mint also makes
plaques, tokens, pendants, tiepins, shields, awards, orders and mayoral
chains from precious metals and non-ferrous metals. Visitors to the trade
fair will be able to mint their own commemorative token.
H.D. Rauch thinks Prague is
great
The Austrian auction house H.D.Rauch from Vienna is one of the traditional
exhibitors at the Prague trade fair. Rauch organises not only regular
auctions in the field of philately and numismatics, but collectors can
also buy many items directly via the Internet, be they postage stamps,
coins, awards or medals. The auction house also has available extensive
literature and aids for collectors.
Do you want to exhibit?
You can still request an application form for the 8th International trade
fair Collector, which is to be held in Prague from 16th to 18th September
2005, at the e-mail address
sberatel@ppa.cz or
kopacek@ppa.cz . See also a special web site on Czech, English and
German languages
http://www.sberatel.info
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