The seventh National Postage Stamp and Coin Show, a biannual event slated to return to Mississauga this March, is a highlight of spring for hobbyists from across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond.
On March 23-24, about 50 dealers will return to the Hilton Mississauga’s 9,000-square-foot Graydon Hall. The bourse and exhibition hall will both open to the public each day at 10 a.m. before closing at 5 p.m. on March 23 and 4 p.m. the following day.
“This show brings people out, and it’s a venue people can easily reach through public transportation and their own cars,” said John Wilson, immediate past-president of the North Toronto Stamp Club (NTSC), which is hosting its 76th annual exhibition in conjunction with the two-day show.
“It’s a great location in terms of natural light – that’s something exhibitors really care about – and there’s a good selection of dealers.”
Dealers and exhibiting, Wilson added, “go hand in hand.”
“People who know what I collect bring to those shows what I collect. I will have a parade of material to look through, and it’s something even eBay can’t match.”
Aside from the hobby related benefits, shows also offer unmatched camaraderie for collectors.
“Every time I go to a stamp show, I meet friends. It’s a very friendly hobby, and this show specifically attracts people from a wide geographic range,” said Wilson, who’s also the NTSC’s exhibition committee co-chair and historian.
“I’m always surprised meeting people at a local show who have come down from Montréal or even further afield.”
FREE PARKING
If you are attending the National Postage Stamp and Coin Show, parking at the Hilton Mississauga is free while at the show. The Hilton will be placing a notice on its parking meters listing the shows and events – including our own – that are exempt from having to pay parking. Instead of paying the meters, attendees of our show are asked to sign in with their license plate number on a sheet of paper at the show admission desk. Do not pay the fee at the hotel’s automated parking meters. There are no refunds from the hotel or show organizers.
THREE SEMINARS, YOUTH PROGRAM
The show this March will also feature at least two seminars, including one exploring the history and production of Canadian banknotes and another about disposing of a collection.
Both seminars will be held on March 23.
The following day, a free youth auction will be hosted at 1 p.m., when nearly 30 lots of numismatic and philatelic material will be offered to children aged 18 and under. Play money will be provided to all bidders, so there is no cost to participants.
Members of the NTSC are also slated to host a seminar throughout the weekend.
2019 FALL SHOW
The Fall 2019 National Postage Stamp and Coin Show will be held Sept. 7-8 at the same location, the Hilton Mississauga, which is located directly off Highway 401 on Mississauga Road.
As always, admission is $3 on Saturday and free on Sunday, and free on-site parking is available to show attendees.
For more information about the biannual show, which is hosted by Trajan Media, publisher of Canadian Stamp News and Canadian Coin News, visit stampandcoinshow.com.