Conversations with Philatelists

In their latest weekly livestream every Friday at 11AM EST, Michael and Charles discuss the latest philatelic news, including the Spellman Postal Museum's exhibits in New England Baptist Hospital and the Weston Public Library, recent auction sales, the latest update on the Stanley Gibbon's purchase of the 1c Magenta, and a Show and Tell of some unique fancy cancels on cover from Charles.

Michael Cortese and Charles Epting of Conversations With Philatelists discuss all of the latest news of the philatelic world on their weekly livestream, Fridays at 9 a.m. Eastern. This week topics discussed were prices realized for sales at Robert Siegel's Rarity sale, and HR Harmer's sale this week.  The Yogi Berra First Day event.  The Cardinal Spellman Museum's open house turnout.  The American...

Karl Rove, Former Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush, discusses his family's history with stamp collecting, his favorite items in his collection, and the historical lessons that can be taught when diving into campaign covers.

Michael Cortese and Charles Epting of Conversations With Philatelists discuss all of the latest news of the philatelic world on their weekly livestream, Fridays at 9 a.m. Eastern. This week topics discussed were prices realized for sales at Robert Siegal, Kelleher's "Crimson" sale, Spark, and Eastern.  Prices realized for Canadian material.  HR Harmer's upcoming auction. USPS New Issues.  National...

Victoria Lajer, Managing Director of Stanley Gibbons, discusses the company’s recent purchase of the rare British Guiana 1c Magenta, and their intentions for the stamp going forward.

In this incredibly special episode, Micheal and Charles visit Sotheby's in New York City to examine the British Guiana 1-Cent Black on Magenta and the Inverted Jenny Plate Block, alongside philatelic consultant Robert Scott. They also speak to numismatic consultant David Tripp about the history behind the 1933 Double Eagle coin. These three treasures owned by Stuart Weitzman are scheduled to go to...

In this special, hands-on episode, Michael and Charles sort through a large, 55-carton stamp collection that is to be split for sale between NobleSpirit and HR Harmer.

Michael and Charles discuss why periodicals are so important to the hobby, and a couple recently published philatelic articles, including; 1868 Production Grills: Why Size Matters by Rex Dean Bishop and The US 5C of 1847: A New Approach to Impressions and Colors by Scott Trepel. They cover topics such as the enigma of the z grill, why philatelists should care about grills, and new ways to classify...

Constanze Dennis, Managing Director of Grosvenor Auctions, discusses her unusual pathway to her current position, and the responsibilities and challenges that come with it. She also discusses the pleasure of in-person auctioneering, and how to get younger generations involved in philately.

Dr. Joseph M Adelman, an associate professor of History at Framingham State University, discusses his book, Revolutionary Networks: The Business and Politics of Printing the News, 1763-1789, and the influence that postmasters had in the distribution of news in the late 18th century.

Lawrence Haber, President of the Collectors Club of New York, discusses how the club has adjusted during the pandemic, the numerous resources they offer to the philatelic community, and his 1909 collecting interests and exhibits.

Rick Barrett discusses how he first became involved in philately at a young age, and the influence that teachers, stamp shops, and libraries had in his engagement in the hobby growing up. We also talk about Barrett’s book: Buffalo Cinderellas: The Gentleman, the Huckster, and the Pan American Exposition.

Simon Martin-Redman discusses his extensive exhibiting experience across the world, shares stories about the quirks of being a philatelist in modern times, and talks about his personal collecting interests, including the Malaysian state of Sarawak.

Cameron Blevins teaches American History and Digital Humanities at the University of Colorado Denver. His new book, Paper Trails: The US Post and the Making of the American West (Oxford University Press 2021) presents a spatial interpretation of the nineteenth century American State by mapping the sprawling infrastructure of the nation’s postal network. Join us as we speak with Cameron about the i...

Carol Bommarito talks about how she got involved in philately later in life, and how flexible and accessible the hobby is for anyone to join at any age or stage in life. She also discusses her specific collecting interests, her role in the Classics Society, and her success as an exhibitor.

In this special episode, Tobias Huylmans discusses the rigorous testing measures that philatelists must go through to become a certified expertiser of the Bund Philatelistischer Prufer (BPP), and walks us through several in-depth visual examples of how to identify the finite discrepancies that give away forgeries. 

This week, Chris King discusses how participation with organized philately improves the overall experience, the details behind the relocation of the Royal Philatelic Society of London, and how he foresees the future of international philately.

In this special episode, Charles goes on location and films at the St. Louis Stamp Expo with a special appearance from Alex Haimann. We discuss both participant and dealer attendance, overall atmosphere, and what shows may look like in the future. 

In this bonus mini episode, Marcus Orsi and Devlan Kruck give us an inside look at the Museum of Philately, its purpose, its goals, and their plans for the Museum's future.

This week, Casey Jo White discusses her position as a collection curator, her involvement in the philatelic community, and effective research methods. Casey also talks about her current philatelic passion projects, the cats on stamps club, and shares with us the local post stamp she designed.

This week, Don Denman, owner and operator of Stampsmarter.org , discusses the idea behind Stamp Smarter, the future of philately on the internet, and the importance of sharing information throughout a community.

In this episode, Michael and Charles talk to John Scott, the former keeper of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's royal philatelic collection. Scott discusses the duties he held in his position, the debate of whether a collection should be fluid and adaptable over time or preserved in its original historical state, and how to get the greater community more engaged in philately.

Lawrence Block, a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, discusses how his passion for philately influenced character development in his fiction novels, the progression of his three-year column, Generally Speaking, for Linn’s Stamp News, and the writing projects he’s working on now.

In this episode of Conversations with Philatelists, Michael Cortese of NobleSpirit and Charles Epting of HR Harmer talk to Marcus Orsi, and Ricky Verra of David Feldman about the importance of mentorship in the hobby, how the relationship between mentor and mentee works in a virtual world, and the ever-changing nature of philately.

In this special bonus episode, Michael and Charles talk to four different groups of philatelists who will be involved in putting on the worldwide Philatelic Traders' Society Virtual Stampex Show from March 25th - 28th, 2021. Join Michael and Charles as they speak with Heinrich Koehler, The Royal Philatelic Society London, Spink, and the American Philatelic Society to discuss all of the exciting fe...