The International Society of
World Wide Stamp Collectors

Welcome to the ISWSC

The International Society of Worldwide Stamp Collectors serves the interests of all worldwide collectors. It strives to promote the fun and fascination of worldwide stamp collecting to young and old alike, and has an active outreach program serving youth, their leaders and stamp collectors of all ages and experience levels.

Look at the benefits we have to offer. We'd like to hear from you!

Executive Director's Report

Well, spring has arrived, and my wife and I are in the midst of our move to York, Pennsylvania. In case you weren't aware, York was actually the first capital city of the United States before it moved to New York (later Philadelphia, and ultimately Washington, D.C.).

Also, York sits in South Central Pennsylvania, which is the leader in junk food production, thanks to Utz, Snyder, Martin’s, and Herr's chips and pretzels! Additionally, I should mention that there are several thriving stamp clubs in the Susquehanna Valley, and we are only two hours from the American Philatelic Society headquarters in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

I am excited about the opportunities that I will have to meet new collectors, join new clubs, and attend the many regional shows in Eastern Pennsylvania and Maryland.

In the meantime, I am pleased to report that our ISWSC membership is now up to 335 members plus six affiliates!

Life Lessons
I have learned that, as a lifetime collector, there comes a time to let go. I have even boxed up numerous accumulations of stamps on and off paper for donations, sold off thousands of baseball cards, and admitted that I will never read any magazines more than two years old. A dumpster rental was necessary. I also realized I accumulated about four dozen baseball hats!

Honestly, it wasn't very painful to purge, donate, or sell off goods. At 65, you have a good idea of what you need and what is unnecessary. It is refreshing to give stuff away that others can enjoy.

My Advice
If you are adding to your stamp or any other collection, for that matter, think ahead five years. Will I have time to sort, organize, and mount this material? Will I actually read these magazines, or wear any of these hats, and so forth?

Update to Mailing Policy
Our main club concern is lost mail. If you are part of a sales or swap circuit and you ship over $100 in market value, we ask that you use signature-required delivery. It is required for our insurance company to cover lost mail. If you ship a lot with a market value over $200, please pay the small fee to insure your lot. This will give all of us peace of mind!

New Address
Our new address as of April 27:

Thomas Almerini
Executive Director, ISWSC
56 Jayme Drive
Box 7
York, PA. 17402

Please be sure to include the box number, as this is where the mail is picked up.