“Membership has its advantages”. There are widespread benefits of joining the RPSV. Here are a few of them, ranging from enhancement of knowledge, meeting likeminded collectors, attending meetings either in person or via Zoom to free expertising of valuable stamps. Here is a sample:
Whist we have a number of local members in Melbourne who can attend monthly meetings and meet local collectors, the majority of our members live interstate or overseas.
With the advances in internet technology, members outside Melbourne can contact the RPSV for more information on their collecting interest. The messages are forwarded to the appropriate member to follow up. In this way, knowledge can be quickly disseminated to those eager to learn.
Each month there is a scheduled stamp or postal history display available for each member to attend to increase their knowledge and participate in the local camaraderie of meeting new collectors. Access to local experts helps those collectors who are starting out a guiding hand to further their ambitions for their collection.
Many of the meetings attended by local collectors are available on Zoom. This allows our interstate and overseas members, or those unable to attend, to actively participate with a RPSV meeting in the comfort of their own lounge room.
Recognised as one of the premier stamp magazines in the world, each issues contains original research of stamps and postal history of Australia, the Australian Colonies and the Pacific. There are many social history articles including “A few of my Favourite Things”.
On the 1st of each month, the RPSV publishes by email a monthly Newsletter detailing activities for the current month, in addition to social history and local articles related to places to visit or local history. It’s not all about stamps !!! However, it is the most widely read stamp Newsletter from around the world, with many collectors commenting to the Editor how much they enjoy reading the different pieces.
The RPSV Library was established in the 1890’s and has grown to occupy the ground floor of our premises at 303 High Street, Ashburton. Whilst local members have free access to the library, our interstate and overseas members can search the library with our online catalogue system. This allows all members to find the book, magazine, or auction catalogue they need for further research.
The stamp market is flush with forgeries, stamps or envelopes that have been skilfully repaired or altered by chemical ??? Many collectors, dealers and stamp auction houses rely on the opinions of our Expert Committee to certify stamps and envelopes as genuine or otherwise. This provides an ease of mind for the collector, especially if buying a stamp or envelope that they are not quite sure if it is genuine or not. Members receive one free certificate a year for FREE. This is $100 of value of your membership, with many members taking advantage of this free service.
The June meeting at the RPSV showcases the society’s annual One Frame competition, which is available for all members. Interstate and overseas members can participate by providing scans of the One Frame exhibit. In this way, members don’t need to send valuable items from their collection to participate in the competition. There is a surprising widespread variety of collections and participants, making the Annual Competition one of the most anticipated events of the year.
