Brian Howard is the newly appointed Executive Director of the Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History in Weston, MA.

We chat with him about his previous museum experience, how he has adapted to the Spellman thus far, and his plans going forward for the museum.

https://spellmanmuseum.org/

Join Michael Cortese, NobleSpirit, as he and guest Co-Host Todd Gantzer talk to Leven Parker about the success of his philatelic TicTok channel. Leven walks us through his thoughts on presenting philately and postal history to an outside audience and using the tools philatelists have to captivate and engage. Follow Leven on TicTok: @leven_parker

With Steven Unkrich and Victor Livesay joining in, we discuss the best ways to spot fake Washington Franklin stamps, different printing methods, and more! Sources: Stamp Printing Methods - https://stampsmarter.org/learning/Man...

Stamp Perforations - https://www.les-wilkinson.co.uk/artic...

Double Impression Errors - https://findyourstampsvalue.com/helpf...

Early Rotary Perforation Machine - https://postalmuseum.si.edu/collectio...

How to Detect Damaged, Altered and Repaired Stamps by Paul W. Schmid - https://www.amazon.com/Detect-Damaged...

Bluish Paper Examples and More - https://www.theswedishtiger.com/US-St...

More Stamp Examples - https://www.usphila.com/ and https://www.noblespirit.com/past-sales

Historical Photos - https://picryl.com/

Historical Footage - https://www.historicfilms.com/ and https://www.criticalpast.com/

Kiusalas Gauge - https://www.usca.nl/wp-content/upload...

Email Steven Unkrich to Purchase a Gauge - sunkrich01@gmail.com

On December 3rd, 2022, US expert William T Crowe reviewed material at the Spellman Museum brought in by members and other guests to offer "on the battle field" opinions regarding authenticity and condition.

In a first of many event, sponsored by NobleSpirit, these events look to bring collectors more in touch with the way they examine stamps and inform collectors on how to make better buying decisions.

For more information on the Spellman Museum and events like this one please visit: https://spellmanmuseum.org/

On December 3rd, 2022, US expert William T Crowe reviewed material at the Spellman Museum brought in by members and other guests to offer "on the battle field" opinions regarding authenticity and condition.

In a first of many event, sponsored by NobleSpirit, these events look to bring collectors more in touch with the way they examine stamps and inform collectors on how to make better buying decisions.

For more information on the Spellman Museum and events like this one please visit: https://spellmanmuseum.org/

This week Charles and Michael speak with Peter Clyde, founder of Lazels, creating high end miniature puzzles out of titanium.

With an interest in philately, this past week Peter launched a 1:1 replica titanium puzzle of the Great Britain 1929 "Post Union Congress" stamp.

We talk to Peter about the idea behind the company, the exclusivity and inherent collectibility of his limited releases, and his ideas for future puzzles.

Please visit Lazels at Lazels.com

This week we speak with Franz Fedra, the owner and founder of Philasearch, Numisearch, and Antiquesearch. Providing customers all over the world with the ability to search, bid, and buy stamps and collectibles from respected dealers and auction houses.

To view philasearch please go to https://www.philasearch.com/en.

This quick mini episode features Isobel Klempka as she tours the Stampex 2022 floor at the end of day one. Isobel discusses What the main attraction sare of this year's Stampex, the new additions to the show, and what to expect in the future. Stampex 2022 takes place at the Business Design Centre in London from September 28th to October 1st. Be sure to visit in person or view their website!

The Stampex Website: https://www.stampexinternational.com/

The PTS Website: https://www.thepts.net/

Returning after a short hiatus, Charles and Michael speak with Jean Wang about the difference between Topical collecting and Thematic collecting, her award winning thematic Blood exhibit, the importance of joining organized philately, and a few stories from her time on the Canada Post Stamp Advisory Committee.

To view Jean's collection on Stampboards please visit: https://stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=54101

This week's episode is an airing of the speech given at the North Toronto Stamp Club meeting at Capex on June 11th, 2022.

In this episode Michael Cortese, NobleSpirit, and Charles Epting, HR Harmer, speak with Wayne Youngblood as he discusses exactly what you need to look out for to ensure that you're not being scammed by counterfeit stamps.

This episode acts as a part two of the November 22nd episode on counterfeit USPS Forever stamps.

Part 1: https://youtu.be/qCL72466_NQ

This week we speak with Roger Kirby, creator and keeper of the website TheSwedishTiger.com, a popular philatelic resource. Roger discusses the idea behind The Swedish Tiger, the various iterations of the website over the years, how content is created for the site, and his plans for its future. Visit www.TheSwedishTiger.com

In our first episode back after the break, we talk with Jay Bigalke of Amos Media to discuss the decision behind the new Scott subscription model and what improvements they have made over the previous digital catalogue.

Today we chat with Ralph Stuttard and John Davies from the Stamp Active organization in the UK about their time at the London 2022 International Stamp Show and the history of the organization.

Stamp Active is a voluntary organization which promotes stamp collecting for young people in the UK.

Stamp Active can be found at Stampactive.co.uk

We talk with Suzanne Rae, Managing Director of the PTS, and Isobel Klempka, the PR and Marketing Consultant for the PTS & the Stampex Show, about the London 2022 International Stamp Show.

https://www.london2022.co/

This week we take another look at Philatelic NFTs as they gain traction within the community.

Charles and Michael discuss recent announcements made by eBay on their authentication service, what this means for the future of collectibles, and how it could impact the philatelic marketplace.

Michael and Charles reflect back on some of their favorite interviews of the year.

Dr. Gregg Redner discusses his passion for collecting Olympic stamps.

Michael and Charles talk to former White House Chief of Staff to George H.W. Bush, John H. Sununu, and former New Hampshire Senator John E. Sununu, about their deep rooted family history in philately, how the family collection has evolved over the years, and what stamp collecting means to them.

Isobel Klempka and Suzanne Rae discuss all the latest news of the Philatelic Traders' Society, including the latest Stampex and this year's upcoming PTS awards.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/3BSTTRN

Michael and Charles expose an online fraudulent stamp ring that targets people on Instagram and other social media channels.

Michael, Charles, and Tobi Huylmans discuss the semantics between commemorative vs. definitive issues, and philatelic vs. non-philatelic covers.

Andrii Shapovalov discusses the introduction of StampDAQ to the philatelic marketplace, what it could mean for the future, and how philately might be effected by this drive forward into a more digital market.

Charles and Michael talk to their significant others about their experiences on the outside of the philatelic world looking in, including their experiences at shows and how organized philately can improve its outreach.

Rob Faux talks about his introduction to philately, the work that goes into his Postal History Sunday blog, and the importance of accuracy when publishing research online.

In this special episode of CwP, Charles and Michael watch and discuss the 1927 film "Special Delivery" starring Eddie Cantor. Then compare and contrast the way Postal Workers were portrayed in early films compared to cinema or shows of the past 3 decades.

Michael walks viewers through how to sort through and break down a stamp collection for sale.

Michael and Charles are joined LIVE by Isobel Klempka and Suzzane Rae, Chairman of the PTS, while they are on the floor of Stampex 2021!

https://www.stampexinternational.co.uk/

https://www.museumofphilately.com/

Charles walks us through his process for describing individual items to list them for sale.

Charles and Michael talk to Ryan from MandRproductions on YouTube about the similarities between Lego collectors and Philatelists, how engaged kids are with collecting of all kinds, and scarcity vs value.

Ryan's Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/c/MandRproductions

Michael Cortese and Charles Epting of Conversations With Philatelists interview Jack Preuveneers.

Discord Channel:

https://discord.gg/x6EyxJzc

Michael and Charles offer in-depth previews of their upcoming auctions. 

NobleSpirit Auctions: https://www.noblespirit.com/upcoming

FDCs: https://www.noblespirit.com/denverfdc

Dr. Sarath Reddy Collection of British and World: https://www.noblespirit.com/reddy

HR Harmer Fine Stamp Auctions: https://hrharmer.com/en/home# 

Sale #3047: The Dr. Gary B. Nash Collection of British Commonwealth: https://hrharmer.com/en/_auctions/&action=showLots&auctionID=40&catalogPart=145&show_all_lots=1 

Sale #3049: The Bedford Collection Part II - British Commonwealth: https://hrharmer.com/en/_auctions/&action=showLots&auctionID=40&catalogPart=146&show_all_lots=1

Michael and Charles discuss stamp collecting on the podcast Cardboard Culture.

Michael and Charles go on location at the Great American Stamp Show 2021 in Chicago and interview a number of participants, including exhibit award winner Vince King, Scott Tiffney of the APRL, Director of Expertizing Ken Martin, and fellow philatelic content creator Daniel Mallard.

Join Charles and Michael as they debrief Chicago's 2021 Great American Stamp Show, talk about upcoming shows, and interact with the livestream comments. 

Michael and Charles deliver the annual Tiffany Talk at the Great American Stamp Show 2021 in Chicago. 

Michael and Charles deliver the annual Tiffany Talk at the Great American Stamp Show 2021 in Chicago. 

Michael and Charles go on location to report on day 1 and 2 of the Westpex 2021 stamp show, interviewing a number of dealers, auction houses, collectors, and the Westpex bourse chairman, Gordon Eubanks.

Michael and Charles go on location at the Westpex stamp show 2021. Coverage of the first day includes show setup, and interviews with Elliot Gruber of the Smithsonian, and Scott English of the APS.

Jesse Robitaille, Editor of Canadian Stamp News discusses his predictions for the forthcoming trends of philatelic news networks, ​the close-knit community throughout Canadian philately, and how he finds information amongst archives and other resources.

Michael and Charles report live from Westpex in San Francisco. 

Mark Rosenberg discusses the motivation behind the founding of Hipstamp, and how the platform differs from other philatelic commerce sites.

Michael and Charles speak with Lawrence Haber to discuss the latest news about the Collectors Club of NY. 

Peter Congreve discusses how he researches the rich history behind philatelic items in order to piece together entire genealogies and family stories, and shares a few examples of the most fascinating stories he's dug up.

Special Guest Graham Beck of Exploring Stamps joins Michael and Charles for the 5th segment of their Livestream Philatelic News Channel.

Topics discussed include Season 4 of Exploring Stamps, the winners of the APS Luff Awards, the return of APS Stamp Chats, Collector's Club of NY 125th Anniversary, and Robert Siegel selling the famous vacuum cleaner Inverted Jenny position 78.

Pat Simmons, Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Inductee and founder of the Doobie Brothers, discusses his introduction to philately from a young age, how collecting shaped his world view, and shares some philatelic stories from around the world while on tour.

Michael and Charles continue their weekly philatelic news livestream every week at 11AM EST. 

Join Michael and Charles as they invite Westpex board members Gordon Eubanks, Vesma Grinfelds, Edie Eggen, Behruz Nassre to discuss the upcoming Westpex 2021 show. They discuss what the show's precautions will look like as we slowly exit the pandemic, the excitement from philatelists as we return to physical shows, and numerous talks from well known philatelists on a varieties of subjects. Westpex 2021 takes place from July 30th to August 1st at The San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront.

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. 

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. 

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 auction at Sotheby's on Tuesday, June 8th, 2021.

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 stamps based on quality of impression.

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 inspiration behind the book, discuss several topics that the book covers, and how the research of past philatelists fueled some of the core datasets.

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 features of the upcoming Virtual Stampex Show.

This week we speak with Roy Betts, a second generation U.S. Postal Service employee, who is the Senior Public Relationships Representative in Corporate Communications for the USPS. Roy discusses his family history of working for the USPS, how his career track in journalism led him to his current position, and some of the many responsibilities he has running PR for the USPS, such as managing the announcements for new issue stamps each year.

This week we talk to Larry Rosenblum about his four decades as a philatelic columnist, the value of organized philatelic clubs & organizations, and why you should collect Machins.

France and Colonies Philatelic Society: https://www.franceandcolonies.org/

Graphics Philately Association http://www.graphics-stamps.org 

Matthew Hill, editor of Stamp Collector Magazine & the All About Stamps Website discusses how the magazine operates, what it has to offer to readers, and the exciting new partnership between Conversations with Philatelists & the magazine.

Patrick Maselis, President of the Club De Monte Carlo and former President of the Royal Philatelic Society London, discusses the importance of engaging young philatelists at MonacoPhil, and the club's membership selection process. He also shares tales of his own personal collecting interests, and how he came to hold his current position as the President of the Club De Monte Carlo.

In this episode, Dr. Christy Pottroff, a literary professor at Boston College, discusses how she uses postal history as a teaching tool in her classes to analyze the work of great writers such as Edgar Allen Poe. She also discusses the great influence that the postal service has had on American history, including westward expansion and the development of the travel writing genre.  

Dr. Christy Pottroff's Website: http://www.christypottroff.com/

Digital Post Office Map: http://www.christypottroff.com/page-dh

In this episode, Charles and Michael catch up with alumni of the Young Philatelic Leaders' Fellowship, Ryan Todd Wellmaker and Jess Rodriguex, to discuss what they've been up to since graduating from the program, and how they've continued to be engaged in the philatelic community.

Join us as we talk to Jenny Lynch, USPS Postal Historian, about the USPS Library & Artifact Vault, and the history of some major changes to the Postal Service.

In this holiday special, Michael and Charles reflect on their individual philatelic highlights of the year, including which newly found stamps were most memorable, and the recent PTS Award win. They discuss their philatelic resolutions for the new year, and the goals they have for the podcast in 2021.

In this episode, Trish Kaufmann discusses the recent rebranding of the Civil War Philatelic Society, her passion for confederate postal history, and how to get started in this area of philately.

In this episode, we speak with Chris Green about the rewards of running a brick and mortar philatelic retail store, the foundations of the philatelic community, the challenges that the pandemic has presented to his business, and his history at Spink Auctions.

In this mini episode, we speak with PTS Counsel member and Chief Philatelist at David Feldman, Marcus Orsi, about the newly developed Philatelic Traders' Society Awards. Marcus discusses the award categories, the PTS vision for the future of the awards, and his ideas for the future of the Stampex Museum of Philately.

Gordon Eubanks discusses his Champion of Champions award winning exhibits, his new collecting interests, and the current changing trends in judging exhibits.

Daisy Todd, a book and paper conservator specializing in philatelic material, discusses the art of stamp restoration, how to properly store a stamp collection to avoid damage, and the delicate grey area between philatelic conservation and forgery. 

Bill Bergstrom has been working as an auction lot describer for the better part of four decades, describing over 500,000 lots. Join us as we talk to him about his start with Jacques Schiff, the discovery of the CIA Invert Sheet, and insights behind how different auction houses prepare their materials for sale.

Dr. Cheryl Ganz discusses her extensive collection of Zeppelin covers, her role in curating Smithsonian exhibits, including those on the Titanic and FDR, and how the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee chooses designs for new postage stamps.

This week we talk to George James, Head of the British Commonwealth at Stanley Gibbons, about his personal collecting interests, the various divisions of Stanley Gibbons, day to day operations of the company, and how retail and auction sales have shifted throughout the pandemic.

Join us as we talk to James Gavin, creator of The Digital Philatelist, about building the website, the rhodesian study circle, and the future of online philately.

Join us as we talk to Mark Cwiakala writer and director of the Documentary Film "Freaks and Errors: A Rare Collection" about his families history with philately, the filming of the movie, what didn't make the final cut, and his future projects.

Film Website https://www.freaksanderrorsfilm.com/

Freaks and Errors: A Rare Collection IMDB Page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7616710/

Freaks and Errors: A Rare Collection is for sale or rent on the following platforms:

You can also buy DVD and Blu-Ray discs online at Barnes & Noble, Target, Best Buy, and Walmart 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Freaks-Errors-Collection-Irwin-Weinberg/dp/B07HLQ1VCC

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/freaks-errors-a-rare-collection/id1434454393

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=eiCTyI9HASo

Join us as we talk to Mike Hynes about the current market trends of Precancels, the Precancel Study Society, and what catalogues you need to identify sleepers in your collection.

This week we talk to Eric Jackson about how Christmas Stamps sparked his start in the hobby, the rise in popularity of revenues, and the most important reasons why you should collect revenues.

In this bonus mini episode, Suzanne Rae, Chairman of the Philatelic Traders Society, talks to us about the results of the live Virtual Stampex show this past weekend, and what the future holds for Stampex.

This week we speak with Sebastien Delcampe about how he founded Delcampe.net, one of the biggest online marketplaces for collectibles in the world. Sebastien discusses the immense success of the website, and the strong community it has built amongst philatelists.

Join us as we talk to Scott English, Executive Director of the American Philatelic Society, about the current state of affairs at the APS, and his professional journey into the world of stamps. We also discuss the advancement of technology in the hobby, and the upcoming Chicago 2021 Show.

On this week's episode we talk to David S. Ball, President of the American Air Mail Society, about his expertise in astrophilately, the journey of mail brought to the moon and back, and his plans for an air mail stamp show in 2022.

In this bonus mini episode, Charles and Michael take the viewer on a virtual walkthrough of their workplaces. Get a behind the scenes look at HR Harmer in Midtown Manhattan, and then NobleSpirit in Pittsfield, NH.