What to know about the Great American Stamp Show in Cleveland: Canton collectors involved

The Super Bowl of stamp collecting events is coming to Cleveland.

Running today through Sunday, the Great American Stamp Show will be at the Huntington Convention Center, 300 Lakeside Ave. in downtown Cleveland. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.

More than 80 dealers will be at the show, which features extensive stamp collections and rare and valuable stamps. New stamps also will be introduced. Dealers will be from Northeast Ohio, as well as other states, including Florida, California and Massachusetts.

Longtime collectors, novices and the curious are invited to the event. Canton-area residents, including members of the McKinley Stamp Club and Stark Stamp Club, are also helping with the event.

Here's what we know about the Great American Stamp Show.

How big of a deal is the Great American Stamp Show?

The Great American Stamp Show is the biggest event of its kind in the United States, said Carol Thatcher, a Jackson Township resident who will be attending and assisting with it.

Last year's show was in Sacramento. Past shows have been in Columbus, but the event hasn't taken place in Northeast Ohio since 1999.

"There's something for everybody," Thatcher said of stamp enthusiasts.

What types of stamps will be featured?

Rare stamps on display will include the "Inverted Jenny," an image of an upside down airplane.

The plane was supposed to be right side up, making the misprinted stamp worth big money, Thatcher said.

The error occurred on the 24-cent airmail stamp of 1918. Only one sheet of 100 inverted center stamps was sold, according to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.

Stamps, covers, stamp memorabilia, postmarked envelopes and cachets will be for sale, Thatcher said.

"Everybody collects for different reasons," she said. "But I collect because I like to fill up the stamp book. I have 68 books."

Stamp collectors often pick themes such as hedgehogs, boats and Girl Scouts, Thatcher said. Stamp collections also may tell stories and share history, including about National Parks. Heritage collections feature stamps from Germany and other countries.

Today will feature a series of first-day-of-issue ceremonies planned for the release of new stamps, according to a news release for the event.

The U.S. Postal Service will release a pane of 20 "Life Magnified" stamps depicting microscopic life. The United Nations Postal Administration, the Faroe Islands and Marshall Islands also will release stamps on the show's first day.

A second set of stamps from the U.S. Postal Service, named "Thinking of You," will be released at the show Friday.

Faroe Islands will release a stamp souvenir sheet today featuring Norwegian artist Martin Mörck's 1000th engraving.

All about stamps: Conversation with master stamp engraver Martin Mörck

Part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Faroe Islands are comprised of 18 rocky, volcanic islands between Iceland and Norway in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The Marshall Islands are a chain of volcanic islands and coral atolls in the central Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and the Philippines.

Rattlesnake Island in Lake Erie to unveil new stamps

Additionally, new stamps will be revealed by the Rattlesnake Island Local Post in Lake Erie. The stamps mark the 210th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie. Artist/designer Beth Gregerson of Lake County will be in attendance for the unveiling.

Rattlesnake Island is an isolated 85-acre island with few residents in the western basin of Lake Erie.

Who organizes and sponsors the stamp show?

The Garfield-Perry Stamp Club is the local coordinator of the Great American Stamp Show.

Sponsors of the Great American Stamp Show are the American Topical Association, American First Day Cover Society and American Philatelic Society.

What else is happening at the Great American Stamp Show?

Speakers from the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Postal Service Stamp Services Division and the Royal Philatelic Society of London will lead programs.

The group from England will bring 800 pages of exhibits showcasing classic and unique stamps of the British Empire.

Specialty societies will give presentations on various philatelic topics, including estate planning, Disney on stamps and revitalizing youth philately.

A youth area will feature free stamps and supplies for young collectors.

For more information about the show, parking, and the schedule of events, go to https://stamps.org/great-american-stamp-show.

Where can stamp lovers get involved in Stark County?

Both the McKinley Stamp Club and Stark Stamp Club meet regularly.

The McKinley group, in existence for around 90 years, meets at 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Canton McKinley Fraternal Order of Eagles, 5024 Monticello Ave NW. The club has about 60 members.

Stark Stamp Club also meets at the Fraternal Order of Eagles at 7:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month. About 25 members are in that group.

Thatcher, who is chairwoman of the annual McKinley Stamp Show, has been interested in stamps since childhood.

"Both my parents collected, and my mother worked at the stamp department at Halle Brothers department store in downtown Cleveland in the early 1930s," said Thatcher, 74.

"I used to rip the stamps off the corners of envelopes," she said. "I collect from all over the world ... and I've traveled all over the world. I've been picking up stamps in my world travels. My parents and grandparents traveled, so everybody had a bunch of old mail with stamps on it."

Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stamp collector Super Bowl: Great American Stamp Show is in Cleveland