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ROPEX web pages from prior years

QUICK LINKS To Go To: Location Schedule & Events Exhibitors Dealers Hotels Awards Presentation Cancels/Cachets

ROPEX 2015
Friday, May 15 - Sunday, May 17

The ROPEX Rochester National Stamp Exhibition
Sponsored by the Rochester Philatelic Association
--- Theme: "Elvis Presley- Return to Sender" ---

An APS "World Series of Philately" Event
See our show poster. See our postcard and handout. See our show program.

Welcoming the national convention of the Auxiliary Markings Club

The Greater Canandaigua Civic Center, 250 North Bloomfield Rd, Canandaigua
Daily Admission $2, Free for everyone Sunday! Free Parking.
Free all three days for RPA members and Youth under 18!

Hours: Friday 11-6, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 10-3

General inquiries about the show may be emailed here or addressed to:
ROPEX, PO Box 10206, Brighton Station, Rochester, NY 14610-0206
Phone: 585-752-6178

Welcome to The Greater Canandaigua Civic Center
GPS Latitude/Longitude Coordinates: 42.897913,-77.307821; N 43 53' 52.487", W 77 18' 28.155"

(click the map to enlarge it)

The Greater Canandaigua Civic Center on 250 North Bloomfield Road is a short 30 minute drive south east from Rochester. The facility is an ice rink from fall through spring and converts to a multi-purpose arena from May through September. It has hosted trade shows, parties, concerts and more "without ice." It offers 17,000 square feet of exhibition space, easy access to the main floor that can be driven on, several meeting rooms and a snack bar and grill. Read more about it in their promotional brochure here.

The Town of Canandaigua is in the heart of the resort Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. It is 5 miles south of the NY State Thruway (I-90) and on the north end of Canandaigua Lake. It is known as the Wine Trail for the many wineries large and small that blanket the area. Outdoor activities include hiking, camping, fishing and all sorts of water activities on and around the lake.

Driving Instructions to The Greater Canandaigua Civic Center: Click here to view maps and driving directions. (PDF)

From the Rochester International Airport
• Take a right onto Brooks Avenue out of the airport entrance.
• Take the ramp onto I-390 S for 4.8 miles.
• Take exit 14 A-B for NY-252/Jefferson Road and New York 15A/East Henrietta Road. Take exit 14 A east for .2 miles.
• Sharp left onto NY-252/Jefferson Rd heading east in front of Marketplace Mall, continue for 6.7 miles.
• Jefferson Road turns into Route 96 South. Continue for 10.5 miles through and past Eastview Mall and later the Town of Victor.
• Just past McDonalds on the left, turn right onto NY-332 S (Rochester Rd). Drive for 5.8 miles.
• Just past Canandaigua Chrysler Dodge Jeep on the left, turn right onto North Street. Drive 0.8 miles.
• Turn left onto North Bloomfield Rd. The rink is on the right.

From Main Street, Rochester
• Head East onto I-490, drive 13.9 miles.
• Take Exit 29 for NY-Route 96 South (Pittsford-Victor Rd).
• Merge onto NY-96 S, drive for 5.9 miles, past Eastview Mall and later the Town of Victor.
• Just past McDonalds on the left, turn right onto NY-332 S (Rochester Rd). Drive for 5.8 miles.
• Just past Canandaigua Chrysler Dodge Jeep on the left, turn right onto North Street. Drive 0.8 miles.
• Turn left onto North Bloomfield Rd. The rink is on the right.

Traveling from I-90, the NYS Thruway…
• Take Exit 44 to merge onto NY-332 S toward Canandaigua. Drive 7.5 miles.
• Just past Canandaigua Chrysler Dodge Jeep on the left, turn right onto North Street. Drive 0.8 miles.
• Turn left onto North Bloomfield Rd. The rink is on the right.

2015 ROPEX Show Committee

Awards: Ada Prill
Banquet: Ray Stone
Bourse: Dave Robinson
Cachet and Cancels: TBD
Cachet Sales: Rick Kase
Design-A-Stamp: Frank Tritto
Exhibits/Judges/Palmares: Tom Fortunato
Hospitality Table: Chuck Schultz
Program: Fred Haynes Publicity: Tom Fortunato
Site Coordination: Dave Robinson
Staging: Rick Kase
Treasurer: Dave Robinson
Volunteers: Chuck Schultz
Youth Activities: Mary Iman
At-Large: John Lighthouse, Carl Miller,
Rich Spinelli (Ex Officio)

Special Events

"Early Bird" Bourse- Friday, 9:30-11 AM! Stamp dealers not reserving tables for ROPEX or interested collectors are invited to enter the show early for a $20 admission fee. The show opens to the public at 11 AM.

Meetings & Seminars- Various societies will be meeting during the show, open to everyone to come and explore different facets of our hobby.

Feel Lucky?- Everyone filling out the quick registration form at the show entrance gets the chance to win some great door prizes.

Throughout the Show- Bring your stamps and other philatelic items to the show to help identify them and get a free informal appraisal of their value.

Cachet Makers' Bourse- To be held Saturday between noon and 5 PM. Dealers will sell their own cachet covers for a variety of issues.

Just for Kids

The ROPEX Youth Booth will be open Saturday and Sunday with fun activities, electronic games and lots of free stamps and covers for kids to enjoy.

Nina Goyette- 1st Place Grade 3-5 Age 10, Grade 5 Canterbury Elementary (WI)	Dion Mather- 2nd Place Grade 3-5 Age 9, Grade 4 East Rochester Elementary	Ian Szemcsak- 3rd Place Grade 3-5 Age 10, Grade 4 East Rochester Elementary
Jeremiah Tennant- 1st Place Grade 6-8 Age 14, Grade 8 Tennant Learning Center (Syracuse)	Jade Cook- 2nd Place Grade 6-8 Age 13, Grade 7 Hilton Middle School	Zoe Richard- 3rd Place Grade 6-8 Age 11, Grade 6 Homeschool (Jonesville, WI)
Joshua McKinnis-1st Place (Tie) Grade 9-12 Age 14, Grade 9 Homeschool (Fayetteville)	Angelica Tennant-1st Place (Tie) Grade 9-12 Age 18, Grade 12 Tennant Learning Center (Syracuse)	Jacob McKinnis-3rd Place Grade 9-12 Age 15, Grade 10 Homeschool (Fayetteville)

ROPEX Design-A-Stamp Competition (see 2014 top 3 finalists in the grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 categories above)- All students in grades 3-12 in the U.S. and Canada are eligible to enter our design competition. Entries must be postmarked by April 1. The top three entries in each grade category (3-5, 6-8, 9-12) will be awarded $50, $25, and $15 for 1st through 3rd place winners.

2015 Design-A-Stamp Rules and Entry Form (PDF)

2015 Schedule & Events

Details are subject to change. All meetings are open to the public except as noted*.

Thursday, May 14
8 AM-6 PM......ROPEX setup (exhibitors and dealers welcome 1-6 PM)

Friday, May 15
8 AM-6 PM.......ROPEX Judges' Deliberation Room (Judging Room 1)
9:30-11 AM......."Early Bird" Bourse- $20 entry fee for interested collectors and dealers
11 AM...............Show opens, Welcome and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, show entrance
11 AM-6 PM.....Prize drawings throughout the day, Free Stamp Evaluations
2-4 PM..............Auxiliary Markings Club Board Meeting (Room 1*)
6 PM.................Show closes

Saturday, May 16
10 AM..............Show opens
10 AM-6 PM....Prize drawings throughout the day, Free Stamp Evaluations
10-11 AM.........ACE- Art Cover Exchange General Meeting (Room 1)
11 AM-Noon....Auxiliary Markings Club General Meeting (Room 1)
Noon-2 PM.......Empire State Postal History Society Trading Hour and Regional Meeting (Room 1)
Noon-5 PM.......Cachet Makers' Bourse
2-3 PM.............American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors "Open Forum on Exhibiting" (Room 1)
3-4 PM.............ROPEX Judges’ Feedback Forum (Room 1)
5 PM................Show closes
6 PM................ROPEX Awards Banquet (TBA, cocktails 6-6:30, dinner 6:30 PM)

Sunday, May 17
10 AM..............Show opens
10 AM-6 PM....Prize drawings throughout the day, Free Stamp Evaluations
1-1:15 PM........RPA Youth "Design-A-Stamp" Awards Presentation (show floor)
3 PM................Show closes, Exhibit Pickup

For Exhibitors...

Click to view the ROPEX Exhibit Prospectus and Application (PDF)

Click to view the online ROPEX Exhibit application to register

2015 ROPEX Judges

Nancy B. Clark
Chairman
Marstons Mills, MA
John M. Hotchner
Falls Church, VA

David McNamee
Alamo, CA

Robert P. Meegan
East Aurora, NY

Henry H. Sweets III
Hannibal, MO

Nancy Clark is a lifetime collector, philatelist, award-winning exhibitor, author and international judge, pioneering youth education through stamps for 35 years. Today, she’s in the vanguard of philatelic outreach as host of the popular online radio program, “APS Stamp Talk with Nancy Clark.” She serves as the Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History President and Board Chair. At the invitation of Tony Virvilis she has assisted with the English text of "Greek Thematic Philately" to be published by Hellenic Post in 2014. She is a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London and a Life Member of the RPA.

John Hotchner is a collector since age 5; specializing in all phases of US philately, but also collects 20 other countries He is a writer for Linn's Stamp News, since 1976, and also writes for several other publications. He's a former president of the APS, and is completing his second term as president of the AAPE, which he co-founded in 1986. He is also a founder of half a dozen specialty societies, including the Auxiliary Markings Club. He's a grand award-winning exhibitor and has been an accredited national level judge since 1986, and internationally since 1989.

David McNamee is the Chair of the APS Committee for Accreditation of National Exhibitions and Judges (CANEJ).

ROPEX Exhibit Awards for 2015

Grand Award
Best Multi-Frame in Show
Stamp Box
Reserve Grand Award
Second Best in Show
Stamp Box
One-Frame Grand Award
Best Single Frame in Show
Stamp Box
Most Popular Award
Acrylic Paperweight
(as voted on by
ROPEX attendees)

Larry R. Moriarty, Sr.
Memorial Award
for an Exhibit of Merit
Stamp Box Dusty Miller Award
Best Postal History Exhibit
by a RPA Member
Stamp Box Andy Hale Award
Best Non-Postal
History Exhibit by
a RPA Member
Book Norman E. Wright
Memorial Award
Best Train or Related
Exhibit Selected by
Florence Wright
Train Table Book

The Rochester Philatelic Association sponsors the major awards at ROPEX shown above.

We are thankful to the many specialty societies and philatelic organizations that offer a variety of awards to national "World Series of Philately" exhibitions. Some are displayed below. Judges may chose not to award prizes if the minimum award requirements set by the donor society are not met. Clicking a society's colored name will take you to their web site. (Click on the

icon to view the award criteria)

American Philatelic Society
Medal and Ribbon of Excellence- Pre-1900 Material
Medal and Ribbon of Excellence- 1900-1940 Material
Medal and Ribbon of Excellence- 1940-1980 Material
Medal and Ribbon of Excellence- Post-1980 Material
Medal and Ribbon for Research Excellence

American Topical Association
First Award- minimum National Bronze (medal and ribbon)
Second Award (medal and ribbon)
Third Award (medal and ribbon)
Youth Award- minimum 3 exhibitors (medal and ribbon)
One Frame Merit Ribbon (not shown)

American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors
Award of Honor- Excellence in Presentation Not Winning a Gold Medal (2- cloisonné pin)
Creativity in Philatelic Exhibiting Award (gold pin)
Title Page Excellence Award (magnifier dome and ribbon)
Novice Award- Best Exhibit of a First Time Exhibitor (not shown- AAPE year membership and exhibiting book)

AAPE Youth Grand- winner enters AAPE’s Youth “Champion of Champions” (certificate and ribbon)
Youth First, Second and Third Best Exhibits Awards (ribbons)

American Airmail Society Best Multi-frame Air Mail Exhibit Winning a National Vermeil or Gold minimum 3 entries (medal and ribbon)	American First Day Cover Society Best Exhibit of First Day Covers with 75% or more FDC Material minimum 2 entries (plaque)	American Philatelic Congress Excellence in Written Text (Congress Book)	American Revenue Association Best Multi-frame Revenue Exhibit Award Winning a National Silver or Higher minimum 3 entries (medal, ribbon and certificate)
ATA Space Unit Best Exhibit with a Space Theme (Gold, Silver and Bronze medals)	Auxiliary Markings Club Best Exhibit of Auxiliary Markings Winning a National Silver or Higher (certificate)	British North America Philatelic Society Best exhibit of British North America material, including Canada and British Colonies in North America Winning a National Silver or Higher (plaque and ribbon)	Empire State Postal History Society Best New York State Postal History Exhibit Winning a National Vermeil or Gold minimum 2 entries (NYS historical artifact)
Ephemera Society of America For Any Display, Postcard or Advertising Cover Exhibit with a Significant Amount of Ephemera (certificate)	Errors, Freaks and Oddities Collectors' Club Best Exhibits of at least 25% Error, Freaks, Oddities Material minimum 3 entries (1st place ribbon and 1 year EFOCC membership, 2nd place ribbon)	India Study Circle for Philately ISC Award for the Best Exhibit of India and Related Material Winning a National Bronze or Higher (medal)	International Society of Worldwide Stamp Collectors Youth Award for the Best Display of Worldwide Material minimum 5 entries/50 pages (medal)
Lighthouse Stamp Society Best Exhibit with a Nautical Connection with 1 or More Entries (Harbour Lights limited edition ceramic lighthouse)	Meter Stamp Society Best One or Multi-Frame Exhibit/Literature of Meters or Electronic Postage in Any Class with 1 or More Entries (certificate, 2 year membership)	Military Postal History Society Best Exhibit of Military Postal History Winning a National Silver or Higher minimum 2 entries (prize mailed to winner)	International Philippine Philatelic Society Eugene A. Garrett Award Best Philippines Area Exhibit prefer minimum 3 entries (medallion and certificate)
Postal History Society Best Multi-frame Exhibit of Postal History minimum 6 entries (medal)	Scandinavian Collectors Club 3 SCC Awards for Best Multi-frame Traditional, Postal History and Research for Exhibits of 90% or More Scandinavian Material (medals)	Philatelic Society of Greater Southern Africa Best Exhibit of Southern Africa Material Winning a National Vermeil or Gold minimum 3 entries (crystal paperweight)	Sports Philatelists International 4 Sports Best of Show Awards for Multi-frame (min. Silver, 3 entries), One Frame (min. Silver, 2 entries), Novice (min. Bronze), Youth (certificates)
State Revenue Society For All Exhibits with a Significant Part Composed of State Revenue Material. Available in Gold, Silver or Bronze to Correspond with its WSP Medal Level. (medal and certificate mailed to winner)	United Nations Philatelists, Inc. For any exhibition with a minimum of 3 one or multi-frame exhibits of UN, League of Nations or related agencies. (gold, silver and bronze medals and ribbons for each)	United Postal Stationery Society Marcus White Award for the Best Multi-frame Postal Stationery Exhibit Winning a National Vermeil or Gold and not Winning Their Showcase Award (plaque)	United States Philatelic Classics Society Best U.S. Exhibit with Greater than 75% Material up to the First Bureau Issue of 1894 Winning a National Vermeil or Gold and Not Winning this Award in a 24 Month Period (medal)
United States Stamp Society Statue of Freedom Award Multi-frame Exhibit of Postage Stamps, Revenue Stamps or Stamped Paper Winning a National Vermeil or Gold (medal)	U.S. Cancellation Club Best Multi-frame U.S. Cancellations Exhibit with a Minimum of 25% of the Material Focusing on the Cancellations (plaque)	Vatican Philatelic Society Best Exhibit of Mostly Vatican or Roman States Material Winning a National Silver or Higher and Not Winning This Before (medal)	Women Exhibitors Sterling Achievement Award Merit for Any Exhibit in Philatelic/Subject Knowledge, Material or Treatment Winning a National Bronze, Silver-Bronze or Silver (pin)

2015 ROPEX Exhibits

Up to 150 frames available.

* denotes an exhibiting RPA member
-Title page - Plan page - Synopsis page

One-Frame Division Title Description

Multi-Frame Division Title Description

John Lighthouse * Revenue
7 frames Using the Documents of Commerce to Fund the Civil War This Revenue Fiscal History exhibit is focused on the First Issue revenue stamps and the documents taxable under the Tax Act of 1862, Schedule A.

Youth Division Title Description

For and About Dealers...

Interested in selling at our 2015 show? We offer some of the lowest table fees for a
national WSP show. The layout is subject to change.

Click here to view/download 2015 ROPEX Dealer Details and Application (PDF)

Click here to apply using the Online ROPEX Dealer Application

World Series national exhibitions around the same time in 2015:

Philatelic Show- May 1-3, Boxborough, MA

ROPEX- May 15-17, Rochester, NY

Rocky Mountain Stamp Show- May 15-17, Denver, CO

NOJEX- May 29-31, Secaucus, NJ

NAPEX- June 5-7, Washington, DC

Come to Rochester on your northeast swing of shows!

ROPEX visitors- Email your want lists to our dealers in advance of the show telling
them what you'd like them to bring for you. Just click on their email address.

2014 Attending Dealers

*** Visit the RPA table for a selection of US stamps, covers, collections and 10 cent worldwide stamps! ***

1840-1950 Mostly Stamps
Table 7 PO Box 423,
Milford, NH 03055-0423 (603) 673-7180
hstamps@jlc.net US, British Empire and worldwide- stamps, covers, lots

Dave Allego
Table 10 PO Box 69,
Salem, OH 44460 (234) 567-4181
dallego@neo.rr.com Worldwide covers, cinderellas, ephemera

Britannia Enterprises
Table 3 PO Box 2114,
Orleans, MA 02653 (508) 255-2465
michael.e.mead@verizon.net Worldwide covers, cinderellas, ephemera

C&D Philatelics
Table 5A PO Box 158,
Ruby, VA 22556-0258 (540) 752-1369
chamil302@aol.com Worldwide covers (inc. FDCs, navals, patriotics, topicals)

Canterbury Stamps & Dollar Table
Table 13 10 Chaucer Rd,
Nashua, NH 03062 (603) 888-4317
adaptron@comcast.net
Web site: www.canterburystamps.com Topicals, supplies

Collins First Day Covers
Table 11 PO Box 188,
Allentown, NJ 08501 (609) 259-0939
collinscachets@yahoo.com Collins hand painted First Day Covers

Cover Connection
Table 5 PO Box 173 Niagara Square Sta,
Buffalo, NY 14201 (716) 854-0222
coverconnection@gmail.com US and worldwide covers

Al Greco Stamps & Dollar Table
Table 1 1190 Nolan Rd,
Macedon, NY 14502 (315) 986-7948
alfredgreco@verizon.net US and worldwide stamps, US and Canadian revenues

McCloud Stamps & Covers & Dollar Table
Table 6 109 Maple Center Rd,
Hilton, NY 14468 (585) 507-3533
jstoltz@rochester.rr.com US, Canada, France, worldwide

Richfield Philatelic Company
Table 12 113 Richfield Ave,
Buffalo, NY 14220 (716) 826-1242
billwits@aol.com US and worldwide stamps and covers, collection lots

Tom's Stamps
Table 4 PO Box 470,
Butler, PA 16003 (724) 287-1931
tomsstamps@zoominternet.net Classic US mint/used and worldwide stamps, lots

Doug Weisz US Covers
Table 2 PO Box 1458,
McMurray, PA 15317 (773) 914-4332
weiszcovers@yahoo.com
Web site: www.douglasweisz.com US covers (inc. FDCs, navals, flights, events)

Laurence L. Winum
Table 9 PO Box 247,
Walden, NY 12586-0247 (800) 914-8090
winum@frontiernet.net US and Germany stamps and covers

Fred Zaganiacz Stamps
Table 8 2339 Lambeth Dr,
Pittsburgh, PA 15241 (412) 833-6441
fzaganiacz@adelphia.net Worldwide stamps/covers, US covers, topicals

Postal Administrations

United States Postal Service

Cachet Makers Bourse

Armstrong Cachets
C1 PO Box 24663
Rochester, NY 14624-4663 karmstr2@rochester.rr.com
Web site: www.armstrongcachets.com

Area Hotels and Rates

While there is no offical show hotel for ROPEX 2015, we would like to recommend two:

Holiday Inn Express Canandaigua- Finger Lakes at 330 Eastern Blvd. (formerly 4420 Eastern Blvd.)
585-396-3669, toll-free 1-888-465-4329 or Reserve online here. $94 per night and up.

Super 8 Canandaigua, 4450 Eastern Blvd. 585-396-7224, Reserve online here. $72 per night and up.
They are next to one another and across from Wegmans.

Click to read this and other Canandaigua area hotel reviews.

Alternative Canandaigua hotel details are listed as a convenience for show-goers with approximate 2014 nightly room rates. Add 10% tax to all prices. Many offer AAA and AARP discounts. Also check other Internet sites for possible discounts at these hotels. ROPEX is being held during the two-week Rochester Lilac Festival and graduation weekend for the Rochester Institute of Technology. Please make hotel reservations as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Click the blue astrisk to visit their web site.

Note: State Route 5 & 20 is known as Eastern Blvd.

Area hotels (PDF and Google interactive map)
Area restaurants (PDF and Google interactive map)
Trip Advisor interactive hotel and restaurant map

* Bella Ella Bed and Breakfast, 2300 Brickyard Road  585-746-3429  info@thebellaella.com  $140
* Bristol Harbour Lodge and Resort, 5410 Seneca Point Road  800-288-8248  info@thebellaella.com  $225 and up
* Cedar Lodge, 4341 Lakeshore Drive  585-394-2800  $77 weekdays/$100 weekends
* Finger Lakes Lodge, 3259 Moran Drive  585-394-2800  $89 weekdays/$115 weekends
   Georgian Motel, 2580 New York Route 332  585-394-2321  $ unknown
* Holiday Inn Express Canandaigua- Finger Lakes, 330 Eastern Blvd  585-396-3669  kturner@visions-hotels.com  $94
* The Inn on the Lake, 770 South Main Street  800-228-2801  theinnonthelake@hudsonhotels.com  $152 and up
* Lafayette Motel, 408 Lakeshore Drive  585-394-5383  lafayett@rochester.rr.com  $68 and up
* Miami Resort Motel, 4126 State Route 5 & 20  585-394-6700  miamimot@rochester.rr.com  $69–$125
* Red Carpet Inn & Suites, 4232 State Route 5 & 20  877-587-8719  redcarpet@canandaiguamotel.com  $77 weekdays/$99 weekends
* Super 8, 4450 Eastern Blvd  585-396-7224  $72 and up

ROPEX 2015 Awards Banquet

The ROPEX awards banquet will be held at on Saturday evening, May 16. Cash bar at 6 PM, dinner at 6:30 PM. Location and menu are TBA. Tickets are $TBA per person. Reservations must be received by May 9. Make checks payable to "ROPEX." Send payment to Ray Stone, c/o RPA, PO Box 10206 Brighton Station, Rochester, NY 14610-0206. Questions? Call Ray at 585-266-2524.

2015 ROPEX Cancels & Cachets

Our cancel and cachet designs are above. ROPEX 2015 covers are $7 per set of 3.

Make checks payable to "ROPEX." Send orders and 70 cent SASE to: RPA, PO Box 10206 Brighton Station, Rochester, NY 14610-0206.
If you cannot send a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE), please include $1 per set to pay for return domestic postage.