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

Finally, we have a few days here in February when it is over 40 degrees in Pennsylvania! This seems like a heat wave, since I have had to walk my dog in 10-degree weather every night for a week!

Since I have been indoors more, I have had time to catch up on stamps and club business. We have seen a very good increase in membership since the beginning of 2026. We are now up to 335 active members, including our six affiliates.

As I plan to move into my new home in York, Pennsylvania, in April 2026, I hope to visit and engage with the stamp clubs in York, Harrisburg, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to preach the good news about the ISWSC. I am also hoping to make the trip to the International Show in Boston in May! I hope to continue meeting more members on my travels!

Springfield-Delco (Pennsylvania) Stamp Club is Affiliate #6: I had the pleasure recently of presenting the ISWSC to the Springfield/Delco (Delaware County) Stamp Club in southeastern Pennsylvania. I was invited by their President, Lou Ricker, whom I have had the pleasure of knowing for years from the BuxMont Stamp Club, north of Philadelphia. He is also a member of the ISWSC. As a result, we recruited at least one additional member, which allows them to become our sixth affiliate of the ISWSC. Congratulations to the club, and welcome to the ISWSC!

Food for thought: I was reading a column in the American Stamp Dealer’s Association (ASDA) monthly magazine recently, where John Dunn, the Editor of Mekeel’s and Stamps and U.S. Stamp News Monthly, made a bold statement. He stated, “This may seem blasphemous to some, but we need hundreds of thousands of people who will spend less than a few hundred dollars a month on their modest collection than we do a few advanced collectors seeking rarities that get recycled through a few major auction houses.”

This hit home for me. I am definitely not in the latter category. But I believe the future of the hobby will flourish if we continue to cater to all levels of collecting. As is evidenced by a recent donation of stamps to my clubs, there are plenty of stamps for everyone!

Feel free to let me know your thoughts. Drop me a line at executivedirector@iswsc.org. Thank you to John Dunn for his great insight!

Temporary New Address for all ISWSC Correspondence: The ISWSC P.O. Box in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, expires March 1, 2026. Please send all correspondence, dues, fan mail, and what have you, to my home address:

ISWSC
Thomas Almerini,
18 Center Avenue,
Willow Grove, PA 19090