Membership Information

Hola..Guten Tag...G-day Mate...Salut...Bonjour...Hello...We're International! Our approximately 100 members hail from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, The Philippines, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and The United States.

History

The Bicycle Stamps Club was formed in 1980 as the Bicycles On Stamps Study Unit of the American Topical Association. The first issue of Spoken' Word, the club's newsletter, was dated August, 1980. At that time there were 20 members, two of whom, Gary Nooger and David Sher, are still active today. By early 1985, nine issues had been published. After an editorship change, the tenth issue was published, a 64-pager that greatly exceeded past efforts. In the Summer of 1986, the magazine was scheduled for semi-annual delivery and the name was changed to Bicycle Stamps. In 1990, with a new editor taking the reins, the magazine became a quarterly 32-page publication. That format continues today. The Club has been a member of the British Thematic Association for some time and has seen a gradual but steady increase in membership; numbering about 100 by the middle of this decade.

Bicycle Stamps Magazine

Biker on stamp Undoubtedly, the main reason for being a official member is the quarterly magazine called Bicycle Stamps. A wealth of information arrives at your door every three months. In each issue there are numerous articles relating to our hobby; some written by members, others by outside contributors. Here are the titles of some articles which appeared over the years:

	"Post Office Watching as Mail Bikes Along"
	"The USA Special Delivery Issue of 1902 Overprinted 'Philippines'"
	"Interview With a Stamp Designer"
	"Three Version of French Stamp Day Stamp"
	"Eddie Merckx -- Champion"
	"The Concord Bicycle Stamp"
	"Bicycle Stamps That Aren't"
	"Reviews of Members' Various Bike Lists/Catalogs"
	"Pictorial Cancels"

Each issue of Bicycle Stamps lists the most recent new issues. There are articles about local bicycle stamps both historical and new. An updated Membership Roster appears each year in the February issue.

You'll agree that each new issue of the magazine becomes a part of the world's best encyclopedia on the subject of bicycle related postage stamps.

Catalogs and lists

Several members of the Club publish bicycle stamp lists of catalogs on their own initiative and not as Club projects. They vary in completeness, information per entry, language in which they are printed, cost, and whether or not illustrated. Members who publish catalogs or lists are: Batho (English), Hilarides (French), Malone (English), Pöpperl (German) and Tibbe (Dutch).

Who are our members?

Each of us is either a bicycling philatelist or a philatelic bicyclist. More specifically, we collect postage stamps that include bicyclists or bicycle-related items on them. Racing bicycles, postmen on bicycles, military bicycles, touring bicycles or antique bicycles -- as long as there is a bicycle theme. The goverment of most countries has issued at least one bicycle related stamp. The total issued is now over 2,000 and the pace seems to be quickening. Additionally, there are hundreds of unofficial issues.

Present officers

	President/Treasurer, Brian Sole, 3 Stockfield Road, Claygate, Esher, Surrey, England KT10 0QG
	Vice President, Jari Majander, Kaskisavu 2, C 12, FI-02340 Espoo, Finland.
	Secretary and Bicycle Stamps Editor, Tony Teideman, P.O. Box 90, Baulkham Hills, N.S.W. 1755, Australia.

Want to join us?

We welcome new members who share our interests! To make payment as simple as possible, we have arranged with our members to accept payments in a variety of currencies.

If you are interested, here are your options:

Send US$19 (1 year) or US$53 (3 years) to

         Bicycle Stamps Club 
         c/o ,  Bill Eubanks, 
     	 21304 2nd Ave
         SE, Bothell  WA  98021-7550   USA

or send 12.50 British Pounds Sterling (1 year) or 35 Pounds (3 years) to

         Bicycle Stamps Club
         c/o Brian Sole,
         3 Stockfield Road,
         Claygate, Esher,
         Surrey, England  KT10  0QG
  
         (if GIRO, mention account #28 228 5806)

or send A$30 (1 year) or A$80 (3 years) to

         Bicycle Stamps Club
         c/o Tony Teideman
         P.O. Box 90, Baulkham Hills, 
         N.S.W. 1755, Australia

(Due to bank requirements, checks should be made payable to Tony personally rather than to the Club).

The above stated membership rates are subject to change due to variability of exchange rates.

This page was last updated on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009.