Buying and selling stamps at club meetings

The matter of whether members should be allowed to buy and sell stamps at club meetings is a decision that has to be made by the Club Committee.

There are however a number of controlled ways trading can take place which can be of benefit to both the members and the club.

Sales tables
  • These can be quick fill in activities at the end of a meeting
  • Club members present their material in packets or mounted onto pieces of cardboard enclosed in a cellophane or plastic bag for protection. Window envelopes are also ideal.
  • Each item should be priced individually and the members should prepare a checklist of all items supplied. Each list should be named.
  • The items and list are handed to the sales table supervisor who checks that all items are present before putting them out on the sales table.
  • At the end of the sales table session all sales are added up for each seller and a commission of (say) 10% is taken for club funds. The balance is then paid to the seller.
  • All unsold items are returned to the members.
Stamp bid sales – mini
  • These can be quick fill in activities at the end of a meeting.
  • As with the sales table members present their material in packets or mounted onto pieces of cardboard enclosed in a cellophane or plastic bag for protection. Window envelopes are also ideal.
  • There should be a limited number of lots on offer (say 10 – 20) and have a low (in relation to its value) or no reserve.
  • Encourage members to inspect the items and assess their value. Some clubs ask members who intend bidding on an item to place it on another table. This ensures only lots for which there is an interest are auctioned.
  • Members bid on the items and pay immediately for those on which they place the highest bid. Some societies operate member accounts and these can be debited with the amount of the bid.
  • At the end of the mini-sale sales are added up for each seller and a commission of (say) 10% is taken for club funds. The balance is then paid to the seller.
  • All unsold items are returned to the members.