(wma) Many thousands of visitors from Germany and abroad flocked to Messe Essen from 25 to 28 May 2023, where the 33rd International Stamp Fair and the IBRA World Stamp Exhibition were held in Halls 7 and 8. The 12,000 sqm event offered everything a collector’s heart could desire. Especially on the first two days, but also on the Whitsun weekend, the stands of the approximately 110 dealers, auction houses, publishers as well as postal administrations and agencies from all over the world were densely crowded. Turnover clearly exceeded expectations, and the suppliers were correspondingly euphoric. Classic and modern stamps were in demand, whether individually, in lots or in collections and part collections. The trend towards letters and other covers to enrich postal history and thematic collections was once again confirmed.

A crowd puller was the treasure chamber with the unique Bordeaux letter with a Red and a Blue Mauritius, at which there were waiting times. Legends of German philately were also on display there, such as the letter with the Baden misprint, the unique first day cover with the “Black One”, the first German stamp, or two “Hepburn” stamps, the most expensive modern stamp in the world. The small exhibition of the Germania definitive series from 1900 with unique designs and proofs also attracted visitors.

The great interest in the 799 exhibited collections from 70 countries was striking. Rarely were so many visitors to be seen at the frames, studying the exhibits in detail, taking notes and photographing pages and pages. The desire to learn more about the hobby and the individual collecting field was also reflected in the almost 70 information stands of working and research communities, the generous reading and literature area as well as the advisory stands of the associations.

For young collectors, there was a large area with games and activities. In the popular stamp pool, one could search for stamps from all over the world free of charge. Beginners were given a basic set of album, tweezers and stamps to start collecting.