With some 40 clubs across the country and Canada, there is always something going on for the collector. At the national level, there are the annual conventions and regional swapfests to which collectors come from as far away as England and Australia. On the local level, clubs are continually holding meetings, anniversary and Christmas parties, hosting information booths at fairs, putting up public displays within their communities, etc. At any of these activities, visitors are always welcome. Learn more about the hobby, get information on how to get started as a collector, make contacts with people who have the same interests as you do.

The Four Major Events:

- The Rathkamp Matchcover Society is the national hobby organiztion, and the annual RMS Convention in August is always the largest activity in the hobby. Convention sites rotate around the country and Canada annually. You can always find current RMS Convention information at Convention Central

- The AMCAL Convention is the largest activity in the West. Put on each April/May by all of the four California clubs in Fresno, it's always an eagerly anticipated event. Current AMCAL Convention details can always be found at AMCAL Central

- The United Eastern Swapfest is the largest stationery get-together in the East. Details are always to be found below as soon as they become available each year.

- The Southern Swapfest, normally sponsored by the Mid-South and Southeast matchcover clubs, is the biggest such activity in the South. Details are always to be found at Southern Swapfest

.

 

SOUTHERN SWAPFEST: February 23-27, 2010. Clarion Hotel, Altamonte Springs, FL 407-862-4455. Room: $75/$95. All the usual great activities--2 great auctions+a special estate auction, great food, shoe box trading, tours, picnic, banquet, and more. FMI: Frank Denzler

 

AMCAL 2010: April 22-24, 2010. Heritage Inn, 204 Harding Blvd., Roseville, CA (800-228-4747, or 916-782-4466) (http://www.heritage-inn-roseville.com). Room rates are $47 for king bed and $50 for two queens (plus Tax). At least 2 big auctions, free B-B-Q, freebie tables, dealers tables, lots of trading! FMI: Loren Moore, POB 1181, Roseville, CA 95678 (877-752-6247).

 

TRANS-CANADA SWAPFEST: May 13-15, 2010. Quality Hotel & Conference Center, 5807 Ferry St., Niagara Falls, Ont., CAN L2G 1S8 (1-800-215-5691)Room: $70 (single/dbl)/$119 (suite). Two auctions, shoebox trading, displays, banquet, dealer tables, raffle with cash prizes, show & tell, plus more. FMI: Larry Ziegler, Stan Tombs, or Morris Pasternak.

 

UNITED EASTERN SWAPFEST: June 23-28, 2010. June 23-28, 2010. Plaza Hotel, Halfway Blvd., Hagerstown, MD. 301-797-2500 . Room: $89. Two auctions, shoebox trading, displays, banquet, dealer tables, raffle with cash prizes, show & tell, plus more.

 

70th RMS CONVENTION: August 22-28. Radisson Hotel Nashua, Nashua, NH 603-891-4179

 

PHILLU-QUEBEC SWAP-FEST: November 20-21, 2010 at the Blanchet Motel, in Drummondville (QC) 800 567-3823 FMI: cpelletier43@ sympatico.ca