One of the great strengths of this hobby is that it is constantly changing. This provides me with the opportunity to always monitor the pulse and when necessary reinvent the basic tenants of my business. I have always felt that you need to find niches, and work to dominate them in order to be able to make a living in this business. Literature has always been my foundation. Essays and proofs and postal history round out the product pyramid. In order to grow my website needs some major enhancements. Over the next three to six months Randy Neil will be redesigning my site and Brad Bansner will be creating an interactive database that we provide real time inventory, search features, shopping cart and a secure environment for credit card transactions. These changes will greatly enhance the nuts and bolts aspect of my business and provide me with more time for personal communication with clients.

For the past two years we have sent out a separate special holiday offering of literature. Now that we have expanded our newsletter from 12 to 16 pages we are able to merge the holiday offering into this issue. This move creates a savings in time and money. Therefore, we are offering free shipping on all domestic literatures orders that result from this issue of the newsletter and placed by December 31st.

We have just sent four more storage boxes of foreign titles to APS. In four weeks we are sure they will be listed on their site. In the past two years we have listed hundred of titles with APS. This is a win-win, for the APS gets a commission on each title as they sell and get rid of our foreign titles at a reasonable price. There are hundreds of titles listed there from any number of members. When searching for a foreign title why not try their website first. This link will take you to the literature:

Once there go to "Select a Type" and drag down to "literature", then hit browse.

Our last show of the year will be Chicagopex, November 19th through the 21st at the Sheraton Chicago Northwest in Arlington Heights, IL at Route 53 and Euclid next to the famed Arlington Race Track. We will have plenty of new essay-proof and postal history material. Since this is a local show we will also have a large selection of philatelic literature including all of the new releases found on page 13 in this issue of our newsletter. If you want us to bring a specific titles just call (847/462-9130) before Wednesday, November 17th.

Chicagopex is the premier philatelic event in Chicago. I hope to see your there.

The middle of the fastest three months of the year is fast approaching. Once Chicagopex ends on Sunday, November 21st it is a swift down hill ride through Thanksgiving, the Christmas Holidays and then you wake up late on New Years Day and look back at the blur.

Before all this takes place I want to say …Thank you! Two powerful little words that encompass so much. There are so many wonderful client relationships that have developed over the past 15 years. I truly enjoy the opportunity to help each of you build your collections, and expand our mutual base of knowledge in the areas of postal history and essays and proofs.

Again … Thank you for an amazing year. May you and your family enjoy a new year filled with good health and prosperity.

All the best,

Jim Lee