The Bookseller of Wyomissing: An Interview with Phil Bansner of philbansner.com
Modest to a fault
This article was first published as “The Bookseller of Wyomissing: An Interview with Phil Bansner of philbansner.com.” Philatelic Literature Review 69 no. 3 (Third Quarter 2020).
After my previous interview with Burkhard Schneider of philabooks.com, published in the 3rd Quarter 2020 Philatelic Literature Review (PLR), I was keen to interview Phil Bansner (Philip T. Bansner, in full) (Figure 1). Phil runs a website bearing his name and deals in mainly U.S.-centric stamps, postal history, and yes, philatelic literature; he calls himself a “professional philatelist.” While browsing past issues of the PLR, I realized that I had never come across his interview or detailed profile. I sent an email asking if we could chat over Skype or WhatsApp. Phil replied that he only had the trusty old landline on which I could call him. I did and asked him the question at the top of my mind – why was he not interviewed before? His short reply, “I keep a low profile.”
Phil indeed has a very different modus-operandi compared to other dealers. To my question on his interactions with famous collectors and other dealers as well as important philatelic purchases, he responded (and I suspect very honestly), “I never did buy a famous collection or meet with a famous literature collector. I have not owned individual titles of great rarity.” This is probably an understatement since I have personally seen important titles of philatelic literature in his online shop - for example, a couple of Fournier Forgeries Albums (Figure 2), a set of the Ferrari auction catalogs (Figure 3), and The Postage Stamps of Switzerland by Mirabaud and Reuterskiöld, which I was lucky enough to have bought.
Phil’s modesty is one of many reasons I enjoyed our discussions. As you read on, you will find that his depth of knowledge and experience as a professional U.S. philatelist is another.
Phil, please tell me about yourself.
I was born in 1943 and raised in West Reading, PA. My dad Reinhold was in the printing business and my mother Evelyn was an elementary school teacher. I have an older sister Carol who has several degrees in the space science field; her work really is rocket science. I graduated from West Reading High School in 1961 and Penn State University in 1964, and then spent two years in the military. Upon leaving the military I returned home and was hired by a local bank in their management training program. I switched banks once and remained in banking until 1979. I have two grown children, Brad and Karen, and two grandchildren, Benjamin and Isabella, who live within fifteen minutes of my home. These, of course, are the two best grandchildren in the world. I was married to my late wife Beverly for 55 wonderful years. She rarely came with me to stamp shows as she was very busy at home bearing the brunt of the work in raising two wonderful children; all of us in the family still miss her greatly (Figure 4).
Were you a stamp collector since your childhood? Or did you get into it much later?
I was first introduced to stamps when I joined a fifth-grade stamp collecting club. My dad gave me a stamp album with a large assortment of United States and worldwide stamps. Dad was not a collector but had received the stamps in order to collect a debt. I liked studying and researching the stamps as we club members traded duplicates. I kept at the hobby during my high school years. I had a paper route and would use my earnings to buy stamps (instead of baseball cards) from a local stamp dealer by the name of Philip Burtner. Many years later, I purchased the balance of Mr. Burtner’s philatelic estate.
What made you become a dealer in 1975?
During the early 1970s I became more serious about my stamp collection. I traded off all my old collections and started concentrating on United States very fine mint never-hinged stamps. I was good friends with a local stamp dealer named Bob Gantner who introduced me to stamp shows. He eventually took me along to shows as a helper and was my introduction to stamp dealing. In 1975, I met with show organizer Dick Bower and obtained a table at his monthly stamp show in Sommerville, New Jersey. That started a five year period during which I was a part time stamp show dealer while also maintaining a career as a mortgage banker.
I joined the American Philatelic Society (APS) in September of 1975. I liked the way they were organized and felt that they were in tune with the stamp collecting community. Their monthly publication, The American Philatelist, is the best in their field. I am proud to be a member of this fine organization. During my first years as a dealer (Figure 5), I published price lists and attended local stamp shows. I concentrated on United States stamps, both front and back of the book.
How did you transition to dealing full-time in philately in 1979?
During the late 1970s there was a recession that greatly impacted the mortgage business. I was a mortgage banker without any money to lend. I knew my banking career was in jeopardy. I resigned my banking position and went to work full time as a professional philatelist. I joined the American Stamp Dealers’ Association (ASDA) in 1979 so that I could attend their large regional shows.
The 1980s were hectic, between my growing stamp business and active family life. I was a regular at stamp auctions such as Robert A. Siegel, William A. Fox,1 Harmer’s of New York, “Simmy’s”,2 Daniel Kelleher, Richard Frajola, and John Kaufmann3 to name a few. I diversified my stamp holdings, taking positions in back of the book issues, including proofs and essays, revenue issues, and match and medicine stamps. I also started acquiring foreign stamps, worldwide philatelic literature, and U.S. advertising covers.
How did the stamp recession of the 1980s impact you?
This was pre-Internet. Stamp prices declined dramatically. My inventory was not selling. One week I repriced my entire inventory to reflect the current market. My inventory started to sell at the new price levels. Fortunately, I was in a position to withstand the downturn.
You have occupied various organizational posts with the American Stamp Dealers Association (ASDA) and with the American Philatelic Research Library (APRL). Tell us more about them?
I met ASDA Executive Director Joseph Savarese4 and started a long term business and personal relationship. “Joe” was a very dedicated employee, always giving 110% to his job. Beginning in 1987, I started to do service work for the ASDA and became involved as a board member, ethics committee chairman, Vice President, and two-term President from 1996 to 1999. This was the time of Arthur Morowitz, Lewis Kaufmann, Bob Feldman, and many other dedicated ASDA members. The Board of Directors worked for the interests of the ASDA, and there was cooperation with other philatelic societies as well as the U.S. Postal Service. This work was very satisfying. I ended my work for the ASDA in 1999 but am still a proud member of the organization.
During the 1990s, I worked with the very talented and very personable Ginny Horn, the librarian of the APRL, then located in State College. The management of the library was in great hands. I became a trustee and also President of the Board of the APRL. During this time the APS made the decision to move, lock, stock and barrel, to the Match Factory building.5 This has turned out to be a very wise decision as the building is a great place for the employees to work and is financially very stable. I am personally happy with the finances as I signed the mortgage and note for the APRL, the owner of the facility (Figure 6).
How did you get into philatelic literature? I have seen your price lists for sale; can you tell us about them? Were these for only philatelic literature or for both philatelic literature and philately?
My move into philatelic literature was spurred by the purchase of four large libraries within six months. I was fortunate to have the space in a building I owned and the valued assistance of my good friend, stamp expert, and fellow dealer William T. Crowe. Between 1987 and 1997 I published eight extensive price lists of U.S. and foreign reference works, journals, and auction catalogs; the first three were under the “Empire Group,” (Figure 7) and the others were under my own name (Figure 8). These were mainly done on “Bookmaster,” the software program developed by the very creative Tom Sawyer of upstate New York.
Over the phone, you told me that as a dealer, you were a regular at stamp shows until 1997 when you started your website. What made you decide to discontinue with shows, since many dealers do both?
During the 1990s I was doing shows, buying and selling U.S. stamps, postal history, and worldwide philatelic literature (Figure 8). My good friend and postal historian Elwyn Doubleday joined me, and my postal history inventory was greatly expanded. In addition to shows, we did mail order sales to individual collectors, sending photocopies of items they might like. Elwyn remained with me for several exciting years. I was sorry to lose him when he returned to New Hampshire.
I made a major move in 1997 when I left the show circuit (Figure 9) and began working from home. The increasing difficulty of travel and the desire to spend more time at home were important factors in this change. I also downsized my entire staff so I was truly a sole proprietor. I took my time on the downsizing so that no one became unemployed. My sister Carol (the rocket scientist) had been using the pre-commercial Internet for several years and recommended that I give the commercial version a try. My son Brad, a computer programmer, natural artist, and website host, developed my site and keeps it up to date. I started entering items onto my website and was amazed when one day someone found me and made a purchase. No longer was there a need to use the mail for selling. With COVID-19 being the cause of the cancellation of many stamp shows, it turns out the Internet is now a major philatelic arena.
So, you must have customers from across the world?
Most of my clients are from the U.S., followed by Canada, Great Britain, Europe, Australia and the Far East. Fewer of my customers are from Africa and Central/South America. I estimate that I make sales in 30-40 countries.
What percentage of your sales are split between philatelic literature and postal history/stamps?
My best estimate is 40% stamps, 35% postal history, and 25% literature.
Your website, www.philbansner.com, has some 90,000+ items of postal history and stamps and some 4,200 items of philatelic literature. Almost all of them seem to be scanned and described, which is tremendous. Do you employ someone to help you out with your business?
I do everything. I am the buyer, the describer and scanner. I do the inputs onto the website, and take out, pack and ship orders. I do the bookkeeping but leave the accounting to a professional.
Most philatelic literature dealers do not stock new books due to low margins. Did you or do you ever stock them yourself?
I do not have the time, storage space or specialized knowledge it takes to handle the large volume of new publications that enter the hobby each year. That is the main reason I restrict my purchases to the after-market.
Most literature dealers who I have interviewed do not stock long runs of journals. Why has it become difficult to deal in item? Is it due to high shipping costs alone?
Working with journals and periodicals has many challenges – besides the excessive storage space required. It seems that most societies are going digital with fully searchable databases. Why use several feet of shelf space when you can get something better on a ¼-inch disk? Editing and updating is simple, you can publish a new edition whenever you wish. However, many short run papers and journals proliferated during the late 19th and early 20th century. These are quite collectible and can be a niche for a literature dealer. Getting the actual product is the difficult part. I once came across a lot of several thousand such papers. After careful consideration, I decided that the APRL would be the best place for these to be housed. They were very appreciative of the donation.
How do you describe your philatelic literature stock?
I skim each title that crosses my desk, not only for condition but also for content. It allows me to gain insight about different stamp issues and postal history. I may digress from my write-up work to do an in-depth reading of a title that I find particularly interesting . . . great for the mind, but does little for the checkbook. I wish I had the memory capacity to have stored the content from the over 15,000 titles in my database. I made a good decision when I expanded into the philatelic literature business; I feel I have done something that benefits the entire hobby. It has been successful, financially and personally.
Tell us some anecdotes about your dealings with famous or quirky literature collectors . . . or about some of your important library or other acquisitions over the last 40 years or more. Which are some of the most interesting or most valuable titles of philatelic literature that you have handled?
I never did buy a famous collection or meet with a famous literature collector. I have not owned individual titles of great rarity. I rarely purchased literature at auction. It just does not fit my operating style.
On a lighter side, while holding a stand in London 1980 [International Stamp Exhibition], I did see (not meet) and was within ten feet of Queen Elizabeth. She did not stop by my booth!
How do you compare the state of philatelic literature (and for that matter stamps and postal history) now against say the 1970s and 1980s?
One subject you will find in many general and specialized publications are articles on the state of stamp collecting as a hobby. From the 1870s to date, you read, “The hobby is on the decline!” “There are no new stamp collectors.” “Stamp clubs are disappearing.” “There are no young stamp collectors.” “All stamp collectors are old.” “Ours is the last generation collecting stamps.” I think these articles will appear in stamp publications in the year 2120!
I believe philately attracts the same percentage of the population that it always has. There is nothing better than being in your stamp den doing research on our favorite topic. We develop contacts with other collectors if we need assistance. If we want to display our collections, we can choose to do so for our stamp club, a stamp show, or Internet websites.
You mentioned that you are, over time, looking to wind down on your philatelic literature dealing? The literature world would be poorer with one less dealer! Why is it so?
I am slowly de-emphasizing the literature portion of my business. The cartons seem to be heavier, and the moving, packing and handling more difficult. Further, the building I use to warehouse my literature will be for sale within the next few years. I close with – Does anyone want buy an operating philatelic literature business with deep roots on the internet?
Acknowledgements: I would like to thank Phil for patiently answering my questions. Any feedback or information can be shared to my email at abbh [at] hotmail.com or on my twitter handle @abhuwalka.
Here is more about Fox from Phil. “William A. Fox (1929-2008) was based in New Jersey and later Florida. I only met him near the end of his career. He was an insider of a passing generation of stamp dealers. He was an exceptional philatelist. He ran United States and worldwide stamp and postal history. I became friendly with “Bill” and he helped me with his advice about the business of stamp dealing. I wish I had known him better and longer. His philatelic biography would be very interesting.” More about Fox is on Trish Kaufmann’s website: https://www.trishkaufmann.com/provenance.
“Simmy (Seymour M.) Jacobs was a larger than life stamp auctioneer who operated out of Boston from the late 1950s into the 1970s. He was part of the investment craze. He spent a lot of time extolling the virtues of his wares. A good number of stamp dealers got their start by working as stamp buyers for Simmy’s. I did receive an invitation to go fishing on his boat. Several people got seasick and we did not catch any fish. Back at the dock Simmy laughed and said, “A thousand dollar trip going nowhere and doing nothing.” Again, I did not know Simmy well enough to create a biography but rest assured it would be an exciting one.”
The reader would be interested to know that it was Simmy who coined the word ‘Jumbo’ sometime after 1970 to describe stamps with unusually large margins; such stamps which were not much more valuable than the usual stamps skyrocketed in value thereafter. See https://www.stampauthentication.com/grading-stamps.
John Kaufmann was a dealer and owner of John W. Kaufmann, Inc., a stamp auction house. Many readers will be familiar with Patricia (Trish) Kaufmann, the famed Confederate States of America dealer and expert, who was John’s first employee and later his wife. John passed away in 1988 and Trish closed the firm in 1989. See https://www.trishkaufmann.com and https://postalmuseum.si.edu/patricia-kaufmann.
Joseph Savarese was the head of the ASDA’s operations for 36 years until 2013. https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/2015/january/guyer-of-aps-named-asda-executive-director-1.html
More on the APS’ and APRL’s move from State College to the historic match factory in Bellefonte, including some photographs, can be found in the pages of The Philatelic Literature Review from the early 2000s. See, for example, the 3rd Quarter 2000 (“Stamps & Matches”), 1st Quarter 2002 (“APRL Acquires Match Factory”), 2nd Quarter 2002 (“Moving Forward”, “Match Factory Open House”, “A Letter to the Membership at Large”, “Reverence for our Past, A Vision for our Future”), 3rd Quarter 2002 (“APRL and APS Move Storage to Match Factory”), and 2nd Quarter 2004 (“We’re Here!”) issues.