The Learning Workshop provides a forum for the examination of subjects that will appeal to the non-specialist stamp collector. The prime purpose is to share collecting interests and information on subjects that appeal to all stamp enthusiasts whether established or new to the hobby. The program is aimed at the general collector and will invite participation from all attendees.

No business will be conducted at these meetings.

Questions or Topic suggestions can be sent to: Ian Robertson - email: vicepresident@westtorontostampclub.org

The Learning Workshop meets virtually via Zoom on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 7: 00 pm and concludes by about 9:00 pm.

A meeting invitation including a zoom link will be sent to all members and list of guests a week or so before the meeting.

2023,
      May 2, [Coronations and Celebrating Monarchy]
     Starting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 2, 2023 via Zoom, our 8th virtual Learning Workshop topic of the 2022-2023 season”

With the world preparing for King Charles III's May 6, 2023 Coronation, let's give a royal wave to his and other philatelic crowning celebrations

As with all Learning Workshops, participants are invited to share their treasured stamps and related covers. This topic should be a Crowning Touch!

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      April 4, [Tying your collection to a Calendar]
     Starting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 4, 2023 via Zoom, our 7th virtual Learning Workshop topic of the 2022-2023 season”

In other words, appropriate dates.

The format could be a 'show & tell' of dated items relating to or produced on specific occasions.With that in mind, show us your collecting interests as a Powerpoint Exhibit or Page display.

These could include: Birthdays; anniversaries; social and special occasions such as a Moon Landing; world events ranging from good to tragic — such as U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s assassination on Nov. 22, 1963; the horrific Sept. 11, 2001 hijacked passenger aircraft attack on New York city that claimed 2,996 lives and forever called ‘9/11’; a war’s start or finish; festivals, plus cacheted covers for philatelic exhibitions. The list goes on.

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      March 7, [What Matters To You in Stamp Collecting]
     Starting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 7, 2023 via Zoom, our 6th virtual Learning Workshop topic of the 2022-2023 season is ‘What Matters to You.”

No matter how or what you collect — even if your topic appears to be the same as some other collectors — everyone has their preferences, which may be different and interesting to fellow hobbyists. With that in mind, show us your collecting interests as a Powerpoint Exhibit or Page display.

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      February 7, [Cinderellas and Labels]       To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.
     Starting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 via Zoom, our 5th virtual Learning Workshop topic of the 2022-2023 season is ‘Cinderellas and Labels.”

You are heartily invited to join in and share what Cinderellas or Labels plus knowledge you have about this topic that would be interesting / informative.

It may look like a stamp, including perforations. But if it wasn’t a post office issue, the popular collecting term is Cinderella; Erinnophilie in France and Germany; Erinnofilia in Italy.

Also called adhesive labels, the more popular philatelic name is derived from the ancient Greece story about a young woman ill-treated by relatives, relegated to menial labour before meeting and marrying into royalty. Retold in 1687 as ‘Cendrillon’ by French author Charles Perreault, the tale is best-known now because of Walt Disney’s 1950 animated musical fantasy film, ‘Cinderella’, which the U.S. featured on a 39-cent commemorative in 2006.

The term was chosen “by the first Cinderella Stamp Club in 1959 as a reference to the mistreated and underappreciated fairy tale character,” according to the Collectors Weekly website. “Cinderellas which have accidentally passed as true postage and appear cancelled on covers are particularly prized among collectors. While some philatelists shun these stamps because they are inauthentic, a fair number of Cinderellas are created specific for the stamp-collecting community.”

As noted in The Stamp Echo posted online by Airpin Philately, “most stamp catalogues do not list Cinderella stamps since they are not postal issues. However, the ‘Unitrade Catalogue of Specialized Canadian Stamps’ does contain a listing for Canada National Christmas Seals printed from 1927-the present day. These labels could be purchased and stuck to an envelope in addition to the required postage stamp. Their purpose was to raise money and awareness for The Lung Association (also known as The Canadian Tuberculosis Association).

“Some Cinderella stamps are quite rare and valuable. It can be a fascinating field of study and you can learn quite a bit of history from learning more about their subject matter!” Arpin concludes.

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      January 3,
     Starting at 7 p.m., via Zoom, our 4th virtual Learning Workshop of the 2022-2023 season is "Show and Tell Us, about Everything and anything Philatelic that starts with the letter F"

There are obviously many Fine Terms to consider - including that one which, as everyone knows, refers to a stamp in mid-range condition, between Very Good and Very Fine.

Some terms are well-known, while others are not Frequently seen and could leave you Fazed, Flummoxed or Fumbling

Here are a Few: Face, the front of a stamp/cover; mail Forwarded to other Post Offices; Facsimiles; Fakes etc. Share your Collection displays at this WTSC Session and show as a PowerPoint.

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

2022,
      December 1,
     Starting at 7 p.m., via Zoom, our 14th virtual Learning Workshop of the 2021-2022 season is "Show and Tell Us, how you house and organize your Stamp and Cover collections"

Ratty, Tatty covers can become collectable covers as they are a fascinating and important part of philately and postal history.

These letters from the past would appeal to only a few collectors as they have been torn or damaged with the passage of time. However, as the handwriting, postage stamps, post-office transit markings or Business Advertisement(s) and other postal inscriptions are still legible and have withstood the wear and tear, they convey a great deal of information of the town(s) mailed (From-To) and makes good space-fillers to help complete a philatelic story.

Share your ratty, tatty covers at this WTSC Session and show as a PowerPoint.

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      November 1,
     Starting at 7 p.m., via Zoom, our 13th virtual Learning Workshop of the 2021-2022 season is "Show and Tell Us, how you house and organize your Stamp and Cover collections"

We know that almost everyone has a different way of assembling and/or writing up a collection. Some are stockbooks, others preprinted albums, and many are freehand on blank pages. There will also be some who design and print their own pages or even use an exhibiting format. There is no rule -- nothing can be wrong so long as the collector is happy and content.

Please take the time to scan part or a page of your collection and show as a PowerPoint.

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      October 4,
     Starting at 7 p.m., via Zoom, our 12th virtual Learning Workshop of the 2021-2022 season is "Get to Know Your Dealers"

In this meeting four stamp dealers will introduce themselves and their services in individual presentations after which the forum will open for questions, answers and general discussion.

The dealers will be:

Sam Hakim (Century Stamps, Clarkson), Bill Longley (Longley Auctions, Waterdown), Chris Green (Christopher Green Limited, Ottawa) and John S. Beddows (Gananoque)

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      August 2,
     Starting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, August 2, 2022 via Zoom, our 11th virtual Learning Workshop of the 2021-2022 season is "Anything Philatelic that is Blue"

This is the sixth Learning Workshop to feature Philatelic items that are Blue. According to sources, blue ranks as the world’s favorite colour. It is all around us, across the sky at the best of times, across our oceans, on numerous corporate logos, many people have blue eyes, and royalty often uses blue for sashes and uniforms.

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      July 5,
     Starting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, July 5, 2022 via Zoom, our 10th virtual Learning Workshop of the 2021-2022 season is ‘Everything and anything that starts with E.” This is the fifth Learning Workshop to feature subjects beginning with a letter of the alphabet. There are obviously many Excellent terms to consider for an Exchange of ideas. Some are well-known, while others are not Eminent, but certainly could Emerge. As we did before — December 2020 was the last letter-theme event, appropriately using ‘D’ — members are invited to share some of their favorite ‘E’ topics.

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      June 7,
      via Zoom, our 9th virtual Learning Workshop of the 2021-2022 season is a celebration “Happy 96th Birthday, Queen Elizabeth.” Whether you are keen on stamps, postal history OR both, join us to show your cover collection story in the form of a single page display featuring Queen Elizabeth. She was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London on June 2, 1953

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      May 3,
      via Zoom, our 8th virtual Learning Workshop of the 2021-2022 season is an expansive postal history subject entitled “Illustrated Commercial Mail.” The topic, which does not include First Day Covers, refers to envelopes and postal stationery with artwork promoting a business.

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      April 5,
      via Zoom, our seventh virtual Learning Workshop of the 2021-2022 season is entitled, Flights of fancy — Airmail-related stamps and covers from any member is requested for presentation to the group. Canadian aerophilately expert Chris Hargreaves will be the guest speaker.

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      March 1,
      via Zoom, our sixth virtual Learning Workshop of the 2021-2022 season is entitled Salute to Admiral stamps of Canada

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      February 1,
      via Zoom, our fifth virtual Learning Workshop of the 2021-2022 season is entitled Canada's Centennials:A significant definitive issue to study.

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      January 4,
      New Year's Resolutions in my Stamp World. A perfect time to consider and to share our next stamp collecting / philatelic steps.

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

2021,
      December 7,
      A Cover with a Story. Sometimes a cover is just a cover; sometimes the name of the sender or recipient, the place, the postal markings, even contents can yield a great story.

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      November 2,
      Original Research. Hear about several succeessful research adventures and share tips about your own research

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      October 5,
      Philatelic- Stamp Collecting Project under Construction

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      August 3,
      Focus on Research and Philatelic Digital/Online Resources useful to Stamp enthusiasts

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      July 6,
      What is in your Philatelic Library? Or not!

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      June 1,
      People who influenced the world around them — and beyond.

      To view this Presentation in a new browser window - Click Here.

      May 4,
      The Art of Stamps

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      April 6,
      Varieties are the Spice of Life

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      March 2,
      Topic of Conversation

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      February 2,
      Pride and Joy

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      For Prior Learning Workshop Topics
      Please see 'CLUB NEWS' - the 'Club Newsletter/Bulletin' section..
      The Bulletin for the month is posted and provides details of upcoming events and meetings.