American Topical Association

How many topics can you find in this picture?

Roll your mouse over the top of the picture for the answer (note, there may be other possible answers!)

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Welcome to the American Topical Association Web Site

Topical stamp collecting is the fastest-growing facet of stamp-collecting today. To find out more about what "Topical Collecting" is, CLICK HERE to read a story that explains topical philately in a humorous vein.

The American Topical Association (ATA) serves members in 65 countries. It is the largest philatelic society devoted to this specific area of stamp collecting. Organized in 1949, the ATA has over 56 years of service to its members. It is the best source of information, fellowship and authority in the topical stamp collecting field.

WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US!

SPECIAL MONEY SAVING OFFER FROM THE ATA
20% to 80% off all handbooks written before Jan. 01, 2004

Click Here to see ATA Special Handbook Discount Offers

Click Here to see NTSS 2005 Palmares

FLAGS ON STAMPS STUDY UNIT UNDER CONSIDERATION

Dalene Thomas, ATA Director of Units, has advised us that a new Unit of the ATA is currently being considered - Flags on Stamps.

If you have an interest in joining the Flags on Stamps Study Unit, contact Dalene Thomas.

Looking for articles on specific topics? The ATA Central Office can help you find and obtain articles on your topic from any past issue of our journal, Topical Time. Or you can use the "Articles" link to the left or on the bottom of each page of this website.

Ever wonder where you can go to find more information on Topical Stamp Collecting ?
Click here for the answer.

ATA PREFERRED ADVERTISERS LIST NOW AVAILABLE

The American Topical Association Website now features advertising from existing or new Topical Time advertisers. Our new Preferred Advertisers page provides links to Topical Stamp advertisers who support the ATA by advertising in Topical Time.

ATA COURSE - LEARN ABOUT TOPICAL STAMP COLLECTING

Learn about Topical Stamp Collecting through our new interactive course
Topical Stamp Collecting - The Basics , supplied by Mr. Dick Sine.

The links to the right (or on the bottom) of each page can acquaint you with many facets of the American Topical Association. We suggest you start with "About the ATA" to learn the history of the organization. After that, "Benefits" will be a second informative stop for you. Next, take a look at the "Topical Time" to get an idea of what our bi-monthly journal has to offer, while the "Articles" button takes you to a summary of article topics that have previously appeared in Topical Time and the "T. T. Indexes" button takes you to a listing of the Table of Contents for some of our more recent issues. The "News" button will give you an idea of the more recent press releases which have gone out to the philatelic media. "Handbooks", "Checklists" and "Slides" will each show some of the aids we offer to increase your collecting enjoyment. "Specials" will, from time to time, let you know of price breaks available on some items - check back often to see what new offers are available! The "Study Units" will acquaint you with over 50 specialized groups of collectors who have their own journals and/or newsletters. Also, the "Chapters" lists 33 stamp clubs around the world in which topical collectors are members. Navigating to the "Stamp Shows" page will tell you about our annual National Topical Stamp Show (NTSS), including dates and locations over the next 2-3 years. On the "Membership" page, you will see how easy it is to join the ATA, while the "Officers" page lists all the information on who you can contact to learn more about our various services. We also have a special section which shows many tips on collecting called "Collecting for Seniors" (who make up a large majority of our organization). This section can actually be used by anyone to start a new topical collection. Finally, the "Member Links" and the "Links" buttons can take you to further sources of information. We expect to add more links as the website continues to grow.

Here is a fun introduction to Topical Stamp Collecting that incorporates the various attributes of the American Topical Association.

AN ATA INTERVIEW WITH DOROTHY

Unknown to most people, Dorothy has been a topical stamp collector for most of her life. We ran into Dorothy recently at the National Topical Stamp Show in Denver and managed to get this exclusive interview with her on her life, her friends, and her hobbies.

ATA: Hi, Dorothy. Could you tell us a little bit about how you came to collect topical stamps?

Dorothy: I’d be happy to. My Aunt Em used to get a lot of bills in the mail on the farm and I started tearing the stamps off the envelopes. One day, I found an envelope with three different stamps showing Presidents on them, but they were overprinted with the word KANSAS across the face in big, bold, black letters. I thought it would be fun to collect stamps that tied in some way into my adopted state – I was actually born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota but we moved when I was a small child. I started looking for any other stamps that might tie in. I remember having a stamp with the Louisiana Purchase and another with an American Indian, but I lost them all in a tornado that hit our home. It turned my life around, both figuratively and literally.

Click here to read the full article...

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