What Members Get from the Society for Hungarian Philately

Updated

Joining the Society for Hungarian Philately (SHP) gives you access to members-only journal archives and blog content, the ability to take part in the Society's quarterly online auctions as a consignor, and news of meetings, events, and expert presentations. Membership is arranged by requesting information from the Society rather than through an online sign-up shown on the site, so the practical first step is to send that request and confirm current dues and terms directly with SHP.

What the membership includes

The Society describes itself as a nonprofit organization, founded in 1970 and an American Philatelic Society affiliate (#34), devoted to the study of every aspect of Hungarian philately. Its site lists these concrete benefits:

Benefit What it means in practice
Members-only content Log in with your Society membership to view the SHP journal archives and members-only blog posts
Quarterly online auctions The Society runs quarterly online auctions that benefit both the club and member consignors; members can consign material
Meetings, events, presentations Club news covers upcoming meetings and events plus expert presentations
Publications The Society's monograph series, presented as an educational resource
Community and history An international membership base and a 50-plus-year record of study and publishing

The site's public pages also show sample content, such as a glossary and cross-reference of English–Hungarian philatelic terms and pronunciation, and blog posts like "Philately in Action" entries on the 1919 Magyar Tanácsköztársaság overprint issue and the first Debreczen issue of the Romanian occupation. These illustrate the kind of detailed, specialized material the Society publishes; the journal archives and members-only blog sit behind the login.

How to join

  1. Go to hungarianphilately.org and use the "Join Us" / membership information option to request details about joining the international membership.
  2. Wait for the Society's reply with current membership terms, dues, and payment instructions. The site does not publish prices, so treat cost as something to confirm with the Society.
  3. Once your membership is set up, use the "Log In" link with your Society membership credentials to reach the journal archives and members-only blog.
  4. To consign in an auction, watch the auction pages for the current sale (for example, the listed "Auction 2026C") and its lot listings, and follow the consignment instructions the Society provides to members.

What to check before you commit

  • Dues and payment method: not stated on the public pages; ask when you request membership information.
  • Auction terms: the site notes that auctions benefit the club and member consignors, but commission rates and consignment rules are not published publicly—confirm them with the Society.
  • Login scope: members-only access covers the SHP journal archives and members-only blog content; other pages, such as news highlights and auction lot listings, are visible without logging in.
  • Fit: the Society suits collectors who want structured study of Hungarian philately—postal history, overprints, occupation issues, and the like—and who value a journal archive and a specialist community. If you only need a quick price check on a single stamp, the public blog and glossary may be enough without joining.

For anyone weighing membership, the clearest test is whether the journal archive and auction consignment access match your collecting interests; if so, send the membership information request and confirm the current terms before paying anything.