The president of the Chartrain Philatelic Circle, Gianfredi Azario, known as Fredi, has only occupied the chair since 2019, but he has a good knowledge of the history of the association: “It was created in Chartres, on March 22, 1930, at 8 pm h 30! At the initiative of Louis Dereinne, Chartrain painter and Monsieur Voyant, professor. “
Lieutenant-Colonel Crepey was the first president of the Philatelic Circle, which brought together a handful of friends. Others marked their time, especially over time, at the head of one of the oldest Chartres associations: Edmond de Magnanville (1948 to 1976), Émile Coubard (1976 to 1996) and Jean-Francis Ressort (1996 to 2019).
We wanted more freedom and less constraints
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Gianfredi Azario, 73, found an anecdote in the archives: “The room where the office met was destroyed by the bombings of 1944. Activity resumed in 1947.” The Philatelic Circle adapted to its time , by launching the magazine Dentelé 28, which is published quarterly. It is the only departmental magazine dedicated to postage stamps. The members of this association also show character and personality. They did not hesitate to leave the National Federation in 1998, as the native of Italy said: “We wanted more freedom and less constraints. “Besides, the cohesion is so strong in this group of sixty members, including five women, nicknamed the Cepetians.
The rarity and the condition which determine the price or its estimate
The world of philately was confronted with the transition from the Franc to the Euro in 2002. For collectors, this new currency had no real influence on the value of postage stamps. It is the rarity and the condition that determine the price or its estimate. Over the decades, there has been much interest in the attraction to this passion. But the number of transactions has dropped. The supply continues to grow at the expense of demand, as attested by President Gianfredi Azario: “Children or grandchildren who discover collections after the family deaths of uncles or grandparents, or who inherit them, get rid of them easily, see sell them. “
Gianfredi Azario is the new president of the Philatelic Circle of Chartres
But philatelists are faced with a new form of competition: speculators! They don’t have the same philosophy as the enthusiasts: “They buy the stamps and then put them in safes. They don’t admire them. They are waiting for them to grow in value. “
In the margins, another phenomenon has appeared in recent years: counterfeiting. Customs officials seized 324,000 fake French (Marianne) and English (Queen of England effigy) stamps from China in late 2019. For a value of € 300,000: “It’s so easy to transport. In another vein, the Internet has also revolutionized exchanges between collectors. “
A party organized in the fall
The Philatelic Circle has created a youth section to introduce youth to this passion. There are about ten of them, supervised by former president Jean-Francis Ressort. Advice is distilled, in particular on the interest of keeping the whole envelope, if it is in good condition and if the cancellation is readable. Other topics covered: how to peel a stamp without tearing it, especially the old ones that were made with poor quality paper; how to handle it, with pliers; keep it; what is the history of stamps in Eure-et-Loir, etc. Gianfredi Azario analyzes the situation: “Our young people are between 8 and 12 years old. Afterwards, we lose them. They come back around 40 years old. Today, the average membership is around 60 to 65 years old. They are retired and have more time. “
Scheduled for March 29, the club’s 90th anniversary celebrations have been canceled due to confinement. A new date will be scheduled for the end of the year.
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