Sberatel Fair expects record attendance this year, more exhibitors and visitors are coming to Prague
Sberatel.info
28. August, 2023
The largest gathering of collectors in Central and Eastern Europe will be even bigger this year. 20% more exhibitors will come than in previous years, and the organisers also expect more visitors. The Czech Lion investment coin with hologram will make its debut at the fair, the world’s longest postage stamp will be on sale and the famous Citroën 2CV “gendarme duck” will also arrive. It will celebrate its 75th birthday at the fair.
Exactly 35 exhibitors, who will be present in Prague for the first time ever, report this year’s edition of the International Sberatel Fair. They will join more than 200 companies that regularly return to the PVA Expo. Sberatel will be held there this year from 8 to 9 September. They will bring to Prague postage stamps, coins, medals, banknotes, postcards, historical securities and other collector’s material.
“The fair attracts 10,000 visitors every year, more than a third of them from abroad. This year, we expect an even slightly larger attendance. Covid, war and inflation are turning the attention to collecting as an investment for more and more Czechs,” says Jindřich Jirásek, the fair’s director.
The Sberatel is attended by major dealers and auction houses from home and abroad. After the pandemic, for example, the Chinese mint China Gold Coin Group is returning to the Czech Republic, and for the first time ever, the State Printing House of Valuables will present its own exhibition at the fair. After a long hiatus, the Vatican Mint will participate in the Sberatel. It plans to premiere a new issue of coins in Prague.
Olympic winner Ondřej Moravec will arrive
On the first day of the fair, Ondřej Moravec, the most successful Czech biathlete in history, will personally launch the new Czech Post postage stamp from the “Legends” series. After the planned autograph session, the silver medallist from the 2014 Sochi Games will be replaced by Roman Vaněk, a leading popularizer of gastronomy and collector.
He is the owner of the largest collection of menus, historical cookbooks and many rarities related to gastronomy in the Czech Republic. At the fair, it will be possible to see a selection of rare restaurant menus from his collections, including three of the oldest printed in Bohemia.
A world premiere is the upcoming exhibition of a unique collection of the world’s smallest cookbooks from the Vanek collection. This global collection also includes two of Vanek’s Czech mini-books. That is to say, cookbooks in the “world miniature” version. “We have allocated several hand-bound, certified and signed copies for free sale to collectors,” confirmed Roman Vaněk.
The Czech Post has prepared a commemorative postcard “Gastronomy on stamps” with a selection of Czech “gastroznámek”, which is accompanied by a quote by Roman Vaněk and a graphic motif from a historical menu by Alfons Mucha.
The famous “duck” will be christened by the ladies who plan to take it to the Dakar Rally this year
The famous Citroën 2CV is celebrating 75 years and the Sberatel Fair has prepared a stamp sheet with the motif of the legendary “duck” to mark the occasion. It was designed by artist Roman Sedlák, who also prepared the same motif for the popular “0 euro souvenir note.
On Saturday, the car racer Bára Holická and her co-driver Lucie Engová, sister of our only F1 pilot Tomáš Enge, will come to the fair to christen it. Both ladies are planning to take the Citroën 2CV to the upcoming Dakar Rally in the Classic category. Their upcoming race special will also be on display at the Sberatel.
The world’s longest stamp will be on sale at the Sberatel Fair! And you can meet agent 007…
At the Kyrgyz Post stand, visitors will be able to buy a stamp which, with its 184 mm width, is officially the longest postage stamp in the world. It represents the Chaar-Tash Mountains, the Toguz-Toro Tract and the village of Kazarman. Kyrgyz Express Post issued the stamp, which is accompanied by an interesting first day cover (FDC) in 2022 for the “International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development”.
The “James Bond on postage stamps” exhibition is sure to be a big draw for the general public. A unique collection of motifs from the films featuring the famous Agent 007 on postage stamps from all over the world will be on public display for the first time ever. Stamps with James Bond will then be on sale directly at the fair.
Czechs are increasingly interested in investing in coins or stamps
The Czech Mint will premiere a new design of its successful investment coin, the Czech Lion with Hologram, to collectors. The “Czech Lion” investment coin has been minted since 2017, when it premiered at the Sberatel fair, and during that time it has been popular with investors in the Czech Republic and abroad.
Several dozen dealers in coins, medals, banknotes and investment precious metals from all over the world are participating in this year’s Sberatel.
The Czech market, whose total annual volume is around half a billion crowns, is attractive for numismatic dealers. “In the Czech Republic we have one of the strongest and most stable markets within the EU. This is mainly due to the long tradition and interest of new collectors or investors,” says Petr Kovaljov, who represents the numismatic auction house na Künker, the largest on the German market, on the Czech market.
Alongside the Sberatel Fair, the exhibition centre also hosts the Minerals and Precious Stones Fair and, on Saturday 9 September, an event aimed at collectors of gramophone records and music memorabilia, the Vinyl & Stereo Expo.
For a full accompanying programme, visit the website here.
red, photo: Sberatel Fair
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