My name is Alan Wishart.

I began trading in 1989, and I specialise in the postal history of Europe from pre-stamp to 1900.

I'm a member of the Scottish Philatelic Trade Association and currently serve on the Committee. I also organise Scotex, the Trade Fair for the SPTA, in Perth. I was Secretary from 1991 to 1994, and helped in the initial drawing up of the present Constitution; I now represent the SPTA in the Association of Scottish Philatelic Societies. Recently I became a member of the Philatelic Traders Society and a membre de la Chambre Syndicale Francaise des Negociants et Experts en Philatelie.

I attend the larger fairs in Scotland, such as Scotex and Scottish Philatelic Congress; and some larger ones in England, such as the York Stamp and Coin Fair, and occasionally the Strand Stamp Show and Philatex. I also attend several shows in Europe mainly in the Netherlands and France, and visit others in Europe. I buy most of my material in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, Scandinavia, and Greece.

I also collect the stamps and postal history of Russia up to 1918, and Prisoner of War Mail, 1914-19.

I belong to several Societies:

Lanarkshire Philatelic Society
(President: 1995-96; Librarian: 1999 - 2006; Delegate to the Assoc. of Scottish Philatelic Societies: 2006 - .)
Caledonian Philatelic Society
(President: 2000-2001; Forgery Warden - 2005 - .)
Member of the Royal Philatelic Society, London.
Member of the Society of Postal Historians.
Member of the Collectors Club of New York.
The Scottish Philatelic Society.
The Scottish Postal History Society.
The Alba Stamp Group.
The British Society of Russian Philately.
The Netherlands Study Circle.
Nederlandse Vereniging van Poststukken-en-Poststempelverzamelaars.
The Germany and Colonies Philatelic Society (Chairman of Scottish Group 2000-2001; Scottish Group Leader: 2003 -.)
The Disinfected Mail Study Group.
The Scandinavian Philatelic Society.
The France and Colonies Philatelic Society.
The Czechoslovak Philatelic Society of Great Britain.
The Scottish Vikings.
The Scandinavian Philatelic Society.

I enjoy giving displays to Societies and can give displays on Imperial Russia and Prisoner of War Mail, 1914-19.