PTA - a brief history of the association
The Postcard Traders Association was formed in 1975 by a group of pioneering dealers who felt that the rapidly expanding hobby required a more professional approach, with regard to its organization, regulation and direction.
It was decided, fairly soon after the inception, to organize an annual exhibition and bourse to help promote the Association and its aims. The British International Postcard Exhibition or BIPEX as it came to be known, was first staged in 1976 and was a regular event in the Postcard calendar for decades afterwards.
Still fondly referred to as BIPEX the name was actually changed to.. 'The Picture Postcard Show' in 1995, this was in an effort to promote the event to a wider audience.
The show grew in size and importance with each one, culminating in the massively successful Centenary Exhibition held in 1994, and was widely regarded as the premier show of the Postcard year, without doubt setting a standard for all other postcard events.
The last London based Picture Postcard Show was held in 2011. Due to the huge costs involved in organising a central London event, the organisation found it impossible to find an alternative venue since the Horticultural Halls became unavailable.
In 2011 the Postcard Traders Association took over the running of the sucessful Woking based South of England Postcard Fairs from Michael Goldsmith and has staged Spring and Autumn shows at the Surrey venue every year since.