Stamp Club

I noticed that most advice to new collectors directs them to independent research instead of seeking out assistance from more experienced collectors in a local club.
Curious about the how many club members are part of this forum.

Good poll!

Mine is nearby but I rarely attend and that's my own lazy fault. Keep forgetting the date and then don't plan well enough to leave time for it.

Sometimes, because I don't attend enough, I don't know many members, so it always seems like a good meeting but because of my not going enough I find it hard to participate, shy, don't want to intrude, acquaintances, not friends (well, a couple).

See, I make excuses too. Pretty good at it.

Puzzler,

Based on your forum posts you would be a tremendous asset to your local club. You should make it a point to attend a meeting soon. I definitely have been inspired and have been motivated to inspire other collectors due to my club involvement. Hope you decide to take the plunge. Your club needs you.

I am the secretary for our club and I would really miss it if there wasn't one here.

If at all possible, I think that most collectors should join a local club but, that is just my opinion. I am sure there are those out there who do not want to belong to any club and that is their right to choose as well.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Our Club is slowly shrinking as many of the collectors are now concentrating on coins (they are easy to preserve).
Still we have around 25 members attending the monthly meeting which is mainly for auction.. havent yet seen any philatelic discussions/study class there in the club for last 10 years.
But the club is a great source for meeting other collectors and expanding the collection..

Chimo, of course it's one choice whether to join a club or not. I just feel that the benefit of sharing your interest with other collectors in person has a tremendous value. This has created numerous opportunities for me to enhance my own knowledge and form friendships that I hope will last a lifetime.
Thank you for responding

Tim

Our_Elephant, my club is also experiencing a slow loss of membership. We currently see between 30-35 members at an average meeting. We have member programs and a club sponsored auction at each meeting. Currently we meet 2 times each month. Good luck with your club.

tstraz, great poll!

One of your options should be: "belong to more than one club"

I belong to the (small) club in my (small) city and also to the one in the capital city of my state. It is a lot larger and has better auctions! It is about a 45 minute drive but definitely worth it.

Unfortunately I haven't tracked down any clubs anywhere near me, and as I dont drive it limits me to where I am able to get to. Thats why forums like this are so important.

Might I suggest this is a matter of geography?

In England there are many excellent clubs and all within easy reach because England is compact?
Sometimes small is better.

(expecting some fun replies now)

Thank's for your reply Spanish Moss. You are right about belonging to multiple clubs. While I limit my participation to a single club many of our members belong to more than one. We also have many who are active in collecting societies.

Hi Maiden, yes you are right about the value of forums like this. Many collectors simply prefer keeping their collecting as a solitary activity, while others are limited by factor like you mention. I will say that we have a few members who share a ride to the meeting, but this does not provide a real solution.
Thank you for your input.

Hi xyL, I can't interpret from your response whether you are a club member. I find responses from international members of this forum interesting. I am in the U.S.A., while you bring a perspective from England. I'm not sure that the size or population density of an area is the most important factor. Most clubs begin with two or three friends who meet regularly for a meal and spend time discussing the hobby. Others begin around a collecting interest, and a few are sponsored by other institutions.
Thank you for our input.

It would cost me $40 to travel to and from the closest stamp club
and take about 3hrs of traveling time.

SCF is my stamp club! It is very nice to be a member and
to no longer, be a totally isolated, collector.

Sounds like this forum is a great alternative for you KGV Collector. Thank you for your input.

I really wish I could be more active in any local stamp clubs, but it's not easy when you're working most of the time that they meet. I have a club about 10 miles from my home, but they meet on Wednesday at 3:30pm twice a month with less than 10 people. There are others, but again they are further away; not as far as for KGV, but still gas prices are high here too. Some of those clubs take off for 1-3 months for the summer as well.

When I lived in Maryland, I was a member of the Bowie Stamp Club which was very active and met once a week and met in the evening hours which allowed most working folks to attend. Bowie had 30-40 people attend each meeting on average and a yearly show.