Proposed Merger Of The APS And Asda

John,

I hear you but I do not go to shows often for reasons stated and volunteers are not going to solve the basic problems. With show dealers declining, shows will dwindle but then what is the metric for success as has been discussed many times here. I see Much is how you market the show but maybe ASDA Dana G. is part of the answer.

It is going to take some fundamental changes in shows to change the dynamic with no guarantees.

I would note that criticism of something does not equal a "glass half full". The glass can be right of near the top of fullness and still have room for criticism. Criticism is recognizing problems which is the first step in fixing them.

As for too many "someone else should do something people", I cannot find any data to support that claim although my own cynical attitude can at times support that viewpoint. However, imagine how many people would be running for Office if complaining about government/political matters demanded it. Not sure you would actually WANT a lot of those critical people actually involved.

Sorry, one other thought. Is it an irony that some that crow about "getting involved" do not support this community with a donation? That is if they can swing the amount financially. $25 or whatever the amount seems pretty doable for most given what you can spend now in one grocery shopping trip.

I knew the Grinches would appear to try to shoot down my post. Two points:

There is a difference between "criticism" and "constructive criticism". I hope for more of the latter, but it is harder to do.

Time, talent, treasure. There are more ways to support a community than money. I have been a financial supporter in the past and no doubt will again in the future. As an example of support via time/talent, I have nearly 2400 image posts to the Forum to enrich the threads. Apparently, money is the only measure for some, and I don't measure up on Christmas.

John - Merry Christmas! Posting pictures, answering questions, donating…all good stuff. I consider you a GOAT so all the best.

The show nearest me is about to go down in flames because no one is willing to run it, not because of lack of dealers.

Merry Christmas all,

John, a very well thought out post and call to action for our hobby. However, this topic is specifically the merger of the APS and the ASDA. In the overall scheme of things do you think this merger is manning the pumps on our perceived, somewhat sinking ship or just reshuffling the deck chairs?

I don't believe the ship is sinking. I believe the hobby is changing and evolving. For many decades there have been prediction that the sky is falling and it hasn't fallen yet. Many of the old metrics do not capture the current state of affairs. 40 years ago nobody could have predicted the impact of the internet on hobbies and society. Who knows where it will be in another 40 years, but I predict philately will still exist, although different.

I have very little direct data on APS/ASDA. That is why both organizations elect boards to manage each organization.

I have said repeatedly that one of the best metrics of how stamp collecting is doing is by sales. I use just two components, SAN and Ebay. Both are doing just fine. Ebay continues to log millions of individual sales and SAN has over 200 auction firms that hold regular sales. Everything from expensive and rare singles to fifty carton box lots sell consistently. There are not less collectors just less collectors that are members of APS and other legacy organizations.

The way that collectors learn, interact and buy/sell is changing, and more volunteers and stamp shows will do little to appeal to the new breed of collectors. For myself, I have never attended a stamp show in 50 years of collecting. I don't go to the cinema any more to see movies because I watch them in the comfort of my home, and I learn about and view stamps from there as well.

The hobby needs to be a lot more forward thinking and give the people what they want. Otherwise, you will have a lot of "volunteers" sitting around twiddling their tongs in a beautiful building that few people ever visit.

I was skeptical when Don first broached the topic of Meta and VR being the future but have come around to thinking that it most definitely is. View exhibits, meet with each other, attend a live auction while traveling for business or sitting at home. That is what is coming. COVID just moved up the schedule for the change.

John, Yep, philately will still exist forty years from now. New postage stamps might be another story. My crystal ball is made of milk glass preventing me from being able to provide better details.

For me, this hobby would be the loneliest of pursuits if it weren't for in-person human interaction, particularly at stamp shows. Yeah, online works, but not like one-on-one does. Two quick anecdotes...

At GASS 2021, I arranged to meet with a well-known philatelist, whom I hadn't met before, to discuss patents related to preventing stamp reuse. Little did I know he was going to bring his entire collection to the show. We sat at a table for 2.5 hours discussing the topic and "only" went through 2 of his albums. That meeting, and our mutual interest, cemented what is now a wonderful personal and philatelic relationship.

Then there was the time when I brought printouts of my would-be exhibit to a show. While sitting at a dealer's table and discussing what I needed to fill in the blanks, the dealer called over to a gentleman who was standing nearby — a renowned judge — and asked him if he'd review my exhibit for me.

Those and a thousand other anecdotes can be told about the benefits of attending a stamp show in person. And if you're into exhibiting it's a must. Online exhibits will always look tidier on-screen, but there's nothing like seeing the actual items in person.

Collectors are like a box of chocolates....

"For me, this hobby would be the loneliest of pursuits if it weren't for in-person human interaction, particularly at stamp shows. Yeah, online works, but not like one-on-one does"

Agree

Back on topic. This is part of what Scott English said in the December AP.
Note: I added the numbers in the quote.



Comments matching sections in quoted text
1. Is buyer confidence really an issue?
2. Seems target to get the current ASDA ED to run shows for APS
3. This has been a challenge now and not clear how a merger will improve education offerings if APS continues to rely on volunteers
4. The proposed name seems odd for a dealer support group,
5. This seems an offer to just save the ASC&D. This is contrary to the basic premise of strength in numbers and elimination of duplication such as the move of the stampstore to hipstamp as mentioned earlier in the article.

If the ASDA (and or APS) cannot do many of these tasks now, why does one think they will happen after the merger. They require people, money, and a commitment.