CCvx = Capped Catalog Value Exhibits

CCVX = Capped Catalog Value Exhibits

I propose that all exhibitions add awards for "best exhibit with a catalog value of less than {n}" ... say, EU 500.

This would finesse much of the "monetary fire power" problem in exhibiting, and put more of the emphasis on research, imagination, presentation, and the use of ancillary material.

It would also provide an endless source of mirth & amusement, as we would get to watch people argue that the stamps they are exhibiting have horrible flaws that greatly reduce their commercial value.

(In fact, I would require every exhibitor to upload a video to YouTube explaining the low catalog valuation of each item on display, so we can all share in the fun, forever; but that's me.)

Nothing will ever completely level the playing field: folks willing & able to put more time & money towards their hobby will still have important advantages, such as being able to hire a professional graphic designer to work with their professional calligrapher on the text provided by a tenured history professor ... but it would still give the collector of more modest means a shot at a prize.

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All that having been said, I have one more thing to say ;)

Let's avoid talking about the motivations of our colleagues who choose to join in Competitive Philately. Every human activity presents an opportunity for us to indulge our hard-wired-by-evolution competitive instincts and, sometimes, some of us will.

Building an exhibit is, in and of itself, a useful activity; it forces us to focus on our chosen topic, learn more about it, fill-in missing pieces, and create something of value to others.

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In conclusion, if you have the opportunity, please chat about Capped Catalog Value Exhibits (CCVX) with the folks who make the rules.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

I like this idea very much. When it comes to the more subjective areas of philately (postal history) this can be more challenging to enforce/engage in. I like to think that exhibiting is just about doing a great job of studying and explaining a particular area of philately, regardless of value, but I know that is not true. The unwritten rule seems to be that if you are doing an exhibit of surface-colored stamps of British Guiana, you will be marked down if you don't have the rare purple one (I exaggerate for effect).

I like and support the premise, but am unsure of the practicality.

Obviously there would have to be a published and supported 'standard' for catalog value. It would suck to build an exhibit, travel to show, and then find that the catalog (and revision) that you used to just sneak under the limit isn't the one that they are using. Also, do the judges have the time to calculate a catalog value for every item in the class?
And lastly, while a catalog value limits will help somewhat it won't completely level the playing field. As you mention, people can still pour big bucks into other elements in their exhibit that cannot really be assigned a dollar value.

Any ideas on how to address these kinds of issues?
don

One frame, 16 pages, 2 items per page. Use current Scott catalog for values. Sounds simple enough. I'm sure there will be many people with reason why it won't work. Unless the PF judges were to create a new category it'll be difficult, at best. So, start entering submissions to shows for non judged exhibits. Then there will be no completion but then, that's not what this is about, is it.

Art

How do you place a catalog value on a collection of FDCs from Panama. There is no catalog I can find for them (no big surprise there). For the earlier ones, it wouldn't make sense just to use the catalog value of the stamps.

I was thinking that the exhibitor would claim that the sum total of the catalog value did not exceed N, and that this valuation would be accepted, well, at face value, as it were, unless it was challenged by another exhibitor.

The Panama FDCs would require some judgement by the judges, but that is what they are there for. I would think that any stated valuation for any item could be sustained by analogy; for example, the ratio of FDC to MNHOG single for a broadly similar stamp in another country might be used as a guide to fair value.

But that draws the issue very narrowly. If the judges felt that any given exhibit that would otherwise have been worthy of a prize pushed the limit, they could bestow some sort of honorable 'also ran' certificate that respected the effort without bestowing a win.

I think it is important that we open-up the game.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

How about an idea borrowed from my scale model building club shows:

One club determines the awards by the viewing participants who wander the show and note their favorite exhibit in class. Votes are tallied and the top 3 in each class are given awards.

Another club goes on individual merit (this way may not work with a stamp exhibit) where the best exhibit in each class the participant enters is judged, critiqued, and awarded something. Therefore it balances the big guns from the newbies in the field...A nice presentation a child does for a school project or a family heritage collection well displayed may get a first prize as well as the pro-modeller of years experience.

In most cases though, there are junior or "just starting out" type of classes in the entries. I have seen a well presented and constructed box-stock model with no extra add-on accessories, beat a fully decked out model with scratch-built, resin and photo-etched parts.

Sometimes flash is not as important as care, research, and placement

Sort of non-stamp related but it deals with shows and show entries...my 2c worth.

Your about 20 years behind the time, The Australian Philatelic Federation introduced Frugal Philately as a class then.

see

http://www.apf.org.au/frugal.htm

Pagoda

Actually, Chewie, I think that looking to how other hobbies cope is a great idea, whether it be coping with inequalities, the disinterest of the young, the talent of forgers, the advent of the internet, etc.

I would like to find a way around the 'monetary fire power' issue without resorting to 'junior', 'newbie', etc, except as might apply to 'first time exhibitor', which need not be a competitive award, but just an honorary certificate.

As to having the attendees vote: Mr Lenin addressed this issue when he devised his solution, The Vanguard Of The Proletariat, explaining the need for enlightened leadership of the unenlightened masses.

I could see that it might be useful, instructive & informative to add a 'Viewer's Choice Award' to each exhibition. Each attendee would be given a gummed label, which they could lick & apply to the frame of their choice.

pagoda: Yes, exactly that sort of thing. Well-spotted. Leave it to an anglo country to arrive at an alliteration. But was it twenty years, or 2010?

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Ikey Pikey,

thinking about it, it was about 2005 that it was introduced at some State shows before becoming National,


Pagoda