Digital Initiatives - A More Realistic/Pessimistic View

We do ask for exhibitors to agree to allow us to post their exhibits online and we get cooperation from some. The APS online exhibit page can be found here: https://stamps.org/online-exhibits

The refrain I hear from some exhibitors is that they do not want to lock in their exhibits when they continue to update and modify them. We could certainly focus on the WSP exhibits that pick up the Grands and compete in the Champion of Champions as the top targets for additional scans.

Some notes based on the conversations here. The priority for online material is getting past issues of The American Philatelist posted online. Right now, the AP goes back to 2007, when we started offering digital versions of the journal. We are currently working on the quality assurance piece for earlier scanned versions of the journal and issues dating back to 1990 will be online before December 2017 - though I expect the timeline to be shorter than that.

We are redesigning pages to be more attractive and easy to navigate and there will be some noticeable changes by the time StampShow occurs in August. What we've learned from page visits and requested searches is that StampStore and U.S. new issues dominate every other subject, issue, or interest by a considerable amount. Tactically, that requires some introduction to other elements of the website by decluttering it and second by touching and targeting through email the audiences that are interested, but unaware of the content.

The page changes will include mobile accessible pages. Our second objective is to streamline the information the pages to avoid conflicting information to better serve visitors.

My column from the June AP discusses some of this information, but not to the detail posted here: https://stamps.org/Our-Story-June-2017

Thanks Scott. To clarify my earlier post digital files of entered exhibits would only go to the judges on the jury of the show in which it is entered prior to the show. After the show they should be made available for viewing on line. Yes, exhibits change over time. It would be nice to see the evolution of an exhibit from the first time it is shown until it wins the C of C.

Many of us do not get to attend most shows in person. It would be a great boost to our hobby if collectors of an area could see the efforts of others from the comfort of their homes.

And then we can get into holding a national digital exhibit show judged by the traditional judging crew. Two other possible awards would be the "Exhibitor's Choice Award" voted on by those exhibiting; and, the people's choice award voted on by those viewing the exhibits on line.

The future of our hobby is bright and unlimited if we break out of the old molds of doing business the way we have in the past.

Scott,

I believe that it should soon become a requirement that the Champion of Champions Exhibit from the World Series of Philately should be scanned and posted on the APS website. The earlier arguments about maintaining an exhibit's competitiveness would no longer apply for that exhibit.

Perhaps the APS should next consider moving towards the requirement that all WSP Grand Award exhibits should be scanned and posted on the APS website, either at the time they win their WSP Grand Award, or in their (revised) format as entered into the Champion of Champion competition.

To address the concern by the exhibitor that their exhibit is dynamic and ever-changing, each exhibit as posted should be given a Title page which identifies the Exhibit Title, Exhibitor, WSP Show which it represents, and the date/point in time which the exhibit reflects.

Perhaps there should be an option which would allow the exhibitor to replace his exhibit with a more current version of the exhibit if he so desires at a future time.

Exhibitors who do not wish to have their exhibit displayed on-line should consider other venues for competing.

The APS goes to considerable expense and effort to organize and administrate the annual WSP Champion of Champions competition. Only a very small percentage of our APS members will have the opportunity to see these exhibits in person, but I believe they should have the opportunity to do so as part of their membership benefits.

Mike L.
APS Life member

As a disabled person I wholeheartedly agree with Mike. To my way of thinking, not offering more online availability of exhibits to a hobbyist demographic that contains a higher percentage of 'travel challenged' people is nuts.
Don

It's not.good also for promoting future show. If you show some pictures and videos of present show it may interest someone to go to the next one.

It's a paradox of sorts with us, collecting real/tangible things and buying real/tangible albums and tools but relying heavily on electrons for everything else. Being on this board, I'm sure most of us have collections of scans, too. Can you imagine collecting just scans? How about making stamp collecting like Pokemon Go where you'd have to go to the top of the Statue of Liberty for your #C3a?

Pessimistic as I am, I don't think that's going to happen. For example, there's a new trend in music where some companies sell MP3s of unique versions of songs by current bands along with a vinyl record of the same thing. One package only. It's proven to be popular. It could make more collectors of actual records since the majority of music collectors want the music and will take any recording, reissue or not, virtual or not.

As I see it, The digital aspect is replacing having to physically go to a stamp club or visit a library not near 99% of people or have access to digital resources like online catalogs. It supplements stamp collecting.

For example, when you see a how to by an organization on how to run a virtual stamp group/forum you know the times have changed. The focus is still on the past - physical clubs, etc and coordinating around physical stamp shows.

You see people collect pictures of everything - stamps, meals they eat, vacation locations. They are collecting memories but stamps and postal history are the core aspects.