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Jewish World Review August 20, 2010 / 10 Elul, 5770 Tech may give old hobby new life By Mark Kellner
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
RICHMOND, Virginia --- The onetime capital of the short-lived Confederate States of America (1861-1865) was able to recast itself as a regional business and financial hub, as well as remaining the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia. If Richmond could reinvent itself, could not a seemingly "doomed" hobby, whose leading association just had its annual convention here?
I speak of stamp collecting, more properly known as philately, and it was the American Philatelic Society (APS), which took over a fair amount of space in the Richmond Convention Center and adjacent Marriott Richmond Hotel in mid-August to promote the hobby's message. For those who imagine philately as boring, they've probably never examined a stamp, seen the intricacy of the design, or researched the story behind the postal issue. (Why is Mother Teresa appearing on a new USPS commemorative stamp next month? Because of her humanitarian work, her birth centennial, and because she was an honorary U.S. citizen.)
Stamps, you see, were how some of us learned about the larger world around us before there was the Internet, Google or Wikipedia.
But the rise of e-mail, Web sites and multimedia have pounded philately; membership in the APS (www.stamps.org) is around 38,500, down from over 50,000 at its peak. Linn's Stamp News, the hobby's American journal of record, is still a great paper, but circulation and ad pages are a far cry from their heyday in the Jimmy Carter era. And, while there were a good compliment of young people at the APS event, the median age of most collectors is closer to that of Vice President Joe Biden than it is to that of teen heartthrob Justin Bieber.
So, what's a hobby to do?
Digitize, and that's happening, slowly but surely. Visit a Web site such as www.stampalbums.com, said one top-drawer specialist, and you can find pre-designed album pages for just about every country from Abu Dhabi to Zululand, including "Tannu Tuva," a briefly independent territory in Siberia. A year's membership in the Web site costs $30, and you can then download and print out album pages to your heart's content. When you consider a printed, three-volume United States album can cost $40 or more, that's not a bad deal.
With thousands of stamps having been issued since 1840's introduction of postal adhesives, organizing stamp data is important. The Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, once available on CD-ROM, will be digital again, I'm hearing. That will be a good thing, especially since the printed five-volume set of 2011 volumes can set you back $400. Charge me $100 per year for the same data digitally, and I'll sign up.
"The American Philatelist," monthly magazine of the APS, is a digital production, said editor Barbara Boal in a session with would-be contributors. Members who sign up for a monthly e-mail can download a PDF of the magazine, she said; ultimately, at least 10 years of back issues will be available online, a treasure-trove of research and background information.
And, of course, eBay and other online sales sites - the APS has one of its own for members only - make it easy to search out rare and not-so-rare collectibles. On eBay, however, it is possible to be "burned," so a sales site such as the one APS operates offers additional assurance. (Not only would buyer and seller have to be members, but if the seller is a cheat, they can be expelled from the organization.)
Another plus: technology can help you prepare an exhibit, or a stamp talk, in truly impressive style. Mr. Karl Rove, noted for several non-philatelic accomplishments, regaled a convention dinner with stories of G.O.P. political campaign envelopes (called "covers" by the Cognoscenti), starting with the first Republican nominee, John C. Fremont in 1856. The talk was well illustrated with PowerPoint slides, and a grand time was had by all.
You know, there may be life in this old hobby yet.
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JWR contributor Mark Kellner has reported on technology for industry newspapers and magazines since 1983, and has been the computer columnist for The Washington Times since 1991.Comment by clicking here. © 2009, News World Communications, Inc. Reprinted with permission of The Washington Times. Visit the paper at http://www.washingtontimes.com |
Arnold Ahlert | |||||||||||
