Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
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Our stamp club, The Penticton and District Stamp Club, here in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada, is doing very well with typically 25 - 40 members at our monthly meetings.
One of our main activities is receiving donations of stamps and stamp collections from the public, auctioning them off and donating the proceeds to a charity of the donor's choice. Among the charities we support are the CNIB, Cancer Society, Moog Hospice, SPCA, ALS and the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation. It is amazing to reflect that over the decade or so we have been doing this more than $50000 has been raised.
For the members, of course, there is the benefit of a constant supply of new material.
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Bob,
several of SORers are also members of the StampTrotters of the Hudson Valley, based in northern Dutchess County, in NYS. Folks come from as far away as an hour.
we hold two meetings per month: one business and show and tell and chat; one auction. Auction is consistently better attended by about 50%.
We have been doing lots more outreach of late, which has brought in more material and an occasional new member. We will allow outsiders to auction material; typically our members lot it. All sellers pay a commission (10% members; 20% non).
I think that the auction is likely the prime mover.
We pay a nominal fee to the VFW (their quartermaster is a member).
Hope that helps a little
David
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The Austin Texas Stamp Club operates the same way as David stated for his. A couple of exceptions is that members can bid through email on the monthly auctions, and the business meeting/show and tell is held at the club house in a subdivision where a member lives so there is no fee. Members can also attend meetings through Zoom.
Two communications are routinely sent to all members via email. One is the club newsletter regarding the previous business meeting and upcoming events, and the other is the auction notice with images of all items in the auction.
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Re overhead for our meetings. We meet at a local church hall and there is rent. I believe it is on the order of $75/month. We also take out insurance with the RPSC to cover our meeting liabilities. Our revenues come from membership dues ($15/year) and a commission on all auction lots. We also have a 50/50 draw which brings in a modest amount. We also bring in RPSC circuit books which are well used. There is a 5% surcharge on sales from these which covers the cost of shipping them.
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I will note there is a stamp club that is probably 30 minutes away but they only meet at night and do not want to drive back so late.
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I plan to return to the local club after a long absence due to Covid and my stamp sabbatical. I’m in the same club as Bob, and, personally, I find that the club auction takes up too much of the time and is a bit boring. There isn’t time left for any other activities. Many of our members are part time dealers so the sellers tend to outnumber the buyers, so the bidding is almost nonexistent. There are other problems including a noisy venue.
I’d be happy to work with you, Mike and the other officers to see if we can’t breathe new life into this fading dinosaur. Give me a call.
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I never really took to the local stamp club, the Trenton Stamp Club. They still haven't started back up yet. I may go back when they do and maybe see about donating part of my collection to them, if not all when I go.
Peter
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02:41:53pm
I am very much a loner and have never really been that interested in clubs, but maybe if there was a good one ...
I believe it was the infamous Groucho Marx who said "I would never consider joining a club that would have me as a member" - or something very similar to that!!!
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Our local club meets twice a month on the first and 3rd Saturdays at 10AM at our local library.
No fees for using one of the 3 meeting rooms.
The decision to meet on Saturdays was mainly for me - I am the only one still working a full time job.
Our first monthly meeting is our business meeting - the second is more relaxed.
Each second meeting we get APS Circuit Books to buy from. Everyone looks forward to that!
We took a group trip to the Postal Museum in Marshall, MI....we go to stamp shows around the state together....we sometimes watch stamp-related Youtube videos during meetings using a laptop with a projector attached to put it up on screen.
We also have quizzes with prizes for the winner and runner up.
Since I created the club, I try to find as many different interesting things to see and do that I possibly can to keep members interested in coming to meetings.
So far (knock on wood) no complaints!
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Of the meetings I went to, everyone pulls out their floor sweepings in stockbooks and everyone goes through each others to see they want to buy. That's the extent of the meetings. There's also a silent auction and a dealer. Never saw anything I was interested in. Three members go to the Oshawa club every so often. I tagged along for one or two, but it was pretty much the same thing there too. They had more offerings from a couple dealers, but it's just everyone sitting at tables going through stockbooks.
I was bored out of my tree at both. I usually ended up talking to the treasurers wife at the meetings I attended.
No presentations, no displays, no country post office visits. That's why I didn't hang around for that long.
Peter
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The Wichita (Kansas) Stamp Club meets 1st & 3rd Thursday of each month. The club hosts a stamp show each year at the Cessna Activity Center, five club auctions a year (my favorite), some darn good programs & presentations, regular bid board, philatelic garage sale, and an award winning news letter, summer social & Christmas party, and a variety of pretty nice people. $10/year dues--you will get that back in door prizes and freebees.
http://www.wichitastampclub.org/
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Our stamp club meets every 1st & 3rd Monday most months .We have a display every meeting as well as an auction and raffles with prizes donated by members plus around 20 circuit books that come from the South Australian Philatelic Society ,which as far as I know supplies circuit books to all the clubs in SA. Our subs are $14.00 per years 10% of auction sales go to the club and we have around 40/50 members.
Brian
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My daughter (fellow collector) and I are nominal members of the Central Florida Stamp Club (Orlando area).
It appears to be a very active group, with a membership that hovers around 100.
The club meets twice monthly on Thursday evenings at a senior center near DT Orlando. Prior to each meeting several members meet for dinner at a local Asian food restaurant.
The sessions often include various member presentations and auctions/sales.
The club also hosts thrice annual stamp bourse (6 to 10 dealers) at an Orlando area community center, and an annual member picnic.
Club also produces a monthly newsletter which is distributed electronically.
As we were planning our move to the Orlando area I identified the CFSC and anticipated becoming an active member. Then the pandemic hit and club activities were suspended.
Conclude our lack of participation can be attributed chiefly to still working full-time, considerable business travel, and evolving families priorities. That said, conclude the CFSC is one of the more active local stamp clubs.
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Some Local Stamp Clubs seem to be doing quite well, while others seem to just wither and die. I'm looking for inputs as to what keeps the successful ones going. What unusual activities and/or events motivates stamp collectors to come to meetings, when it's much easier to just stay at home and accomplish your goals on the computer? Thank you.
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re: Local Stamp Clubs.
APS has some articles on stamp club ideas
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08:36:50pm
re: Local Stamp Clubs.
Our stamp club, The Penticton and District Stamp Club, here in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada, is doing very well with typically 25 - 40 members at our monthly meetings.
One of our main activities is receiving donations of stamps and stamp collections from the public, auctioning them off and donating the proceeds to a charity of the donor's choice. Among the charities we support are the CNIB, Cancer Society, Moog Hospice, SPCA, ALS and the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation. It is amazing to reflect that over the decade or so we have been doing this more than $50000 has been raised.
For the members, of course, there is the benefit of a constant supply of new material.
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re: Local Stamp Clubs.
Bob,
several of SORers are also members of the StampTrotters of the Hudson Valley, based in northern Dutchess County, in NYS. Folks come from as far away as an hour.
we hold two meetings per month: one business and show and tell and chat; one auction. Auction is consistently better attended by about 50%.
We have been doing lots more outreach of late, which has brought in more material and an occasional new member. We will allow outsiders to auction material; typically our members lot it. All sellers pay a commission (10% members; 20% non).
I think that the auction is likely the prime mover.
We pay a nominal fee to the VFW (their quartermaster is a member).
Hope that helps a little
David
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01:16:45pm
re: Local Stamp Clubs.
The Austin Texas Stamp Club operates the same way as David stated for his. A couple of exceptions is that members can bid through email on the monthly auctions, and the business meeting/show and tell is held at the club house in a subdivision where a member lives so there is no fee. Members can also attend meetings through Zoom.
Two communications are routinely sent to all members via email. One is the club newsletter regarding the previous business meeting and upcoming events, and the other is the auction notice with images of all items in the auction.
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01:56:35pm
re: Local Stamp Clubs.
Re overhead for our meetings. We meet at a local church hall and there is rent. I believe it is on the order of $75/month. We also take out insurance with the RPSC to cover our meeting liabilities. Our revenues come from membership dues ($15/year) and a commission on all auction lots. We also have a 50/50 draw which brings in a modest amount. We also bring in RPSC circuit books which are well used. There is a 5% surcharge on sales from these which covers the cost of shipping them.
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re: Local Stamp Clubs.
I will note there is a stamp club that is probably 30 minutes away but they only meet at night and do not want to drive back so late.
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re: Local Stamp Clubs.
I plan to return to the local club after a long absence due to Covid and my stamp sabbatical. I’m in the same club as Bob, and, personally, I find that the club auction takes up too much of the time and is a bit boring. There isn’t time left for any other activities. Many of our members are part time dealers so the sellers tend to outnumber the buyers, so the bidding is almost nonexistent. There are other problems including a noisy venue.
I’d be happy to work with you, Mike and the other officers to see if we can’t breathe new life into this fading dinosaur. Give me a call.
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re: Local Stamp Clubs.
I never really took to the local stamp club, the Trenton Stamp Club. They still haven't started back up yet. I may go back when they do and maybe see about donating part of my collection to them, if not all when I go.
Peter
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
04 May 2022
02:41:53pm
re: Local Stamp Clubs.
I am very much a loner and have never really been that interested in clubs, but maybe if there was a good one ...
I believe it was the infamous Groucho Marx who said "I would never consider joining a club that would have me as a member" - or something very similar to that!!!
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re: Local Stamp Clubs.
Our local club meets twice a month on the first and 3rd Saturdays at 10AM at our local library.
No fees for using one of the 3 meeting rooms.
The decision to meet on Saturdays was mainly for me - I am the only one still working a full time job.
Our first monthly meeting is our business meeting - the second is more relaxed.
Each second meeting we get APS Circuit Books to buy from. Everyone looks forward to that!
We took a group trip to the Postal Museum in Marshall, MI....we go to stamp shows around the state together....we sometimes watch stamp-related Youtube videos during meetings using a laptop with a projector attached to put it up on screen.
We also have quizzes with prizes for the winner and runner up.
Since I created the club, I try to find as many different interesting things to see and do that I possibly can to keep members interested in coming to meetings.
So far (knock on wood) no complaints!
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re: Local Stamp Clubs.
Of the meetings I went to, everyone pulls out their floor sweepings in stockbooks and everyone goes through each others to see they want to buy. That's the extent of the meetings. There's also a silent auction and a dealer. Never saw anything I was interested in. Three members go to the Oshawa club every so often. I tagged along for one or two, but it was pretty much the same thing there too. They had more offerings from a couple dealers, but it's just everyone sitting at tables going through stockbooks.
I was bored out of my tree at both. I usually ended up talking to the treasurers wife at the meetings I attended.
No presentations, no displays, no country post office visits. That's why I didn't hang around for that long.
Peter
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11:56:13pm
re: Local Stamp Clubs.
The Wichita (Kansas) Stamp Club meets 1st & 3rd Thursday of each month. The club hosts a stamp show each year at the Cessna Activity Center, five club auctions a year (my favorite), some darn good programs & presentations, regular bid board, philatelic garage sale, and an award winning news letter, summer social & Christmas party, and a variety of pretty nice people. $10/year dues--you will get that back in door prizes and freebees.
http://www.wichitastampclub.org/
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Auctions
re: Local Stamp Clubs.
Our stamp club meets every 1st & 3rd Monday most months .We have a display every meeting as well as an auction and raffles with prizes donated by members plus around 20 circuit books that come from the South Australian Philatelic Society ,which as far as I know supplies circuit books to all the clubs in SA. Our subs are $14.00 per years 10% of auction sales go to the club and we have around 40/50 members.
Brian
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09:53:53am
re: Local Stamp Clubs.
My daughter (fellow collector) and I are nominal members of the Central Florida Stamp Club (Orlando area).
It appears to be a very active group, with a membership that hovers around 100.
The club meets twice monthly on Thursday evenings at a senior center near DT Orlando. Prior to each meeting several members meet for dinner at a local Asian food restaurant.
The sessions often include various member presentations and auctions/sales.
The club also hosts thrice annual stamp bourse (6 to 10 dealers) at an Orlando area community center, and an annual member picnic.
Club also produces a monthly newsletter which is distributed electronically.
As we were planning our move to the Orlando area I identified the CFSC and anticipated becoming an active member. Then the pandemic hit and club activities were suspended.
Conclude our lack of participation can be attributed chiefly to still working full-time, considerable business travel, and evolving families priorities. That said, conclude the CFSC is one of the more active local stamp clubs.
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