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WHY NOT EXHIBIT
Are you tired of mounting stamps in rows, on page after page with appropriate squares? Lost interest in placing stamps in stock books or covers in shoe boxes to be sorted sometime? Accumulating philatelic material filling shelves and boxes? There is a way out. It is called exhibiting.
Exhibiting can and should be a welcome challenge to an enthusiastic philatelist as it combines a variety of skills adaptable to many levels, depending on your comfort zone. Exhibiting is showing and telling a story through philatelic material. It is more than a display although almost all exhibitors begin with displays and most continue to display at local and national exhibitions.
It requires collecting skills, which you are already a master at quite likely. yYou may need to hone in on research skills – a natural gift for the curious collector. It begs organization to tell a coherent story that can be readily followed by those viewing your exhibit, despite you not being present to explain in person – how convenient for you.
And yes, it does expect you to follow a set of rules and to be advised by guidelines if you wish to enter the formal world of exhibiting, whether at the local level or national level. In turn these expectations invite you to widen and deepen your philatelic knowledge and skills as you ultimately attempt to present your material to its best advantage.
There is a safety net: Your local club will have information to assist you in getting started such as judges criteria for evaluating exhibits; philatelic elements checklist; club’s rules and regulations and entry form; and most importantly, there are members willing to help you along the way.
Exhibiting is a discipline, rules based, demanding a thorough understanding of the material in the collection and subject to the scrutiny from other collectors and exhibitors. That is exciting, not scary!
Scary is not taking on this personal challenge that helps you think positively about your personal talents and abilities and provides such satisfaction.
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