Many collecting clubs serve as the "hub" or "center" for the entire collecting area their group supports. They are a valuable educational resource for both information and for networking.

The combined knowledge base of a club's membership is often the ultimate reference source for information in that given collecting area. Not only do many clubs provide tangible collector resources through their newsletters and publications, their website and reference books or price guides, but they offer individual member assistance. They often perform the duty of "watchdog" over their hobby, watchful for ethics, fraud, reproductions and other situations - protecting their members...and, non-members, as well. Some offer individual collector insurance programs, survivor's assistance, estate planning and appraisal services. Local study units, internet chat rooms and discussion forums, seminars and retreats, local geographic chapters and specialty chapters...these are all educational opportunities provided by various clubs in support of their hobby and designed to help the collector become more knowledgeable.

Although collecting "clubs" may go by many different names, i.e. clubs, societies, associations, guilds or groups, from a networking aspect they all have a connotative "club" purpose. That is, to encourage their members to meet and develop friendships with fellow collectors in the hobby. This can be a tremendous resource for expanding a collector's knowledge base, for finding new materials for your collection, for determining values, and even for selling your collectibles. Many life-time friendships have been established through the experiences of belonging to a collecting club.

Most clubs encourage networking by offering annual conventions, sponsoring shows and other activities which bring club members together. Highlighting or featuring members in their publications and on the club website also helps to familiarize collectors with one another.

In recent years many Internet clubs for collectors have emerged. Members of these clubs may never meet in person, however these clubs can perform a wonderful role in providing information and opportunities for members to dialogue online instantaneously. Most of these website clubs are not highly structured and usually are operated by one person.

Indeed, it is true that an individual can become a very successful collector and amass a significant collection without ever belonging to a collecting club. But if you are a serious collector in a collecting area which is supported by a collecting club or society which has a lot to offer, we cannot think of a satisfactory reason why a person would not consider becoming a member.

OK, let's say you like to collect but you consider yourself a "casual" collector, or you enjoy collecting many different things but not in a specific collecting area - that you probably aren't "serious" enough to join a collecting club.

A number of collecting clubs are realizing that there are many collectors who have not specialized in a specific area but who enjoy collecting - attending auctions and flea markets or antique shows and visiting antique shops and malls or yard sales - but they aren't really looking for anything in particular...just what "strikes their fancy" so to speak. This may be something they will use as a decorator item in their home or apartment, a conversation piece at the office, something they remember from childhood experiences, or just an interesting piece. But clubs might still be of value to this growing type of collector as an information or contact source. The Association of Collectors is exploring ways that a network of collecting clubs could serve and embrace these collectors through a new program. Collectors and the collecting community are changing - the collecting clubs must find ways to accommodate these changes.