Collecting Clubs Have a Bigger Role to Play

Looking back to the 1960's, 1970's, even the early 1980's when many of our collecting clubs got their start, things seemed a lot simpler. The primary goal of collecting clubs in those days was to establish a way for collectors in a given collecting area to communicate with one another, get to know each other, and to perhaps buy, sell and trade among the members. A newsletter got started, and usually some form of "gathering" which for many clubs developed into an annual convention. Later some clubs started local chapters and perhaps doing projects or offering other resources for their members. Often a member or two started a mail auction or sales list which provided additional opportunities.

The evolution in the antiques & collecting industry has made major changes during the past decade or more, and particularly since 1995. In fact, most everything has changed...except collecting clubs which often times seem to be resistant to change.

Yes, the Internet has a major role in this change. The way we buy and sell and trade has been influenced big time by the Internet. But collecting, itself, has changed. We have new types of collectors who are far from being traditionalists. And, for sure, they do not understand collecting clubs...and collecting clubs do not understand them.

This is why so many collecting clubs today are fretting over a decline in membership and an aging membership, while at the same time we have more collectors than ever, and more young collectors.

Collecting clubs still have a significant role to play in the collecting industry, perhaps more so than ever. As clubs mature, there seems to be an evolution that takes place within the club, itself. Whereas it may have started out simply as a way for fellow collectors to get to know one another and to foster this communication, over the years the knowledge base of many of our collecting areas comes to rest within the membership of these collecting clubs. Hence, clubs now have an additional responsibility - that of a legitimate resource for the collecting area the club serves - and not only to their own members, but to anyone who has a need for information relating to their particular collecting area, i.e. the entire collecting community.

Bottom line, many of our collecting clubs need to start thinking differently and doing things differently. As an important resource to your collecting area are you fulfilling your role? Are you truly interested in reaching out to new audiences - collectors who need your help and expertise - and not only bringing them in but serving them in the ways they need to be served?

It has been documented that every generation seeks out and used resources with which they feel most comfortable...and that these resources are quite different from one generation to another. If the bulk of your membership is in the age bracket or 50 or higher, chances are that you are not providing club information in either the correct context or using the right vehicles for reaching younger generations.

The Association of Collecting Clubs exists to support collecting groups, their leadership and membership, in a variety of areas including club promotion, membership recruitment, reaching new audiences, strengthening conventions, working with young collectors, networking, club insurance and club management. ACC is working with clubs to help better serve new audiences with the knowledge base the clubs possess. ACC can be reached at info@collectors.org or through the website: http://collectors.org or postally at: Association of Collecting Clubs, 18222 Flower Hill Way #299, Gaithersburg, MD 20879.

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