*** APS Membership Special ***

Steve I was still pursuing the watermarks on Halifax law stamps for one.I searched watermark/Nova Scotia,no results I often spend an hour or more wading through BNAP site as their study groups are not seemingly cataloged for easy search.A few other sites want dues money before you can access the information they hold.Yeah that's nice hold information hostage and blackmail collectors.This is part of the reason I'm sour on these organizations.I know we discussed my insurance woes before but let me state paying another mortgage note monthly to carry insurance doesn't seem right some how.I'm not impressed by letters after anyone's name,kind of a plastic front in MHO.
Enough said I'm not sold.

Well, Frog, in the end, I think that the APS is like anything else:  each individual's experiences and perceptions of an organization, place, or event will be different, and so, too, will be their reactions and responses to those experiences.  Based on your less-than-great experiences with the APS, it does not seem surprising that you have little interest in joining.  If I had had your experiences, maybe I wouldn't have joined, either.

But I also agree with Steve (tomiseksj) and Al (angore):  while there are certainly benefits to APS membership, joining is not for everyone.  Those of us who have had positive experiences with the APS can recount those to everyone else, but it will, of course, be your personal experiences that ultimately affect your own decision the most.

And as it happens, I think it is the same with TSF.  I have had a great experience here over the past 16 months, so I am a big proponent of the Forum.  I often tell other stamp collectors about my positive experiences here, but that doesn't seem to result in bringing in many new members.  I guess that's just how it goes.... to each, his own!

firstfrog2013 ,

I'm afraid that I don't recall that incident but have seen condescending behavior displayed numerous times on other stamp boards that I frequent and also in my prior military and post-military professions. I've acquired several "letters" after my name over time but will be the first to admit that my philatelic knowledge is woefully inadequate.

My hope in proposing that APS deeply discount its membership fee for first time applicants who were members of APS Chapters was to encourage them to give the Society a test drive, at a modest cost, before completely writing it off as being of no value to them. It was a "try it, you'll like it" approach that, had it run for a longer period, may have resulted in more first time members who would continue past their initial terms.

Frog's da man!

He is, indeed!

Steve,

As an aside, you mentioned the APS Ambassadors facebook. I am not an Ambassador nor do I even belong to a physical clubs - just online ones. When I clicked join, it asked me the chapter and did not did enter anything nor realized I submitted anything. Yet I got a notification that I am a member of the facebook page.

Steve,

Let me ask this question. What is the single biggest expense by APS for a member? I suspect it is the monthly journal. Now, Scott English has dismissed any ideas about reducing the membership fee for US collectors if they opt for the e-edition only (like they did for international members) but then maybe offer new members a $15 membership and they only get the edition for the 1st year. This reduces the cost to give the discount. It is enticement to try and buy. This may be considered a slippery slope too since we know that $45 covers a lot of overhead beyond the journal and sure they do not want to impact the revenue stream any more than they do now.  They may want the e-edition going forward.  To be honest, I would opt for that. I would prefer e-edition and then 1 free APEX certification!

I know some people do not find the journal that exciting (it is hit or miss for me) because there is lot about internal APS stuff (shows, sales unit, membership information, etc). This is where an digital publication could come into play that is for "new to collecting" (not age based). I would bet most new members have never read in prior articles and suspect printing a quarterly electronic publication of articles may be good. New collectors are not going to call the APRL and ask for reprints of these beginner articles ($$$).
This is using the APRL assets in a positive way.

Linn's has quite a few years of articles available but not "packaged" in any way to be useful. USSS allows you to search articles and ONLY get the article. Someone spent a lot of time creating a PDF not only of the journal but also each article.

I was a victim of a bit of bullying on one of the other stamp forums out there, too. I was called "a parasite on the hobby" because I was not a member of the APS. I haven't been participated on that forum since. I like this one much better, thank you.

firstfrog2013 , if you aren't satisfied with the overall experience, I'll personally refund the $36.75 that you'll be paying for membership (rate is for those joining Jan-Feb and affords membership through Dec 31).

daveg28 , I have a suspicion that I know both the forum and the member who directed that disparaging comment toward you.

angore , I don't know the AP's cost per member but recently having had to print 3 copies of our newsletters for entry into the APS competition I imagine it is fairly large. I'm with you on anything that will entice new members but think the free APEX cert may be a bridge too far!

For all, Mara Hartzell provide the following in response to my question regarding online education:

I LOVE verbally excoriating bullies! They don't call me Zipper the Ripper arbitrarily. I've never thrown the first punch, but there's no force in the universe that will stop me from successfully defending a friend.

Was born on the South Side of Chicago and was a street fighting gang girl. Have kept that teenager dormant, but can reanimate her when needed.

Zipper you know me well enough to know the answer to that one.Starts with "N".Thanx though....

I'll throw my two cents in. First and foremost, I'm member of APS to support the hobby and it's promotion. There are too few new collectors and anything the APS can do to promote the hobby, well I'm all for it.

Just like any organization that you join, you only get out of it what you put into it. For the dues, I use the APS for both buying and selling through the circuit books of which the APS takes a percentage as another way to earn funds. I also use it for research and knowledge.

Regarding bullying and "know it alls", there always have been and always will be these type of people. I agree some of the other forums and even facebook pages have users who try and use their knowledge to show they are smarter than anyone else (which can never be the case) and make insulting remarks. That's why I participate on this forum, it is well administered. Hopefully we can get more members and share more information on all kinds of philatelic subjects.

Rock on TSF!

Mike

Commitment fulfilled.

Perhaps because the Stamp Store sellers are mainly those who either don't know how to, or don't want to be bothered with, selling on ebay, hipstamp, or some other online sales platform.

APS mandates a $1 minimum asking price, levies a 20% commission for sales under $100, and recommends setting a selling price of between 40 and 60% of CV -- there are also costs associated with getting the material to APS in the format they require.

In spite of that, there are some bargains to be had if you're willing to take the time to search.

Recent additions to the sales platform are the ability to save searches and to convert searches into want lists.

For those who may not know, one doesn't have to be an APS member to purchase from StampStore, but you will pay a premium.