ELCIDJDAVIS> I have never really exhibited only once in 77

.Janet Klug> How come only once?

.Lloyd> In about a week, I expect to do my first exhibit.

.Janet Klug> Lloyd, you better have it done before a week from now.

.Lloyd> Last-Minute Lloyd? I have until Thursday morning!

.Janet Klug> You should be "doing" your exhibit NOW!

ELCIDJDAVIS> I have a lot of material regs on stamps but don't know how to start

.Lloyd> Tomorrow, actually. I've told the family "no movies, no TV, no shopping."

.Janet Klug> El Cid, what do I call you?

ELCIDJDAVIS> Why do today what you can put off to tomorrow?

.Lloyd> I have the paper, a 60# white; the corners arrived from Hartmann today.

.Lloyd> He's "Sid."

.Janet Klug> Gee, Lloyd, you are really going to do it this time!

.Janet Klug> El Cid, the place to start is figuring out what it is you want to exhibit

.Lloyd> Gotta. They're threatening me at AMERICOVER, that this year they really WILL have an empty frame with my name on it.

ELCIDJDAVIS> I wish i could spell

.Janet Klug> You could be the Dr. Gene Scott of FDCs.

.Lloyd> Who was Dr Gene Scott?

.Janet Klug> Exhibitor who sometimes enters shows and then doesn't show up with exhibits.

.Janet Klug> TV evangelist

.Lloyd> The only problem I'm seeing right now is that I'd planned to take the exhibit to the show myself Thursday night,

.Lloyd> and it turns out my son's summer school band concert starts at 7:15pm.

.Lloyd> That means I won't get there until at least 10p.

.Lloyd> Unless I make the 2-hour round trip earlier in the day.

.Janet Klug> Do you have someone who can deliver the exhibit for you.

.Janet Klug> You can appoint an agent.

ELCIDJDAVIS> how do I start?

.Lloyd> Not sure. I also need someone from up here to deliver my wife and younger son. :)

.Janet Klug> Cid, the place to start is deciding what you want to exhibit. What is that?

ELCIDJDAVIS> dogs on stamps

.Janet Klug> OK....now we have a subject. Next step is to figure out the plan of your exhibit.

ELCIDJDAVIS> that is dogs on stamps

.Janet Klug> Are you going to show ALL dogs on stamps, working breeds, hunting dogs?

ELCIDJDAVIS> all types

.Janet Klug> Then you need to organize them into categories. Develop a plan.

ELCIDJDAVIS> all types

.Janet Klug> You are going to tell a story with your stamps, so you have to start figuring out how to tell that story.

.Janet Klug> Here is a tip....you can go to the library and take out a few books on "Dogs"

.Janet Klug> Look at the table of contents. It probably is a fairly good beginning plan for a stamp exhibit.

ELCIDJDAVIS> could it be do around the world

.Janet Klug> I suppose it could, but it would be difficult to "tell a story" that way.

.Janet Klug> With a thematic exhibit, the "story" is very important.

.Janet Klug> It is what holds the whole exhibit together.

ELCIDJDAVIS> How man uses his best friend

.Lloyd> Can't just be 16 pages of different dogs on stamps from around the world, Janet? Gotta tell a story?

.Janet Klug> Yep, Lloyd. The story is what makes an exhibit "thematic".

.Lloyd> "Topical" isn't good enough?

.Janet Klug> Sure, it is "good enough" to exhibit, but it wouldn't be "good enough" to win much of a prize.

.Janet Klug> Now we get back to the discussion of exhibiting for the masses, or exhibiting for the judges.

.Lloyd> Is it possible to do both?

.Lloyd> Successfully, that is :)

.Janet Klug> That's a good question!

.Janet Klug> How many grand award exhibits win the "most popular" award?

ELCIDJDAVIS> I think that I will just start a selection of stamps and covers to tell my story. I could find enough to fill 96 or more pages.

.Lloyd> None that I recall at AMERICOVERs.

.E. Ryan> What have I missed so far?

.Lloyd> We were just getting to "pleasing the masses or pleasing judges."

.Lloyd> I announced that I haven't finished my exhibit yet, and it's supposed to be delivered (by hand) on Thursday :)

.E. Ryan> Can you have it both ways?

.Lloyd> I'm known as Lloyd the Late!

.E. Ryan> Good luck, Lloyd!! : )

.Lloyd> I write fast. The material's been in a manila folder for a couple of years, used at show seminars.

.Lloyd> There's one item I'd like to find, as the piece de resistance, but I'll punt if I can't find it.

.E. Ryan> What's the exhibit? FDCs??

.Lloyd> Strange and Unusual FDCs :)

.Lloyd> The missing cover is a Liberty Bell stamped envelope FDC, folded into the shape of...the Liberty Bell!

.E. Ryan> I used to collect FDCs that went through the mail. The more markings the better.

.E. Ryan> A Liberty Bell FDC? Should be interesting.

.Lloyd> The man took the envelope apart, then refolded it, origami style.

ELCIDJDAVIS> Am I better off with covers that went through the mail, or do the judges want hand backs?

.Lloyd> I have a JPG of it; now I have to find the real thing.

.Lloyd> Sid, I think it would depend on the judges and the type of exhibition you enter.

.Lloyd> I'm entering at AMERICOVER, where the judges should understand modern FDC collecting (hand-backs).

.Lloyd> Although next month, I'm entered at STAMPSHOW '98, and will get "general" judges.

.E. Ryan> Are you going to go to the critique at Stamp show?

.Lloyd> Ed, yes. I'm looking forward to it. I just bought more ammunition, too. <g>

.Janet Klug> Judges have to judge by the guidelines set forth in the Judging Manual

.Lloyd> Janet, which would YOU rather do when you exhibit?

.E. Ryan> How many times has the "most popular exhibit" won the Gold?

.Janet Klug> Depends. If I am being a "serious" collector....then I show my stuff by the guidelines.

ELCIDJDAVIS> have mostly covers that went through the mail amongst the foreign covers and many us that have also gone through the mail.

.Janet Klug> MOST of my exhibits are the "just for fun" kind.

.Lloyd> I think Janet asked that just before you came in, Ed. And I don't recall it ever happening at AMERICOVER.

.Janet Klug> I do whatever I want to do and either I don't exhibit for competition, or I don't care what award they get.

.E. Ryan> I don't think it has either. I was also wondering about Natioal shows.

.Janet Klug> I doubt the grand receives the "most popular" award very often.

.Lloyd> I have to admit I'd like to win a gold next weekend.

.Lloyd> It's not my primary purpose, or even the secondary one, but still....

.Janet Klug> Well, if that is one of your eventual goals, Lloyd, you will need to pay more attention to the guidelines for FDC exhibits....

.Lloyd> Bye, Sid.

.Janet Klug> than you probably originally planned to do.

.E. Ryan> ...but still it's a nice sense of accomplishment.

.Lloyd> Probably. And it's not as high a priority as getting first-hand experience exhibiting and entertaining people.

.Janet Klug> Let me make a suggestion, OK?

.Lloyd> Please do.

.Janet Klug> Your first priority should be to HAVE FUN!

.Janet Klug> Enjoy the process of creating your exhibit.

.Janet Klug> Then no matter what happens it was a pleasant experience for you.

.Lloyd> Sure, I guess there's some of that, too. I'm enjoying showing off my specialty (or one of 'em).

.Janet Klug> You can entertain and educate with an exhibit.

.Lloyd> And I'm enjoying using a different medium than the ones I normally use (print, Internet).

.E. Ryan> To me the laying out and setting up the exhibit is work. But I do enjoy the final result.

.Janet Klug> The "work" part for me is planning it.

.Janet Klug> I go through a couple of legal pads for every new exhibit.

.Janet Klug> I like doing the layout.

.Lloyd> Do you write that way, too? Serious question.

.Janet Klug> Although making all those decisions is sometimes mind boggling.

.E. Ryan> I enjoy the initial research and checking out little known facts, etc.

.Lloyd> Some writers really plot out their articles and stories before they start. I just write and see where they go.

.Janet Klug> Yes, Lloyd. Legal pads galore!

.Janet Klug> I don't really PLAN my articles, but I write paragraph after paragraph.

.Janet Klug> All on legal pads.

.Lloyd> Okay, that figures. Because I'm putting together this exhibit the same way I write...started, then seeing where it goes.

.Janet Klug> Oh....bad idea.

.Janet Klug> You have to focus.

.Lloyd> Well, keep in mind, I've given talks on this subject, with many of these same covers, half a dozen times already.

.E. Ryan> I usually use an outline for the exhibit.

.Janet Klug> Ok....well, then you have already planned your exhibit.

.Lloyd> I know I want to start with a boring, run-of-the-mill FDC and over 16 pages, go to something truly unusual.

.Janet Klug> Then your "plan" is to add progressively to a real zinger at the end.

.Lloyd> Right.

.Janet Klug> The tricky bit will be to step from one page to the next.

.Lloyd> Instead of legal pads, I may be keeping it all in my head.

.E. Ryan> Are the judges going to use the APS Manual of Judging FDCs for the exhibits.

.Lloyd> I'm not sure, Ed. I'm not sure if the AFDCS has its own guidelines.

.Janet Klug> Good question....Lloyd, how are the FDC exhibits judged at AMERICOVER?

.Janet Klug> Who are the judges?

.Lloyd> An experienced exhibitor would have paid attention to that in the prospectus, wouldn't he? :)

.Lloyd> Calling up my press release on the judges.

.Janet Klug> The method of judging should be there, the names of the judges not necessarily.

.Lloyd> "Mark Goodson of Indiana will serve as Chief Judge."

.Lloyd> "Goodson will be aided by William J. Hart of New York, Lorraine E. Bailey of Virginia and Allen Klein of California."

.Lloyd> "Bailey is a Director of the AFDCS, Klein its General Counsel."

.Lloyd> "Bailey also manages the cachet and cover sales program for AFDCS Sales. Hart is a member of the AFDCS Expertising Committee."

.Lloyd> One more: "Goodson is one of the co-authors in the continuing research into First Cachets: The earliest appearances of cachetmakers."

.Lloyd> Lorraine makes a lot of combination FDCs herself, so should appreciate my silly stuff.

.Janet Klug> OK....these are not APS judges, so I would say they probably are not using APS guidelines.

.Janet Klug> Does AFDCS have its own guidelines?

.E. Ryan> And if it does where can I get a copy?

.Lloyd> a) I think so; and b) I don't know.

.Lloyd> But I'll find out next weekend the answer to both.

.E. Ryan> May be a good question to ask at the critique?

.Lloyd> I do know that Alan Warren, a charter AFDCSer, is writing the new APS/FDC guidelines.

.Lloyd> Ken Lawrence was chief judge last year, btw.

.Janet Klug> I wonder if any of these FDC judges would like to enter the APS apprenticeship program.

.E. Ryan> Will you post the answer here or as a Message in case I can't get in next week.

.Lloyd> Yes, Ed. I'm looking through some notes I have on the WSP negotiations to see if the answers are there.

.Janet Klug> Lloyd, have you tried the 60 pound paper in your printer?

.E. Ryan> May I jump in -- I have used 60# in my Epson and iruns very good.

.Lloyd> Yes, and it worked, so I bought 25 sheets from the print shop at 3c each

.Janet Klug> I use it too, but Lloyd was having trouble.

.Lloyd> The 67# cardstock I use for Dragon Cards did NOT go through, however.

.Janet Klug> And you think you are only going to need 25 sheets?????????

.E. Ryan> If you have a printer with a direct path there seems to be less trouble.

.Lloyd> It wasn't so much trouble, but I forgot that paper and cardstock aren't the same thing, so a 70# paper is lighter than a 67# cardstock.

.Lloyd> Sure, janet, because I'm going to print test sheets on plain paper until I like what I see.

.Janet Klug> Right....but the cover stock I use works fine.

.Janet Klug> OK Lloyd. And I'll try not to tell you

.Janet Klug> "I told you so...."

.Lloyd> Well, I'll still have a few days to go back to the print shop and get more paper :)

.Lloyd> Or I'll emulate that exhibitor you told me about and let my pages flop!

.Lloyd> Question: My printer here is just black ink, but we do have a color printer on another computer. I wasn't planning to use color ink.

.Lloyd> And I don't recall ever seeing colored ink in exhibits. Is there a rule about that?

.Janet Klug> No....no rule.

.Lloyd> How important is the rest of the graphics presentation? Fonts, type sizes, etc.

.Lloyd> We can do more with computers than with typewriters.

.Janet Klug> Presentation is a strange thing.

.Janet Klug> It counts for little, but poor presentation has a subtle effect....

.Janet Klug> If an exhibit looks junky, the viewer may just think the material is junk.

.Janet Klug> A good exhibit "shows off" the material

.Janet Klug> It doesn't compete with it.

.Lloyd> So far, I've kept mine fairly basic and simple...one font, maybe 2 or 3 different sizes at most.

.Janet Klug> That sounds perfect.

.Janet Klug> The tendency is to use every font you have.

.Janet Klug> Not a good idea.

.Janet Klug> What works for a nice newsletter also works for an exhibit.

.Lloyd> Well, that's true of posters, flyers, pricelists for most people.

.Lloyd> Is it sacrilege if after I've got the exhibit done, I use some of Hartmann's corners for my sales display? :)

.Janet Klug> Expensive, maybe, but no sacrilege!

.Lloyd> I wonder if they'll put my exhibit up Friday morning.

.Janet Klug> Is there someone you can call?

.Lloyd> Yes, and email.

.Janet Klug> Then your problems may be solved. Generally show committees HATE to open frames when the show is open.

.Janet Klug> It would be nice if, when you have some pages of your exhibit done, we could put them up and critique them on the spot.

.Janet Klug> Now THAT would be fun!

.Lloyd> Actually, I do plan that, sort of. After STAMPSHOW, watch for my exhibit to become 16 web pages.

.Lloyd> I think every cover is already scanned. If not, it will be.

.Janet Klug> Did you ever buy a scanner?

.Lloyd> I just checked. As of when I last worked on the exhibit, I had 13 pages written or nearly written.

.Lloyd> yes, I have a scanner now.

.Janet Klug> TA DA!

.Lloyd> I wouldn't have started page 13 if I hadn't finished 12...but knowing me, I'll edit and rewrite the earlier pages.

.Lloyd> So it's not as if I have to write 16 pages from scratch this weekend.

.Janet Klug> Remember to keep the text to the barest minimum.

.Janet Klug> For those like us who write....that is not always easy.

.Lloyd> Here's the text for page 2:

.Lloyd> "First day covers may be made out of substances other than paper, such as wallpaper: ...or Balsa Wood."

.Lloyd> Two illustrations on that page.

.Janet Klug> "Substances other than paper....." then you say wallPAPER???

.Lloyd> I'm having fun on page 13. The "cover" takes up the whole 8.5"x11", but there's blank space on it, so I've curved the text to fit in the bottom corner :)

.Lloyd> Wallpaper isn't really paper, is it?

.Lloyd> I could say "writing paper," I guess.

.Janet Klug> Mostly it is paper.

.Janet Klug> Some is vinyl.

.Janet Klug> That is why they call it "wall PAPER"

.Lloyd> Okay, changing it, and "First Day Covers" to "FDCs" so it'll fit on just one line.

.Lloyd> Done.

.Janet Klug> OK to use FDCs but mention that on title page.

.E. Ryan> The judges will love that!

.Lloyd> Like "First day covers (FDCs)..."

.Lloyd> Love what, Ed? "wallPAPER"?

.Janet Klug> First time you use "First Day Covers" put (FDCs) in parens.

.Lloyd> Okay.

.E. Ryan> No, having your write up of only one line. Less to read.

.Lloyd> Is there a danger of "talking down" too much?

.Janet Klug> Like how?

.Lloyd> On page 3, My first line is "The designs on first day covers, called "cachets," may be printed in a single color..." Too basic?

.Lloyd> the audience for whom I've been writing is a novice, or at least novice FDCer.

.Janet Klug> Well, viewers are not idiots (a fact TV producers fail to realize), but explaining basic terms does not seem to be too basic to me.

.Lloyd> My first article for Scott Stamp Monthly, the then-editor made me change "affix the stamp" to "stick the stamp."

.Janet Klug> Actually I have just written an article on philatelic writing.

.Janet Klug> And how confusing it is.

.Lloyd> Have you looked at my radio scripts? Talk about basic writing!

.Janet Klug> To the uninitiated it is like reading PC Magazine for the first time.

.Janet Klug> All those initials, wacky terms.

.Lloyd> Is PC Magazine in English? :)

.Janet Klug> Who is supposed to understand that???

.Lloyd> I run my radio scripts past a non-collector almost every time, and she tells me if she doesn't understand something.

.Janet Klug> Computer nerds are just exactly like stamp collectors.

.Janet Klug> Pants too high on the waist. Thick glasses.

.Lloyd> Radio writing is always very simple -- no big words -- writing for the ear, we call it. So it's a real challenge to write about stamps, AND squeeze it into 60 seconds.

.Janet Klug> Pocket protectors.

.Lloyd> Ack. PAGE protectors! That's what I haven't gotten yet.

.Lloyd> Here's my opening paragraph: "This is a standard first day cover." and then my first cover.

.Janet Klug> Another visit to Office Max...

.Lloyd> Staples, Office Depot, Office Max...we've got 'em all here in Paramus.

.Janet Klug> My favorite stores.

.Janet Klug> I LOVE the stuff they sell.

.Janet Klug> They have the neatest little paper cutters PERFECT for stamp mounts.

.Lloyd> Me, too, so I have to watch myself there.

.Lloyd> Do they? I've been using a stamp mount cutter for NON-philatelic stuff!

.Janet Klug> And electronic gadgets! Gawd, I love them!

.Lloyd> On page protectors, I know I have to get "inert," but what about glossy vs matte finish, if there's a choice? Which is preferred?

.Janet Klug> Yes, Lloyd....they are about twice the size of a stamp mount cutter, but half the size of a normal paper cutter.

.Janet Klug> $10.95.

.Janet Klug> The BEST to get is mylar, which Office Max et al does not sell.

.Lloyd> Right. But I forgot to order from that guy in AMERICAN PHILATELIST.

.Janet Klug> Of the Office Max choices, the best is the glossy. Matte will fuzzy the stuff on the pages.

.Janet Klug> Too late now.

.Janet Klug> You're OK though....the polyester is inert.

.Janet Klug> The only problem is that is scratches easily and if you leave your material in them for a long time

.Janet Klug> it leaves an impression of it on the page protector.

.Lloyd> What's the advantage of Mylar over Polyester....never mind, you just answered me.

.Janet Klug> Mylar does not do that. It also doesn't scratch very easily.

.Lloyd> So maybe if I order right after AMERICOVER, I can have those mylar pages for STAMPSHOW.

.Janet Klug> Mylar is expensive, though..

.Janet Klug> Oh... Tuck Taylor is QUICK.

.Janet Klug> If you order them after AMERICOVER he will have them to you in a week

.Janet Klug> You can also order special sizes if you need them.

.Lloyd> Is there a minimum size for the type in the exhibit? I'm using 12-pitch.

.Janet Klug> For example, double pages.

.Lloyd> Yeah, that means at least 1 cover won't be in a page protector at all, but I think I can live with that.

.Janet Klug> Just remember that nearly everyone who is going to read it will be middle aged.

.Lloyd> :)

.Janet Klug> Big enough to see, not so big to overshadow the material.