Tip Index to The Path to Gold: 175 Proven Stamp Exhibiting Tips - by Steven Zwillinger
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Chapter 1 - Creating Your Exhibit | ||
Tip # | Title | Page |
1 | Enjoy yourself | 2 |
2 | You can put descriptions above the stamps as well as below | 2 |
3 | Tell a story! | 2 |
4 | Plan your exhibit template and write it down | 3 |
5 | The most important pages of your exhibit are not mounted in the frames | 4 |
6 | Don't unduly limit font size for headings | 8 |
7 | Learn from sale auction catalogs | 9 |
8 | If you are considering a thematic exhibit, consult Wikipedia | 10 |
9 | Try to answer the question 'How much is too much?' | 10 |
10 | Just because you can create an exhibit, doesn't mean you should | 12 |
11 | Consider carefully if you want to exhibit unattractive items | 13 |
12 | Use "bookends" for an exhibit: start with a clear beginning and end with a strong closing | 14 |
13 | Distinguish between text on exhibit pages that serve different purposes | 15 |
14 | Don't neglect your title page | 16 |
15 | Consider what an exhibit can cost | 16 |
16 | Consider to what extent can you get help with your exhibit? | 18 |
17 | Make a Plan | 20 |
18 | Know your Exhibiting Goals | 22 |
19 | Laying out Exhibits: Make the exhibit pages come out the way you want them to | 24 |
20 | Know when it is time to let go and stop working on an exhibit | 25 |
21 | Describe, don't politicize | 26 |
22 | Don't settle - Keep on Improving | 28 |
23 | Remember that 'perfect' varies by exhibit | 29 |
24 | Download the APS Manual of Philatelic Judging | 31 |
25 | There can be several possible ending points for an exhibit | 32 |
Chapter 2 - Using Techniques That Work | ||
Tip # | Title | Page |
26 | Content matters more than format | 36 |
27 | There is no one right way to lay out a page | 38 |
28 | Never cut a mount with a stamp in it | 38 |
29 | Don't use black mounts for stamps | 39 |
30 | Address all aspects of the material in your exhibit | 40 |
31 | Keep the emphasis on philatelic material | 40 |
32 | Don't artificially limit how many covers you show on a single page | 41 |
33 | Consider showing cancels and overprints on your pages | 41 |
34 | Use the appropriate number of covers on a page | 42 |
35 | Consider using a consistent format across exhibits | 43 |
36 | You can use Microsoft Word for making exhibit pages | 44 |
37 | Start with a small step and use a template | 45 |
38 | Be pragmatic in laying out out your exhibit: use page layouts to meet your needs | 47 |
39 | Less is more and more is less | 47 |
40 | Make edges look better | 48 |
41 | "Preservation" is more important than "Pretty" | 49 |
42 | Use Highlighting | 50 |
43 | Consider different levels of mats to showcase philatelic material | 51 |
44 | Start your exhibit now; your exhibit pages do not have to be the same as your collection pages | 52 |
45 | Don't wait - Start now | 53 |
Chapter 3 - Constructing Engaging Pages | ||
Tip # | Title | Page |
46 | Consider low tech solutions to display challenges | 56 |
47 | Remember there is more than one way to prepare an exhibit page | 56 |
48 | Don't leave half pages empty | 57 |
49 | Turn an exhibit sheet sideways | 57 |
50 | Try to make exhibit pages balanced | 58 |
51 | Symmetry | 60 |
52 | Mount coins or medals on your exhibit pages if they fit with your theme | 61 |
53 | Use photocopied material when it is appropriate | 62 |
54 | Yes, you can show the picture side of a postcard | 62 |
55 | Create more space | 63 |
56 | Use 'Negative Space' on your exhiibt page if you are displaying a large item | 64 |
57 | Don't emphasize imperfections | 64 |
58 | Don't shortchange your exhibit; use all available tools | 65 |
59 | The half page - not a full page - is the smallest unit of layout design | 66 |
60 | Learn from other's mistakes, not just their successes | 67 |
61 | Use legal size paper to create a neat and attractive layout within a frame if you have a series of large items | 68 |
62 | Use large paper for large items | 68 |
63 | Don't be afraid to exhibit large philatelic pieces | 70 |
64 | There's more to big pages than big paper | 71 |
65 | Learn Rates | 74 |
Chapter 4 - Building on Great Design | ||
Tip # | Title | Page |
66 | You don't always need margins | 78 |
67 | Don't be trapped in the horizontal; think vertically where it meets your needs | 79 |
68 | Don't be a victim of conventional approaches to horizontal and vertical planes | 79 |
69 | Include gum and paper variations in your stamp exhibits | 82 |
70 | Use color to your advantage | 82 |
71 | Don't be afraid to be bold and create a striking impression | 83 |
72 | Be creative in exhibiting long envelopes | 84 |
73 | You can mount almost anything on your exhibit pages | 85 |
74 | You can exhibit three-dimensional material | 87 |
75 | You can mount very thick material | 90 |
76 | Construct a display box in your exhibit page | 91 |
77 | Be creative in showing your material | 93 |
78 | Use all available resources in showcasing your material and your knowledge | 94 |
79 | Use the reverse of a philatelic item to enhance your presentation of philatelic information | 95 |
80 | Address the source of a stamp's design in your commentary | 96 |
81 | The necessity for clear communication in an exhibit is inversely proportional to a viewer's familiarity with the material. | 96 |
82 | Clarity reduces complexity | 97 |
83 | Do-overs are free | 98 |
84 | Copy Shamelessly | 98 |
85 | Avoid "Train Tracks" on Exhibit Pages | 99 |
Chapter 5 - Including Graphic Elements | ||
Tip # | Title | Page |
86 | Learn from the masters | 102 |
87 | Don't just describe - emphasize! | 103 |
88 | An illustration can't be too big or too clear; it's all in how you use it | 104 |
89 | Consider using a timeline | 106 |
90 | Don't compare tiny things; compare big things | 108 |
91 | If something important might be too small or too hard to see, use a diagram to call attention to it. | 109 |
92 | Tell your viewers what they are seeing | 110 |
93 | You can show "Invisible" tagging patterns | 111 |
94 | Sometimes extraordinary material outweighs traditional approaches and assumptions | 111 |
95 | Fill in the blanks: Provide information that would otherwise be missing | 112 |
96 | The more complete your presentation of appropriate data, the better | 113 |
97 | Graphics do not have to be limited to subordinate positions | 114 |
98 | You can illustrate the exhibit plan on your title page | 114 |
99 | Don't be afraid to defy expectations | 116 |
100 | You can show partial postal or fiscal markings | 118 |
101 | The more complex the issue, the greater the value of an explanatory graphic | 118 |
102 | The more complex the issue (such as overprints and surcharges), the greater the value of an explanatory graphic | 120 |
103 | Some New Yea's Resolutions as they pertain to our exhibiting world | 121 |
104 | CHANGE: How it affects the philatelic exhibiting world | 123 |
105 | See how the Champion of Champions did it | 126 |
Chapter 6 - Enjoying Stamp Shows | ||
Tip # | Title | Page |
106 | Show your exhibit at a local club | 132 |
107 | Consider - if your home situation allows - acquiring an exhibit frame | 132 |
108 | Provide clear instructions for mounting exhibits in frames | 133 |
109 | Provide clear instructions for mounting large pages in frames | 134 |
110 | Thanking volunteers | 134 |
111 | If you have the opportunity, mount your exhibit at a show | 135 |
112 | Use your cell phone or digital camera to capture information from exhibits | 135 |
113 | Bring an Exhibiting Repair Kit for when you mount your exhibit | 135 |
114 | [If you are as compulsive as I am,] Bring back-ups | 136 |
115 | Understand what medal levels mean | 136 |
116 | Yes, Stamp Exhibiting is a hobby, but it's also more | 137 |
117 | Don't argue with the Judges at the critique | 138 |
118 | Take advantage of opportunities | 138 |
119 | Make judges' lives easier: Use 3-hole punched paper when you submit a title page and synopsis for a show in which you will exhibit | 139 |
120 | Keep your budget priorities straight | 139 |
121 | Enjoy the rewards of exhibiting | 140 |
122 | Talk to Dealers | 141 |
123 | Anticipate how judges will judge your exhibit | 141 |
124 | If you know how judges will review and assess your exhibit, make it easy for them | 142 |
125 | It's not true that all 'good' exhibit subjects cost too much | 142 |
Chapter 7 - Resources and The Next Steps | ||
Tip # | Title | Page |
126 | Talk to your friends and family about your exhibit | 144 |
127 | Try a new exhibiting area | 144 |
128 | Consider broadening you collecting and exhibiting activities | 144 |
129 | Share a copy of your exhibit with the American Philatelic Research Library | 145 |
130 | Join AAPE | 145 |
131 | Borrow, buy or read The Philatelic Exhibitors Handbook | 145 |
132 | Don't forget to visit the AAPE website | 145 |
133 | Go to Exponet and learn from over 500 online exhibits | 145 |
134 | Identify the worst looking item in your exhibit. Take it out. | 146 |
135 | Don't neglect the American Philatelic Research Library (APRL) as a source of information about and examples of exhibits | 146 |
136 | Prepare for the worst | 147 |
137 | Experiment with exhibiting techniques in your other hobbies | 147 |
138 | Organize | 148 |
139 | We all need to be organized | 148 |
140 | More organizing techniques | 149 |
141 | Focus attention and guide the viewers' eye by hiding unnecessary portions of material | 149 |
142 | Plan for the Summer | 150 |
143 | Plan for the longer term | 150 |
144 | Don't be intimidated by information or by those who have it (or think they have it.) | 150 |
145 | The QR code and the Future of Philatelic Exhibiting | 151 |
146 | There really aren't any ugly stamps - just ugly exhibits | 152 |
147 | Beware the Seven Sins of Exhibiting | 155 |
148 | Choose your palette | 156 |
149 | Take 10 weeks for a better exhibit | 159 |
150 | Follow your muse | 163 |
Chapter 8 - More Content | ||
Tip # | Title | Page |
151 | Don't minimize the importance of a great title | 165 |
152 | An outline and introductory material don't have to be limited to your title page | 166 |
153 | Help judges prepare for your exhibit with a strong reference section of your synopsis | 168 |
154 | You don't have a problem when a full mounting strip is too short for a long itme | 169 |
155 | Some pages don't work; accept it and move on | 169 |
156 | Don't confuse people | 170 |
157 | Catch the viewers eye: Make them stop in their tracks and look at your exhibit | 171 |
158 | Planning starts with an outline - even if some topics appear too complicated for an outline | 172 |
159 | Show production-related aspects of your stamps | 174 |
160 | If you've never seen it before and you have a chance to acquire it, get it | 175 |
161 | Consider bi-lingual headings | 176 |
162 | When you are looking for a connection with your audience, consider their frame of reference | 177 |
163 | Use a checklist when you mail your exhibit to a stamp show | 178 |
164 | Try to have realistic expectations for your exhibits | 178 |
165 | Be complete in your narrative | 179 |
166 | You don't have to do what a judge says | 180 |
167 | Trying things you haven't done before may permit you to see opportunities for improving your exhibit | 182 |
168 | Wait to exhibit an item until you know how you want to exhibit it and have the material to tell the story you want to tell | 184 |
169 | Be ruthless when you prune your exhibit | 184 |
170 | Display stamps in groups or in sub-groups in ways that suit your needs | 186 |
171 | Try to avoid showing stamps on the image side of a postcard | 186 |
172 | You can expand your collection without everything fitting into your exhibit | 187 |
173 | When necessary, you can mix mint and used stamps on the same page | 188 |
174 | Review everything | 188 |
175 | You can't please everybody | 189 |
Appendix - Exhibit Page Production | 191 |