annual struggle with decision to renew APS membership
Apr 1, 2023 20:23:54 GMT -5
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Philatarium, khj, and 2 more like this
Post by youpiao on Apr 1, 2023 20:23:54 GMT -5
(I could have sworn Twitter provided links for threads which you could post elsewhere. Muskie must have had the bright idea to get rid if that feature.)
Graham Beck @exploringstamps just upset the hornets’ nest on Twitter, posting that he is undecided about renewing his APS membership. Unlike here, though, Scott English replied directly, offering to pay Beck’s $45 dues if he would say what it is he expects from his membership that he’s not getting.
Of course, that argument is not framed properly or fairly. The question is whether what you receive, even if it is what you expect, provides $45/year worth of value.
The APS, as a stamp organization catering to the whole universe of collectors, is analogous to the cable or streaming TV services (none of which I subscribe to). It doesn’t matter if they have 800 channels or 2 million movies and series to watch. You are charging a price commensurate with the amount of programming you have, even though I cannot, nor have the interest in seeing but a minute portion of it.
If you are a country specialist or a topical collector (and Beck said he is a dues-paying ATA member) than you will be much better served by joining a specialist society or the ATA, and spend less, to boot.
Even if you are a generalist worldwide collector, it doesn’t mean you will find that many things in the AP magazine or in APS online seminars that will appeal to you. And with the proliferation of stampy websites, bligs, and forums, it is possible to find most of the information you seek without spending a dime.
By the way, I renewed my APS membership earlier this year, and it was not without the same second-guessing expressed here. I tell myself that the APS magazine subscription alone is worth the price of admission, but, truth be told, I’ve never come across an article on a collecting area of mine that has made me glad I was member so I didn’t miss out on it.
I’m already questioning my renewal for next year.
Graham Beck @exploringstamps just upset the hornets’ nest on Twitter, posting that he is undecided about renewing his APS membership. Unlike here, though, Scott English replied directly, offering to pay Beck’s $45 dues if he would say what it is he expects from his membership that he’s not getting.
Of course, that argument is not framed properly or fairly. The question is whether what you receive, even if it is what you expect, provides $45/year worth of value.
The APS, as a stamp organization catering to the whole universe of collectors, is analogous to the cable or streaming TV services (none of which I subscribe to). It doesn’t matter if they have 800 channels or 2 million movies and series to watch. You are charging a price commensurate with the amount of programming you have, even though I cannot, nor have the interest in seeing but a minute portion of it.
If you are a country specialist or a topical collector (and Beck said he is a dues-paying ATA member) than you will be much better served by joining a specialist society or the ATA, and spend less, to boot.
Even if you are a generalist worldwide collector, it doesn’t mean you will find that many things in the AP magazine or in APS online seminars that will appeal to you. And with the proliferation of stampy websites, bligs, and forums, it is possible to find most of the information you seek without spending a dime.
By the way, I renewed my APS membership earlier this year, and it was not without the same second-guessing expressed here. I tell myself that the APS magazine subscription alone is worth the price of admission, but, truth be told, I’ve never come across an article on a collecting area of mine that has made me glad I was member so I didn’t miss out on it.
I’m already questioning my renewal for next year.
Stamps - the bear necessities of life.
