From: Association of Collecting Clubs
18222 Flower Hill Way #299
Gaithersburg, MD 20879
301.926.8663
Info@Collectors.Org
 

To: Digital Reprieve, Inc.
From: Assn of Collecting Clubs

Subject: ACC Partners' Update, Vol 4, No 12A, October 9, 2006

ACC at Atlantique City This Weekend
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The Association of Collecting Clubs will be back at the Atlantique City Antiques & Collectibles Show this weekend, October 14-15, with 3-1/2 booths, thanks to the Atlantique City show management. We will have an all-time high of over 300 collecting clubs who have sent materials for this show, promoting their clubs and membership recruitment.

We plan to also have special displays on the Collectors Trade Show, reaching young collectors, the National Association of Collectors and the JoinAClub program for club membership recruitment.

Add the 800+ clubs participating in the JoinAClub program and, to our knowledge, this is the largest assemblage of information of collecting clubs ever offered.

Show Managers Assistance Sought
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ACC has been attempting to find ways to work with show managers in partnering ways for involving more collecting clubs, their leadership and their members. While strictly topical shows may have good relationships with the clubs that support collecting areas relating to these shows, i.e. coin shows, glass shows, paper shows, toy shows, etc. its really only the tip of the iceberg.

We have found that most collectors belonging to a collecting club readily admit to having other collections unrelated to the area supported by their member club. Surveys have shown this figure to be 89%. This means coin collectors may also collect Olympic pins or royalty items or advertising memorabilia. Glass collectors may also collect dolls, doorstops or cameras. Reaching out to all collecting clubs, no matter how "focused" your show may be, may be a good move.

ACC would really like to work with show managers on bringing more club members into your shows, and promoting your shows to the clubs. In exchange, clubs can often provide displays, set up a small booth or offer appraisals at your show. Discount admittance and other incentives might be a consideration that could be offered through ACC. We can also provide a display booth for your show(s) in the Shows Aisle of the Collectors Trade Show on the Collectors.Org website.

What we're saying is "let's talk." Feel free to contact ACC at: info@collectors.org or call 301.926.8663.

Collecting Club Event Guides, Working with CVBs
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Two new ACC publications are now available as of this week.

"Collecting Club Event Guide: Working with CVBs" highlights what a Convention & Visitors Bureau is, what a club seeking a site & facility for their show or convention should provide a CVB, and what a CVB can do for them. It also includes how to contact Convention & Visitor Bureaus.

The second publication is "Collecting Club Event Guide: Facility Checklist." As the name implies, this is an aid for club convention chairmen to use in selecting an event site, an event facility and how to determine event space & planning needs.

A survey of club convention chairmen two years ago identified the need for help in selecting a site and a facility as two of their common needs. It has been less than a year that ACC and CVBs began to "partner" and we are tremendously pleased with the strong interest that CVBs have in the antiques & collecting industry and are willing to help in every way they can to assure success. We tell the clubs that the professionals at every Convention & Visitors Bureau know that their jobs aren't done until you go home satisfied. Their goal - to make your convention chairman or show manager a hero and your club's return to their destination a tradition.

ACC estimates that the 2,400+ collecting clubs with which we work host over 10,000 events annually. Granted, many of these are shows and other events held in places like fire halls, Elks Clubs and county fairgrounds, but many others are held at major hotels and convention centers.

In addition to CVB staffs critiquing the two guides mentioned above, ACC is pleased with the interest and support of CVBs in placing booths in the Collectors Trade Show on Collectors.org including: Grand Rapids/Kent County CVB; Casper, Wyoming CVB; Metropolitan Tucson CVB; Tampa Bay CVB; San Mateo CVB; Greater Rochester (NY) Visitors Assn; Greater Des Moines CVB; Toledo CVB; Rogers-Lowell Area (AR) CVB; Greater Lansing (MI) CVB; Hampton (VA) CVB; and Dayton (OH) CVB. Thanks!

To request single copies of these two guides, please send your name and postal address plus $4.00 total to: ACC, 18222 Flower Hill Way #299, Gaithersburg, MD 20879. This price includes both guides plus shipping.

Putting Young Collectors in the Spotlight
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While collecting clubs continue to struggle with reaching out to young collectors... and involving them in their club activities, the media is embracing young collectors. ACC has recently had requests from both the Martha Stewart Show and the new Megan Mullally Show (remember Karen from the Will & Grace Show). We are providing potential candidates to these shows as we hear about them. Young Kyle Krichbaum, an 11-year-old vacuum cleaner collector from Michigan (with 125 vacuums in his collection) recently appeared on Megan's show. It was a great feature. Now the producers of the Jay Leno Show are requesting similar young collectors.

If you know of any young collectors, particularly if they collect something out of the ordinary, and are very personable, we would like to hear about them. Write: info@collectors.org

A growing number of collecting clubs are reaching out to young collectors in a variety of ways. Some have a separate website just for young collectors or separate young collector newsletters. Club shows and conventions are drawing in hundreds of young collectors in a few collecting areas. The youth activities they are offered at these events are creative and age-appropriate.

But this is a two-stage process for most clubs. It can be relatively easy to get young people to a club-sponsored event. Getting them interested in collecting, and involving them in the club activities in meaningful ways is a harder challenge.

A sobering comment we heard recently. "Every year that passes, the average age of our club membership goes up one year."

ACC has a continuing agenda of working with the clubs at bringing in new, younger members...and sharing with other clubs the successes in this area. ACC breaks "young collector" down into three categories: 12 years of age and younger, the 13-19 teenage years, and the 20-35 year old young collectors. These are entirely different audiences with different interests and needs, and require different approaches.

Collectors Trade Show - Partnering With New Friends
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Most partners realize they can reach a special niche of buyers they're probably not now reaching. ACC works with over 2400 collecting clubs, each with memberships from 100 to over 100,000. Many of these clubs, and their millions of members, are serious collectors, dealers and investors... and potential customers... having interests in all types of antiques, art and collectibles. Besides being major buyers, many also have quality collectibles they are willing to sell...often in areas other than what they are known to collect.

This is a great way to start a partnership with both ACC & NAC and reach the clubs and the collectors at the same time. The price is right!

First Announcement: ACC Conference & Trade Show
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ACC is announcing a first ever Conference & Trade Show (yes, a live trade show) for the leadership of collecting clubs, to be held in fall, 2007. This has been a long-time request by a number of clubs, as well as ACC partners. We will be doing a survey of club leadership this month to determine if the interest is still there, before moving ahead. More information coming soon.

ACC & Website Buttons & Banners Available
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Thanks to the Partners who have placed ACC & Collectors.Org website buttons or banners on your site. We appreciate this support and your linking our site to yours.

There are a couple of variations of the "Proud Partner of the Association of Collecting Clubs" buttons. Or, direct links to the Club Directory and other segments of the site.

If your webmaster has any problem in getting the links to work on your site, please have them contact Rick Moses at: TechSupport@Collectors.org