Learn to exhibit starting with a single page

Members of the North Toronto Stamp Club (NTSC) will host a seminar focused on one-page exhibiting at the National Postage Stamp and Coin Show this March.

The presentation entitled “From the Bottom Up” will take place Sunday, March 23 – the show’s closing day – at 11 a.m. The speakers will explore how to tell a story, which is “the main challenge” of one-page exhibiting according to NTSC member and judge Robert Pinet.

“What’s good about one-pagers is that it really does help people get introduced to exhibiting,” said Pinet, who was a regional judge since 2013 before finishing his national-level apprenticeship in 2017. “There are rules in terms of the three elements and telling a story, but it’s a great way to slowly get into exhibiting, and it’s fun.”

The NTSC, which hosts its annual exhibition in conjunction with the two-day National Postage Stamp and Coin Show each spring, invites exhibitors to enter one-page exhibits as a learning experience. A total score of 10 points can be awarded to exhibitors by accredited judges; however, “bonus points” are also awarded for using additional elements or presenting original ideas.

“The three elements are important, but it’s also important to have a narrative, which is illustrated with the philatelic material. Once new exhibitors get that idea, then they can try out other types of exhibiting,” added Pinet.

NTSC member Leon Matthys

WHAT IT TAKES

The seminar will help collectors understand what it takes to create an exhibit page, said NTSC Exhibition Committee Co-Chair John Wilson, who’s also the club’s immediate past-president.

“Fifteen frames is tough,” he said, adding “even an experienced exhibitor who doesn’t do thematics realizes how hard it is to design the page, and to design it effectively with three elements. It’s quite a discipline.”

Once you’re exposed to exhibiting, however, it’s “a real bug,” Wilson added.

“It really helps you look at your collection and tell its story, but also you realize what you need to complete the collection and discover items or aspects you didn’t really know were there. You may not notice a difference until you really study an issue.”

For more information about the NTSC, visit northtorontostampclub.ca.