Hi everyone,

Well, it's been an interesting couple of months culminating in the decision to cancel this year's Bookmark Collectors Virtual Convention. It wasn't an easy decision, but I believe it was the right one.

There are a couple of reasons behind this decision. First and foremost has been my time and availability. Shortly after the new year, several new projects at work demanded more of my time and a new project at home tied up most of my free time. The convention was getting less and less of the time that it needed.

And the second reason is that we weren't getting the interest in supporting the convention we had in the past. I  don't think there was any less interest in a convention, it's just that there weren't as many offers to make presentations or take on some of the organizing tasks that are necessary. And after (happily!) performing many of the tasks last year, I knew that I wouldn't have the same time this year. I will quickly admit that I need to put a lot more effort into organizing and recruiting both presenters and workers, but once again my time constraints interfered with the effort I know this event requires.

So, going forward... I am not saying this event can't happen and be successful! Quite the contrary, I think we all saw how well it can work based on last years event. I am hopeful that delaying the event a year will give more people a chance to prepare a presentation or participate in planning the next convention. I think the delay can make it a stronger event.

Please feel free to write and let me know your thoughts or you can add a comment at the forums.

And let's look forward to an amazing 2012 Convention!

Take a look at last year's list of presentations (http://www.bmcvc.com/presentations/), and then review the list of suggested topics on our presenter's page (http://www.bmcvc.com/presenter-information/). Something on that list will inspire you.

As we discovered last year, the convention is a great place to exhange ideas and experiences. We all had a great time, and I think the presenters got more out of it than the attendees. I know I did!

Alan

P.S. If you're not feeling like clicking on a link, here's the suggestion list:

Photographing bookmarks
Using a scanner and Photoshop
Personal collection
Focus on particular types of bookmarks or manufacturers
The world of bookmarks: souvenirs of note
Bookmarks history
Cultural values/usages
What can bookmarks teach us?
Bookmarks and censorship: when bookmarks offend
Displaying your bookmarks without taking over the house
Categorizing bookmarks: Software and its possibilities
Exhibiting/showing
How to approach galleries. libraries, bookstores, and other locations for a showing
How to create a good presentation and find outlets interested in having you talk
Demonstrations on making bookmarks (pick any craft)
Die-cut bookmarks for today
The business of bookmarks: creating and selling bookmarks for profit
Using eBay and other auction sites
Online retail/craft sites
Writing about bookmarks: is there money to be had?
Bookmark swaps
Bookmark collecting groups/organizations
Creating an active bookmark forum for both discussion and trading
Building a bookmarks library: articles, books, and newsletters about bookmarks
Bookmark ephemera
Stories from collectors – how a collection came together
Unusual aspects of collecting
Bookmark contests used to promote reading/etc.
Expanding the field, educating the public, bringing in new collectors
On not boring people in conversation: how to talk bookmarks without losing your audience

The second post discusses one of my favorite aspects of bookmark collecting: bookmarks as art.

Here are the links:

http://www.inherited-values.com/2010/02/collectible-event-news-collectors-virtual-convention/

http://www.ululating-undulating-ungulate.com/2010/02/celebrating-collecting-the-art-of-bookmarks/

If you are intersted in advertising at the site contact us and we'll send you the rate sheet and go over the Trade Show options.

It's easy for everyone attending to connect with InstantPresenter. However, we need to make sure that everyone presenting has a chance to connect ahead of time just to be sure their computer is configured correctly. It doesn't take any special software or hardware (other than the microphone for the presenters), but it's easier to make sure everything is working before the convention.

Today we had another test of our presentation software and it's really coming together well. Alan and I will continue to work with the presenters so they are entirely comfortable by the time the convention comes around. I am only part of the way through the creation of my presentations, but I am having fun. If any of you have any ideas for me (I'm doing one on buying bookmarks on eBay and another on storing and displaying them) please let me know. Your questions or ideas will be used and may even spark other ideas for me.

Also, if you think you have an idea you'd like to do please let us know. We are more than happy to help you develop your own presentation. It's not hard, and I have the time. (Well, I'll make the time.) Remember, just because you know something doesn't mean the rest of us do. Let's share all our knowledge. 

I wanted to add my two cents to Alan's posts and welcome everyone who has signed up for the newsletter. He's already sent two of them. And we are already getting our early registrants. (It's never too early to register, and in fact it's better early than late.) 

We've been practicing with our presentations and having fun. A few problems too, but Alan is a techno-wizard and is able to work on them without wanting to rip a computer's lungs out. (That's for me to do.) 

What we hope to do in the next week or so is begin to get our galleries together. Laine Farley has charge of those so I think we will begin to list the categories. This is where we encourage you to really begin your participation. Scan or photograph your bookmarks that fit into one or more of the categories and send them to us. We are looking to see how many types in a particular category we can see. It's not so much to show off our collections as to see what was created that fits into, as an example, World War II bookmarks. It's visual history that has until relatively recently gone unappreciated. 

I also want to ask if there is anyone interested in doing a presentation that has not been contacted? If so, please let Alan or me know. We'd be glad to go over what is needed (it's easier than you think), and help you to do it. Also, if you have ideas for presentations that you would like to see please do contact us with them. We are very interested!

The About page has been expanded with information about the two primary organizers, Yeah, that include me. I'm sure there's a clever aphorism about the cobbler's kids or something, but the truth is I'm more interested in everyone else's work. This is going to be a great event!

I've posted the abstact along with her bio, and now that the "dam has broken", I expect to see more of the abstracts I know are in the works.

And no one is more behind in this task than myself!